Metropolis announces ambitious season
If the names of several productions slated for the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre's 2016-2017 season ring familiar it's because most have been revived recently in the suburbs. But Metropolis' upcoming season is noteworthy for its ambition and its boldness.
Both are evident in the selection of "Hair," the tribal-love rock musical that served up such pop standards as "Aquarius" and "Easy to be Hard," and Tom Stoppard's tragic-absurdist romp "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead."
The season begins Sept. 22 with a revival of "The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein." Composer/lyricist/writer Brooks and co-writer Thomas Meehan adapted Brooks' 1974 film comedy (starring Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle and Madeline Kahn). The musical centers on Frederick Frankenstein, who attempts to distance himself from his family legacy but takes up the family business after he inherits their Transylvania estate.
That's followed by "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead" (Feb. 2-March 19, 2017), Stoppard's comedic riff on a pair of minor characters from William Shakespeare's "Hamlet."
Next up is "Hair" (May 18-July 2, 2017), the loosely plotted 1967 musical by Gerome Ragni, James Rado and Galt MacDermot. A snapshot of late 1960s America, it centers around young people, members of The Tribe, struggling with identity, uncertainty, love and duty.
The season concludes with "Peter and the Starcatcher" (July 13-Aug. 20, 2017), the Tony Award-winning play with music by Rick Elice based on the 2004 novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. It tells the back story of how a 13-year-old orphan became Peter Pan.
Performances take place at 111 W. Campbell St., Arlington Heights. Season subscribers receive between 25 and 30 percent off the regular ticket price of $30 for previews and $38 for the regular run. Four-show subscriptions run from $84 to $106.40; three-show subscriptions run from $67.50 to $85.50. Subscriptions are available online at metropolisarts.com or at the box office (847) 577-2121.