Coronado Playhouse Announces its 2019 Season: Adventure, Journey, Discovery

Coronado Playhouse is delighted to announce its 2019 Season of six fully-staged productions and two concert/cabaret shows. This year we welcome four debuting directors, proudly continuing the tradition of bringing you a diverse and entertaining season of great musicals and fabulous plays.

You’re in for a wild ride. Take a risk. Make that leap. Life is a Journey.

Our 2019 Season of fully-staged plays and concert performances has been selected to take you on adventure after adventure. When you walk through the doors into Coronado Playhouse we hope you’re ready to come along with us for the odyssey that lies ahead.

*Debuting director, musical director, choreographer
**Returning director, musical director, choreographer

Mainstage shows are:

Guys and Dolls……FRIDAY, JANUARY 18 – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24
Cabaret….FRIDAY, MARCH 22 – SUNDAY, APRIL 28
The Old Man and The Old Moon……FRIDAY, MAY 17– SUNDAY, JUNE 16
Dogfight….FRIDAY, JULY 26 – SUNDAY, AUGUST 25
The Winter’s Tale….FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13
Mamma Mia!……FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8 – SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15

Concert and Cabaret shows are:

Bare: a pop opera (in Concert)….FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MARCH 1&2 & SUNDAY, MARCH 3
Songs of the City (a world premiere)….SUNDAY, JUNE 23 at 7PM

FULLY-STAGED PRODUCTIONS, MainStage:

GUYS AND DOLLS: A Musical Fable of Broadway Musical Fable of Broadway

Based on a Story and Characters of DAMON RUNYON
Music and Lyrics by FRANK LOESSER
Book by JO SWERLING and ABE BURROWS

FRIDAY, JANUARY 18 – SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24

Director: Justin Allen Slagle*
Music Director: Larry Wilson*
Choreographer: TBC

A couple of deals before dawn…. That’s my time of day

“The show that defines Broadway dazzle.” —The New York Times

Guys and Dolls begins with a bet. Nathan Detroit bets high-rolling gambler Sky Masterson that Sky cannot persuade Save-A-Soul Missionary, Sister Sarah Brown, to accompany him on a trip to Cuba. While Sky works his charms on the wary Sister Sarah, Nathan is doing his best to stay outside the matrimonial clutches of his long-suffering fiancée, Miss Adelaide, and at the same time, is trying to set up the biggest crap game in town as the authorities breathe down his neck!

Set in New York City in the mid-20th century, Guys and Dolls is populated with gangsters and gamblers, missionary dolls and scantily clad showgirls, and one of the greatest musical scores in the history of American theatre. Larger-than-life characters-Nicely Nicely Johnson, Benny Southstreet, Harry The Horse, and Big Jule-join Nathan, Sky, Sarah and Adelaide to deliver hit song after hit song, including Luck be a Lady, Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat, If I Were a Bell, and Take Back Your Mink.

An award-winning actor and director, Justin Allen Slagle is pleased to be making his Coronado Playhouse debut. Select directing credits include: God of Carnage, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown, Little Woman and The Odd Couple. As an accomplished theatre educator, Justin is passionate about keeping the Golden Age classics alive for the next generation.

CABARET

Music by JOHN KANDER, Lyrics by FRED EBB, Book by JOE MASTEROFF
Based on the play by John Van Druten and Stories by Christopher Isherwood

FRIDAY, MARCH 22 – SUNDAY, APRIL 28

Director: Julia Cuppy*
Music Director: TBC
Associate Director/Choreographer: Jaese Lecuyer*

Right This Way. Your table’s waiting…

“Cabaret’s unsettling conclusion reminds us not to get distracted by the song and dance and forget about what’s behind the curtain.” – The Star

Welcome to the Kit Kat Club and Berlin in the 1930s. The Nazis are rising in power and life may be uncertain, but you are invited to leave your troubles outside and join the Emcee, singer Sally Bowles and a wonderful and colorful ensemble who will tantalize and entertain you.

When Cabaret was originally produced and directed by renowned director Hal Prince in 1966 conflict in America was the central theme found in politics and society at large. Despite the Civil Rights Bill being signed in 1964, race riots and shootings of African Americans were commonplace in our country. Hal Prince was very cognizant of these events and he wanted to use the musical theatre art form to create a cautionary tale set in pre-World War II Germany to illustrate to a 1960s audience how important it is to not repeat the errors of the past. It is undeniable that this tale is still relevant today.

