New Victory Theater Announces 09-10 Season Featuring Scottish Theater Festival, Tickets On Sale 8/12

The New Victory Theater, New York's Theater for Kids and Families, Announces 2009-10 Season. Season Launches with Scottish Theater Festival. Followed by a Holiday Reunion for The Flaming Idiots, An Anglo-glam Opera, "Under The Radar" Theater, And Much, Much More! September 18, 2009 through May 23, 2010.

Fasten your kilts! The New Victory Theater opens 2009-10 with the New Victory Scottish Festival from September 18 to November 1, 2009, introducing New York audiences to Scotland's most evocative, engaging and imaginative theater for young people.

The New Victory Theater -- New York's first and only theater for kids and families -- scours the globe to find sophisticated, thought-provoking professional productions that not only entertain and challenge young people, but adults as well. Given this programming philosophy, the New Vic is the perfect venue for this seven-week Scottish celebration.

A Festival highlight is Hansel and Gretel by Catherine Wheels Theatre Company, which brought the award-winning productions Martha (1999) and Lifeboat (2007) to the New Victory. In Hansel and Gretel --the first production of its kind at the New Victory -- audiences of 100 at a time take an eerie "promenade" through a New Vic that is transformed from basement to balcony into a haunted forest and other surprising destinations. Last year, Hansel and Gretel was featured as the holiday show at the Barbican in London. Described as "a world of dark absurdity that Tim Burton would be proud of" (Edinburghguide.com), Hansel and Gretel is based on an original work by the National Theatre of Scotland (Black Watch).

Following the Scottish Festival is an eclectic season filled with award-winning and critically-acclaimed theater, puppetry, circus, opera, music and dance from around the world. Below are just a few highlights:

For its highly anticipated holiday show, the New Vic welcomes back long-time favorites The Flaming Idiots in the aptly titled Chestnuts Roasting on The Flaming Idiots. This engagement represents a happy and long-awaited reunion for these madcap comedians.

London's The Opera Group, ROH2 at the Royal Opera House and the Young Vic bring a co-production entitled The Enchanted Pig. An off-beat, funny and free-spirited opera with Anglo-glam edge, The Enchanted Pig toured the UK with enormous critical success in 2007 and represents the first co-production among these three esteemed British companies.

The multi-award winning Once and For All We're Gonna Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up and Listen by Belgium's Ontroerend Goed and Kopergietery is an eye-opening look at adolescence from the teen perspective. Once and For All... will also be presented as part of the 2010 Under The Radar Festival.

Prokofiev's beloved masterpiece Peter and the Wolf takes a fresh turn in this new production (and U.S. premiere). Starring British film and stage actor Brian Blessed, it boasts a brand new prequel, which is followed by the original 1936 composition.

Elephant, a poignant theatrical work and a visual feast of African song and exultant tribal dance, is a co-production between Dodgy Clutch of the UK and Johannesburg's Market Theatre of Sarafina fame. The Market Theatre presented Sarafina in 1987 before it went on to be nominated for a Tony® Award for Best Musical in 1988.

The nonprofit New Victory Theater is supported, in part, with public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency; and from the New York city Department of Cultural Affairs. The New Vic Council, Friends of The New Victory and the theater's dedicated patrons, corporate and foundation donors also provide essential contributions, helping to make possible programming of the highest quality. The New Victory Scottish Festival is made possible through funding from the Scottish Government's Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund and the Bank of Scotland Imaginate Festival.

Theater-goers who buy tickets for three or more New Vic shows qualify for free Membership benefits, including 30-percent savings with tickets as low as $8.75. Tickets for new Members are available online starting June 24, 2009, or by telephone starting August 3. To purchase tickets online, visit NewVictory.org, and to purchase by phone, call 646-223-3010.

