advertisement

'Sister Act,' 'Evita' among classics in Marriott Theatre's 2016 season

Joseph Jefferson Award nominees Nick Bowling and Rachel Rockwell return to Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire for a 2016 season dominated by several classics, plus a limited run of Duncan Sheik's "Spring Awakening," which is not part of the subscription series.

The season begins Feb. 10, 2016, with Rockwell's "Sister Act." Based on the 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg about a nightclub singer who hides out from her gangster boyfriend in a convent, the musical features music by lyricist Glenn Slater and composer Alan Menken with a book by Bill and Cheri Steinkellner and additional material by Douglas Carter Beane.

Next up is a revival of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1978 musical "Evita" (April 13-June 5, 2016), inspired by the life of Eva Peron, wife of Argentine President Juan Peron. Amanda Dehnert makes her Marriott directorial debut and Matt Raftery choreographs.

Bowling directs "Man of La Mancha" (June 22-Aug. 14, 2016), the musical-within-a-musical partly inspired by the life and works of the 16th-century poet and playwright Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote "Don Quixote." Written by Dale Wasserman with music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, the musical has Cervantes recounting to his fellow prisoners of the Spanish Inquisition the tales of the mad knight-errant Don Quixote.

That's followed by "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" (Aug. 24 to Oct. 16, 2016), Frank Loesser's frothy, 1961 tuner about an ambitious young window washer who rises through the corporate ranks to become a chairman of the board. Don Stephenson, in his Marriott directing debut, helms the production, which will be choreographed by Alex Sanchez.

The 2016 season concludes with the Marriott directing debut of William Brown, who oversees "Singin' in the Rain" (Oct. 26-Dec. 31, 2016), adapted from the 1952 film about Hollywood stars making the transition between silent films and talking pictures.

In addition to the five-show subscription season, Marriott presents a limited engagement of the Tony Award-winning "Spring Awakening," composer Duncan Sheik and writer/lyricist Steven Sater's musical adaptation of Frank Wedekind's 19th century play about sexual awakening and youthful rebellion. Artistic director Aaron Thielen directs and choreographs the show, which runs from Jan. 14 to Jan. 31, 2016, and is not part of the five-show subscription series.

Tickets for season subscribers range from $25.30 to $38.30 per ticket. See marriotttheatre.com or call (847) 634-0200 for subscription information.

Nick Bowling
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.