Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony Award-winning musical, “In the Heights,” kicks off the historic theater’s 89th Season
Westport Country Playhouse announces its upcoming 2019 season, featuring five productions, playing April 23 through November 23, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos. The Connecticut professional theater’s lineup includes two musicals, two dramas, and a comedy. 2019 season tickets are now on sale. Single tickets for 2019 productions will go on sale in March.
“I am happy to announce our first show of the season will be ‘Hamilton’ creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘In the Heights,’ winner of four Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Score,” said Lamos. “With an infectious score featuring a blend of hip-hop, salsa, merengue, and soul, ‘In the Heights’ invites audiences to celebrate life and love in a uniquely American story.
“The 2019 Season also includes plays by two of the most gifted playwrights working today, Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage’s ‘Mlima’s Tale,’ and McArthur Genius Award winner Dominique Morisseau’s ‘Skeleton Crew’; a virtuosic tour of the catalog of ‘America’s Composer’ Irving Berlin; as well as a brilliantly funny comic take on the classic tale of ‘Don Juan,’” added Lamos.
“In the Heights,” with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, directed and choreographed by Marcos Santana, will run April 23 through May 11. The musical was conceived by Miranda, with book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. Before the smash hit “Hamilton,” Miranda wowed audiences with “In the Heights,” a love letter to New York City's famed Washington Heights, a vibrant Spanish-speaking community on the brink of change. Three generations of inhabitants look to the future full of hope, dreaming of new opportunities, and struggling with the pressures of expectation and tradition.
“Skeleton Crew,” written by Dominique Morrisseau, will be staged June 4 through June 22. Rumor has it that Detroit’s last export auto plant will soon close. Four factory workers navigate opposing agendas and shifting power dynamics in their attempt to survive. Who is looking out for themselves, and who is working for the good of the team? “Skeleton Crew” is the gripping and final play in Motor City native Morrisseau's prizewinning Detroit trilogy.
“Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin,” with lyrics and music by Irving Berlin, book by Hershey Felder, and directed by Trevor Hay, will run July 16 through August 3. From Czarist Russia to New York’s Lower East Side, Irving Berlin’s uplifting immigrant story epitomizes the American Dream, and his songs capture Berlin’s own moving, patriotic vision of this country. Featuring the composer’s most popular and enduring work, including “Blue Skies,” “God Bless America,” “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” “White Christmas,” and more, Felder’s signature creation of character and musical performance makes for an unforgettable journey.
“Mlima’s Tale,” written by Lynn Nottage and directed by Mark Lamos, is scheduled October 1 through October 19. Mlima is a magnificent and beloved Kenyan elephant, killed by poachers for his coveted tusks. As traffickers of Mlima’s bounty maneuver the illicit ivory market, the animal’s invincible spirit follows their path of desire, greed, crime, and corruption in this powerfully theatrical fable.
All play titles, artists, and dates are subject to change.
The performance schedule is Tuesday at 7 p.m., Wednesday at 2 and 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 3 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. Special series feature Taste of Tuesday; LGBT Night OUT; Opening Night; Sunday Symposium; Together at the Table Family Dinner; Sitter Sunday, sponsored by the Westport/Weston YMCA; Open Captions; Backstage Pass; Playhouse Happy Hour; and Thursday TalkBack.
5-Play and Pick 4 season tickets are now available, including online purchasing capability 24/7. All season ticket holders receive a host of benefits not afforded to single ticket buyers, including up to 35% off single ticket prices, priority seating, free and easy ticket exchanges, and discounts at selected Westport restaurants. In addition, they will be invited to a season preview event in the spring with Lamos and other artists. 2019 Flex Passes are also currently on sale for those seeking to see any combination of shows on varying days and times.
For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.westportplayhouse.org, or call the box office at (203) 227-4177, toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit Westport Country Playhouse, 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Stay connected to the Playhouse on Facebook (Westport Country Playhouse), follow on Twitter (@WCPlayhouse), and on YouTube (WestportPlayhouse).
ABOUT WESTPORT COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE
The mission of Westport Country Playhouse is to enrich, enlighten, and engage the community through the power of professionally produced theater worth talking about and the welcoming experience of the Playhouse campus. The not-for-profit Playhouse provides this experience in multiple ways by offering live theater experiences of the highest quality, under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos; educational and community engagement events to further explore the work on stage; the New Works Circle Initiative, a program dedicated to the discovery, development, and production of new live theatrical works; special performances and programs for students and teachers with extensive curriculum support material; Script in Hand play readings to deepen relationships with audiences and artists; the renowned Woodward Internship Program during the summer months for aspiring theater professionals; Family Festivities presentations to delight young and old alike and to promote reading through live theater; youth performance training through Broadway Method Academy, WCP’s resident conservatory program; and the beautiful and historic Playhouse campus open for enjoyment and community events year-round.