Review: RICHMOND VA 2019-2020 SEASON at THEATERS ALL AROUND TOWN

THEY SAY THE NEON LIGHTS ARE BRIGHT IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA!

It's August. Theatre season winds down. Rehearsals have begun for the opening shows of the 2019-2020 season.

We have had past discussions about how much theater there is in little Richmond Virginia.

The Richmond region's population hit 1.29 million in 2017 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Richmond Times-Dispatch (Mar. 22, 2018).

The metropolitan Richmond area is approximately the same size as Oklahoma City, Louisville and New Orleans (US Census Bureau. 2011). A quick internet browse of those cities also show that most have a surprising amount of theater activity (Oklahoma City not so much).

The Richmond Theater Community Facebook page shows over 20 Company logos. A strenuous internet search of the companies who have announced their 2019-2020 season already number 70 productions!

Richmond has professional companies that hire New York actors and professional design staff and some who hire only local talent. Richmond has a LGBTQ focused theater company, an African American Repertory Company, a Jewish Family Theater and a dedicated Children's Theater. We have a Shakespeare Festival and a School for the Performing Arts. We have Free Public Summer Outdoor Theater in the Park and many excellent college theater departments. Virginia Commonwealth University, in particular, is one of the finest theater and musical theater programs in the country and routinely educates and prepares Broadway and Touring Company talent.

There will be large, splashy musicals like The Broadway in Richmond series at the Altria Theater (Hamilton, Cats, and Cinderella), small intimate musicals like Urinetown (Lab) and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (RTP). There will be classic drama like The Glass Menagerie (5th Wall) and Dutchman (Lab), Shakespeare (Henry V, All's Well - Quill) and plays by local playwrights (Bo Wilson at Hanover Tavern and Doug Jones at VaRep). There will be experimental theatre and experiential theatre and maybe even some existential theatre. All in the sleepy, little capitol of the Confederacy. All 100 miles from Donald Trump's front door. He should come. Senator Tim Kaine shows up with his wife and kids regularly.

If you're in Richmond and want to see a play, chances are you can do it any weekend. Here's a list, neither complete nor verified for accuracy. I will update as more information becomes available. Almost all companies have websites and Facebook pages so you can get more accurate information. Enjoy!

2019-2020 RICHMOND THEATRE SEASON

SEPTEMBER 2019

PASSING STRANGE - Firehouse Theatre * FALSETTOS - Richmond Triangle Players ("RTP") * ADMISSIONS - TheatreLab * HOLMES & WATSON - Swift Creek Mill * MOUSETRAP - River City Players * CHARLIE AND THE CHOCHOLATE FACTORY - Altria Theatre * WARM: A NEW ROCK OPERA - FH @ Gottwald * A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE - Virginia Repertory Company ("VaRep") * AN ACT OF MURDER - Chamberlayne Actor's Theatre ("CAT")

OCTOBER 2019

APPROPRIATE - University of Richmond ("UR") * ALL HYPOTHETICAL, OF COURSE - CAT * LOST BOY FOUND IN WHOLE FOODS - 5th Wall Theatre Co. * ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW - RTP * LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS - School for the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community ("SPARC") * THE PLAY THAT WENT WRONG - Altria * 13 - Cadence Theatre Co. * BOOTLEG SHAKESPERE: MEASURE FOR MEASURE - Quill Theatre Co.

NOVEMBER 2019

LOMBARDI - Firehouse * ALWAYS, PATSY CLINE - Hanover Tavern * TIMES SQUARE ANGEL - RTP * THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD - Swift Creek Mill * HAMILTON - Altria * PURE CONFIDENCE - UR * URINETOWN - TheatreLab * CINDERELLA - VaRep

DECEMBER 2019

SHE LOVES ME - SPARC * GYPSY - Jewish Family Theatre ("JFT") * THE WILD WOMEN OF WINEDALE - CAT * GONE MISSING - HATT * GREAT CAESAR'S GHOST - CAT (1 NIGHT)

JANUARY 2020

CONEY ISLAND CHRISTMAS - Phantom Players * FENCES - VaRep * THE GLASS MENAGERIE - 5th Wall * DRIVING MISS DAISY - JFT * STUPID KID - Firehouse * Irving Berlin: THE MELODY LINGERS ON - Henrico Theatre Co. * DADDY LONG LEGS - Swift Creek Mill

FEBRUARY 2020

CATS - Altria * BLOOMSDAY - CAT * ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD - Quill (at Gottwald) * THE 39 STEPS - Hanover Tavern * THE CAKE - RTP * NO DEPOSIT, NO RETURN - CAT * THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK - SPARC * THE REVOLUTIONISTS - TheatreLab * GOD LAUGH (@ CAT) - River City Players

MARCH 2020

SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS - Cadence/VaRep * THE GREAT GATSBY - Quill (at VMFA) * A SINGLE PRAYER - Firehouse * TORCH SONG TRILOGY - JFT * THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM - SPARC * THE ATHEIST - HAAT * I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE - Swift Creek Mill

APRIL 2020

FULFILLMENT CENTER - 5th Wall * SUGAR IN OUR WOUNDS - RTP * DOLLS HOUSE, PART TWO - VaRep * HOW THE GARCIA GIRLS LOST THEIR ACCENTS - UR * SMOKEY JOE'S CAFÉ - SPARC

MAY 2020

THE CLUB - Firehouse * TRUE WEST - Cadence * DUTCHMAN - TheatreLab * BONNIE & CLAIRE - Hanover Tavern * A NEW BRAIN - RTP * UNNECESSARY FORCE - Swift Creek Mill

JUNE 2020

HENRY V - Quill * COMPLETE WORKS OF WM. SHKSPR - Quill * HEAD OVER HEELS -RTP * CHICAGO - VaRep

JULY 2020

ALL'S WELL THAT ENDS WELL - Quill * BLOODY, BLOODY Andrew Jackson - 5th Wall/TheatreLab * A MORNING [IN AMERICA] WITH RONALD REGAN - Hanover Tavern * BRING IT ON! - SPARC * DOGWOOD DELL MUSICAL - RDP&R

AUGUST 2020

SURVIVING LIFE - River City Players * 12 ANGRY JURORS - SPARC

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