FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 29, 2019) — The Fine Arts Center Theatre Company is pleased to announce the blockbuster line-up for the 2019-2020 theatre season. The FAC will produce regional premieres of award-winning theatre including In the Heights and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – kicking off in September, 2019. “I’m thrilled to announce these stellar titles,” said Producing Artistic Director, Scott RC Levy, “which form a full season in which we will explore the true meaning of home.”
2019-2020 Mainstage Theatre Season
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Sept. 26-Oct. 20, 2019
- The Sound of Music Dec. 12, 2019-Jan. 12, 2020
- The Bridges of Madison County Feb. 13-March 1, 2020
- Silent Sky April 2-19, 2020
- In the Heights May 28-June 21, 2020
2019-2020 Family & Studio Series Theatre Season
- Busytown: The Musical Sept. 14-Oct. 13, 2019
- Tiny Beautiful Things Nov. 8-Dec. 1, 2019
- The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane March 6-April 5, 2020
- Lonely Planet June 26-July 19, 2020
2019-2020 Special Added Attractions
- Carrie the Musical: A Staged Concert Oct. 25-27, 2019
- Men on Boats April 24-May 3, 2020
MAINSTAGE
All mainstage productions are performed in the FAC’s beautifully restored 400-seat theatre. Season subscriptions start at $66 and are on sale now. Single tickets start at $20 and will be available for purchase starting July 25, 2019. Additionally, tickets for select Wednesday evening performances are only $20 and available for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, The Bridges of Madison County, Silent Sky, and In the Heights (subscription options do not apply). For more information call (719) 634-5583, or visit fAC.coloradocollege.edu.
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Sept. 26-Oct. 20, 2019
Based on the novel by Mark Haddon
Adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens
Regional Premiere
Winner of the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play! Fifteen-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain. He is exceptional at mathematics but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. He has never ventured alone beyond the end of his road, he detests being touched, and he distrusts strangers. It’s seven minutes after midnight and Christopher stands beside his neighbor’s dead dog, Wellington, who has been speared with a garden fork. Finding himself under suspicion, Christopher is determined to solve the mystery of who murdered Wellington, and he carefully records each fact of the crime. His detective work, forbidden by his father, takes him on a thrilling journey that upturns his world.
The Sound of Music Dec. 12, 2019-Jan. 12, 2020
Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp
Sixtieth Anniversary Production! The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein was destined to become the world’s most beloved musical. When a postulant proves too high-spirited for the religious life, she’s dispatched to serve as governess for the seven children of a widowed naval Captain. Her growing rapport with the youngsters, coupled with her generosity of spirit, gradually captures the heart of the stern Captain, and they marry. Upon returning from their honeymoon, they discover that the Nazis have invaded Austria, and they demand the Captain’s immediate service in their navy. The family’s narrow escape over the mountains to Switzerland on the eve of World War II provides one of the most thrilling and inspirational finales ever presented in the theatre. The motion picture version remains the most popular movie musical of all time.
The Bridges of Madison County Feb. 13-March 1, 2020
Based on the novel by Robert James Waller
Book by Marsha Norman
Music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown
Regional Premiere
Winner of the 2014 Tony Award for Best Score and Orchestrations! Francesca Johnson, a beautiful Italian woman who married an American soldier to flee war-ravaged Italy, looks forward to a rare four days alone on her Iowa farm when her family heads to the 1965 State Fair. When ruggedly handsome, National Geographic photographer, Robert Kincaid, pulls into her driveway seeking directions, though, what happens in those four days may very well alter the course of Francesca’s life.
Silent Sky April 2-19, 2020
By Lauren Gunderson
Regional Premiere
When Henrietta Leavitt begins work at the Harvard Observatory in the early 1900s, she isn’t allowed to touch a telescope or express an original idea. Instead, she joins a group of women “computers,” charting the stars for a renowned astronomer who calculates projects in “girl hours” and has no time for the women’s probing theories. As Henrietta, in her free time, attempts to measure the light and distance of stars, she must also take measure of her life on Earth, trying to balance her dedication to science with family obligations and the possibility of love. The true story of 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt explores a woman’s place in society during a time of immense scientific discoveries, when women’s ideas were dismissed until men claimed credit for them. Social progress, like scientific progress, can be hard to see when one is trapped among earthly complications. Henrietta Leavitt and her female peers believe in both, and their dedication changed the way we understand both the heavens and Earth.
In the Heights May 28-June 21, 2020
Book by Quiara Alegria Hudes
Music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Regional Premiere
Winner of the 2008 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations! From the creator and star of Hamilton comes Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first Tony Award-winning musical, a love-letter to the community in upper Manhattan where he still lives. In the Heights is a Hip Hop musical with a Salsa beat that tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Heights neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams, and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions you take with you, and which ones you leave behind.
FAMILY & STUDIO SERIES
All Family & Studio Series productions are performed in the FAC’s gorgeously intimate 108-seat Music Room. Tickets for each performance are $20 for non-members, $18 for FAC members, and $10 for kids 12 and under (family theatre shows only).