Playing on these themes, Coronado Playhouse’s production will evaluate the psychology of how our well-intended goals can easily degrade because of fear and lack of empathy. Audience members will be active participants in this drama from the moment they step into the theatre.

Become a patron at Weimar’s 1931 Kit Kat Club and interact with the Kit Kat Girls and the fabulous Master of Ceremonies. The intimacy and immersive quality of the space will lend a hand in creating a unique theatre experience for the audience.

Written by Joe Masteroff, with music and lyrics by Broadway legends John Kander and Fred Ebb, Cabaret debuted on Broadway in 1966. The 1972 movie, directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey, won eight Academy Awards. Musical numbers in the show Wilkommen, Mein Herr, Perfectly Marvelous, Don’t Tell Mama, Maybe This Time and the haunting Tomorrow Belongs to Me.

Julia Cuppy makes her Coronado Playhouse directorial debut although is by no means a newcomer to San Diego’s theatre community. She currently serves as the Associate Director of Education and Outreach for La Jolla Playhouse, managing multiple city-wide programs, leading workshops with students of all ages and has acted in their POP Tour production of Home of the Brave. She also has taught Acting and Musical Theatre History at San Diego State University and internationally with students in Taiwan. Prior to living in San Diego, Julia was the Producing Artistic Director and teacher at multiple high schools and youth theatres in Oregon. Julia’s passion for directing stems from a cross-sectional interest with history and musical theatre. She believes that the power of theatre is multiplied with music and the evolution of the musical theatre art form is directly impacted by the events of the day. This focus influences her to actively be involved with the creation of new musicals or the re-envisioning of classic musicals. She was a recipient of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Directing Observership and has an MFA in Musical Theatre from San Diego State University and a MAT in Theatre Education from Southern Oregon University.

Please note there is no performance on Sunday, April 21, 2019 in observance of the Easter Holiday. There is an additional performance on Saturday, April 20 at 2pm

**THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES**

THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON

BOOK, MUSIC & LYRICS BY PIGPEN THEATRE CO.

FRIDAY, MAY 17– SUNDAY, JUNE 16

Director: Desha Crownover**

“How does the moon stay so bright?”

“This is a story of time and tides and quests, the sort of fable on which mythologies and religions are founded … [PigPen] asks us to appreciate the finer arts of wild storytelling, while speaking to the childish mind in all of us.” – The New York Times

The Old Man has kept his post as the sole caretaker of the moon for as long as he (or his wife, the Old Woman) can remember. Each night, Old Man must fill up the moon with liquid light. He and his wife have been doing this same routine for so long, they’ve forgotten who they are and why they started filling up the moon in the first place. When his wife is drawn away by a mysterious melody sparking memories of their shared past, Old Man must decide between duty (and routine) and love (and adventure). Luckily for audiences everywhere, he chooses the latter, and what follows is an imaginative sea-faring epic, encompassing apocalyptic storms, civil wars, leviathans of the deep, and cantankerous ghosts, as well as the fiercest obstacle of all: change.

Created and performed by PigPen Theatre Co., and heavily flavored with folk music and shadow puppetry, The Old Man and the Old Moon will be directed by Playhouse favorite Desha Crownover (Seussical, The 39 Steps and Macbeth). Renowned for her mastery in creative storytelling and her expertise with theatre for young audiences (as Artistic Director for San Diego Junior Theatre), Ms. Crownover is the perfect choice to bring this award-winning theatrical tale to the CPH stage.

Coronado Playhouse is committed to presenting the highest quality shows to and for young people and family audiences. Engaging children in theatre and in the arts fires the imagination and helps gives them the skills and the creativity necessary to face the world, to understand it and perhaps to change it too.

DOGFIGHT

Music & Lyrics by BENJ PASEK and JUSTIN PAUL, Book by PETER DUCHAN
Based on the Warner Bros. film and screenplay by Bob Comfort

FRIDAY, JULY 26 – SUNDAY, AUGUST 25

Director: Teri Brown*
Music Director: Martín Martiarena**
Choreographer: Patrick Mayuyu**

People can surprise you…

“Easily the most delicate, surprising and musically satisfying score since Spring Awakening.” – Time Out New York

November 21, 1963: On the eve of their deployment to a small but growing conflict in Southeast Asia, three young Marines set out for one final boys’ night of debauchery, partying and maybe a little trouble. The men must compete in the “proud” Marine tradition of the “dogfight”, a high-stakes contest to see who can pick up the ugliest date. But when Corporal Eddie Birdlace meets Rose, an awkward and idealistic waitress he enlists to win a cruel bet with his fellow recruits, she rewrites the rules of the game and teaches him the power of compassion.

