Point Park's Conservatory Theatre Company Announces 2012-13 Season: THE PRODUCERS, CHESS and More

Point Park University's Conservatory Theatre Company will produce five works in the 2012 - 2013 season, which opens Oct. 19, 2012 and runs through April 21, 2013 at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. A wildly popular award-winning musical, a compelling story penned by a beloved local playwright, an American theatre classic, a love story played against a pop music score and a comedic Restoration piece provide for a rich and rewarding season, giving audiences the chance to experience these timeless stories told by the fresh, passionate and impressive talent of the students in Point Park's Conservatory program.

The Producers
Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meham
Music and lyrics by Mel Brooks
Directed and choreographed by Tomé Cousin

Oct. 19 – 28, 2012
Rockwell Theater

Scheming partners Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom think they know the sure-fire way to make money on Broadway: fund a flop on the cheap and make off with the extra cash. No journey down the Great White Way would be complete without kitschy dance numbers, romantic interludes and over-the-top personalities; Mel Brooks delivers all of this, with a strong dose of humor. A favorite among theatre lovers and comedy lovers alike, The Producers has been a movie (1968), a Broadway musical (2001) and a movie musical about a Broadway musical based on a movie (2005). The Producers original Broadway production won 12 out of 15 Tony nominations, with the rare distinction of winning in every category it was nominated.

Seven Guitars
By August Wilson
Directed by Jade King Carroll

Nov. 9 – 18 and Nov. 29 – Dec. 2, 2012
Studio Theater

Its 1948 and bluesman Floyd "Schoolboy" Barton, fresh out of jail, has an opportunity he won't let himself pass up: a studio has asked him to travel to Chicago and cut some records. Unfortunately, his unexpected musical success doesn't Make Up For his errant past. Seven Guitars, the seventh play written in August Wilson's decade-by-decade Pittsburgh Cycle, uses dark humor and flashbacks to paint a rich picture of African-American struggle for identity and self-acceptance against the backdrop of racial prejudice. Seven Guitars won the New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Play in 1996.

The Crucible
By Arthur Miller
Directed by Shirley Tannenbaum

Dec. 7 – 16, 2012
Rauh Theater

The hysteria and intolerance of the Salem Witch Trials of the 1690s provide the setting for this Arthur Miller classic. When a mysterious illness affects a teenage girl, the family looks for someone or something to blame. Suggestions of witchcraft made by the jealous, conniving Abigail Williams throws this town into a frenzy of accusations. A rich allegory of the McCarthy era of the 1940s and 50s, The Crucible won a Tony Award for Best Play in 1953 and a Lawrence Olivier Award for Best Revival in London in 2007.

Chess
Book by Richard Nelson
Lyrics by Tim Rice
Music by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson
Directed by Scott Wise

Feb. 22 – March 3, 2013
Rockwell Theater

In the midst of the Cold War, Freddie Trumper of the United States and Anatoly Sergievsky of the Soviet Union face off in a world championship chess tournament. The two men, with the reputation of their countries at stake, prove weak in the face of love and loyalty. Released first as a concept album in 1984, Chess has a critically acclaimed score by ABBA's Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Anderson and reached Billboard Top 10 Charts around the world, spawning decades of new productions, concerts, and recordings.

The School for Scandal
By Richard Brinsley Sheridan
Directed by Alan Stanford

April 12 – 21, 2013
Rauh Theater

The School for Scandal is widely considered a comic masterpiece of the Restoration Period with witty dialogue, hidden identities, and appropriately scandalous, slanderous, and scheming characters. This comedy of manners (both good and bad!) still feels fresh after 235 years.

The Conservatory Theatre Company's 2012 - 2013 season subscriptions-which save patrons up to 35% off single ticket prices-are available now. Those who purchase three subscriptions get the fourth free. To order a season subscription, contact the Pittsburgh Playhouse box office by phone 412-392-8000 or online www.pittsburghplayhouse.com. Season subscriptions range in price from $50 - $70. Single tickets will be available for purchase on September 4, 2012 and range in price from $18 - $20.