Hey, Dayton Most Metro readers. My name is Sarah and I’m new here, but I’m totally jazzed to be joining Russell Florence, Jr., Shane Anderson and Rob Bucher in reporting all about the theatre happenings in our fair burg! I’ll be leaving reviews and all that good stuff up to the wonderful Mr. F, and I’ll concentrate mostly on bringing you news and updates on what’s coming up and what’s going down. I’ve been around theatre in Dayton for a good while, so hopefully what I’ve got to say will be useful and entertaining. With that out of the way, I bring you my first update:

…NEW THIS WEEK

Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical

The Victoria Theatre Association / Human Race Theatre Company

The Story: The Victoria Theatre Association’s Premier Health Partners Broadway Series presents the world premier of Tenderly: The Rosemary Clooney Musical. Produced by the Human Race Theatre Company, this engaging new musical features beloved and classic songs as it follows the highs and lows of the career and personal life of this legendary singer.
Tenderly.

Dates: February 21st and runs through March 4th, with performances at 8 pm Tuesday to Friday, Saturday at 2 pm and 8 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm and 7:30.

Tickets and More Information: Victoria Theatre Association | On Stage Dayton Preview | On Stage Dayton Review

Children of Eden

Playhouse South

The Story: Don’t want to wait til May for your Stephen Schwartz fix? Don’t worry! Playhouse South will be producing the stirring and entertaining musical Children Of Eden starting February 24th and running through March 10th. Act I of this Old-Testament treat introduces us to Father, Adam, Eve and a chorus of Story-Tellers, while Act II spins the tale of Noah, his family and their ark. Familiar themes made fresh again.

Dates: February 24th – March 10th

Tickets and More Information: Playhouse South Website

…CONTINUING

Almost, Maine

Sinclair Community College

The Story: Like finding a leftover piece of Valentine’s Day candy a week later, Sinclair keeps the love alive by bringing Almost, Maine to the Blair Hall stage. This series of vignettes about love and life are set in the fictional town of Almost, Maine, where the aurora borealis sheds its ethereal light over hearts that are broken and, maybe, mended.

Dates: February 24th – March 3rd

Tickets and More Information: Sinclair Website

…COMING SOON

Wicked

Victoria Theatre Association

The Story: Having finished the hugely successful run of Jersey Boys, The Schuster Center stage will be dark (for theatre performances at any rate) for a little while as they await the triumphant return of Stephen Schwartz’s mega-blockbuster musical Wicked which storms back into Dayton on May 30th. If you’re interested, mark your calendars that tickets will go on sale May 19th, and are bound to sell quickly once again.

Dates: May 30 – June 24 (Tickets will go on sale May 19th)

Tickets and More Information: Victoria Theatre Association Website

Gem Of The Ocean

The Human Race Theatre Company

The Story: Next up on the Loft Theatre stage is August Wilson’s Gem Of The Ocean. Each of the 10 plays in Wilson’s renowned “Pittsburgh Cycle” takes place in a different decade in an urban, African American neighborhood. Gem Of The Ocean, set in 1904, is first chronologically despite having been one of the last pieces Wilson wrote. Gem opens March 29th and runs through April 15th and features several well-known Dayton-based actors including Human Race Theatre Company Resident Artists Alan Bomar Jones and Scott Stoney.

Dates: March 29th – April 15th

Tickets and More Information: Human Race Theatre Company Website

Bus Stop

The Dayton Playhouse

The Story: A small, Midwestern town in the grips of a snowstorm is the unassuming setting for Dayton Playhouse’s next offering, the gripping Bus Stop by William Inge. A group of strangers stranded by the storm prove that a lot can happen in just one night. Bus Stop opens Friday, March 16th and runs two weekends, closing Sunday, March 25th.

Dates: March 16 – March 25

Tickets and More Information: Dayton Playhouse Website

Incidentally, The Dayton Playhouse just closed the crowd-pleasing musical comedy Nunsense, but isn’t quite done with singing Sisters yet this season. Auditions for the (rightly) classic musical The Sound of Music will be held on Monday and Tuesday, February at 27th and 28th at 7 pm. Those auditioning should prepare a song (an accompanist will be provided) and will be asked to read from the script.

The Big Picture

Beavercreek Community Theatre

The Story: BCT is hard at work preparing another world premier, this one of an original musical from Dayton-area writers David Brush and Jim Farley. The Big Picture takes us back to the summer of 1962 in Pine Springs, Illinois, where a college freshman learns that coming home is never as simple as you think it will be.

Dates: March 2 – March 11

Tickets and More Information: Beavercreek Community Theatre Website

Urinetown

University Of Dayton

A city in the grips of a devastating, decades-long water crises that forces the government to impose bans on that most private of experiences, our bathroom time? Sounds dramatic, no? No! As you’ll learn when UD brings us Urinetown, a truly delightful piece of musical theatre about what happens to this city and its citizens. When water is at a premium, a lot of dirty laundry can get aired.

Dates: March 21 – March 30

Tickets and More Information: UD Theatre Program Website

That about wraps it up for now – mark your calendars for all this great stuff and feel free to comment here if I forgot something or shafted your favorite theatre!