Season of Hits Planned for Lyric Stage
Programming Proven Winners
By: LYRIC - Apr 06, 2024
A friendship on the verge of a breakdown. One family’s desperate attempt to find the good times amid hardship. A brother and sister finding joy in their differences. A disastrous acting troupe trying desperately to make it to the final curtain. A new “classic” gem of the American musical theater. And then there’s Dolly.
As the curtain comes up on our 2024/25 season, we find there is much to celebrate when we examine the many ways in which human beings connect (or fail to do so) with each other. There is no better way than with a friend sitting right by your side as the lights dim and the story begins.
Artistic Director Courtney O’Connor says, “We’re thrilled to share six stories that focus on character connection and joy told by artists you already know and love and new artists we can’t wait for you to meet. And as seems to happen every year, the plays suddenly begin to talk and resonate with each other. How families love and struggle (and struggle to love). Joining a revolution or joining a parade. Examining art, and what it makes us feel about ourselves and each other. Dreams of the future and of a better life. Love of all kinds. And laughter. So much laughter.”
URINETOWN
Music & Lyrics by Mark Hollmann
Book & Lyrics by Greg Kotis
September 20 - October 27, 2024
An exuberant musical comedy with a truly dreadful title.
A greedy and unethical corporation profits from the citizens of a city in the middle of a water shortage by banning public toilets forcing the people to pinch their pennies for the “privilege to pee.” But revolution is in the air. Led by Bobby Strong, a hopeful hero who rallies a cornucopia of colorful and quirky characters to take on the oily tycoon Caldwell B. Cladwell, the road to freedom is paved with straight-faced silliness, cheeky musical parodies, and boisterous comedy. With heart and hope, this modern classic reminds us just how great and revelatory the American musical can be.
NOISES OFF
By Michael Frayn
November 11 - December 22, 2024
This side-splitting comedy brimming with slamming doors, wardrobe malfunctions, and flying sardines makes a perfect holiday outing for friends and family.
Doomed from the start, the play-within-a play Nothing On is led by an
exasperated director managing a company which includes a middle-aged has-been, an unseasoned bombshell, an overly-sensitive stage manager, and a half-deaf actor. They’re all on their way to an opening night that will leave everything in complete shambles both on and off the stage. It’s all out chaos as jealousies, egos, and seething rage spill out onto the stage resulting in a dizzying circus of missed entrances and exits, mixed-up lines, slamming doors, and falling trousers. It’s a fight to the finish as a cuckoo cocktail of disaster makes its way to the final curtain.
CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE OF JOY
By Lynn Nottage
January 10 - February 2, 2025
Two sisters and their recently widowed father struggle to find their place in the world while holding tight to the love they have for each other.
Adrift in Brooklyn during the racially charged 1950s, two teenage sisters Ernestine and Ermina live with their devout, recently widowed father, Godfrey, who follows the teachings of spiritual leader Father Divine. Almost to the point of obsession, Godfrey’s staunch beliefs cause his girls to heal their wounds with Hollywood films, daydreams, and lots of cookies. Their humdrum lives are turned upside down with the arrival of their vivacious Aunt Lily, who brings with her a few bad habits and a taste for rebellion. When Godfrey makes a shocking decision that involves a German woman named Gerte, can the family find new meaning in what makes a home?
ART
By Yasmina Reza
February 21 - March 16, 2025
Three life-long friendships are faced with the reality that maybe they never had anything in common to begin with.
Serge has purchased a modern painting for an outrageous sum. Marc hates it. Yvan is stuck in the middle. When superficial ideals and values that they once joked about appear to be at the core of Serge’s intentions, comradery is quickly replaced by a sense of betrayal. This sophisticated comedy of manners forces three best friends to examine just how well they really know each other. With sleek repartee and mounting friction, their evening together intensifies to the point of no return where loneliness could be the cost of their inability to save their friendship instead of their egos.
THE GREAT REVEAL
By David Valdes
April 4 - 27, 2025
A dramedy exploring the ways a diverse group of people who love each other navigate family dynamics and gender identity.
Newly married and seven months pregnant, Lexi has planned the perfect
backyard gender reveal party with every detail immaculately in place. But not everyone is as enthusiastic about the celebration. Her immature husband, Christopher, is rattled by what the future holds for him as a father. Her brother Linus, a trans man, is caught between his sister and his partner Dosia, who is tasked with making the cake for an event that goes against everything they stand for. When emotions escalate and revelations are shared, a family and the importance of being true to oneself is tested as they grapple to find ways to keep on loving each other.
HELLO DOLLY!
Music & Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Book by Michael Stewart
May 16 - June 22, 2025
A rose-colored musical masterpiece overflowing with pure joy that sparkles with the delights of what it means to be alive.
Brimming with classic musical theater tunes, endearing characters, and good-humor all around, Hello, Dolly! is the perfect balm for the soul. With a twinkle in her eye, Dolly Levi orchestrates matters of the heart
for those looking for love as the incomparable matchmaker that she is. As romance blossoms and comedic adventures ensue, Dolly makes friends around every corner and charms her way into the hearts of everyone she meets. But is there hope of moving on from a lost love and finding a sweetheart of her own “before the parade passes by?”