Barrington Stage Company’s 2010 schedule features BSC Mainstage productions of Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, June 17 to July 17, 2010; Art, July 22 to August 7, 2010; Absurd Person Singular, August 12-29, 2010. Scheduled for BSC’s Stage 2 during the 2010 season is The Whipping Man, May 27 through June 13, 2010; and the world premiere of Pool Boy will be the highlight of BSC’s Musical Theatre Lab.
BSC Stage 2 – The Whipping Man – May 26 – June 13, 2010
May 26 – June 13. BSC Stage 2 presents The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez, directed by Christopher Innvar, Stage 2, 36 Linden St., Pittsfield. Cast includes Clarke Peters (The Iceman Cometh, Chicago, HBO’s Treme and The Wire; Tony Nominee for Five Guys Named Moe Best Book of a Musical), LeRoy McClain (TFANA’s Measure for Measure; LCT’s Cymbeline) and Nick Westrate (The Boys in the Band, A Moon for the Misbegotten).
New England premiere. Perfs. Tues-Fri. and Sun. at 7:30pm, Sat. at 4pm and 8pm. Additional perf. on Wed., June 9 at 2pm. Opening Night: Sat., May 29 at 8pm. Tickets: $15-$45. Seniors: $20 all matinees. Pay What You Can Night for 35 year olds and younger: Fri., June 4 at 7:30pm.
N.B. Due to popular demand, Barrington Stage Company’s Stage 2 production of The Whipping Man has been extended through June 17. Additional performances are June 15-17 at 7:30pm and June 17 at 3pm. Tickets to all extended performances are $30.
BSC Mainstage – Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – June 17 to July 17, 2010
As previously announced, Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s Tony Award-winning musical thriller Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, will open BSC’s 16th season from June 17 to July 17, 2010 (Press Opening, Wednesday, June 23 at 7pm).
Presented in celebration of Sondheim’s 80th birthday, Sweeney will be directed by BSC’s Artistic Director Julianne Boyd, with musical direction by Darren R. Cohen. Adapted from Christopher Bond’s play, Sweeney Todd will star Broadway and BSC veteran Jeff McCarthy (Mack and Mabel and Follies). Sweeney marks the fourth Sondheim musical mounted by Julianne Boyd who directed A Little Night Music, Company, and Follies to popular acclaim.
The cast of Sweeney Todd will be headed by Jeff McCarthy (Urinetown, BSC’s Follies and Mack and Mabel) as Sweeney Todd and Tony winner Harriet Harris (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Roundabout’s Present Laughter) as Mrs. Lovett, with Ed Dixon (Roundabout’s Sunday in the Park With George, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Les Misérables) as Judge Turpin, Timothy Shew (Wonderful Town, Les Misérables) as Beadle Bamford, Christianne Tisdale (Beauty and the Beast, BSC’s South Pacific) as the Beggar Woman, Shonn Wiley (Mud Donahue and Son, 42nd Street) as Anthony, Sarah Stevens as Johanna (Diplomacy), and Zachary Clause (NYMF 2009 Hurricane)as Tobias. Julianne Boyd (BSC’s A Streetcar Named Desire, Carousel, West Side Story) directs the musical thriller with Darren R. Cohen (BSC’s Carousel, West Side Story) as musical director.
Performances Tues and Wed. at 7pm, Thurs – Sat. at 8pm, Fri. Mats. at 2pm, Sun. at 5pm. Additional Wed. Mat. on June 30 at 2pm. Opening Night: Wed., June 23 at 8pm. Tickets: $15-$58. Seniors: $35 all matinees. Pay What You Can Night: Wed., June 30 at 7pm.
BSC Stage 2 – Freud’s Last Session – June 22 – July 3, 2010
Freud’s Last Session by Mark St. Germain, directed by Tyler Marchant, starring Martin Rayner and Mark H. Dold – Prior to the New York run. Perfs. Tues-Fri. and Sun. at 7:30pm, Sat. at 4pm and 8pm. Additional perf. on Thurs., July 1 at 4pm. Tickets: $15-$45. Seniors: $20 all matinees.
June 26, 2010 – BSC Summer Gala
June 26, 2010 – BSC Summer Gala featuring a performance of Sweeney Todd at 4:30pm followed by a spectacular party with dinner, dancing and a silent auction as Barrington Stage celebrates Mary Ann Quinson’s 16th season as President of the Board of Trustees.
