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Utah Travel Headlines

Thursday, September 13, 2012

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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