World premieres, adaptations of literary classics and a familiar holiday staple will make up the Denver Center Theatre Company’s 2014/15 season.
The lineup for the coming season at the state’s flagship theater company includes a new adaptation of Meredith Wilson’s musical “The Unsinkable Molly Brown,” Nigel William’s stage version of William Golding’s novel “Lord of the Flies,” the black comedy “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” by Christopher Durang, a production of the DCTC’s longtime holiday tradition “A Christmas Carol,” the world premieres of James Still’s “Appoggiatura” and Eric Schmiedl’s “Benediction,” the historical drama “One Night in Miami…” by Kemp Powers and an unspecified “director’s choice” show that’s set to be finalized later this year.
The new version of “Molly Brown” is set to be one of the season’s high-profile anchors, including input from some of Broadway’s biggest names. The show premiered during the 2009 New Play Summit and is set to debut in September.
The musical follows the exploits of Titanic survivor and Denver aristocrat Molly Brown, who earned her fortune in the heady days of the Gold Rush in the 19th century. The new adaptation at the DCTC will draw on input from some of Broadway’s biggest names. Tony Award nominee Dick Scanlan wrote the book for the show and Tony Award-winner Kathleen Marshall will serve as director and choreographer for the Denver production scheduled to debut in September.
The revamped show will include previously unpublished songs by Willson, creator of classic shows like The Music Man. Molly Brown debuted as a Broadway musical in 1960. A film adaptation starring Debbie Reynolds followed in 1964.
“Molly Brown” isn’t the only success story from the DCTC’s New Play Summit to feature in the coming season. Three-time Pulitzer Prize nominee James Still’s “Apopoggiatura,” which follows the struggles of three Americans as they travel to Venice, was featured as part of the 2014 summit, as was “Benediction,” the final chapter in Schmiedl’s three-part series centered in Colorado.
Well-known literary classics, a critically acclaimed historical drama and an absurdist comedy round out the season. “Lord of the Flies” takes its cue from the classic story by William Golding about the devolution that follows when a group of English boys are stranded on a desert island. “A Christmas Carol,” now a storied DCTC tradition, is a stage adaptation of the classic Charles Dickens novella.
“One Night in Miami …” offers the imagined fallout after the historic fight between Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay in 1964. Kemp Powers uses the historic meeting as a launching pad to explore themes of race, class and social struggle. The 2013 Tony Award for Best Play, “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” by Christopher Durang tracks the fireworks when a Hollywood actress returns to her rural, unassuming roots.
For tickets, schedules and more information, call 303-893-4100 or log on to denvercenter.org. DCTC’s full release regarding the coming lineup follows.
The Unsinkable Molly Brown
Lyrics and Music by Meredith Willson
Additional Lyrics and Book by Dick Scanlan
Based on the Original Book by Richard Morris
Directed and Choreographed by Kathleen Marshall
Sept 12-Oct 26 (Opens Sept 19) | Stage Theatre
This exhilarating refresh of Meredith Willson’s 1960 musical tells the rags-to-riches romance of Colorado’s own heroine, Molly Brown. With a new book by Dick Scanlan (Thoroughly Modern Millie), new songs from the Willson songbook and staging by Tony-winning director/choreographer Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes), the tempestuous can’t-live-with-him/can’t-live-without-him love story that survived the Silver Boom, Gold Rush and sinking of the Titanic returns to the stage in an all-new production.
William Golding’s
Lord Of The Flies
Adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams
Sept 26-Nov 2(Opens Oct 3) | Space Theatre
A staple in classrooms for generations, Chicago Theatre Beat raves Lord of the Flies is a “powerful, passionate adaptation that breathes new life into the classic novel,” which tells the story of a group of English boys who become stranded on a deserted island. Intoxicated by sudden freedom, their games quickly descend to a savage struggle for power. A compelling glimpse into dystopia that explores the grimmest reaches of human nature and fragility of free will.
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
By Christopher Durang
Oct 10-Nov 16 (Opens Oct 17) | Ricketson Theatre
Absurdist master Christopher Durang blends melancholy with mayhem in what The New York Times declares a “deliriously funny” black comedy. Winner of the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play, this Chekhovian mash-up erupts into chaos when Vanya and Sonia receive a surprise visit from their Hollywood star sister, Masha, and her boy-toy Spike. Residents and visitors of the normally quiet household are thrown into hilarious upheaval as they confront issues of sibling rivalry, regret, lust and love.
A Christmas Carol*
By Charles Dickens
Adapted by Richard Hellesen
Music by David de Berry
Nov 28-Dec 28 (Opens Dec 5) | Stage Theatre
Essential to the holiday season in Denver, A Christmas Carol promises to “warm your heart and renew your holiday spirit” according to the Examiner. Based on Charles Dickens’ classic novel, this joyous and opulent musical adaptation traces money-hoarding skinflint Ebenezer Scrooge’s triumphant overnight journey to redemption. A Christmas Carol illuminates the meaning of the holiday season in a way that has resonated for generations.
*Added attraction, not part of the subscription season.
World Premiere
Appoggiatura
By James Still
Jan 16-Feb 22 (Opens Jan 23) | Ricketson Theatre
Written by three-time Pulitzer nominee James Still, Appoggiatura follows three closely related Americans, each nursing a hunger and a hard-to-heal wound, as they travel to the romantic city of Venice seeking solace. As time bends and magic lies just around the corner, this favorite of the Colorado New Play Summit weaves a quirky and lyrical narrative exploring love, loss and the human soul.
A Denver Center commission.
World Premiere
Benediction
By Eric Schmiedl
Based upon the novel by Kent Haruf
Jan 30-Mar 1 (Opens Feb 6) | Space Theatre
Boasted a “masterful look at the end of life” by The Denver Post, this adaptation of best-selling Kent Haruf’s novel takes place on the high plains of Colorado. The final chapter of a trilogy, Benediction is a slice-of-life drama about three souls searching for meaningful connections despite separation, loneliness and the race against time.
A Denver Center commission.
One Night in Miami…
By Kemp Powers
Mar 20-Apr 19 (Opens March 27) | Space Theatre
This slice-of-life dramedy that the LA Times calls “engaging and thought-provoking,” imagines what occurred the night of Cassius Clay’s historic win over heavyweight champ Sonny Liston. Declining a glamorous Miami Beach party, Clay chooses to celebrate in a hotel room with his closest friends: activist Malcom X, singer Sam Cooke and football player Jim Brown. Over the course of the night each man argues for his vision of what it means to be black in 1964, culminating in an early morning announcement from Clay that will shock the world. Filled with “crackling good dialogue and timely themes,” as boasted by Variety, One Night in Miami… is a “decisive knockout.”
Director’s Choice
Mar 27-Apr 26
March 27 – April 26 | Stage Theatre
Part of the thrill of live theatre is the element of the unexpected. We are reviewing a few dynamic choices for our final production of the 2014/15 season. Stay tuned!