Flat Rock Playhouse announces 2020 season
Flat Rock Playhouse announced its 2020 season Tuesday evening at a special event for subscribers, sponsors, press and other supporters of the theater.
The theme for 2020 is “Puttin’ on the Hits.” “This year will feature a tried and true collection of beloved productions including A Chorus Line, West Side Story, and Million Dollar Quartet. Combining classic titles with Flat Rock Playhouse hand-crafted productions, audiences can expect a stellar season with something for everyone,” the theater said in a statement.
Season subscriptions for 2020 are on sale now through April 24, and single tickets will go on sale January 13. Subscribers receive two additional tickets if they renew or purchase a subscription before Thanksgiving. For subscription and ticket information, as well as dates for all the shows, visit flatrockplayhouse.org.
In addition to the three musicals mentioned above, the Leiman Mainstage season will include the music-filled Autumn at the Opry and A Flat Rock Christmas. Non-musical shows will be Steel Magnolias, Helen on Wheels and Catch Me If You Can (the 1960s play, not the 2011 musical). The Studio 52 Family Series productions will be Charlotte’s Web and The Hobbit.
The Music on the Rock Concert Series will feature The Music of Queen, Donny Edwards as Elvis, Rumors: The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute Show, Jumping Jack Flash: The Music of the Rolling Stones, and Sizzling Summer Nights.
During the 2020 season, the theater said, “Over 50 equity actors, 16 equity-bound apprentices, and a host of union designers and technicians will gather at ‘the Rock’ to delight audiences and continue the tradition of excellence in the performing arts.”
Flat Rock Playhouse provided the following summaries of the Mainstage series shows to be produced in 2020:
• Million Dollar Quartet (April 24-May 17) is a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical inspired by the true story of the famed recording session where Sam Phillips, the “Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll” brought together the icons of Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley for one unforgettable night. In 2016, this production “rocked” audiences and has remained one of the most popular requests ever since.
• Steel Magnolias (May 22-June 6) will take audiences to the town of Chinquapin, Louisiana, where six distinctly individual women gather in Truvy’s Beauty Parlor for a wash and hairdo. Filled with hilarious repartee as well as the pain of loss, this show highlights the underlying strength and love that each character possesses and their ability to support each other in good times and bad.
• Multi-Tony Award-winning musical A Chorus Line (June 12-July 11) departs from the usual glossy backstage musical by presenting a true picture of what it’s like to be in the theatre: glamorous, at times, but also tough and sometimes heartbreaking.
• West Side Story (July 17-August 15) is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet takes to modern-day New York City as two young, idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs.
• Helen on Wheels (August 28-September 12) is a delightful heartwarming new comedy proving that feisty old ladies have the right to cause hell, play bingo and bear arms. When Helen Wheeler’s son thinks it’s time for her to move closer to him, she faces her own battles with loss, loneliness, and the on-coming threat to her independence.
• Last performed on the FRP stage in the ’80s, Catch Me If You Can (October 2-17) transports audiences to a mountain lodge for a hilarious whodunit full of twists and turns.
• Autumn at the Opry (October 23-November 7) will honor a well known regional tradition, The Grand Ole Opry, with all the talent of FRP favorite performers and musicians.
• Closing out the season, A Flat Rock Playhouse Christmas (November 27-December 20) will continue the local holiday tradition full of spectacle, grace, and spirit.
(Photo: The 2016 Flat Rock Playhouse production of “Million Dollar Quartet,” photo by Scott Treadway, courtesy of Flat Rock Playhouse)