Dogfight, a romantic and comic musical adaptation of the 1991 movie with River Phoenix and Lili Taylor, wowed audiences when it premiered at New York’s Second Stage in 2012. Winner of the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical in 2013, it offers audiences an unexpectedly tender and genuine love affair supported by an impressive and beautiful score. Since Dogfight, the inspiring writing team that is Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (called “heirs to Rodgers and Hammerstein” by Variety) have gone on to achieve great acclaim with more stage musicals, TV and film scores, most notably the Tony Award-winning Dear Evan Hansen, Smash, and the Oscar-winning La La Land and The Greatest Showman.

The Playhouse is thrilled to welcome Teri Brown back to CPH, this time making her directorial debut, having appeared on stage in Vanya, Sonia, Masha and Spike in 2015. She is probably best known to San Diego audiences in her capacity as Artistic Director of OnStage Playhouse in Chula Vista, where she has directed countless productions and championed new and innovative programming. Her team includes Martín Martiarena as Musical Director and Patrick Mayuyu as Choreographer.

**23rd ANNUAL FREE CLASSIC**

WINTER’S TALE

By WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 20 – SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13

Director: Samuel Young*

What a fool honesty is…

The Winter’s Tale tells the story of a delusional and paranoid king who tears his family apart. Believing that his wife Hermione has betrayed him with King Polixenes, King Leontes orders her to be sent to prison, banishes his child and orders Polixenes to be poisoned. After sixteen years of being consumed by guilt, Leontes pays his debts and is reconciled with Hermione and his daughter in contrasting scenes that are full of laughter and merriment.

This tragicomedy is one of Shakespeare’s most powerful works, blending pastoral humor, bitterness, resentment and the most magical of endings, proving the power of forgiveness and redemption.

A familiar face to Coronado Playhouse audiences, having performed in Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing and King Charles III, Samuel Young returns to CPH, this time as the director. This production marks the first time Coronado Playhouse has ever staged The Winter’s Tale in the 23-year history of Annual Free Classic plays.

MAMMA MIA!

Music & Lyrics by BJÖRN ULVAEUS and BENNY ANDERSSON, Book by CATHERINE JOHNSON

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8 – SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15

Director & Choreographer: Jennie Gray Connard**
Music Director: Kirk Valles**

Thank You for the Music!

“A certified hit…. A giddy guilty pleasure.” – Variety

Donna lives on a Greek island where she runs a small hotel. Her daughter, Sophie, is preparing for her wedding, dreaming of her father walking her down the aisle. One problem: she doesn’t know who he is! Sneaking a peek into her mother’s old journals, Sophie discovers that her dad is one of three possible guys. She secretly invites all three to the wedding, convinced that she’ll know her father when she sees him. But when all three turn up, it may not be as clear as she’d thought!

Fall in love with the characters, the story and the music that make Mamma Mia! the ultimate feel-good show. This sunny, funny, sensational story, with a book by Catherine Johnson, is told through the magic of ABBA’s timeless music and explosive dance numbers. Music and lyrics are by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, the musical writing team and performers that brought us the hits you know and love, like “Dancing Queen,” “Thank You for the Music,” “Money, Money, Money,” “Take A Chance on Me,” and the title song “Mamma Mia!”

Jennie Gray Connard is back at the Playhouse to both direct and choreograph, teaming up with renowned Music Director Kirk Valles. This unstoppable pair have delivered countless shows together, both at O.B. Playhouse where Ms. Gray Connard serves as Artistic Director, and also here at CPH, where productions include A Little Night Music, Spamalot and Avenue Q.

CONCERTS & CABARETS:

BARE: in Concert

Book by JON HARTMERE and DAMON INTRABARTOLO
Music by DAMON INTRABARTOLO
Lyrics by JON HARTMERE

FRIDAY & SATURDAY, MARCH 1 & 2 at 7PM & SUNDAY MARCH 3 at 2pm

Director: Michael Mizerany**
Music Director: Tony Houck*

Everything’s an act when you’re pleasing everyone

“The show is breathlessly energetic…” – Talkin’ Broadway

Set to a pulsating rock score, bare: a pop opera is the electrifying story of a group of co-ed Catholic boarding school students navigating their way through teenage self-discovery while wrestling with identity, sexuality and religion.

