Contact: Heather Nowlin 801-581-7222 heather.nowlin@ptc.utah.edu
SOMETHING’S AFOOT at PTC for the 2013-2014 SEASON: ANNOUNCING THREE MUSICALS and TWO UTAH PREMIERES
Salt Lake City – Pioneer Theatre Company’s 2013-2014 season includes three musicals, Utah premieres of two dramas, a thriller, and one of Shakespeare’s most light-hearted comedies.
The season includes the musical-comedy murder-mystery Something’s Afoot, which runs September 20 through October 5, 2013; the Utah premiere of the 2012 Outer Critics Circle Award-winning drama Other Desert Cities, running October 25 through November 9, 2013; Elf–The Musical, running December 6 through December 24, 2013; the military courtroom drama A Few Good Men, running January 24 through February 8, 2014; Shakespeare’s romantic comedyMuch Ado About Nothing, running from February 21 through March 8, 2014; the thrillerDeathtrap, running from March 28 through April 12, 2014; and the song-and-dance musicalSweet Charity, running May 9 through May 24, 2014.
Remarking on the season, Artistic Director Karen Azenberg said, “What excites me the most about this season, and I hope it excites our audience as well, is that, with the exception of Much Ado About Nothing, which we last did 21 years ago, all of the shows in the season have never been done at Pioneer Theatre Company before. While I think we have selected some real crowd-pleasers, almost everything in the season will be brand new to Utah audiences. Even if you’re familiar with the titles, I’d bet you’ve never seen the stage versions of these shows—so I hope you’ll jump on board and come along for the ride.
“The season begins and ends with two musicals I’ve loved and wanted to direct for years.Something’s Afoot is a wonderful cross between an Agatha Christie murder mystery and a traditional musical comedy—two types of theatre that our audiences have always loved; it’s a show I saw twenty-five years ago and just fell in love with. To close our season, we’re doingSweet Charity, one of the great under-appreciated song-and-dance musicals of all time, with a score that features “Hey Big Spender!” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now” and will, I promise, have some of the best razzle-dazzle dance routines you’ve ever seen on stage. Pioneer Theatre Company has never done either of these musicals and, as far as I can tell, it has been quite a while since they have been produced in Utah.
“We’re doing a musical at Christmas again this year, Elf–The Musical, based on the hit movie. I saw every holiday show on Broadway last year, and Elf was by far the most enjoyable. Not only that, but my teenaged daughter watches the movie at least twenty times every Christmas, which I take as a good indicator of its appeal. The rights to Elf–The Musical have not been generally available, so we will be one of the first regional theatres in the country to produce it.
“For the non-musicals, I was surprised to discover that PTC has never produced A Few Good Men, which was written as a stage play by Aaron Sorkin before it was adapted into the hit movie, and before he went on to write the popular television series The West Wing. Deathtrap, also a PTC premiere, is one of the all-time great laugh-one-minute-shriek-in-terror-the-next thrillers. It’s by Ira Levin, who also wrote The Stepford Wives and Rosemary’s Baby. Our second show of the year will be a Utah premiere—Jon Robin Baitz’s Other Desert Cities, which was one of the two breakout hits from the 2012 Broadway season. And, of course, Much Ado About Nothing is a lovely romantic comedy by Shakespeare, who was writing romantic comedies before that expression was even coined.”
Ticket prices for almost all performances have not been increased for the 2013-14 season (Saturday matinee prices have increased). Season tickets range from $84 to $307, which means that season ticket patrons pay between $12 and $44 a ticket to see shows that cost over $125 on Broadway or National Tours. Notes PTC Managing Director Chris Lino, “For the price of one or two tickets to a Broadway show theatergoers can have a full season of entertainment at PTC, and be assured of the best seats and the convenience of exchanging their tickets if they can’t make their regular performance. And, as our long-time patrons know, you’ll be seeing the same actors who appear on Broadway stages, and the same spectacular sets and costumes that you would see on Broadway.”
For season tickets contact Pioneer Theatre Company’s Box Office at 801-581-6961 or visit online at www.pioneertheatre.org.
Pioneer Theatre Company, Utah’s premier professional theatre, performs at the Roy W. and Elizabeth E. Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre, located on the University of Utah campus at 300 South and 1400 East, Salt Lake City UT 84112-0660. The theatre is equipped with an elevator, hearing assistance devices, and handicapped parking.
Free parking within a block of the theatre is available for all performances.
