UPCOMING EVENTS
God of Carnage
Staged Reading
September 12th -13th, 2020
Michelle Rathe – director
Winner of the 2009 Tony Award for Best Play, God of Carnage relates an evening in the lives of two couples, residents of a tony Brooklyn neighborhood, who meet to discuss a playground incident. Alan and Annette’s son hit Michael and Veronica’s son in the face with a stick, resulting in two broken teeth. The four of them agree to discuss the incident civilly, but, as the night wears on and drinks are imbibed, the polite veneer breaks down. The couples initially spar against each other, but the men gang up on the women and the spouses switch sides as the fighting continues. Reza’s play suggests that our civilized trappings do a poor job of hiding our venality and bile.
Driving Miss Daisy
Staged Reading
October 9th – 11th, 2020
John C. Luzaich – director
Pulitzer Prize-winning, Driving Miss Daisy, is set in Atlanta and spans twenty-five years, from 1948 to 1973. When Daisy Wertham, a stubborn, elderly Southern widow, crashes her new car into the neighbor’s garage, her son, Boolie, forces her to take on a chauffeur. He employs Hoke Coleburn, much to her chagrin. At first, Daisy refuses to rely on a black man to get her from one place to the next and Hoke spends two weeks sitting in the kitchen doing nothing. Gradually, however, Daisy’s prejudices are broken down and, against all odds, he becomes her best friend. Daisy teaches Hoke to read and write, while Hoke encourages Daisy to let go of her insecurities. Alfred Uhro’s delicate drama explores the experience of aging while the world around you moves forwards at great pace.
Plaid Tidings
December 4th-6th & 11th-13th, 2020
Liane Nichols – director
Plaid Tidings is a brand-new show that offers the best of Forever Plaid tied-up in a nifty package with a big Christmas bow on top! Filled with Christmas standards that have all been “Plaid-erized,” our boys are back to do their Christmas Special. At first they aren’t sure why they’ve returned, but a phone call from the heavenly Rosemary Clooney lets them know that they’re needed to put a little harmony into a discordant world.
The Hallelujah Girls
February 19th-21st & 26th-28th, 2021
J’Kalein Madison – director
After the sudden death of a dear friend, a feisty group of women from the town of Eden Falls, Georgia, decide that life is indeed short, and they vow to change their lives and achieve their dreams. Sugar Lee Thompkins decides to reach for her elusive star by converting an abandoned church into a day spa. The SPA-DEE-DAH is born, and the fun begins thanks to Sugar Lee’s dear friends Carlene, Nita, Mavis and Crystal. The comic tension mounts when Sugar Lee’s old high school boyfriend (Bobby Dwayne) shows up, and Sugar Lee’s life-long rival (Bunny) vows she’ll stop at nothing to steal the spa building, (which may house a surprising secret), away from Sugar Lee. “The Hallelujah Girls” is one of those silly, rollicking shows that our audiences love. It reminds us of the importance of good friends, and of not taking life so seriously that we forget to laugh and love.
March or April, 2021
Liane Nichols – director
For more than half a century the name Florence Foster Jenkins has been guaranteed to produce explosions of derisive laughter. Not unreasonably so, as this wealthy society eccentric suffered under the delusion that she was a great coloratura soprano when she was in fact incapable of producing two consecutive notes in tune. Nevertheless, her annual recitals in the ballroom of the Ritz Carlton hotel brought her extraordinary fame. Her growing mob of fans packed her recitals, stuffing handkerchiefs in their mouths to stifle their laughter—which Mrs. Jenkins blissfully mistook for cheers.
MAMMA MIA!
June 11th – 20th, 2021
Gary Baumgartner – Director
On a small Greek island, Sophie dreams of a perfect wedding — one which includes her father giving her away. The problem? Sophie doesn’t know who he is! Her mother Donna, the former lead singer of the 1970s pop group Donna and the Dynamos, refuses to talk about the past, so Sophie decides to take matters into her own hands. Sneaking a peek in her mother’s old diaries, she discovers three possible fathers: Sam, Bill, and Harry. She secretly invites all three to the wedding, convinced that she’ll know her father when she sees him. But when all three turn up, it may not be as clear as she thought! Told through the legendary music of ABBA, Mamma Mia! has become a worldwide sensation that has audiences everywhere dancing.
BRING IT ON The Musical
August 13th – 22nd, 2021
Bitingly relevant, sprinkled with sass, and inspired by the hit film, Bring It On The Musical takes audiences on a high-flying journey that is filled with the complexities of friendship, jealousy, betrayal and forgiveness. Uniting some of the freshest and funniest creative minds on Broadway, Bring It On features an original story by Tony Award winner, Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q), music and lyrics by Tony Award-winning composer, Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights, Hamilton), music by Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning composer, Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), lyrics by Broadway lyricist, Amanda Green (High Fidelity), and was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Musical.
October 9th-11th & 16th-18th, 2020
Alan Malone – director One hotel suite, four tenors, two wives, three girlfriends, and a soccer stadium filled with screaming fans. What could possibly go wrong? It’s 1930s Paris and the stage is set for the concert of the century—as long as producer Henry Saunders can keep the amorous Italian superstar and his hot-blooded wife from causing runaway chaos. Prepare for an uproarious ride, full of mistaken identities, blissful romance and madcap delight.PAST EVENTS
UNI Orchesis Spring Gala
August 28th-29th, 2020
UNI Orchesis Dance Company Spring Gala: Due to the Covid19 pandemic, this event is friends and family only. Tickets will not be made available for the general public.
Orchesis Dance Company’s annual Spring Gala on Friday, August 28th at 7 pm and Saturday, August 29th at 2 pm at the Oster Regent Theater on Main Street in Cedar Falls!