A NIGHT AT THE PALACE Opens at Boxcar Theatre Today

Boxcar Theatre has announced the first of several new shows to run in rotation with its runaway hit The Speakeasy. Opening Friday, July 7, A NIGHT AT THE PALACE welcomes audiences to the immersive, Prohibition-era world of The Speakeasy with a mix of lighthearted cabaret acts and interactive scenes. At A Night at the Palace, the cabaret is swinging, the casino tables are hot and the drinks are cold and strong.

"A Night at the Palace emphasizes the lighthearted and fun side of The Speakeasy," said Nick A. Olivero, Boxcar Theatre artistic director and creator of The Speakeasy. "It's The Speakeasy but without all hell breaking loose."

A Night at the Palace features many of the same characters as The Speakeasy, alongside several new ones. There's Velma Louise Cole, the chanteuse, Eddie the emcee, Sal the club owner, a few gangsters and con men, and a bevy of chorus girls and vaudeville acts. There are also one or more movie stars and a few "unsavory characters" that will go unnamed. A six-piece jazz band plays in the cabaret, with additional music acts in the bar.

The event, more loosely structured than The Speakeasy, allows audience members to enter and leave as they choose. The event begins at 8:30 p.m. and runs until 1:30 a.m. Cocktail attire is required; cell phones and other similar devices must be silenced and out of sight.

With the opening of A Night at the Palace, Boxcar's marquee show, The Speakeasy, will continue running on Thursday and Saturday nights. Additional shows, including late-night neo-vaudeville acts and other special events will be announced over the coming weeks and months.

Tickets for A Night at the Palace are $95. To make a reservation, visit thespeakeasysf.com/reservations. In keeping with historical speakeasies of the 1920s, the address of The Palace Theatre will remain undisclosed to ticket buyers until the day of the event. The day before their reservation patrons will receive a text or email providing instructions with a secondary address and a passcode for entry.

Boxcar Theatre was co-founded in 2005 by Nick A. Olivero, and has produced over 60 plays and musicals including Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Little Shop of Horrors, Clue, three Tennessee Williams plays in repertory and four Sam Shepard plays in repertory. It has also been the home for such companies as Crowded Fire and the Neo-Futurists as well as dozens of other emerging groups over the years. In 2007 the company opened its first venue, the Boxcar Playhouse in San Francisco's SoMa district, and in 2010 their second space, the Boxcar Studios in the Tenderloin. The company is currently located in The Palace Theatre, a multimillion-dollar space designed and built for Boxcar Theatre, which opened in 2016.

Boxcar's marquee show, The Speakeasy, reopened in its current form in fall 2016. "An intoxicating delight," (San Francisco Chronicle), "Period perfect," (San Francisco Examiner), "A voyeur's playland" (San Francisco magazine), and "An extraordinary night out," (Frommer's) are among the rave reviews it has received. The company recently celebrated its 100th show. For more information visit thespeakeasysf.com.

Tickets are on sale through September 1, and may be purchased online at thespeakeasysf.com/reservations. No tickets available at the door. Ticket pricing is subject to change. Patrons must be age 21 and up.

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