New Jersey Stage

Thursday, June 27, 2013

George Street Playhouse Announces Slate of Plays For Milestone 40th Season


(New Brunswick, NJ) -- George Street Playhouse and Artistic Director David Saint have announced four of the five plays comprising the New Brunswick theater's 40th Season. The celebrations begin with the world premiere of GETTIN' THE BAND BACK TOGETHER - THE MUSICAL, with a book by Ken Davenport and The Grundleshotz and music and lyrics by Mark Allen and directed by Tony Award-winning director John Rando (Urinetown, GSP's The Toxic Avenger); continues with the world premiere of Joe DiPietro's CLEVER LITTLE LIES and Jacque Lamarre's adaptation of Giulia Melucci's memoir, I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI; and closes with the inaugural production of a landmark theatrical partnership between George Street Playhouse and Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts – Thornton Wilder's OUR TOWN. One other selection for the theatre's five play mainstage season will be announced at a later date.

"You only turn forty once," said Mr. Saint, "so I thought we should celebrate this important milestone properly, with a season of theatrical events. Both Gettin' The Band Back Together and Our Town have the largest casts seen on the George Street stage. Not only are we premiering a New Jersey-based rock musical, much in the same vein as The Toxic Avenger (also directed by John Rando and premiered at GSP), but we have forged a partnership between George Street Playhouse and the Mason Gross School of the Arts. It has been a long-held goal of mine, and I am thrilled that it has come to fruition."

BOOK CLUB PROGRAM
As part of the season's offerings, George Street Playhouse will continue their successful BOOK CLUB PROGRAM, now in its seventh year, with the choice of one of two productions -- I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti or Our Town. The book club package price includes a copy of Giulia Melucci's memoir I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti or the published edition of Our Town, a study guide, a ticket for the production, and the opportunity to have a representative from the Playhouse visit their book club meeting to discuss themes of the play and share behind-the-scenes information about the creation of the production. For book club information, please contact the George Street Playhouse Group Sales Department by phone at 732-846-2895, ext. 134.

Five-play, three-play and flexible admission packages are currently on sale, as are tickets for groups of 10 or more. George Street Playhouse is located at 9 Livingston Avenue, in the heart of New Brunswick's dining and entertainment district. For tickets and information, patrons may contact the Box Office directly at 732-246-7717 or may purchase online at GSPonline.org. Groups of ten or more should contact the Group Sales office at 732-846-2895, ext. 134 for group pricing and reservation information.


The Plays:

WORLD PREMIERE
Gettin' the Band Back Together - The Musical

(previously announced with the title Garage Band)
book by Ken Davenport and The Grudelshotz
music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson Award Winner Mark Allen
directed by Tony Award Winner John Rando
Move over Toxie…. Here's MITCH!
In the same spirit as our 2008 hit The Toxic Avenger, we will open the season with the world premiere of another laugh-out-loud rockin' musical comedy celebration of the great Garden State!
We're gettin' the band back together! Mitch Shapiro is 40. And he's fired. When Wall Street cuts him loose, he moves back to Mom's house (in Sayreville, NJ) and reconnects with the old gang for en epic high-stakes battle of the bands. Best buddies, old girlfriends, high school bullies that never grew up and one hot New Jersey momma make for fast times and a new start for this Jersey boy. Who says you can't go home?
Gettin' The Band Back Together is performed by special arrangement with Davenport Theatrical Enterprises, Inc. and Roy Putrino.
Gettin' The Band Back Together - The Musical will run September 24 – October 27. Opening night is set for Friday, October 4.


WORLD PREMIERE
Clever Little Lies

by Joe DiPietro
directed by David SaintA mother always knows when something's up. Bill Jr. is distracted, under pressure and off his game. Will a surprising evening with his parents send him further off-kilter? Secrets are exposed and clever little lies are crafted when a confidence shared between father and son escalates into an unexpected revelation that could change everything. A new comedy/drama from Tony Award winner JOE DiPIETRO, author of the Broadway hits Memphis and Nice Work if You Can Get It.
Clever Little Lies will run November 19 – December 22. Opening night is Friday, November 22.