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Season Ticket Packages For season tickets contact Pioneer Theatre Company’s Box Office at 801-581-6961 or visit us online at www.pioneertheatre.org. The Seven-Play Package Get tickets for all seven shows in our season, and receive a discount of up to 63%, a shot at the best seats before they go on sale to the general public, and a voucher good for free admission to any non-musical show in the season (excludes Something’s Afoot, Elf–The Musical and Sweet Charity). The Pick-Five Package This option allows patrons to select any five shows in the season and receive both a season ticket discount and preferred seating. Pick Five patrons may choose from any of the seven productions on PTC’s 2013-2014 season. The Flex Pass This season package provides patrons with $250.00 worth of credit redeemable at the discounted season ticket rate for any shows the patron wishes to see. $84 Upper Balcony Package Patrons can purchase tickets to all seven shows for only $84.00. Seats in this package are in the Upper Balcony section, and can be upgraded to any available Main Floor or Loge seat at the discounted season ticket price. This package does not include a free play voucher. The $99 Rush Pass This is a season pass that allows patrons to come to the theatre an hour before any show and get the best available single ticket for that night, based on availability. The pass is good for all shows in the season, including all three musicals.
All packages include a discount on tickets, flexible exchange privileges, priority seating, the ability to purchase additional tickets to individual shows at a discount, and an electronic subscription to Backstage, PTC’s newsletter.
PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY’S 2013-2014 SEASON
Something’s Afoot Book, Music and Lyrics by James McDonald, David Vos & Robert GerlachAdditional Music by Ed Linderman September 20 through October 5, 2013 “Engaging, funny, fresh and original.” The New York Post
Combine Agatha Christie’s most ingenious murder mystery plot with a deliriously dizzy musical comedy score and what do you get? A delightful musical where the bodies pile up between songs, and the young lovers don’t know whether to kiss or run for cover! Winner of the 2012 Outer Critics Circle Award and Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Best Play Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz October 25 through November 9, 2013
“A winner… funny and fierce, invigorating and intelligent.” The Daily News “The most richly enjoyable new play for grown-ups in many seasons… leaves you feeling both moved and gratifyingly sated.” The New York Times
Writer Brooke Wyeth, who is returning to her parents’ Palm Springs home for the Christmas holidays, must decide what matters more: the tragic memory of her beloved older brother or the feelings of her intensely private and political parents. Contains strong language. Elf–The Musical Book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin Music by Matthew Sklar, Lyrics by Chad Beguelin Based upon the New Line Cinema film written by David Berenbaum December 6 through December 21, 2013 Extra Performances Added! December 23 & 24, 2013 The movie became an instant cult classic, and the musical adaptation took Broadway by storm! When Buddy discovers that he’s not really an elf—the fact that he’s 6’2” and towers over the other elves in Santa’s Workshop should have tipped him off—he travels to New York to find his real father. A Few Good Men by Aaron Sorkin January 24 through February 8, 2014
“Plenty of wise-cracking humor and suspense.” TIME Magazine
“We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as a backbone to a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it.” Contains strong language. Much Ado About Nothing By William Shakespeare February 21 through March 8, 2014
“I wonder that you will still be talking, Signor Benedick; nobody marks you.” So begins one of the most exuberant and spirited battles of the sexes ever written, starring Beatrice and Benedick, two people who claim to thoroughly detest one another. But under the barbs they hurl at one another lie feelings that neither is even aware of—until circumstances bring them together to rescue their young friends. Deathtrap by Ira Levin March 28 through April 12, 2014 “Two-thirds thriller and one third a devilishly clever comedy…Suspend your disbelief and be delighted. Scream a little. It’s good for you.” Cue Magazine “If you care to assassinate yourself with laughter, try Deathtrap.” TIME Magazine Sidney Bruhl is a playwright desperately in need of a hit—and just in time, a former student sends him the manuscript of his first play, a murder mystery called Deathtrap. Sidney smells a hit—but Sidney has never been that fond of sharing credit. Sweet Charity Book by Neil Simon Music by Cy Coleman, Lyrics by Dorothy Fields Based on an original screenplay by Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli and Ennio Flaiano May 9 through May 24, 2014
Charity Hope Valentine is a dancehall girl who dreams of love and believes the man of her dreams is just around the corner. A great score, including the songs “If My Friends Could See Me Now” and “Hey Big Spender!”, incredible dancing and one of the most memorable heroines of the past sixty years combine to make Sweet Charity a must-see show. Never before produced at PTC, Sweet Charity is a razzle-dazzle closer for the 2013-14 season.