Bristol Theatre Announces Complete List of Events and Lineup in 2008/2009
By: Faetra Petillo Aug. 21, 2008
Bristol Riverside Theatre welcomes Donald Byrd, acclaimed choreographer of Broadway’s The Color Purple for its 2008-2009 Season. Byrd is collaborating with BRT Artistic Director Keith Baker on the February 2009 World Premiere of What You Will, a BRT original adaptation of Shakespeare’s comedy Twelfth Night. Byrd’s Spectrum Dance Theatre will also perform at a special event in January. Bringing together the worlds of modern urban and classical theatre, What You Will blends Shakespeare’s original text with dance and music by composer and hip hop producer Justin Ellington for a distinctively contemporary American take on Shakespeare.
“We are thrilled to welcome Donald Byrd to BRT this season to explore how the energy of hip hop and spoken word interact with the classic language of Shakespeare,” says Baker. “As we’ve been working on the project we’ve found that the young actors who have classical training but have grown up with hip hop are bringing in a fresh perspective, making the verse reverberate in a new way. Likewise, we’re excited to host a remarkable group of artists who will bring to our audiences an in-depth understanding of urban theatre and diverse interpretations of classic work.” To illuminate the unique concept of What You Will, BRT will also present the Bridges Informance Series bringing nationally renowned theatre artists to the Philadelphia area. Beginning in September and running through January, the informances are part-performance, part-discussion and offer audiences new perspectives on theatre today. Featured artists are Guggenheim Fellow Fred Curchack who will share his inventive one-man adaptations of Shakespeare’s work; Puerto-Rican born actor/writer/director Ted Castellanos whose work fuses world cultures, religion and music; New York-based award-winning actor, rapper, playwright, and educator Will Power, a pioneer of hip-hop theatre; and Donald Byrd’s Spectrum Dance Theatre who will present an evening of dance on the BRT stage.The season kicks off with the quintessentially American musical, The Spitfire Grill by James Valcq (music & book) and Fred Alley (lyrics). Next is the classic comedy Absurd Person Singular by Alan Ayckbourn, the author of BRT’s acclaimed production of Communicating Doors, and then BRT’s Winter Musicale featuring favorite classic and contemporary holiday songs for the family. The World Premiere of What You Will is followed by the Philadelphia Premiere of Pulitzer Prize winner John Patrick Shanley’s Defiance, the second play in his Doubt trilogy. Closing the season is the musical A Man of No Importance, taking BRT’s audiences to 1960s Dublin, with a book by Terrance McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens.
The Spitfire GrillSeptember 23 – October 12, 2008 (press opening: Sept. 25)Music & Book by James ValcqLyrics by Fred Alley
Directed by Keith BakerChoreography by Greg Daniels A quintessentially American musical, The Spitfire Grill tells the story of a young vagabond, Percy, who decides to start her life anew in the rural Wisconsin town of Gilead. There she finds a home and acceptance with Hannah, long time owner and operator of the lonely and broken down restaurant, the Spitfire Grill. As Percy works her own world into balance, she is joyously revived by the quiet town, which in turn is revived as well. With a rousing American folk and bluegrass score and a poignant portrayal of small town existence, The Spitfire Grill warms the heart of any wanderer and all those who yearn for and cherish home. The New Yorker called the play “touching and memorable,” and The New York Times described it as “a complete work of theatrical resourcefulness. It is penetrated by honesty and it glows.”
Absurd Person Singular
Directed by Keith Baker
This BRT tradition celebrates the season with favorite holiday songs from yesterday and today for the entire family. Full of warmth, humor and joy, the evening features traditional carols, popular classics, contemporary arrangements and even original songs. What You Will (World Premiere)February 10 – March 1, 2009 (press opening: February 12)By William Shakespeare
Directed by Keith Baker and Donald ByrdA daring and bold take on Shakespeare’s classic comedy Twelfth Night, What You Will is created by BRT Artistic Director Keith Baker and collaborator Donald Byrd, acclaimed choreographer of Broadway’s The Color Purple and Artistic Director of Seattle’s Spectrum Dance Theatre. In this World Premiere production, Shakespeare’s original language is heard with a distinctively contemporary American voice as the worlds of modern urban and classical theatre are fused. Music by composer and hip hop producer Justin Ellington completes the marriage of text, high-energy movement and heart-pounding music. Ellington also composed music for Will Power’s acclaimed The Seven and is a member of the multi-platinum production company Bangladesh which has created songs for artists such as Ciara, Kelis, Marsha (Floetry), Lil Wayne and Ludacris. What You Will has been supported by a grant from the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative with additional support from the Marketing Innovation Program, both programs of the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, and administered by The University of the Arts, Philadelphia. Defiance (Philadelphia Premiere)
March 24 – April 12, 2009 (press opening: March 26)
by John Patrick Shanley The second play in John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt trilogy, Defiance is a riveting look at race relations, honor and morality. Defiance speaks to the unique power struggle of the military on the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base in North Carolina, 1971. Following the incredible national success of Doubt – winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Best Play – BRT lands the Philadelphia premiere of this seminal work. Shanley’s work forces us to look deeper into the fabric of our society and our relationships and ask the provocative questions that inspire change.
