Utah Shakespeare Festival Extends Fall Season
The Tony Award winning Utah
Shakespeare Festival is having a record-breaking season, in part
because of the popularity of the musical Les Misérables.
To accommodate demand, the Festival is
expanding its fall schedule, which will now run through Oct 27. In
addition, the Festival has added new Monday evening performances of
Les Misérables on October 1, 8, and 15.
The Festival is located in Cedar
City.
Below is the news release provided by
the Festival.
Utah Shakespeare Festival Adds One
Week, Additional Performances to Fall Schedule of Les Misérables,
Hamlet and Stones in His Pockets
Cedar City, UT – Today the Utah
Shakespeare Festival announced that it is extending its current
season due to the overwhelming interest from Festival guests and fans
in the fall plays. Les Misérables, Hamlet and Stones in His Pockets
will run one additional week, through October 27. In addition, the
Festival has added new Monday evening performances of Les Misérables
on October 1, 8, and 15.
According to Marketing Director Kami
Terry Paul, this has been one of the most popular Festival seasons in
history with over thirty-five consecutive sold out performances of
Les Misérables this summer. “We are right on track to have a
record breaking year in ticket sales, and we haven’t even opened
Hamlet or Stones in His Pockets yet,” said Paul.
The popularity and success of Les
Misérables has attracted many first-time visitors who are eager to
experience the other shows and Festival offerings. This incredible
show boosted attendance at all six summer shows and has raised early
ticket sales to the three fall shows to record levels.
“We feel very strongly that our
audiences should have continued access to these three masterworks,”
said Artistic Director David Ivers. The shows are selling so well
that we felt it was necessary to create more inventory. We are
thrilled to provide this extra week for our general audience base and
for our local university population,” said Ivers.
During the extended week, the Festival
will still be offering production seminars, backstage tours,
Repertory Magic, childcare, concessions, and literary seminars.
Guests can still enjoy the whole Festival experience.
“I am deeply gratified that our work
is resonating so strongly with our guests,” said R. Scott Phillips,
Festival executive director. “The depth and performance in this
season is quite remarkable, and our company is very excited by the
response that audiences are having to these great plays.”
The three shows running September 7 to
October 27 are:
Les Misérables. Based on Victor Hugo’s
classic novel, Les Misérables is an epic and uplifting story about
the survival of the human spirit. It focuses on the struggles of
ex-convict Jean Valjean as he searches for meaning, love, and
redemption in nineteenth century France. The musical includes some of
theatre’s most memorable songs: “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My
Own,” “Bring Him Home,” and “Do You Hear the People Sing,”
among many others.
Hamlet. Perhaps the greatest play in
the English language, Hamlet comes to the indoor Randall Theatre this
year for a new look at William Shakespeare’s vision of murder,
betrayal, family, love, and loss. The Festival’s 2012 telling of
this classic tale will juxtapose Shakespeare’s beautiful and
powerful language against the backdrop of an aging medieval castle
being renovated by its modern residents (the upper echelon of the
kingdom dressed in haute couture clothing). Written at the height of
Shakespeare's career, this powerful examination of the human psyche
is his most mature, and chilling, revenge tragedy.
Stones in His Pocket, an audience
favorite at the Festival, will return with David Ivers and Brian
Vaughn once again playing a host of characters in this tragic, comic,
and ultimately surprising tale of two Everymen. At turns hilarious
and somber, touching and hugely entertaining, this play centers on
Jake and Charlie—and the numerous roles they play onstage and in
life. This two-man, fifteen character comedy/drama won raves in 2005
at the Festival and is back by popular demand. Next spring, the show
will move as a shared production to Chicago’s Northlight Theatre
where it will run from March 8 through April 14, 2013.
Les Misérables, Hamlet and Stones in
His Pockets will run until October 27. Additional Monday evening
performances of Les Misérables run on October 1, 8, and 15.
For more information or to buy tickets
call 1-800-PLAYTIX or check online at www.bard.org.
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