Long Beach’s ICT announces 2009 season
August 29th, 2008, 9:37 am · Post a Comment · posted by Paul Hodgins
The always watchable International City Theatre in Long Beach has just announced its five-play line-up for 2009. It includes a Jason Robert Brown creation and one of my favorite dark-hearted musicals, “Threepenny Opera.”
Here’s the season announcement:
The Threepenny Opera Feb. 20-March 22 (previews Feb. 17-19)
This first-of-its-kind pop opera became one of the most influential plays of the 20th Century. The trail-blazing musical collaboration of dramatist Bertolt Brecht and composer Kurt Weill transformed the musical theater with this deliciously dark satire of “respectable” society that features dashing thieves, saucy prostitutes and lingering melodies.
Is He Dead? by Mark Twain, adapted by David Ives - May 1-May 24 (previews April 28-30)
The West Coast premiere of a newly discovered comedy by the master of American humor, Mark Twain. A struggling artist stages his own death to drive up the price of his paintings in a zany, hilarious and sly critique of the art world. As the riotous scheme unfolds and crazy complications ensue, Twain poses daring questions about fame, greed and the value of art, poking his signature, mischievous fun at everyone involved.
Facing East by Carol Lynn Pearson - June 12-July 23 (previews June 9-11)
The Southern California premiere of Pearson’s eloquent and multifaceted play about the challenging intersections of faith and family, diversity and love. Ruth and Alex McCormick are an upstanding Mormon couple reeling from the suicide of their excommunicated homosexual son. But when they meet their dead son’s partner for the first time, they must come to terms with their own inner demons and the love they lost.
Bright Ideas by Eric Coble - Aug. 28-Sept. 20 (previews Aug. 25-27)
The Los Angeles area premiere of Coble’s gleeful, Macbeth-ian black comedy about the nurturing instinct gone haywire. Genevra and Joshua Bradley are convinced that placement in the correct preschool will ensure their soon-to-be four-year old son’s future success in life. Although the Bradleys registered their son for Bright Ideas Early Childhood Development Academy on the day he was born, he’s still stuck on the waiting list, so the fretting couple takes matters into their own hands - with dire and downright Shakespearean results. Macbeth meets MacParenting in this new comedy of homicidal proportions.
Songs for a New World by Jason Robert Brown - Oct. 16-Nov. 8 (previews Oct. 13-15)
Soaring melodies and irresistible rhythms mark this collection of story-songs by composer Jason Robert Brown (13, Parade). Sixteen driving, exquisitely crafted songs tell sixteen unique stories peopled by characters of today - songs for a new world.
