Photo courtesy The Pasadena Playhouse
The Pasadena Playhouse on Wednesday announced a season of four Los Angeles premieres.
“We are re-emerging from lockdown and people are excited to move forward,” said Danny Feldman, Pasadena Playhouse producing artistic director.
“The Playhouse is not just ready to welcome people back, but also to reinvent the way we engage with theater — and with each other,” Feldman said. “This is more than just our next season; this is our first season of a new world.”
The season kicks off Nov. 9 with an experiential reimagining of the Broadway musical “Head Over Heels,” with songs by The Go-Go’s, and directed, choreographed and conceived by Jenny Koons and Sam Pinkleton, the Tony-nominated choreographer of “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812.”
Next up is Mike Lew’s “Teenage Dick,” a modern take on Shakespeare’s “Richard III,” directed by Tony Award nominee Moritz von Stuelpnagel. The play, which runs Feb. 1-27, reimagines the most famous disabled character of all time, Richard III, as a modern-day 16-year-old outsider in his junior year of high school. Bullied because of his cerebral palsy, Richard is determined to have his revenge and make his name by becoming president of the senior class.
Following “Teenage Dick” is “Ann,” written by and starring Emmy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Holland Taylor of “Two and a Half Men” fame, and directed by Benjamin Endsley Klein. Running from March 23 to April 24, “Ann” is an uplifting tribute to outspoken former Texas Gov. Ann Richards, a courageous leader, dedicated mother, loving grandmother, and legendary personality. Neither partisan nor political, this richly imagined play reveals a complex, colorful, and captivating character whose capacity to inspire burns even brighter today.
And direct from Broadway comes Special Tony Award recipient “freestyle love supreme,” conceived by Anthony Veneziale and created by Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anthony Veneziale, which will run July 12 to Aug. 7. From the creators of “Hamilton” and “In the Heights,” and direct from Broadway, “freestyle love supreme” is a Special Tony Award recipient that defies definition as the audience joins in the creative process for each performance. Audiences are led by a troupe of the best freestyle rappers in the business and backed by an onstage band.
A fifth production will be announced at a later date. The play continues through Dec. 12.
The Pasadena Playhouse is following all safety protocols put forth by Los Angeles County and the city of Pasadena, including masking, proof of vaccination, and proof of testing.
Patrons under 12 years old or those who need a reasonable accommodation for medical reasons or due to a sincerely held religious belief must provide proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours prior to entering the theater.
Children under 5 will not be admitted.
