AUSTIN: ZACH Theatre has announced its 2017-18 season, which will include regional premieres, musicals, and theatre for families.
“I’m thrilled that for our 85th anniversary season, ZACH will be producing three regional premieres—the delightful Singin’ in the Rain, the thoughtful relationship comedy Heisenberg, and a recent Best Play Tony Award winner to be announced soon,” said producing artistic director Dave Steakley in a statement.
The season starts with Singin’ in the Rain (Sept. 27–Oct. 29), with book by Betty Comden and Adolf Green, lyrics by Arthur Freed, and music by Nacio Herb Brown. Based on the classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film of the same name, the ZACH production will be directed by Abe Reybold, with choreography by Dominique Kelley and musical direction by Allen Robertson.
Returning for the holidays is Steakley’s musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol (Nov. 22-Dec. 31). The season will also include a second holiday show, A Tuna Christmas (Nov. 1-Dec. 31), a satire by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard about Yuletide season in itty bitty Tuna, the third smallest town in Texas.
Following those shows will be Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park With George (May 30-June 24, 2018), which will star Cecil Washington Jr. and include an onstage orchestra. Steakley will direct and Allen Robertson will provide musical direction.
Opening in summer on the Kleberg stage will be Simon Stephens’s Heisenberg (June 20-July 22, 2018). The play is about the intimate and often-comical sparring match that is human connection. Nat Miller will direct.
Finishing the season will be Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (July 11-Sept. 2) featuring an award-winning score by Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. Reybold will direct and Robertson will provide musical direction.
An additional work will be announced at a later date.
In addition, ZACH has announced its theatre for families series. The lineup includes The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Sept. 9-Feb. 4), Holiday Heroes (Dec. 2 and 9), and Goodnight Moon (March 2-May 27, 2018). The series will also include Las Adventuras de Enoughie: Un Cuento de Kindness (The Adventures of Enoughie: A Story of Kindness), a bilingual puppet production that will be presented in collaboration with ZACH Theatre, Teatro Vivo, Glass Half Full Theatre, and the Kindness Campaign.
ZACH serves more than 100,000 people annually with a mix of nationally recognized plays and musicals.
