HAPPY DAYS, CALVIN BERGER & EATING RAOUL Set for Minneapolis Musical Theatre's 2014-15 Season

Minneapolis Musical Theatre's (MMT) new 2014-15 season will feature the area premieres of Eating Raoul, Calvin Berger and Happy Days-A New Musical at Hennepin Theatre Trust's New Century Theatre. Eating Raoul, based on the 1982 cult classic, black comedy film about a twisted take on the American dream, runs October 3-26, 2014. Calvin Berger, inspired by the classic French play Cyrano de Bergerac, runs January 23-February 15, 2015. TV's favorite family, the Cunninghams join The Fonz to save their favorite malt shop from demolition in Happy Days-A New Musical, running April 24-May 17, 2015. Three-show season subscription packages are just $66 and go on sale Friday, June 6 at 11 a.m. by calling 612.455.9501 or in person at the New Century Theatre Box Office (street level of City Center in downtown Minneapolis). Please visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org/mmt for complete ordering information. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date.

Each show in the 2014-15 season will welcome a guest director beginning with longtime MMT actor Ryan McGuire Grimes at the helm for Eating Raoul. After 22 years leading MMT, company co-founder Steven Meerdink will be stepping down as artistic director. The season will move forward under the leadership of interim artistic director Christian Unser and the MMT Board.

Eating Raoul, October 3-26, 2014
Eating Raoul is a twisted tale of the American dream. Based on the 1982 Paul Bartel film, Mary and Paul Bland want to open a restaurant and go to extreme lengths to make their dream a reality. In a desperate and murderous effort to obtain cash, the Blands lure Hollywood swingers into their apartment, snatch their money and kill them. As the cash pile grows, so does the pile of dead bodies. Devious janitor Raoul offers a solution for a cut of profit. But can this partnership continue for long? Eating Raoul is hailed as "The most entertaining musical about sex and cannibalism around" by Back Stage West and "Fun" by the Los Angeles Times. The stage musical adaptation opened off-Broadway in 1992 with music and lyrics by Jed Feuer and Boyd Graham.

Calvin Berger, January 23 - February 15, 2015
Based loosely on the timeless play, Cyrano de Bergerac, Calvin Berger is the hip and hilarious story of unrequited feelings, love notes and physical insecurity among four high school seniors. Calvin is smitten by the beautiful Rosanna, but the size of his nose prevents his declaration of love. Rosanna, in turn, is attracted to the handsome newcomer, Matt, who is painfully shy and inarticulate around her, although the attraction is mutual. Hoping to get closer to Rosanna through his eloquent love notes, Calvin offers to be Matt's "speech writer," all the while ignoring signals of affection from another girl, his best friend, Bret. When the deception unravels, everybody's friendship is seriously jeopardized. With book, music and lyrics by Barry Wyner, Calvin Berger was called "a cheerful little winner" by Variety when the musical ran at the George Street Playhouse in New Jersey in 2010. Playbill called the lyrics "funny, smart, and forever propelling the action along."

Happy Days-A New Musical, April 24 - May 17, 2015
The New York Daily News wrote "If you like Grease you will love Happy Days. A powerhouse, rock and roll trip down memory lane, Happy Days is not to be missed!" Journey back to the 1950s with the Cunninghams and their friends. Happy Days-A New Musical brings one of television's best loved families to a new generation. When Arnold's, the town's number one hangout and malt shop, is in danger of being torn down, Richie, Potsie, Arthur "The Fonz" Fonzarelli and the rest of the gang team up to save it with a dance contest and a TV-worthy wrestling match. In a race against time, can The Fonz save the day? The television series' original creator Garry Marshall wrote the book and the original Fonzie, Henry Winkler, served as the musical's creative consultant. Happy Days features 21 songs by Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe award-winning songwriter Paul Williams, including the series' iconic theme song.

This will be the third season in the partnership between MMT and the Trust following the 2013-14 productions of Carrie The Musical, Five Course Love and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, which opens on Friday, June 6. This Trust and MMT partnership builds on the strengths of both organizations by combining resources in artistic exploration, audience development, community outreach and downtown revival to locally showcase new or rarely seen musical works.

Subscription packages for Eating Raoul, Calvin Berger and Happy Days-A New Musical are $66 and go on sale at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 6 by calling 612.455.9501 or in person (no service fees) at the New Century Theatre Box Office (615 Hennepin Ave., street level of City Center). Please visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org/mmt for complete ordering information. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date. All prices include applicable facility fees. Additional service charges may apply. Groups of 10 or more should call 612.455.9525. Please note: Tickets are not being sold at the State Theatre Box Office.