long beach international theatre

Rare revival of Tony-nominated musical The Robber Bridegroom in Long Beach, CA

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Appearing Oct. 14-Nov. 6, 2011, this funny, rowdy and sexy bluegrass fairy tale with book and lyrics by Alfred Uhry and music by Robert Waldman is performed at International City Theatre. Based on the 1942 Eudora Welty novella, The Robber Bridegroom is a comic, adult fairy tale that’s loaded with symbolism, innuendo and double entendre.

A charming gentleman bandit, the rich plantation owner’s daughter he loves, the wicked, sex-starved stepmother who wants her dead, and an evil thief who carries his brother’s head around in a trunk – all set to an infectious Broadway/bluegrass score, is described as Souther meets Appalachian.

The Robber Bridegroom originated at The Musical Theatre Lab in 1970, pioneering the workshop process during its developmental stages.That production established the career of playwright Alfred Uhry, who would later write the acclaimed Driving Miss Daisy and The Last Night of Ballyhoo, and catapulted the careers of its two stars, Kevin Kline and Patti LuPone, both recent graduates of Juilliard making their professional debuts. Following a successful national tour, a second Broadway run was mounted just one year later, earning Barry Bostwick the Tony Award for lead actor in a musical and another eight Drama Desk nominations.

Todd Nielsen directs the ICT production, and Gerald Sternbach is musical director. Chad Doreck of Off-Broadway’s Altar Boyz stars as Jaime Lockhart with Jamison Lingle as Rosamund. Also in the cast are six-time Helen Hayes Award nominee Michael Stone Forrest, Sue Goodman, Tyler Ledon, Tatiana Mac, Teya Patt, Michael Uribes, and Adam Wylie.

The Robber Bridegroom runs Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm, October 14 through November 6. Tickets: $37 – $55. Preview performances take place on Tuesday, October 11; Wednesday, October 12; and Thursday, October 13 @ 8 pm. Preview tickets are $29. International City Theatre is the an award-winning Resident Professional Theater at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, 300 E. Ocean Boulevard, Long Beach, CA. Box Office: (562) 436-4610. InternationalCityTheatre.org.

 

WHAT:
The Robber Bridegroom – A rare revival of the funny, rowdy, sexy Tony Award-nominated musical, a comic adult Southern fairy tale about a charming gentleman bandit, the rich plantation owner’s daughter he loves, the wicked, sex-starved stepmother who wants her dead, and an evil thief who carries his brother’s head around in a trunk – all set to an infectious Broadway/bluegrass score.

WHO:
Book and Lyrics by Alfred Uhry
Music by Robert Waldman
Based on the novella by Eudora Welty
Directed by Todd Nielsen
Musical Direction by Gerald Sternbach
Produced by caryn desai [sic] for International City Theatre

WHEN:
Previews: October 11, 12 & 13 at 8 pm
Performances: October 14 through November 6
Tuesday at 8pm: October 11 (preview)
Wednesday at 8pm: October 12 (preview)
Thursdays at 8 pm: October 13 (preview), 20, 27, November 3
Fridays at 8 pm: October 14 (Opening Night), 21, 28, November 4
Saturdays at 8 pm: October 15, 22, 29, November 5
Sundays at 2 pm: October 16, 23, 30, November 6

WHERE:
INTERNATIONAL CITY THEATRE
Long Beach Performing Arts Center
300 East Ocean Blvd.
Long Beach CA 90802

HOW:
(562) 436-4610 or www.ictlongbeach.org

TICKETS:
Opening Night: $55 (includes reception following the performance)
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: $44
Thursday: $37
Previews: $29

Jan 21 – Feb 13 Musical About Gertrude Stein in Long Beach

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Long Beach, California–Adapted from Stein’s writings by Tony Award winners Stephen Flaherty and Frank Galati, International City Theatre kicks off 2011 “Season of Romantic Adventures” with the West Coast premiere of LOVING REPEATING: A Musical of Gertrude Stein. Illuminating Gertrude Stein’s world and bringing fresh perspective to her poetic texts, the music evokes diverse spirits of eras past, including Victorian parlor tunes, vaudevillian songs, and even opera, paying homage to Stein’s deep love of the way American language perpetually changes to reflect the voices of the people. Following Stein from her student days in the late 19th century to the height of her artistic era in Paris as one of the “lost generation,” a term she coined referring to those who came of age between the two world wars, she lived among a celebrated circle of artists, writers, and thinkers, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, T.S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, and her beloved “wife” Alice B. Toklas.

International City Theatre is Long Beach’s Resident Professional Theater at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. ICT’s 2011 “Season of Romantic Adventures” will feature a mix of two musicals: Loving Repeating by Stephen Flaherty and Frank Galati and The Robber Bridegroom by Alfred Uhry and Robert Waldman; and three character-driven comedies: Southern Comforts by Kathleen Clark; The Old Settler by Henry Redwood; and Private Lives by Noël Coward.

Loving Repeating will run Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays @ 8 pm and Sundays @ 2 pm, January 21 through February 13. Tickets are $37 on Thursdays, and $44 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, except opening night which is $55 and includes a reception with the actors following the performance. Preview performances take place on Tuesday, January 18; Wednesday, January 19; and Thursday, January 20 at 8 pm. Preview tickets are $29.

International City Theatre is located in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center at 300 E. Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach. For reservations and information, call the ICT Box Office at (562) 436-4610. InternationalCityTheatre.org.