Erie Playhouse

2010-2011 Season

Broadway is 432 miles away. The great performances are right here!

Erie Playhouse 2010-2011 proposed Season

Hairspray (MS) Sept. 9-12, 15-19, 23-26, 30-Oct. 3, 2010: It's 1962 - the 50's are out and Baltimore is ready for a change. Trendsetting teen Tracy Turnblad has big hair, a big heart and an even bigger dream - to dance on "The Corny Collins Show." When her once-in-a-lifetime opportunity arrives, she grooves her way from outsider to instant teen celebrity with the help of a cast of crazy characters. Find out if a toetapping beat and a whole lot of hairspray is enough to make a dream come true.

Cinderella (YT) Oct 15-17, 22-24, 2010: This Rodgers and Hammerstein classic bursts onto the stage in a brand new adaptation of this classic musical. The fairy tale about the young girl who finds true love with the help of her Fairy Godmother is given a fresh new life, transporting a new generation to the miraculous kingdom of dreams-come-true. Based on the 1997 television adaptation starting Brandy, this show is filled with great warmth and more than a touch of hilarity. The hearts of children and adults alike still soar when the slipper fits.

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change (SE) Oct. 8-10, 14-17, 2010: This celebration of the mating game takes on the truths and myths behind that contemporary conundrum known as “the relationship.” Act I explores the journey from dating and waiting, to love and marriage, while Act II reveals the agonies and triumphs of in-laws and newborns, trips in the family car and pick-up techniques of the geriatric set. This hilarious revue pays tribute to those who have loved and lost; to those who have fallen on their face at the portal of romance; to those how have dared to ask, “Say, what are you doing Saturday night?” All performances will be held at the Community Room of the First Niagara Bank, 8th & State Sts..

Jewtopia (MS) Nov. 5, 6, 11-14, 17-21, 2010: Get ready for 2 hours of non-stop laughter! Jewtopia tells the story of two 30-year-old single men - Chris, a gentile, wants to marry a Jewish girl so he’ll never have to make another decision. Adam, a Jew, wants to marry a Jewish girl to please his family, but can’t get a date to save his life. After meeting at a Jewish singles mixer, Adam and Chris form a secret pact. Chris promises that he will help Adam find the Jewish girl of his dreams and show him Jewtopia, but only if Adam will help Chris shed his gentile-ness and bring him undercover into the Jewish world. Stereotypes collide, cultures clash and chaos ensues!

A Christmas Carol (MS) Dec. 2-5, 8-12,16-19, 2010: Charles Dickens' classic gets the full Broadway treatment in Alan Menken’s-Lynn Ahrens’-Mike Okrent's adaptation of A Christmas Carol. This is the version that leaves New Yorkers and tourists alike gasping in wonder and merriment every year as the story unfolds on the stage at Madison Square Garden. Alan Menken ( Beauty and the Beast, Little Mermaid) and Lynn Ahrens ( Ragtime: The Musical, Once on this Island) have collaborated on a score that is filled with beautiful melodies and emotional lyrics. Their song "A Place Called Home" has become a holiday standard.

The Greatest Hits of the Great White Way New Year's Eve Gala (SE) Dec. 31, 2010: Broadway has thrilled audiences for decades with soaring melodies, gritty soul music, head-banging rock, toe-tapping scores, legendary stars and the biggest musical hits. The Erie Playhouse invites you to join us and be captivated by the music of Broadway in our traditional New Year’s Eve celebration.

Frosty (YT) Jan. 14-16, 21-23, 2011: This winter make friends with the warmest snowman we know. In this original story, school bullies steal Frosty’s magic hat. Third graders Samantha and James must find the right magic hat that makes their snowman the one we all know and love. Watch them run here and there all around the square...you get the idea! We are sure you’ll be warmed up immediately by this original musical written by Emerald City’s hit team Alyn Cardarelli and Grammy-nominated Steve Goers.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (MS) Feb. 3-6, 9-13, 16-20, 2011: 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. 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.

Doubt (MS) March 4, 5, 10-13, 16-20, 2011: All the elements come invigoratingly together like clockwork in John Patrick Shanley's provocative play, Doubt, a gripping story of suspicion cast on a priest's behavior that is less about scandal than about fascinatingly nuanced questions of moral certainty. Set at a Catholic school in the Bronx, it centers on a nun who grows suspicious when a priest begins taking too much interest in the life of a young black student. Is she being overly protective or not protective enough? And can she work within the system to discover the truth? Winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and The Tony award for Best Play.