Full-price tickets for individual productions, as low as $12.50 each, will also be available from August 12, 2009, either online or by phone. Beginning September 8, The New Victory Theater box office (209 West 42nd Street) will be open Sunday and Monday from 11am-5pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 12 noon-7pm.
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The New Victory Theater, a project of The New 42nd Street and New York City's first and only full-time performing arts theater for kids and their families and classmates, presents a range of professional productions at affordable ticket prices (regular season prices range from $12.50-$35 and Member tickets are only $8.75-$24.50). In addition, it also offers daytime school performances ($2 per student), family workshops and jobs to high school and college students. Interactive Lobby Activities, FYIs (performance-related exhibits) and Talk-backs with the artists are offered in conjunction with select performances throughout the season. The theater's website, NewVictory.org, provides video clips and more information about each production in the season, as well as show-related activities.

The New Victory Theater sparked the subsequent revitalization of 42nd Street when it opened its doors in December 1995.

Founded in 1990, The New 42nd Street is an independent, nonprofit organization charged with long-term responsibility for seven historic theaters on 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues. In addition to running The New Victory, The New 42nd Street built and operates the New 42nd Street Studios -- a 10-story building of rehearsal studios, offices and a 199-seat theater named The Duke on 42nd Street -- for national and international performing arts companies. Since its opening on June 21, 2000, the New 42nd Street Studios have been fully occupied by both nonprofit and commercial theater, dance and opera companies. With these institutions and the other properties under its guardianship, The New 42nd Street plays a pivotal role in fostering the continued revival of this famous street at the Crossroads of the World.

The New Victory Theater 2009-2010 Season

The New Victory Scottish Festival, September 18 through November 1, 2009

Cinderella
The Duke on 42nd Street
Shona Reppe Puppets
Fife, Scotland
September 18 - September 27
The world's most beloved fairytale comes to life like never before in the hands of multi-award winning (Total Theatre Award, 2002 Edinburgh Festival Fringe) and internationally renowned puppeteer, Shona Reppe. Dedicated to producing inventive and highly imaginative small scale visual theater for children and their families, Ms. Reppe is considered one of the artists primarily responsible for Scotland's notable emergence as a force in British puppetry.

My House - U.S. Premiere
Studio 3B at the New 42nd Street Studios
Andy Manley in association with Starcatchers
Edinburgh, Scotland
October 2 - October 18
The first of its kind in Scotland, The Starcatchers Project explores the development and creation of theater for babies and young children (0-3 years old), their families and caregivers. In My House, creator Andy Manley, along with designer Claire Halleran and composer Danny Krass, invite parents and little ones to gather round as a simple cardboard box unfolds into a haven of colors, textures, shapes, and sounds. Presented in a New 42nd Street studio for an audience of only 25 at a time, this gentle and intimate one-man show is the perfect first-time theatrical experience.

The Man Who Planted Trees - U.S. Premiere
The Duke on 42nd Street
Puppet State Theatre Company
Edinburgh, Scotland
October 2 - October 11
"Laughs, heartbreak, war, regeneration, scented breezes, sparkling wit, and the best dog puppet ever" (The Guardian) sums up the Puppet State Theatre Company's theatrical adaptation of French novelist Jean Giono's environmental classic. Dog and his quick-witted chum Jean tell the tale of a thoughtful shepherd who plants a forest, acorn by acorn, transforming a barren wasteland. Winner of the Total Theatre Award 2008 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the 2007 Eco Trust's Eco Prize for Creativity, The Man Who Planted Trees is a unique blend of comedy, puppetry and storytelling with sensory effects.

Hansel and Gretel - U.S. Premiere
The New Victory Theater
Catherine Wheels Theatre Company in association with Brunton Theatre
Musselburgh, Scotland
October 15 - November 1
This unique production of The Brothers Grimm fairytale requires that the entire New Victory be transformed from basement to balcony to accommodate the complex and intricate needs of a "promenade" theater piece. Audiences follow the path of Hansel and Gretel as the pair journeys from their kitschy 1970s inspired home through a spooky forest and into the dangerous clutches of a bald-headed witch who is at once nasty, funny and completely off-her-rocker. Hansel and Gretel features live music, and for a little nostalgia and camp, some Bay City Rollers' tunes in the soundtrack. Described as "a world of dark absurdity that Tim Burton would be proud of (Edinburghguide.com)," Hansel and Gretel is based on an original work by the National Theatre of Scotland (Black Watch).