I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti
adapted by Jacques Lamarre from the memoir by Giulia Melucci
directed by Rob Ruggerio
with Antoinette LaVecchia
"A Delightful Comic Evening... Charming, funny and warm, Ms. LaVecchia connects instantly with the audience, and she makes Giulia utterly irresistible." The New York Times

Life is just a bowl of ... pasta! A mouth-watering comedy, this deliciously hilarious play celebrates Italian home cooking as both an expression of love and a source of comfort when the romance goes cold. Antoinette LaVecchia plays Giulia Melucci, conjuring up a culinary masterpiece before our eyes as she recounts stories about the men in her life and the meals that she made them. From an affectionate alcoholic, to the classic New York City commitment-phobe, to a hipster aged past his sell-by date, and not one, but two novelists with Peter Pan complexes, Giulia has cooked for them all.

Special Bistro Table Seating: a limited number of on-stage bistro table seats will be available at each performance and will include a glass of wine and a serving of the antipasto, bread, salad and pasta prepared by Miss LaVecchia during the performance!

I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti will run March 11 – April 6. Opening night is Friday, March 14.



Our Town
by Thornton Wilder
directed by David Esbjornson

Our University. Our Theatre. Our Town.

The inaugural production of a landmark theatrical partnership between Mason Gross School of the Arts and George Street Playhouse, in which a cast of twenty-four -- both professional actors and graduating superstars of one of the country's most revered masters degree programs -- will bring to life Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play on the George Street Playhouse stage. Award-winning Broadway director (Broadway's Driving Miss Daisy and The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?) and Chair of the Mason Gross School of the Arts Department of Theatre, David Esbjornson will helm this history-making production of a true American classic.

Our Town will run April 22- May 25. Opening night is set for Friday, April 25.
Plus one other selection to run January 28 – February 23.


Prices and Information

SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES
There are several different Season Subscription Packages to choose from, designed to fit every budget, need, and schedule to assure audiences the most convenient theatergoing experience:The Five-Play Subscription: Fantastic seats for all five plays, plus GSP's full list of subscriber benefits. Choose from three seating areas. $125 - $280.

Choose Three Subscription: Perfect for the busy theatergoer! Choose any three plays in the season and the night of the week you wish to attend. $114 - $183

Student Subscription: Students with valid full-time ID see all five plays for $90. (Not valid Friday or Saturday nights or Sunday matinees. Recommended for high school students and older.)

Senior Citizen Discounts: (ages 65 and older) Seniors save when subscribing to the full five-play season. Please include proof of age with order. $115 - $270

Flex Passes: An extra flexible subscribing alternative! Patrons can purchase four, five or six admissions to GSP that can be redeemed for any performance (as long as there is availability) according to convenience. One couple can see 3 plays, one person can see all five, or in any other desired combination. $160 - $240

Sunday Symposiums: (3rd Sunday at 2 pm) This special series brings respected experts to the stage for a lively, in-depth post-performance discussion of the themes of the play. $153 - $245

Audio-Described Series: (3rd Thursday at 8 pm) Patrons who are blind or visually impaired will hear a live, unobtrusive and objective description of the stage action and other visual elements of the play over a headset. $90 for all 5 plays.

Open-Captioned Series: (4th Saturday at 2 pm) Patrons who are deaf or hearing-impaired can follow the dialogue of the play on a digital screen as the action occurs on stage. $115 for all 5 plays.

Monroe Township Bus Package (select Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8 pm, and Thursday matinees) Tickets for all five plays at designated bus package performances plus round-trip bus transportation from centrally-located meeting places are provided for one nominal charge. For further information call (732) 846-2895, ext. 134.

Season Subscriptions for the mainstage can be ordered by calling the Box Office at 732-246-7717 or purchased online at www.GSPonline.org.

GROUP DISCOUNTS:
Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. For information call 732-846-2895, x. 134

Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint, George Street Playhouse has become a nationally recognized theatre, presenting an acclaimed mainstage season while providing an artistic home for established and emerging theatre artists. Founded in 1974, the Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway – recent productions include the Outer Critics' Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger, the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill and the recent Broadway hit and Tony® and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at GSP during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays. In addition to its mainstage season, GSP's Touring Theatre features four issue-oriented productions that are seen by more than 40,000 students annually. George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

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