Dreamgirls (MS) April 1, 2, 7-10, 13-17, 2011: When Dreamgirls first opened on Broadway in 1981, it racked up the awards and garnered the acclaim that made it the classic favorite we know and love today. Full of onstage joy and backstage drama, Dreamgirls tells the story of an up-and-coming, 1960s girl-singing group and the triumphs and tribulations that come with fame and fortune. Winner of 6 Tony Awards.

The Secret Garden (YT) May 13-15, 20-22, 2011: This enchanting classic of children's literature is now a brilliant musical. Orphaned in India, an 11-year-old girl returns to Yorkshire to live with an embittered, reclusive uncle and his invalid son. The estate includes a magic locked garden. Flashbacks, dream sequences, a strolling chorus of ghosts, and some of the most beautiful music ever written for Broadway dramatize The Secret Garden's compelling tale of regeneration. This 3 Tony Award winner is a treasure for children and adults.

Gypsy (MS) June 10, 11, 16-19, 22-26, 2011: Based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist, Gypsy focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business mother." In particular, it follows the dreams and efforts of Rose to raise two daughters to perform onstage and casts an affectionate eye on the hardships of show business life. The musical contains many songs that became popular standards, including "Small World,” “Everything’s Coming Up Roses," "You'll Never Get Away from Me," and "Let Me Entertain You."
Gypsy has been referred to as the greatest American musical by numerous critics and writers. Winner of 6 Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.

A Night of Glee (SE) June 20 & 21, 2011:The Erie Playhouse Youtheatre kids present a selection of songs from the hit TV show “Glee,” along with some Broadway favorites featuring songs sung by kids in Broadway shows. Come see the future “stars” of the Playhouse stage in this musical celebration you won’t soon forget.

Ultrasonic Rock Orchestra (SE) June 28-July 2, 2011: The URO performs the rarely performed crown jewels of classic rock - iconic songs by Queen, The Who, Led Zeppelin, David Bowie, and The Beatles. 14 incredible singers and an amazing 5 piece band deliver stunning renditions of “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Black Dog,” “I Am The Walrus,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” and more - with a repertoire of over sixty songs, no two shows are ever the same, making each URO performance a truly unique and genuine rock and roll experience.
“Glam-bam-thank-you-ma’am rocktastic-thunder!” – Boston Metro
“An insanely killer band!” – Boston Globe
“They will - they will - rock you!” – Boston Herald

Southern Hospitality (MS) July 8, 9, 14-17, 20-24, 2011: The Futrelle Sisters are back in this hilarious sequel to Christmas Belles. This time, the problem is bigger than ever: Their beloved hometown, Fayro, Texas, is in danger of disappearing, and it's up to the sisters to save it from extinction. Added to this is the dilemma of Twink being so desperate to get married that she's practically dragging the unwilling groom, Deputy John Curtis Buntner, to the altar. But this pales next to the financial problems the preacher and his wife are having—unless you don't consider gambling away your mobile home a problem. Frankie, however, seems to have it worst of all, what with her husband, Dub, going through a major midlife crisis at the same time her five-year-old twins are literally tearing up the town. And unfortunately for all of them, the "meanest woman in twelve counties," Dub's wicked, old Aunt Iney, is on her way for a visit.. But how the Futrelle sisters and the other citizens of Fayro, including sweet, simple Raynerd Chisum, pull together and save their town is a testament to Southern strength and ingenuity—and a recipe for total hilarity.

Fame (MS) Aug. 5, 6, 11-14, 17-21, 2011: It is nothing short of a global phenomenon. First came the hit motion picture, then the long-running television series. Now the screen sensation of the 1980's is the stage sensation of the 1990's and beyond! And if the recent smash-hit West End production is any indication, Fame: The Musical is indeed "gonna live forever." Set during the last years of New York City's celebrated High School for the Performing Arts on 46th Street (1980-1984), Fame: The Musical is a bittersweet but ultimately inspiring story of a diverse group of students as they commit to four years of grueling artistic and academic work.

MS - Mainstage
YT - Youtheatre
SE - Special Event