A Man of No Importance
May 12 – 31, 2009 (press opening: May 14)
Book by Terrence McNally
Music by Stephen Flaherty, Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Directed by Susan D. Atkinson Based on the 1994 film of the same name, A Man of No Importance takes audiences to the city of Dublin in the 1960s. Alfie Byrne is eager to produce Oscar Wilde’s controversial play Salome with his St. Imelda’s Players, despite strong public objections at his church. As he fights to produce the play, Alfie must come to grips with his own secrets and understand his significance in the world. With a stunning and passionate score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Once On This Island, My Favorite Year, Seussical, Dessa Rose) and libretto by the venerated Terrence McNally (Frankie and Johnny at the Claire De Lune, The Ritz, Ragtime) A Man of No Importance was the winner of the 2003 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical. BRIDGES INFORMANCE SERIESTo illuminate the unique concept of What You Will, BRT presents the Bridges Informance Series. Part-performance, part-discussion, each evening will challenge and inspire audiences’ ideas of theatre today. Programs begin at 7:30 p.m. (subject to change). Fred Curchack
Friday, September 5, 2008 Fred Curchack will share some of his inventive one man adaptations of Shakespeare’s work. He has been called “Brilliant”, “a virtuoso man of the theatre,” and “a genius,” for his spellbinding solo performances. A Guggenheim Fellow and Gold Medalist at the International Festival of Solo Theatre, Curchack has been featured at dozens of international theatre festivals around the world. Teo CastellanosFriday, October 17, 2008 Puerto Rican-born Teo Castellanos is an actor/writer/director who works in theatre, film and television and is the Founder and Artistic Director of Teo Castellanos D-Projects (TCDP), an urban arts collective whose original theatre works fuse world cultures, religion and music, examining social issues through performance. Winner of the prestigious Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (2003), Castellanos will bring the vibrant streets of Miami to BRT’s stage with excerpts of his award-winning NE 2nd Ave.
Will PowerFriday, December 5, 2008
Viewed as a pioneer in the emerging genre of hip hop theatre, New York-based award-winning actor, rapper, playwright, and educator Will Power will deliver excerpts of his energetic monologue Flow, portraying seven assorted community storytellers in their quest for survival in a world of modern, urban pitfalls. This winner of the theatre trophy at the 2004 U.S. Comedy Arts Festival blends powerful narratives, dynamic rhythm and rhyme, and live beats spun by an onstage DJ into an unforgettable evening. Power will also host a poetry slam open to the public on Saturday, December 6. Donald Byrd’s Spectrum Dance TheatreFriday, January 9, 2009 In an evening of spectacular dance by What You Will collaborator and acclaimed choreographer of Broadway’s The Color Purple Donald Byrd, Spectrum Dance Theatre will perform selections from their repertory on the BRT stage. Under Byrd’s artistic leadership since 2002, Spectrum Dance Theatre has garnered national praise for its world-class dancers and some of the most avant-garde works in contemporary dance today.
The Bridges Informance Series has been supported by a grant from the Marketing Innovation Program, a program of the Philadelphia Center for Arts and Heritage, funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, and administered by The University of the Arts, Philadelphia. AMERICA RISING: VOICES OF TODAYConceived, produced and directed by Artistic Associate Adam Goldstein, the America Rising: Voices of Today staged reading series is a celebration of culture and language. Presented in partnership with Temple University’s MFA graduate acting program, the series opens the door to the hottest new voices of the American theatre. Some of the playwrights, including Michael Elyanow and Zakiyyah Alexander, will be in attendance for a post-reading discussion of their work. All readings begin at 5:00 p.m. and are held at St. James Parish Hall, 225 Walnut Street in Bristol.
Up
By Bridget Carpenter
Sunday, September 28, 2008 Lullaby
By Michael Elyanow
Sunday, November 16, 2008 Sick?
By Zakiyyah Alexander
Sunday, February 15, 2009 Harmless
By Brett Neveu
Sunday, March 29, 2009 Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue (2006 Pulitzer Prize finalist)
By Quiara Alegría Hudes (2008 Tony Award winner)
Sunday, May 3, 2009 SUBSCRIPTIONS & TICKETS
Bristol Riverside Theatre is located at 120 Radcliffe Street in Bristol, PA. 2008-2009 Season subscriptions and individual tickets are available by calling the BRT Box Office at (215) 785-0100 or online at www.BRTstage.org. Subscriptions range from $99 - $125 for adults and $50 for students. Winter Musicale tickets are $29, $25 for BRT members and $10 for students. Bridges Informance Series individual tickets are $15 for adults or $10 for students. America Rising: Voices of Today subscriptions are $45, $40 for BRT members, and individual reading tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students. About Bristol Riverside Theatre
Since 1986, BRT has brought consistently acclaimed professional theatre to Bucks County and maintained a long-term commitment to finding and developing new plays. The theatre is the recipient of over 50 Barrymore Award nominations for Excellence in Theatre, given annually by the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. In addition to its mainstage productions, the theatre serves as a cultural hub for the community, with such programs as children's theatre, community concerts and exhibitions of local visual arts. Currently under the direction of Artistic Director Keith Baker and Founding Producing Director Susan D. Atkinson, BRT enters its 22nd season.
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