Manoa Valley Theatre Announces 2012-2013 Season

May 31, 2012 - PRLog -- Manoa Valley Theatre (MVT) today announced its 2012-13 Season, a diverse selection of great theatrical entertainment and MVT’s 44th consecutive season. Two contemporary musicals, a hilarious farce, a classic murder mystery, a dazzling dramatic comedy and an award-winning musical are in the line-up.

“We are particularly excited about bringing Young Frankenstein to the stage – a production that is sure to thrill audiences,” MVT Producing Director Dwight Martin said. “MVT is committed to including exciting, contemporary plays within our annual lineups. We have a wide range of wonderful theatre in store for the patrons of Manoa Valley Theatre in our 2012-13 Season and are elated for our theatre and for our community.”

Each show will be presented in Manoa Valley Theatre’s 150-seat “black box” theatre in the heart of lush Manoa Valley. Show times for all productions are Thurs. at 7:30 p.m., Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sun. at 4 p.m.  Season tickets are on sale now.

Manoa Valley Theatre is located at 2833 East Manoa Road. For more information, call 988-6131 or log on to www.manoavalleytheatre.com.

The 2012-13 Season will run from September through July. It is as follows:

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (musical) by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
September 6-23, 2011        
Thurs. at 7:30 p.m., Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sun. at 4 p.m.
IT'S ALIVE! A wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend based on Mel Brooks' classic comedy film masterpiece, the story follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen) as he attempts to complete his grandfather's masterwork and bring a corpse to life. But it’s not without scary and hilarious complications in this musical comedy hit.  With such memorable tunes as "The Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and "Puttin' On The Ritz," this is scientifically-proven, monstrously good entertainment.

“Best Musical” 2008 Outer Critics Circle Award

SPEED THE PLOW (dramatic comedy) by David Mamet
November 8-25, 2012
Thurs. at 7:30 p.m., Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sun. at 4 p.m.

Sex, power, greed, ego, backstabbing and hand-shaking…it’s “the art of the deal” in this dazzling dramatic comedy about movie-making and the corporate dreams and strategies of Hollywood executives. A hilarious satire of the American movie industry, it showcases a culture as corrupt as the society it claims to reflect as two Hollywood producers scamper for their next big break impeded by money, ambition and glamour.

"I laughed and laughed. The play is crammed with wonderful, dazzling, brilliant lines." - The New York Post

BOEING, BOEING (farce) by Marc Camoletti
Adapted by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans
January 10-27, 2013
Thurs. at 7:30 p.m., Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sun. at 4 p.m.

This 1960's French farce features a glamour-boy architect who simultaneously juggles French, German and American fiancees, each beautiful airline hostesses.  Tracking their airlines' timetables and scheduling non-convergent "layovers", he keeps "one up, one down and one pending" until unexpected schedule changes, and introduction of a faster Boeing jet, bring all three to Paris and his apartment at the same time.  The result is a side-splitting unraveling of his careful, romantic planning.

“…soars into (the) unpolluted stratosphere of classic physical comedy.” - The New York Times

Winner, 2008 Tony Award, Best Revival of a Play

NEXT TO NORMAL (musical drama) by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey
March 7-24, 2013      
Thurs. at 7:30 p.m., Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sun. at 4 p.m.

This acclaimed, groundbreaking musical with a thrilling contemporary score is an emotional powerhouse of a musical about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other.  Its story concerns a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder and the effect that her illness has on her family.  The musical also addresses such issues as grieving a loss, suicide, drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry, and suburban life.  Next To Normal was nominated for eleven 2009 Tony Awards and won three.  It also won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, becoming just the eighth musical in history to receive the honor.

"A brave, breathtaking musical. It is something much more than a feel-good musical: it is a feel-everything musical."" - The New York Times

"Grade: A. Agonizingly beautiful." - Entertainment Weekly

BLOODY MURDER (mystery farce) by Ed Sala
May 2-19, 2013        
Thurs. at 7:30 p.m., Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sun. at 4 p.m.
 
This twisted, fourth-wall-breaking, whodunit/spoof turns the murder-mystery genre on its head.  The wealthy Lady Somerset has assembled an unlikely group of guests for a weekend at her lavish countryside estate. The attendees represent the usual murder-mystery suspects.  Sure enough, one of these people meets a mysterious and violent end. But Lady Somerset takes an unusual turn by refusing to call the authorities and insisting that she and her guests are simply characters in a mystery story who must rebel against their author. The players and their writer enter into a wild battle of wills that delivers plenty of laughter and a surprising end!

“It’s a sign of fresh, intelligent writing when a playwright succeeds in totally messing with his audience’s minds.” - Akron Beacon Journal

BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY (a play with music) by Alan Janes
June 27-July 14, 2013          
Thurs. at 7:30 p.m., Fri. at 8 p.m., Sat. at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sun. at 4 p.m.

This award-winning musical tells the story of the three years in which a talented kid from Lubbock, Texas, became the world’s top recording artist.  It features over 20 of Buddy Holly’s greatest hits including “Peggy Sue”, “That’ll Be The Day”, “Oh Boy”, “Not Fade Away”, “Everyday”, “Rave On”, “Maybe Baby”, “Raining In My Heart”, Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba”, and the Big Bopper’s “Chantilly Lace”. The incredible legacy of the young man with glasses, whose musical career spanned an all-too-brief period during the golden days of rock ‘n’ roll, continues to live on in Buddy.

Laurence Olivier Award: Best New Musical (1991)
Outer Critics Circle Award: Best New Musical (1991)

“Golden oldies pounded out the way they used to be.” - New York Times

Note:  plays and dates subject to change under special circumstances.