Peter and the Wolf - U.S. Premiere
The New Victory Theater
In the Wings
London, England
November 13 - November 29
Prokofiev's beloved masterpiece takes a fresh turn in this new production live narration by British film and stage actor Brian Blessed. Featuring 10 dancers and an ensemble of eight musicians from the Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, this exciting U.S. premiere boasts a brand new prequel with music by Philip Feeney followed by the original 1936 Prokofiev composition. Peter's timeless adventures with Bird, Duck and Cat are staged with "tremendous visual flair" (The Herald), seamlessly blending a whimsical score with dance and theater.

Chestnuts Roasting on The Flaming Idiots - World Premiere
The New Victory Theater
The Flaming Idiots
USA
December 4 - January 3
The internationally adored neo-vaudeville troupe The Flaming Idiots reunite to "reignite" the New Vic stage with their juggling, comedy and general buffoonery this yuletide season. In Chestnuts Roasting on The Flaming Idiots, Gyro, Pyro and Walter bring some of their signature acts, including bean-bag chair juggling, sword swallowing, and flaming torch juggling, along with some zany new antics.

Once and For All We're Gonna Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up and Listen
The Duke on 42nd Street
Ontroerend Goed, KOPERGIETERY and Richard Jordan Productions, Ltd.
Ghent, Belgium
January 8 - January 17
You can ask all sorts of things from me. You can tell me what to do and what not to do, at what time I have to be home - you can do all that -- I don't care. But I will be home late whatever hour you give me. I will pass that limit, and I will be pissed drunk, and I will not be ashamed of myself. I have no choice, you see? I have to go too far. The moment some of you are thinking, "Does she have to do what she's doing?" Yes, I do. Okay? Because I need to go further, a lot further, until I myself don't know what to do anymore. And it's not because you've been there and done that that I shouldn't go there and do that because everything has been done before. But not by me.
-- Excerpt from Once And For All We're Gonna Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up and Listen

Winner of the Herald Angels, Total Theatre and Fringe First Awards at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Once and For All We're Gonna Tell You Who We Are So Shut Up and Listen is a mind-blowing and potent look at adolescence through the eyes of 13 astoundingly talented teenagers. In keeping with their collaborative approach, Ontroerend Goed, KOPERGIETERY and Richard Jordan Productions developed the play with creative input from the teen performers. "Not just an infectiously enjoyable show but one that affects our view of every teenager we meet from now on." (Variety)

Once and For All... will also be presented as part of the 2010 Under The Radar Festival.

The Enchanted Pig - U.S. Premiere
The New Victory Theater
The Opera Group, ROH2 at the Royal Opera House, Young Vic
London, England
February 5 - February 21
A co-production of The Opera Group, ROH2 at the Royal Opera House and the Young Vic (who last appeared at the New Vic with Sleeping Beauty in 2005), The Enchanted Pig is a unique production with feet firmly planted in the worlds of both opera and musical theater. With lyrics by Alasdair Middleton and a through-sung score by Jonathan Dove, The Enchanted Pig the hit of the Young Vic's 2006-07 season and has toured the UK since.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)
The New Victory Theater
Reduced Shakespeare Company
Sonoma, California
March 5 - March 14
As one of London's longest running comedies, playing for 10 years at the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly Circus, this irreverent romp through The Bard's canon has achieved international cult status. In The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged), three actors take audiences through raucous, fast-paced parodies of Shakespeare's 37 plays, beginning with a send-up of Romeo and Juliet, followed by a Titus Andronicus cooking show, and along the way, presents Othello composed as rap. The Complete Works... has become one of the world's most popular shows, playing in a variety of languages.

