Season 32 line up for Arkansas Public Theatre announced

Editor’s note: The event featured in this article occurred in 2017, but you’ll find this and other great happenings for the current year on our Events page.

There’s a something for all ages in Season 32 of the Arkansas Public Theatre in Rogers. APT recently announced its upcoming show line-up at its annual Season Announcement Party at its historic home stage, The Victory Theatre, located downtown.

Season 32 features a mix of new, straight-from-Broadway productions and long standing classics.

All performances are held at the historic Victory Theater in downtown Rogers, 116 S. 2nd St., Rogers. Performance times are 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, with Sunday performances at 2 p.m. Doors and concessions open at 7:00 pm. Group discounts for 10 or more guests are available by contacting the Box Office.  Season and individual show tickets can be purchased online at www.arkansaspublictheatre.org or at the APT Box Office at 479-631-8988.

Here are the shows, dates, and descriptions, provided by APT:

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW* (Musical)

Performances:  Sept. 15-17, 21-24, 28-Oct. 1, 2017

The midnight movie your parents didn’t want you to see comes to glorious life on stage in this hilarious and campy musical which inspired the movie.  All your friends are here—Frank N. Furter, Brad, Janet, Magenta, Riff Raff, Columbia, Rocky, Eddie, Dr. Scott and the Criminologist.  Come do the TIME WARP again!

*Show recommended for audiences 13 and older for content and language.

EVERY DAY A VISITOR (Play)

Performances:  Nov. 3-5, 9-12, 2017

Fresh from its successful run in New York, and premiering in Arkansas by special permission of the author, Every Day a Visitor is set in a Jewish home for the aged in the Bronx. The residents are cranky, argumentative about their surroundings and each other. To change their perspective and respect for each other, they each play-act somebody famous—leading to renewed vitality, imaginative relationships and plain old-fashioned fun.

A CHRISTMAS STORY (Play)

Performances:  Dec. 8-10, 14-17, 2017

The movie your parents did let you watch follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. Ralphie pleads his case before his mother, his teacher and even Santa Claus himself, at Higbee’s Department Store. The consistent response: “You’ll shoot your eye out!” All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; Scut Farkas, the school bully; the boys’ experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin; Ralphie’s father winning a lamp shaped like a woman’s leg in a net stocking; Ralphie’s fantasy scenarios and more.

THE PRODUCERS (Musical)

Performances Feb. 9-11, 15-18, 22-25, 2018

Bialystock and Bloom! Those names should strike terror and hysteria in anyone familiar with Mel Brooks’ classic cult comedy film. Now as a big Broadway musical, The Producers once again sets the standard for modern, outrageous, in-your-face humor. It is a truly “boffo” hit, winning a record twelve Tony Awards and wowing capacity crowds night after night.

LIVING ON LOVE (Play)

Performances: March 30-31, April 5-8, 2018 (no performance Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018)

Having just closed on Broadway after a hilarious run starring Anna Chlumsky (TV’s Veep) and Jerry O’Connell (Stand by Me), this farce centers on a demanding opera diva who discovers her larger-than-life maestro husband has become enamored with the lovely young lady hired to ghostwrite his largely fictional autobiography. To get revenge, she hires a handsome young scribe of her own. Sparks fly, silverware is thrown, and romance blossoms in the most unexpected ways in this delightful romantic comedy.

ANN* (Play)

Performances: May 4-6, 10-13, 2018

Another fresh from Broadway smash, Ann is an intimate, no-holds-barred portrait of Ann Richards, the legendary late Governor of Texas. This inspiring and hilarious play brings us face to face with a complex, colorful, and captivating character bigger than the state from which she hailed. Written and originally performed by Emmy Award-winner Holland Taylor, Ann takes a revealing look at the impassioned woman who enriched the lives of her followers, friends, and family.  This production contains adult language and is not recommended for those under 17 years of age.

*Show recommended for audiences 13 and older for content and language.

AN ACT OF GOD (Play)

Performances:  June 8-10, 14-17, 2018

Still another fresh from Broadway hit, An Act of God starred Jim Parsons (TV’s Sheldon on Big Bang Theory) as God.  The One with the first and last word on everything has finally arrived to set the record straight. After many millennia, and in just 90 minutes, God (assisted by His devoted angels) answers some of the deepest questions that have plagued mankind since Creation.

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT (Musical)

Performances:  July 27-29, August 2-5, 9-12, 2018

The Biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in this delightful musical parable. Joseph, his father’s favorite son, is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams. When he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, Joseph endures a series of adventures in which his spirit and humanity are continually challenged. He is purchased by Potiphar where thwarting advances from Potiphar’s wife lands him in jail. When news of Joseph’s gift to interpret dreams reaches the Pharaoh (wryly and riotously depicted as Elvis), Joseph is well on his way to becoming second in command. Eventually his brothers, having suffered greatly, unknowingly find themselves groveling at the feet of the brother they betrayed but no longer recognize. After testing their integrity, Joseph reveals himself leading to a heartfelt reconciliation of the sons of Israel. Set to an engaging cornucopia of musical styles, from country-western and calypso to bubble-gum pop and rock ‘n’ roll, this Old Testament tale emerges both timely and timeless.

For more information, visit www.arkansaspublictheatre.org or contact the Box Office at 479.631.8988.