THE 2007-08
WEATHERVANE
SEASON!
The Grace Hower Crawford
Main Stage Series |
I, Do! I Do!
A musical
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Book and lyrics by Tom Jones
Based on The Fourposter by Jan de Hartog
September 5 to 23, 2007
Love and marriage may go together “like a horse and carriage,” but the journey on the road of life is both bitter AND sweet in this wonderful musical. Written by the team that created The Fantasticks, you’ll be charmed by this thoroughly engaging two-person musical that relates the story of a marriage. Agnes and George, the married couple, sing their way through a 50-year marriage. Through songs both lilting and lovely, I Do! I Do! chronicles the milestones of a marriage: the nervous jitters on a wedding day, the challenges of raising a family, the frustrations of lovers’ quarrels, the mid-life crises of various stripes, separations, reconciliations, retirement – all the way up to Agnes and George selling their home to the succeeding pair of newlyweds.
The Lion in Winter
A drama by James Goldman
October 10 to 28, 2007
No body ever said family life was easy! For proof, just ask England’s Royal Family! Better yet, ask King Henry II, the center of this brilliant historic drama, who finds his 12th century family life chock full of political intrigue – not to mention a cast of scheming relatives! When the family business is the British monarchy, the sticky matter of royal succession comes center stage for the King, his wife (Eleanor of Aquitane) and their sons, Richard, Geoffrey, and John. Set during the family’s Christmas vacation, The Lion in Winter pits the strong will of a conniving royal couple against a backdrop of wicked wit, treachery, deceit, and a chess-like match of political machinations – all the juicy ingredients found in your typical dysfunctional-family drama!
Moon Over Buffalo
A comedy by Ken Ludwig
January 16 to February 10, 2008
The theater has long embraced theatrical couples. Think of Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne or Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. Now meet George and Charlotte Hay, who don’t even come close to matching the artistic excellence of such illustrious theatrical couples! Yes, these two are more like Tweedledee and Tweedledumb on a mad spree! But even so, these two will split your sides with hilarious laughter as this second-rate theatrical couple fumble and stumble on stage in a Buffalo repertory theater. From the author of Lend Me a Tenor, George and Charlotte steer Moon Over Buffalo on a careening course of hilarious hijinks, offering up a backstage peek at the crazy-mad world of “theater people” and those who love them!
Children of a Lesser God
A drama by Mark Medoff
February 20 to March 9, 2008
Sarah is a sensitive yet spirited hearing- and speech-impaired young woman who meets a tightly wound (and hearing) young teacher named James at a school for the deaf. They seem to be opposites in so many ways: she is cut off from both the world of the hearing and those who would seek to help her, and he stumbles in his best intentions to reach out to Sarah. As they grapple with their studies, and work to find a middle ground of communication both physically and emotionally, each finds much to learn from the other. She empowers her altruistic teacher to discover the transformative power of love, and he inspires the flinty Sarah her to embrace life fully in this heart-rending drama. Winner of the 1980 Tony Award for Best Play!
Enchanted April
A drama by Matthew Barber
Adapted from the novel by Elizabeth von Arnim
April 16 to May 4, 2008
The setting is 1922 in London. Meet two bored English housewives, Lottie Wilton and Rose Arnott, who are tired of their humdrum, conventional lives – not to mention the constant mid-winter rain! When the women hatch a plan to rent a villa in Italy for the month of April, they recruit two other women from different social realms to split the cost: Lady Caroline Bramble, a frivolous young socialite, and Mrs. Graves, an imposing dowager. Under the spell of Italy, the magically restorative powers of wisteria and sunshine work their magic, and each woman finds she can “bloom again” in ways each never imagined. Romantically delightful, Enchanted April boldly asserts the rejuvenating power of friendship and love.
Ragtime
Book by Terrence McNally
Lyrics by Lynn Aherns
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow
June 4 to 29, 2008
Talk a stirring walk through American history! Through rousing song and dance, witness a parade of Americans – black, white, and Jewish – whose singular strands of humanity together weave an amazing American tapestry. Ragtime relates the interconnected stories of these three American groups against the backdrop of the early 1900s. This epic musical dissects the American Dream by interweaving the lives and stories of its compelling fictional characters with the travails of such real-life luminaries as anarchist Emma Goldman, African-American educator/leader Booker T. Washington, carmaker Henry Ford, magician Harry Houdini and vaudeville star Evelyn Nesbit. Winner of the 1998 Tony Award for Best Original Musical Score!
The Frog Prince
Book adapted from the tale by the Brothers Grimm by Donald J. Leonard, Jr.
Music and lyrics by David Reiser
July 28 to August 12, 2007
This musical adaptation of the well loved story of a prince, a princess and an evil witch -- with a delightul twist. Three singing frogs, a hungry pet snake, a solemn king and a silly court jester add song, dance and comedy to the story, making this enjoyable for everyone!
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics by Tim Rice
November 23 to December 15, 2007
Weathervane's holiday-season tradition returns for an eighth outing! The biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors is set to toe-tappin' tunes fit for the whole family!
The Importance of Being Earnest
A comedy by Oscar Wilde
March 27 to April 6, 2008
A wealthy Londoner pretends to have a friend in the country in order to avoid an unwelcome social obligation. In this delicious comedy of manners, Oscar Wilde wields his famously savage wit to poke fun at the Victorian social mores and stereotypes of his contemporaries. Even 112 years later, audiences still laugh with recognition at this expertly farcical examination of marriage, money, social class, status and image. Presented by Weathervane’s ensemble of teen actors.
| The John L. Dietz Theater |
Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me
A drama by Frank McGuiness
November 1 to 17, 2007
In a basement in Beirut, Lebanon, three men – an Irish journalist, an English academic and an American doctor – are kidnapped and held hostage by Arabs in Lebanon. As they fight for their survival, the men also engage in a battle of wits to overcome their nationalistic resentments and personal differences. The men find that communication creates strength and even a sort of solidarity under the daily challenges of fear and boredom. Survival and sanity both prove elusive in this thought-provoking drama. Nominated for the 1993 Tony Award for Best Play.
THIS PLAY CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES.
And the Winner Is
A comedy by Mitch Albom
May 14 to 31, 2008
From the author of Tuesdays with Morrie, Weathervane presents the regional premiere of this new comedy, which pierces the pomposity of Hollywood’s inflated sense of self. Set during the hype-filled Oscar season, you’ll laugh with recognition at this satiric send-up of Hollywood. Tyler Johnes, a self-absorbed movie star, finds himself in an unfamiliar bar. How did he get there? Who knows? All HE knows is he must get back to Hollywood in time for the Oscar ceremony, where he’s nominated for the Best Supporting Actor award. But Tyler finds that his date with destiny is packed with unexpected surprises in this quirky and slightly wicked comedy.
THIS PLAY CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES.
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