MINNEAPOLIS: Theater Latté Da has announced its 20th anniversary season, which will feature five musicals, including a Sondheim production, a local holiday favorite, and a world premiere. This season marks the first in the company’s new Ritz Theater.
“I am truly grateful for the generosity and support of this community,” said founding artistic director, Peter Rothstein in a statement. “With our 20th anniversary season, we continue to stretch the boundaries of musical theatre, telling stories that resonate with our contemporary world.”
The season kicks off with Man of La Mancha (Sept. 13–Oct. 22), by Dale Wasserman with lyrics by Joe Darion and music by Mitch Leigh. Inspired by Cervantes’s Don Quixote, this musical drama follows the famed author through trials and mishaps during the Spanish Inquisition and will be re-imagined in a contemporary setting.
Next up will be A Christmas Carole Petersen (Nov. 29–Dec. 30), by Tod Petersen and Peter Rothstein. Back for its 11th consecutive year, this show follows Carole Petersen, the author’s mother, and her obsessive love for all things Christmas.
Ringing in the new year will be Assassins (Feb. 7–March 18, 2018), with book by John Weidman with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. This musical explores the psychology of four assassins, and one would-be assassin, of U.S. presidents, and the extremes people will go to for power.
Following will be the world premiere of Five Points: An American Musical (April 4–May 6, 2018), by Harrison David Rivers with music by Ethan D. Pakchar and Douglas Lyons, and lyrics by Lyons. Set in New York City during the Civil War, this musical follows two men, a young black performer and an Irish immigrant, and their struggles in pursuit of the American dream.
Wrapping up the season will be Underneath the Lintel (May 30–July 1, 2018), by Glen Berger with original music by Frank London. A Dutch librarian sets out to find who’s responsible for returning a travel guide that’s 113 years overdue, with only some writing in the margins and a dry-cleaning ticket as clues.
The annual NEXT Festival will also run during summer 2018, showcasing three new musical works.
Theater Latté Da is committed to the expansion of musical theatre and sharing it with the community.
