Bette Aitken News

Anaheim's official resident theater company, Chance Theater is pleased to produce the Orange County premiere of Seminar.

Anaheim's official resident theater company, Chance Theater is pleased to the addition of five additional performances of … A Chorus Line. Book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, directed by Chance's Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen, choreographed by Hazel Clarke, with music direction by Ryan O'Connell.  A Chorus Line opened last Saturday and will continue through August 7th on the Cripe Stage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center. 

If there was ever one musical that, on the surface, can translate well as an intimately-staged production in a black box theater space, then A CHORUS LINE---the classic 1975 Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning backstage musical---should certainly qualify as a strong contender. This still dazzling, groundbreaking show has been revived at Anaheim's Chance Theater, the lauded small regional theater company in Orange County, CA that has definitively, in the very recent past, shown a knack for taking large musicals and making them smaller, very special ones. For the most part, the same can certainly be said about their newest small-scaled local revival, which continues its extended run through August 7, 2016. Exceedingly admirable despite being a bit rough around the edges, Chance Theater's peppy production reminds audiences old and new why the world of musical theater continues to lure certain dreamy, insanely talented people to this sometimes frustrating, often euphoric, and always competitive profession time and time again.

This winner of nine Tony Awards, five Drama Desk Awards and the Pulitzer Prize starts previews July 1 on the Cripe Stage at Chance Theater, Anaheim's official resident theater company, at the Bette Aitken theater arts Center. Previews will run July 1st-July 8th with regular performances will begin July 9 and continue through July 31.

Anaheim's official resident theater company, Chance Theater is pleased to present a fresh and intimate production of the Broadway musical classic ... A Chorus Line. Book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, directed by Chance's Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen, choreographed by Hazel Clarke, with music direction by Ryan O'Connell. A Chorus Line will preview from July 1 through July 8, regular performances will begin July 9 and continue through July 31 on the Cripe Stage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center.

Due to overwhelming demand, Chance Theater is delighted to present an encore presentation of Fancy Nancy, The Musical as part of its second Theater for Young Audiences Series.

Chance Theater presents its Southern California premiere production of THE BIG MEAL. Written by Orange County native Dan LeFranc, and directed by Associate Artistic Director Jocelyn A. Brown, THE BIG MEAL continues through May 22 on the Fyda-Mar Stage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitkentheater arts Center. Check out new photos from the show below!

Anaheim's official resident theater company, Chance Theater is pleased to announce that it has added two performances of its Southern California premiere production of THE BIG MEAL.

Due to overwhelming demand, Chance Theater is delighted to present an encore presentation of Fancy Nancy, The Musical as part of its second Theater for Young Audiences Series.

Anaheim's official resident theater company, Chance Theater is pleased to present the Southern California premiere of ... The Big Meal. Written by Orange County native Dan LeFranc, and directed by Associate Artistic Director Jocelyn A. Brown, The Big Meal will preview from April 21 through April 28. Regular performances will begin April 30 and continue through May 22 on the Fyda-Mar Stage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center.

Anaheim's official resident theater company, Chance Theater is delighted to present the irreverent and uproariously silly The Stinky Cheese Man and other fairly stupid tales as the first production of its 2016 Theater for Young Audiences season. Performances will begin February 25 and continue through March 6 on the Fyda-Mar Stage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center. Based on the award-winning book of the same title by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith, the show has been adapted by John Glore and is directed by Darryl B. Hovis.

America has had a long tragic history of sending brave young people off to foreign lands to fight in life-endangering wars, only to see those who have survived come home forever changed. This idea lingers over the new engaging musical DOGFIGHT, now having its Los Angeles/Orange County-area premiere at the Chance Theater in Anaheim through March 6. Adapted from the 1991 Warner Bros. film of the same name and featuring music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul and a book by Peter Duchan, this 2013 Lucille Lortel Award-winning off-Broadway musical shows how even the most confident, self-assured people can still be severely affected not only physically but also emotionally by the harsh realities of explosive, in-the-trenches combat.

Anaheim's official resident theater company, Chance Theater presents the Los Angeles and Orange County premiere of DOGFIGHT, with book by Peter Duchan, music & lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, directed by Matthew McCray, with music direction by Taylor Stephenson, and choreography by Angeline Mirenda. DOGFIGHT previews now through February 12, with regular performances February 13 through March 6 on the Cripe Stage at Chance Theater at Bette Aitken theater arts Center. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

Anaheim's official resident theater company, Chance Theater is delighted to present the irreverent and uproariously silly The Stinky Cheese Man and other fairly stupid tales as the first production of its 2016 Theater for Young Audiences season. Performances will begin February 25 and continue through March 6 on the Fyda-Mar Stage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center. Based on the award-winning book of the same title by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith, the show has been adapted by John Glore and is directed by Darryl B. Hovis.

Anaheim's official resident theater company, Chance Theater is pleased to present the Los Angeles and Orange County premiere of ... Dogfight. Book by Peter Duchan, music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, directed by Matthew McCray, music direction by Taylor Stephenson, and choreographed by Angeline Mirenda. Dogfight will preview from February 5 through February 12, regular performances will begin February 13 and continue through March 6 on the Cripe Stage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center.

Chance Theater is pleased to remount its popular production of the heartwarming musical adaptation of the classic novel ... ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Book by Joseph Robinette, music and lyrics by Evelyn D. Swensson, directed by Casey Long, associate direction by Travis K. Donnelly, and music direction by Bill Strongin. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES is currently in previews and opens tomorrow, December 4, continuing through December 27 on the Cripe Stage at Chance Theater at Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Chance Theater is pleased to remount its popular production of the heartwarming musical adaptation of the classic novel … Anne of Green Gables. Book by Joseph Robinette, music and lyrics by Evelyn D. Swensson, directed by Casey Long, associate direction by Travis K. Donnelly, and music direction by Bill Strongin.  Anne of Green Gables will preview from November 27 through December 3, regular performances will begin December 4 and continue through December 27 on the Cripe Stage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center.

Chance Theater is pleased to present its 12th annual production of the irreverent, raunchy and pitch black dark comedy ... The Eight: Reindeer Monologues. Written by Jeff Goode, directed by Resident Artist Alex Bueno. The Eight: Reindeer Monologues will perform December 4 through December 20 on the 2nd Stage at Chance Theater at Bette Aitken theater arts Center.

Chance Theater is pleased to remount its popular production of the heartwarming musical adaptation of the classic novel … Anne of Green Gables. Book by Joseph Robinette, music and lyrics by Evelyn D. Swensson, directed by Casey Long, associate direction by Travis K. Donnelly, and music direction by Bill Strongin.  Anne of Green Gables will preview from November 27 through December 3, regular performances will begin December 4 and continue through December 27 on the Cripe Stage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center.

Full of the Obie-winning playwright's amusingly observant and stirringly poignant portraits of ordinary people in extraordinary flux, Samuel D. Hunter's 2010 play A BRIGHT NEW BOISE is now being staged in a terrific production currently in performance at Orange County's Ovation-winning Chance Theater in Anaheim Hills through October 25.