Summer Theatre 2017

admin Posted OnMay 25, 2017

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Summer Theatre 2017… Shakespeare al fresco and more!

Mama Mia, Westchester Broadway Theatre – Thurs, 3/23- Sun, 6/25: Based on the songs of the Swedish pop group ABBA, Mama Mia, is set on the Greek island of Kalokairi. A 20 year old woman named Sophie wants to have a traditional wedding and hopes her father will walk her down the aisle, but there’s one problem: she has no idea who her father is! With help from her mother’s journal, she narrows the possibilities down to three men, and hilarity ensues as they all claim her as their child! Featuring the ABBA hits “Dancing Queen”, “Thank You for the Music”, and, of course, “Mamma Mia!”. (One Broadway Plaza, Elmsford; www.broadwaytheatre.com)

Free! Julius Caesar, Shakespeare in the Park, Delacorte Theatre – Tues, 5/23 – Sun, 6/18: 8pm: It’s a year of political intrigue in the world of summer Shakespeare. Here, The Public Theater’s Artistic Director Oskar Eustis directs Shakespeare’s play of power politics. Julius Caesar, magnetic, populist, irreverent, seems bent on absolute power. A small band of patriots, devoted to the country’s democratic traditions have their own ideas about how to play beanbag. (Delacorte Theatre in Central Park; www.publictheatre.org)

Local! Our Town, The Armonk Players, Whippoorwill Hall at NCPL – Fri-Sat, 6/2-3, Thurs-Sat, 6/8-10: 8pm & Sun, 6/4: 4pm: To celebrate it’s 20th anniversary, The Armonk Players present Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play about everyday people’s everyday lives in the fictional small town Grover’s Corners at the beginning of the 20th century. The play is famous for it’s “metatheatrical” devices. It is set on a bare stage, the main character is the narrator who brings in guest lecturers, and the actors work without props. Tickets are just $20. (Whippoorwill Hall Theatre, North Castle Library, Kent Place, Armonk; www.armonkplayers.org)

Local! L.O.V.E.R, Schoolhouse Theatre – Thurs-Sun, 6/8-11, 6/15-18 & 6-22-25: L.O.V.E.R. is the world premier of a new theater work from the creative mind and talent of Lois Robbins. It’s a comic and poignant riff she describes as: A TALE OF LOVE AND LUST FROM A #GROWN-UP WOMAN’S P.O.V. (3 Owens Rd., North Salem; www.wchoolhousetheatre.org)

World Premiere, Pride & Prejudice, HVSF at Boscobel – Sat, 6/10- Mon, 9/4: In this co-production with Primary Stages, The Hudson Valley Shakespeare HVSF_PrideAndPrejudice Festival debuts Kate Hamill’s playful new adaptation of Jane Austen’s classic romance on the rolling grounds of Regency-era Boscobel! Austen’s saga of manners, marriage and money in early 19th century England maintains its relevance today as love saves the unlikely romance between the outspoken and independent Elizabeth Bennet and the impossibly aristocratic Mr. Darcy. Ms. Hamill previously adapated Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility for NYC’s Bedlam Theatre. Ben Brantley of the NYT’s called it “a delicious whirlwind of gossip.” (Boscobel, 1601 Rt. 9D, Garrison: www.hvshakespeare.org)

Twelfth Night, HVSF at Boscobel – Thurs, 6/8-Sun, 8/27: “If music be the food of love, play on.” Orsino loves Olivia. Olivia loves Cesario. Cesario’s a woman and in love with Orsino, disguised as a man…And Malvolio loves Olivia, too! HVSF is at it’s best with the Bard’s comedies. We look forward to seeing what Tony-nominated Director Moritz von Stuelpnagel (Broadway’s Hand to God and Present Laughter) does with this music-filled ensemble production of Shakespeare’s story of mistaken identities, tangled letters of love, and gender-bending hijinks. (Boscobel, 1601 Rt. 9D, Garrison; www.hvshakespeare.org)

World Premiere, The Book of Will, HVSF at Boscobel – Fri, 6/9-Fri, 7/28: HVSF Artistic Director Davis McCallum directs Lauren Gunderson’s irreverent new play The Book of Will. This “mostly-true” story of how Shakespeare’s comrades rescued and preserved his work was produced under the direction of McCallum at the Denver Center in January. Here it continues its rolling world premiere. Named among American Theater Magazine’s Top 20 Most-Produced Playwrights in America (2016-17), second only to August Wilson, Gunderson was the recipient of the 2016 Lanford Wilson and 2014 Steinberg/ATCA New Play awards. (Boscobel, 1601 Rt. 9D, Garrison; www.hvshakespeare.org)

Macbeth – Shakespeare on the Sound, Rowayton, CT – Thurs, 6/15 – Sun, 7/2: 7:30pm. Shakespeare on the Sound takes on Shakespeare’s great tragedy of political ambition in Scotland. Complete with witches, prophesies and the grande dame of political intrigue herself, Lady MacBeth who makes House of Card’s Claire Underwood look like a puppy dog. The play will be produced in the “round” as the “groundlings did at Shakespeare’s Globe Theater 400 years ago. You can stake out your picnic space for this FREE! presentation as early as 4pm. Mondays are dark! (Pinckney Park, 177 Rowayton Ave, Rowayton, CT; www.shakespeareonthesound.org)

