Drury Lane's new season includes 'Hazel,' 'Saturday Night Fever'
Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace announced a 2016-2017 season featuring world and regional premieres along with a suspense-thriller revival.
Capitalizing on the success of last summer's "Beaches - A New Musical," Drury Lane premieres "Hazel," a new musical based on the Saturday Evening Post cartoon character who takes over as live-in maid and nanny for a 1960s family after the matriarch returns to the workforce. Klea Blackhurst, Mama Rose in Drury Lane's "Gypsy," stars in the tuner by Ron Abel (music), Chuck Steffan (lyrics) and Lissa Levin (book). Joshua Bergasse, of NBC's "Smash," directs the show, which begins previews March 31, 2016.
"From the moment we discovered Hazel, we fell in love with it," said executive producer Kyle DeSantis in a prepared statement. "The production solidifies our commitment to fostering new work we believe in."
Drury Lane's lineup also includes nonmusical comedy with Ira Levin's thriller "Deathtrap," running June 9 to Aug. 14, 2016. It's about a fading Broadway playwright with writer's block who appropriates a brilliant new work from an unknown up-and-comer.
That's followed by "Smokey Joe's Café," a jukebox revue showcasing the music of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, the songwriting duo responsible for such hits as "Stand By Me," "On Broadway" and "Hound Dog." The musical runs Sept. 1 to Oct. 23, 2016.
For the holidays, the theater revives George and Ira Gershwin's "Crazy for You," with book by Ken Ludwig. The musical - which includes the hits "I Got Rhythm" and "Someone to Watch Over Me" - centers on a New York banker with a not-so-secret love of theater. He's sent to foreclose on a small Nevada theater but changes his mind after he falls in love with a local girl. It runs Nov. 3, 2016, to Jan. 8, 2017.
The season concludes with the regional premiere of "Saturday Night Fever," a 1970s-set musical about a Brooklyn hardware store clerk who spends Saturday nights dancing at a disco. The stage adaptation of the 1977 film features a new script by Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti along with a score by The Bee Gees. It runs Jan. 19, 2017, to March 19, 2017.
"When the 'Saturday Night Fever' team approached us to bring to life the new script, we jumped at the opportunity to put our efforts behind a story that celebrates the music of The Bee Gees in such an iconic way," said artistic director William Osetek in a prepared statement.
Performances take place at 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace. Subscriptions start at $140. See DruryLaneTheatre.com or call (630) 530-0111.