BSC Musical Theatre Lab – Pool Boy – July 13 – August 8, 2010
BSC’s acclaimed Musical Theatre Lab will kick off its 5th season with the world premiere of Pool Boy a world premiere musical by Janet Allard and Niko Tsakalakos, musical direction by Matt Castle, directed by Kevin Del Aguila, running July 13 through August 8 (Press Opening Wednesday, July 21 at 7:30pm). The production tells the story of a pool boy whose summer turns upside down when he’s seduced by L.A. glitz and glam and a sexy older woman. The story is based on the composer’s real-life experience as a pool boy at the Hotel Bel-Air.
Perfs. Tues-Fri. and Sun. at 7:30pm, Sat. at 8pm. Opening Night: Wed. July 21 at 7:30pm. Tickets: $15-$45. Seniors: $20 all matinees. Pay What You Can Night: Fri., July 16 at 7:30pm.
July 14 – August 15. BSC’s Youth Theatre presents Into the Woods, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, musical direction by Brian Usifer, directed and choreographed by Christine O’Grady. July 14~August 8 at St. Joseph High School , 22 Maplewood Ave. , Pittsfield . NEW FOR 2010: Youth Theatre in South County, August 10-15 at Pete’s Motors, 396 Stockbridge Rd., Great Barrington . Perfs. Tues-Sun. at 7pm (no Tues. perf. July 20 and 27), Mats. Thurs, Sat and Sun. at 2pm. Additional Mats. on Mon., July 19 and 26 at 2pm. Tickets: $8-$15.
BSC Mainstage – Art – July 22 to August 7, 2010
Art, the international award-winning comedy by Yasmina Reza (God of Carnage, The Unexpected Man), translation by Christopher Hampton, runs from July 22 to August 7, 2010 (Press Opening, Sunday, July 25 at 5pm). Three men’s friendships are tested in extraordinary and hilarious ways when one of them buys an expensive white on white painting. Art has received more than 125 productions in 30 translations worldwide.
Art will star Brian Avers (Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll, BSC’s The Violet Hour and Black Comedy), Michael Countryman (Equivocation; BSC’s Ciao!;The Inconstant Lovers) and David Garrison (Wicked, I Do! I Do!, TV’s Married with Children), under the direction of Henry Wishcamper (Goodman Theatre’s Animal Crackers; Keen Company’s Pullman Car Hiawatha).
Perfs. Tues and Wed. at 7pm, Thurs-Sat. at 8pm, Fri. Mats. at 2pm, Sun. at 5pm. Additional Wed. Mat. on July 28 at 2pm. Opening Night: Sun., July 25 at 5pm. Tickets: $15-$56. Seniors: $35 all matinees. Pay What You Can Night Fri. July 30 at 8pm.
BSC Mainstage – Absurd Person Singular – August 12-29, 2010
Absurd Person Singular, Alan Ayckbourn’s comedy, will play on the Mainstage from August 12-29, 2010, with a Press Opening Sunday, August 15 at 5pm. Jesse Berger, who directed last summer’s hit production of Sleuth, returns to direct. One of England’s greatest playwrights, Alan Ayckbourn, is best known for such noted classics as Bedroom Farce and The Norman Conquests. Absurd Person Singular is an uproariously funny comedy that follows the fortunes of three couples on three successive Christmas Eves in three different kitchens. The couples, all obsessed with social climbing, spin out of control to a darkly hilarious ending.
The Christmas-themed comedy Absurd Person Singular will star Emily Bergl (Becky Shaw, ABC’s Men in Trees and CBS’ The Good Wife), Christopher Innvar (110 in the Shade, BSC’s A Streetcar Named Desire and Private Lives), Robert Petkoff (Ragtime), and Charlotte Parry (Equivocation), under the direction of Jesse Berger (The Duchess of Malfi, BSC’s Sleuth). Two additional cast members will be announced at a later date.
Perfs. Tues and Wed. at 7pm, Thurs-Sat. at 8pm, Fri. Mats. at 2pm, Sun. at 5pm. Additional Wed. Mat. on August 25 at 2pm. Opening Night: Sun., August 15 at 5pm. Tickets: $15-$56. Seniors: $35 all matinees. Pay What You Can Night Fri., August 20 at 8pm.
A second MTL musical, TBA, will run from August 18-29.
