Children’s show, adult musical, teen show, one-man show and comedy drama slated for coming season
Published in the June 10-23, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Staff Report
Photo courtesy Elizabeth Mandel
Young people perform a dance during the South Valley Civic Theatre’s production of “Seussical Jr.” earlier this year. The SVCT’s new season begins in October with “Disney’s Mulan Jr.”
A wide variety of shows for every age will be performed at the Morgan Hill Playhouse as the South Valley Civic Theatre group announces its upcoming 2015-2016 season of plays and musicals.
“South Valley Civic Theatre is excited about the variety of shows for our upcoming season,” said Greg Colbert, the group’s president of the board. “Our season begins with our children’s show, ‘Disney’s Mulan Jr.’ in October, followed by an adult musical, ‘Next to Normal’ in November. In January we will feature a one-man show, ‘Tru,’ based on the life and stories of Truman Capote. In February, our teen show is a musical-review biography, ‘Leader of the Pack.’ In April is our comedy/drama, ‘God of Carnage,’ followed in June by our family musical, ‘Mary Poppins.’”
In “Mulan Jr” based on the Disney animated movie, a young Chinese girl takes up arms and disguises as a boy in order to spare her father from having to serve in the army. The Huns have invaded, and it is up to the misfit Mulan and her mischievous sidekick dragon Mushu to save the emperor. The play is a heartwarming celebration of culture, honor, and the fighting spirit.
“Next to Normal” is a rock musical about a mother who struggles with worsening bipolar disorder. The musical also addresses issues such as loss, suicide, drug abuse, ethics in modern psychiatry, and the challenges of suburban life. It won several awards during its Broadway run in 2008 including the Outer Critics’ Circle Award for Outstanding Score as well as 2009 Tony Awards nominations, winning three. It received the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Adapted from the Truman Capote’s infamous and unfinished book Answered Prayers, “Tru” is set in the literary star’s New York City apartment the week before Christmas 1975.
The one-man show follows Capote as he muses about his checkered life and career, soothing himself with pills, vodka, cocaine and chocolate truffles.
“God of Carnage” is a play by Yasmina Reza about two sets of parents, one of whose child has hurt the other at a public park, who meet to discuss the matter in a civilized manner. However, as the evening goes on, the parents become increasingly childish, resulting in the evening devolving into chaos. The play was a success in its original French language, and has been equally acclaimed in English-translated productions in both London and New York.
“Leader of the Pack” is based on an original concept by Melanie Mintzwith as a jukebox musical that celebrates the life and times of the Brooklyn-born Ellie Greenwich, whose doo-wop sounds skyrocketed to the top of the pop charts in the early to mid-1960s. The story of Greenwich’s rise to fame and fortune is punctuated by hit songs including “Chapel of Love,” “Da Doo Ron Ron” and “Leader of the Pack.”
“Mary Poppins” is a musical with music and lyrics by the Oscar-winning Sherman Brothers (with additional music and lyrics by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe) and a script by Julian Fellowes.
The musical is based on the similarly titled series of children’s books by P. L. Travers and the 1964 Disney film, and is a fusion of various elements from the two. Some elements from the books that had been omitted from the film were restored, such as the walking statue and the ladders rising to the stars. The original West End production opened in December 2004 and received two Olivier Awards.
A Broadway production received seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, winning for Best Scenic Design.