46 Circus Acts in 45 Minutes
The New Victory Theater
Circa
Queensland, Australia
March 19 - April 4
The name says it all. With their beeline approach to highflying fun, the cheeky Aussies of Circa push their own limits as they perform feats of acrobatic wonder at breakneck speed. The show features aerial antics, such as trapeze and straps, as well as tumbling, juggling, extreme unicycling, and many more traditional (and not so traditional) circus acts. The competitive spirit among these four highly pedigreed circus talents, along with a non-stop party music soundtrack.

Time Step
The New Victory Theater
Parallel Exit
New York, New York
April 9 - April 18
Fusing the tap stylings of Astaire and Kelly with the classic comedy of Chaplin and Keaton, New York's own Parallel Exit creates a "rhythmic symphony of percussive sounds that proves riotously funny" (Backstage). Shuffling in time between past and present, the dancers and musicians tell the story of three high-stepping hoofers known back in the day as the Dapper Tap Trio. With jaunty piano and vaudevillian flair, Time Step evokes the bygone era of classic movie musicals.

Formed by artistic director Mark Lonergan in 1997, Parallel Exit has performed all over the world. The company received a 2008 Drama Desk nomination for Unique Theatrical Experience.

Elephant - U.S. Premiere
The New Victory Theater
Dodgy Clutch and Market Theatre
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK and Johannesburg, South Africa
April 23 - May 2
Elephant, both a poignant theatrical work and a visual feast of African song and exultant tribal dance, is a co-production between Dodgy Clutch of the UK and Johannesburg's Market Theatre, creators of the Broadway hit musical Sarafina (1988 Tony® Award nomination for Best Musical). Multi-talented performers from the UK and South Africa come together to present a powerful tale of family, redemption and ‘Ubuntu' (humanity). Featuring enormous elephant puppets that are unbelievably lifelike and tender.

PaGAGnini - U.S. Premiere
The New Victory Theater
Yllana
Madrid, Spain
May 7 - May 23
Mozart, Chopin, Pachebel, and even U2 take on a new tenor when Armenian virtuoso Ara Malikian and a wacky trio of gifted artists make musical mockery in PaGAGnini. With twists on symphonic treasures and modern tunes, this wordless concert is a splendid marriage of music and comedy capable of entertaining even the most erudite spectators.

A prized violinist, Ara Malikian has performed in more than 40 countries in some of the world's most prestigious concert halls, including Carnegie Hall (New York), Salle Playel (Paris), Musikverein (Vienna), Ford Center (Toronto), and Auditorio Nacional and Teatro Real (Madrid). Artists with whom Mr. Malikian has collaborated include the Lebanese singer Fairuz, flamenco dancers Joaquín Cortés and Belén Maya, the Ensamble Nuevo Tango and the jazz pianist Horacio Icasto.

Farfalle: The Butterfly Garden
Studio 3A/B at the New 42nd Street Studios
T.P.O. Company
Prato, Italy
May 14 - May 23
In The Butterfly Garden, Italian theater company T.P.O. experiments with computer graphics and digital technologies to create a thrilling new experience in participatory theater. With the children's cheering
carpet -- a ground-breaking device that uses touch sensors -- a stage is transformed into a magical landscape from which beautiful botanical images, rainforest sounds and brilliant prisms of color emerge in every direction in response in real-time response to dancers' movements. Even bigger thrills come when young ones from the audience are invited to touch and explore the glowing interactive garden themselves. "Redefines the idea of interactive theatre." (Scoop Independent News, New Zealand)

Since 2002, T.P.O. has participated in numerous international festivals in Europe, Asia, the Americas and Australia and is recognized in Europe as one of the most original and outstanding groups for children's theater. The company was awarded the Ade Art Digital Era Prize in 2004 (Polverigi, Italy).