It’s that time of year again: Salt Lake’s premier regional theater has announced its next seven-show season. The Pioneer Theatre Company strives to present the greatest theatre has to offer, and serve as a platform for new and exciting projects and premiers. This season continues that legacy.
Kicking off the season will be “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime,” based on the best-selling novel by Mark Haddon. Adapted for the stage by playwright Simon Stephens, this play was the winner of the 2015 Tony Award for Best Play, scooping up four other Tonys in its wake. A Sherlock-esque mystery with a surprisingly humanistic twist, this show should be a great way to begin the season.
Other highlights include favorites such as “Mama Mia!” and “Newsies,” each with their own respective fan base. PTC will also host the regional premier of “Bright Star,” the Tony-nominated mega-hit with music by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. The world premier of Jeff Talbot’s “‘i'” holds a place on the bill, which audiences may remember from its staged reading in this past year’s Play-by-Play series. “A Comedy of Tenors” — the sequel to classic comedy “Lend Me a Tenor” by Ken Ludwig — will also grace the stage along with Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night.”
Karen Azenberg, artistic director of Pioneer Theatre Company, carefully selects each season by balancing classics with innovative theatre. She also strives to include at least one regional, if not world, premiere. When asked which production she was most looking forward to, she said, “That’s like picking a favorite child, you can’t!” She is excited for the upcoming season, and the chance to be a part of the tour of “Bright Star.”
“I want to continue producing the highest quality theatre that we can,” Azenberg explained, “while also expanding the kind of work we are able to produce … to be working with both the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles and the Broadway producers on [“Bright Star”] is a great opportunity for us and a testament to the reputation that PTC has across the country.”
Visit www.pioneertheatre.org for information regarding dates, ticket prices and season subscriptions.