Busytown: The Musical – FAMILY SERIES Sept. 14-Oct. 13, 2019
Based on the book by Richard Scarry
Adapted for the stage by Kevin Kling
Music by Michael Koerner
Regional Premiere
Busytown is always buzzing with activity, but what do people do all day? That’s where Huckle Cat comes in – he’ll take us on a tour of his great neighborhood, and there is so much to see and do, and so many wonderful friends to visit. Huckle shows us how Farmer Pig and Grocer Cat work together to bring food to the town. Construction Worker and his crew build new houses, and Firechief and the gang keep them safe. Isn’t it wonderful how everyone works together to keep Busytown busy?
Tiny Beautiful Things – STUDIO SERIES Nov. 8-Dec. 1, 2019
Based on the book the book by Cheryl Strayed
Adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos
Regional Premiere
Based on the best-selling book by Cheryl Strayed and adapted for the stage by Nia Vardalos, Tiny Beautiful Things personifies the questions and answers that “Sugar” was publishing online from 2010-2012. When the struggling writer was asked to take over the unpaid, anonymous position of advice columnist, Strayed used empathy and her personal experiences to help those seeking guidance for obstacles both large and small. Tiny Beautiful Things is a play about reaching when you’re stuck, healing when you’re broken, and finding the courage to take on the questions which have no answers.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane – FAMILY SERIES March 6-April 5, 2020
Based on the novel by Kate DiCamillo
Adapted for the stage by Dwayne Hartford
Regional Premiere
Edward Tulane is an expensive toy rabbit made of china. He is loved by a little girl named Abilene, but Edward doesn’t care. He is vain and self-centered. He has no interest in anyone other than himself. On an ocean voyage, Edward is accidently thrown overboard and sinks to the bottom of the sea. So begins his journey – a journey over which he has no control, for he is a toy rabbit. He can neither move nor speak. As years pass by, Edward meets many different people in many different situations: an older grieving couple who find comfort in Edward’s presence, a hobo and his dog who introduce Edward to a whole community of homeless wanderers, a farmer in need of a scarecrow, a sad little boy and his very ill sister, and finally a doll mender and an old doll who teach Edward an invaluable lesson. Through this miraculous journey, Edward learns what it is to love, what it is to lose that love, and how to find the courage to love again. Based on Kate DiCamillo’s beautiful novel of the same name, the play is a theatrical tour de force for a small ensemble of actors and musicians.
Lonely Planet – STUDIO SERIES June 26-July 19, 2020
By Steven Dietz
Jody is in his 40s and runs a map store. Not one for the outside world, he stays in his store all the time. His friend Carl is in his late 30s and has been bringing chairs of dead friends into Jody’s store and leaving them there. When Jody needs to take an AIDS test, Carl tries to convince him it’s not only okay to leave the store, but also that he must take responsibility for his life. If he doesn’t, he will join the set of chairs that Carl has taken great pains to place in the right spots around the store. Through their interaction, the two realize how grateful they are to have such a strong, lasting friendship. Jody finally leaves the map store to take his HIV test and returns to find Carl sitting in a chair of his own. With this gesture, we know that Carl has joined the many of their friends who have died, but now Jody must take Carl’s place as the caretaker.
SPECIAL ADDED ATTRACTIONS AND SUBSCRIPTION OFFER
The FAC will offer a special 100th anniversary subscription level for all first-time subscribers for only $100! Subscription add-on options apply to the following performances.
Carrie the Musical: A Staged Concert Oct. 25-27, 2019
Based on the novel by Stephen King
Book by Lawrence D. Cohen
Music by Michael Gore
Lyrics by Dean Pitchford
Regional Premiere
Carrie White is a misfit. At school, she’s an outcast who’s bullied by the popular crowd, and virtually invisible to everyone else. At home, she’s at the mercy of her loving but cruelly over-protective mother. But Carrie’s just discovered she’s got a special power, and if pushed too far, she’s not afraid to use it…
Based on Stephen King’s bestselling novel, the musical of Carrie hasn’t been seen since its legendary 1988 Broadway production. Now, the show’s original authors have joined with director Stafford Arima (Altar Boyz) and MCC Theater for a newly reworked and fully re-imagined vision of this gripping tale. Set today, in the small town of Chamberlain, Maine, Carrie features a book by Lawrence D. Cohen (screenwriter of the classic film), music by Academy Award-winner Michael Gore (Fame, Terms of Endearment), and lyrics by Academy Award-winner Dean Pitchford (Fame, Footloose).
Men on Boats April 24-May 3, 2020
By Jaclyn Backhaus
Collaboration between FAC Theatre Company & Colorado College Academic Departments
Regional Premiere
Spinning historical, theatrical, and gender conventions on their heads, this subversive tale of 10 men, four boats, and two rivers contains none of the above. Pack your gear for this 21st-century telling of 19th-century American explorer and one-armed Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell, who assembles a brawny band of soldiers, trappers, and adventurers to explore the waterways of the American West. Inspired by Powell’s actual travel log from 1869, Jaclyn Backhaus’s nimble and ingenious script is provocative, laugh-out-loud theatre, performed by a diverse cast of women who infuse America’s historic myths of male conquest with a sly blast of subtext.
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