Provocative and raw, bare centers on the clandestine relationship between two roommates in a well-locked dorm room: charismatic golden-boy Jason and sensitive, soulful Peter. The consequences of their secret unravel through their eyes and those around them: Nadia, Jason’s twin sister, the attention-hungry Ivy, and forlorn Matt, whose affections for Ivy are repeatedly rebuffed.

Award-winning director and choreographer Michael Mizerany makes a very welcome return to Coronado Playhouse after his great success with Altar Boyz. Tony Houck, making his Coronado Playhouse debut, joins Mr. Mizerany as Music Director for this concert production of bare.

This show contains strong language and adult situations.  Parental guidance is advised.

SONGS OF THE CITY

World Premier

SUNDAY, JUNE 23 at 7PM

Director: Pete Shaner**
Performed by: Victoria Mature**

“I’m no actor and I’ve got 64 pictures to prove it!”- Victor Mature

“I’m no actor and I’ve got 3 or 4 Aubreys to prove it!”- Victoria Mature

For One Night Only, we celebrate the extraordinary career of the legendary and much-loved and famously self-deprecating actor of stage and screen, Victor Mature!

Victor’s daughter, Victoria performs her brand-new, multi-media extravaganza: Songs of the City, sharing experiences and insight that only she can, and using her unique skills and talents to present an up-close-and-personal portrait of her father’s career. In Songs of the City, Victoria combines movie clips and rare, never-before-seen footage of Victor with songs and music featured in some of his more iconic films. Coronado Playhouse is proud to present the World Premier of Songs of the City.

An accomplished performer, Victoria is no stranger to Coronado Playhouse having appeared as Rosalind in As You Like It, Kate in The Taming of the Shrew, Elvira in Blithe Spirit, Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest and Stella in Follies. In addition to her acting career, Victoria is also an award-winning singer of opera, art-song and theatrical music. She has performed as a soloist with San Diego Symphony and Orchestra Nova locally, and for several seasons with the San Diego Opera. She also studied and performed in Italy where her voice was heard from mountain tops to concert halls. Victoria has recently begun introducing her father’s films at classic film festivals. She is delighted that the films of Victor Mature continue to appeal to new and appreciative audiences…

Called “a beautiful hunk of man” while starring on Broadway in Kurt Weill’s Lady in the Dark, Victor Mature enjoyed a remarkable Hollywood career (1939-1984), served in the Coast Guard during WWII, played a fine game of golf, and raised millions of dollars for charities throughout his lifetime. He worked in many styles and genres with such seminal directors as John Ford, Cecil B. DeMille, Robert Wise, Vittorio de Sica, and Michael Curtiz. Among his most famous films are I Wake Up Screaming, Kiss of Death, Cry of the City, My Darling Clementine, The Robe, and Samson and Delilah. In the 1950’s Mature was famously denied membership to one of L.A.’s premiere golf clubs because he was an actor… Victor’s response?  “I’m no actor and I’ve got 64 pictures of prove it!”

SUBSCRIPTION RENEWALS AVAILABLE
2019 Subscribers receive top priority booking in person, by mail or over the phone from August 6 (not online). Your seats on the day you want them, with great discounts and benefits! Include Cabarets and Concerts with a 50% discount at time of subscription renewal. Subscriptions start from as little as $56

NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS
Now is the time to lock in your new subscription for the 2019 Season, ensuring the best prices and the seats of your choice before tickets go on sale to the general public. Available in person, over the phone, by mail and also online at CoronadoPlayhouse.com/tickets. Include Cabarets and Concerts with a 50% discount at time of subscription purchase. Subscriptions start from as little as $56

SINGLE TICKETS AVAILABLE
All tickets available to everyone from this date at the individual ticket rates.
Single tickets range from $22-$28 depending on the day of your visit.
Discounts available for students, active military, seniors and groups on MainStage productions.

We are offering discounted rates for The Old Man In The Old Moon to welcome families and children.

• Children 12 and Under: 50% off full adult price for all EVENING performances
• Patrons purchasing a table of 4 or 5 tickets at the full adult rate to any one EVENING performance receive a 20% discount
• All Adult, Senior, Military and Students pay a flat rate of $22 for MATINEE performances. (Children 12 and under are $12.50)

All tickets are $20, general admission

TICKETS AVAILABLE EITHER ONLINE OR BY PHONE:
www.CoronadoPlayhouse.com | Box Office (619) 435-4856

CONTACTS:
For specific questions relating to the 2019 Season, please contact Vanessa Dinning.