Songs by Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists You Probably Don’t Know But Should
Back for its 5th edition is the wildly popular Songs by Ridiculously Talented Composers and Lyricists You Probably Don’t Know But Should, hosted by William Finn, for two performances on Labor Day weekend Friday, September 3 and Saturday, September 4, both at 8pm on the Mainstage.
“I am thrilled that BSC will be extending its season in 2010. It will be an exciting year for us: we will be producing one of the greatest musicals written in the second half of the 20th century on our Mainstage, we will be working with schools and the community with our fall and holiday productions and we will be giving birth to two new musicals in our Musical Theatre Lab,” said Artistic Director Julianne Boyd in a prepared statement.
BSC YOUTH THEATRE
Barrington Stage Company’s Youth Theatre will present Stephen Sondheim’s and James Lapine’s Into the Woods with performances from July 14 through August 15, at St. Joseph’s High School, 22 Maplewood Avenue, Pittsfield. Into the Woods is a brilliant, fractured retelling of several well-known fairy tales (Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood). The beloved fairy tale characters enter the woods, each looking for something – they are granted their wishes and then, in a clever turn of events, must face what it means to live “happily ever after.” Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning score includes “No One Is Alone” and “Children Will Listen.” Auditions for local youth ages 13-19 will be held in March 2010.
BSC FALL MAINSTAGE
One of the greatest plays of the 20th century, The Crucible was written by Arthur Miller in response to Joseph McCarthy’s House Committee on Un-American Activities’ vilifying and blacklisting people suspected of being Communists in the 1950s. Set in 1692, the play uses the Salem, Massachusetts witch hunts as a parallel for what was happening in the U.S. at that time. The Tony Award-winning play will run on the Mainstage October 6-24, 2010 (Press Opening Sunday, October 10 at 3:00pm).
BSC HOLIDAY MAINSTAGE
The beloved Christmas movie, A Christmas Story, comes to life at BSC next holiday season. Adapted for the stage by Philip Grecian and based on the motion picture screenplay by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown and Bob Clark, A Christmas Story tells the story of Ralphie, a small-town boy growing up in the forties, who has only one wish for Christmas: a Red Ryder BB gun (with the unforgettable line: “You’ll shoot your eye out, kid!”). The classic and hilarious story of Christmas shenanigans will run in December 2010, schedule TBA.
SPECIAL EVENTS
On February 6, 2010, BSC brings the sizzling Brazilian celebration of Carnivale to the Berkshires. The event will include exotic food and cocktails, dancing and live music by multicultural Latin band Los Sugar Kings. A special pre-party dinner will be held at 6pm, followed by the Carnivale at 8pm on the second floor of Jae’s Spice in downtown Pittsfield (297 North Street). Tickets for the 6pm pre-party dinner and 8pm Carnivale are $125 per person; tickets for just the 8pm Carnivale are $35 per person in advance, $40 at the door.
BSC will hold its Annual Summer Gala on Saturday, June 26, 2010, featuring a performance of Sweeney Todd followed by a spectacular party with dinner, dancing and a silent auction.
An Evening with Judy Collins will be held at the Mainstage on Monday, July 26 at 7pm. For more than 40 years, Judy Collins has thrilled audiences worldwide with her unique blend of interpretative folksongs and contemporary themes. Collins won the 1975 Grammy for Song of the Year with her version of Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns.” Tickets for the concert are: VIP $65 (includes post-show reception and premium seating), Adults $45, Seniors $40, Youth $35.
A Staged Reading of a new play by Mark St. Germain will be held on Stage 2 September 4 and 5. Mark St. Germain is the author of the critically-acclaimed Freud’s Last Session, BSC’s longest-running production, which played to sold-out houses throughout the summer and fall 2009.
AFFORDABLE THEATRE FOR ALL CONTINUES IN 2010
BSC will once again offer the popular Pay What You Can Performances for each Mainstage and Stage 2 show during the summer season. Low-priced previews continue at $15 and $20 for the first two performances on the Mainstage and $15 on Stage 2. For the Mainstage, $35 Senior tickets will also continue for matinee performances. $15 tickets for youth 21 years and younger will be offered again for all performances except Saturday evenings. Single tickets, priced from $15-$58, go on sale March 1, 2010. FlexPass subscriptions are currently available at discounted prices – with no handling fees through December 31, 2009. Groups of 15 or more should contact Group Sales Manager Monica Bliss at 413 997-6112. For information on shows, FlexPasses and tickets call 413-236-8888 or www.barringtonstageco.org.