Broadway Memories, Whippoorwill Hall Armonk – Fri-Sat, 6/23-24: 8pm & Sun, 6/25: 2pm: Armonk’s third theatre company, The Spotlight Theatre presents a musical theatre review, 20 Years of Spotlight’s Memories with a cast of 37 singers, dancers and actors. (North Castle Public Library, 19 Whippoorwill Rd. East, Armonk: www.stpny.com)

Annie, Westchester Broadway Theatre – Thurs, 6/29- Sun, 9/10: One of the world’s best-loved musicals and winner of seven Tony Awards returns to WBT! Annie is a spunky Depression-era orphan determined to find her parents, who abandoned her to a NYC orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. Watch as Annie foils Miss Hannigan’s evil plots, befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and finds a new family with billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his secretary Grace Farrell, and a dog named Sandy. Featuring: “It’s the Hard-Knock Life”, “Easy Street”, “I Don’t Need Anything But You” and “Tomorrow.” (One Broadway Plaza, Elmsford; www.broadwaytheatre.com)

Local! Books That Did Not Help Me Pick Up Women, Whippoorwill Hall Armonk – Fri, 6/30: 7:30pm. Graham will try anything to find love: therapy, literature, basketball, food…but in the end he discovers the true answer to his quest – not being himself. Sounds like Graham may be on to something. Find out how that works out when the Hudson Stage Company presents a stage reading of this new play by John McCaffrey and mark Singer. (North Castle Public Library, Kent Place, Armonk; www.hudsonstage.com)

Free! Shakespeare on the Green –Julius Caesar – Thurs, 7/6- Sun, 7/16: 7:30pm: Stamford’s professional theatre company, Curtain Call’s Shakespeare productions are performed on a scaled-down version of the Globe Theatre stage nestled among the pine trees of the Sterling Farms Complex in Stamford. The park opens 90 minutes before the performance for picnicking. This year’s production is Julius Caesar. (Sterling Farms Theatre Complex, 1349 Newfield Ave., Stamford; www.curtaincallinc.com)

Local! 1776, John Jay Homestead – Fri –Sat, 7/7-7/8: 7:30pm & Sun, 7/9: 5pm: The drama of Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Hancock, the vote for American independence and the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence brought to life by an exceptional, non-traditional cast. Presented through special arrangement with MTI by Bedford Parks and Recreation’s Bedford Community Theatre. 1776 was the winner of the 1969 Tony for Best Musical. Pre-show cocktails at 6:30pm on opening night. (400 Jay Street, Rt. 22, Katonah; www.johnjayhomestead.org)

Free! A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Shakespeare in the Park, Delacorte Theatre – Tues-Sun, 7/11 – 8/13: 8pm: Summer Shakespeare takes a break from politics with this production of Shakespeare’s comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Chill out as the merry sprite Puck meddles with a magical love potion and young lovers mysteriously find themselves infatuated with the wrong person in this fairytale fantasia that proves the course of true love never did run smooth. Directed by Lear deBessonet, Founder of The Public Theater’s Public Works program. (Delacorte Theatre in Central Park; www.publictheatre.org)

You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, Westmoreland Sanctuary – Fri-Sun, 7/21-30: check times: Summer theatre returns to Westmoreland Sanctuary with 8 performances of the 1967 musical comedy, You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown. This production, directed by Denise Simon, weaves through the Westmoreland woods and makes the audience part of the show. It features Mateo Lizcano (Peg & Cat, Dora & Friends: Into the City) and Abigail Harrison who can currently be seen in Showtime’s TV series The Affair. (260 Chestnut Ridge Rd., Mt. Kisco; www.westmorelandsanctuary.org)

Local! Lawn Chair Theatre Returns to Chappaqua with A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Thurs, 7/27: 6:30pm: The Lawn Chair Theatre returns to Chappaqua’s Recreation Field with their 2017 production of Shakespeare’s comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, complete with it’s deep dive into Fairyland. One night only in 10514 but five more productions from 7/20-28 in Rye, Rye Brook and New Rochelle. Bring a blanket or “lawn chair” to this picnic friendly event. This is LCT’s 10th season and their second in Chappaqua. (200 S. Greeley, Ave,. Chappaqua: www.lawnchairtheatre.org)

The General From America, HVSF at Boscoble – Fri, 8/4-Sun, 9/3: HVSF launches its new series HVStories that focuses on the history, people and culture of the Hudson Valley, Tony, OBIE and Drama Desk-award winning Director Penny Metropulos’s production of Richard Nelson’s The General From America. The play retells the story of Benedict Arnold’s famous defection and flight from West Point – which you can see across the river from the Boscobel grounds. Nelson also wrote the screenplay for Hyde Park on Hudsonstarring Bill Murray and Laura Linney. His trio of plays, The Gabriels: Election Year in the Life of One Family was produced this winter at the Public Theater in New York. (Boscobel, 1601 Rt. 9D, Garrison; www.hvshakespeare.org)

Love’s Labours Lost, HVSF at Boscobel – Fri, 8/4 – Sun, 9/3: The King of Navarre and his lords have sworn off the pleasures of life to pursue their studies, but can their oaths hold up when a princess and her ladies come to town? In this co-production with New York’s The Acting Company, Ian Belknap, will direct Shakespeare’s comedy Love’s Labour’s Lost featuring HVSF’s Conservatory Company, an intensive training program for early-career actors. (Boscobel, 1601 Rt. 9D, Garrison; www.hvshakespeare.org)