A Sneak Peek at 2007

Here's a preliminary look at what to expect in the new year:

Honor. Whimsy. Legacy. Wit. Drama. Passion. True theatrical diversity!

These are the words that define the 2007 Mainstage Season at Pasadena Playhouse. From the West Coast premiere of a highly anticipated drama to a revival of a time-honored comedy to two majestic adaptations of beloved musicals, the Playhouse will bring you a taste of all theatrical worlds, cultures, and styles in the coming year.

DEFIANCE
By John Patrick Shanley
January 12 through February 18, 2007

The 2007 Season begins with DEFIANCE, the latest work of award-winning playwright John Patrick Shanley. DEFIANCE follows Shanley’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning Doubt. It is 1971 and North Carolina’s Camp Lejeune military base is rife with racial unease. When Colonel Littlefield invites a black officer, Captain Lee King, to his home to discuss the building tensions, unexpected and profound events turn the discourse from race to an even deeper exchange that touches the heart and soul of all involved.

CUTTIN’ UP
Written by Charles Randolph-Wright
Directed by Israel Hicks
Adapted from the book by Craig Marberry
March 9 through April 15, 2007

The second play of the season will be CUTTIN’ UP, the West Coast premiere of writer and director Charles Randolph-Wright’s theatrical exploration of the African-American barbershop. Randolph-Wright weaves a series of profound, yet hilarious, anecdotes, memories and music into a living oral history covering 60 years. Pasadena Playhouse patrons will remember Charles Randolph-Wright’s Blue, the 2004 smash hit that starred Phylicia Rashad and Diahann Carroll.

THE CONSTANT WIFE
By Somerset Maugham
Directed by Art Manke
May 4 though June 10, 2007

Play Three of the 2007 season will be THE CONSTANT WIFE, an intelligent and witty comedy written by Somerset Maugham in 1926. When Constance Middleton learns of her husband’s indiscretion with her best friend, she challenges our perceptions of love and marriage with a surprising course of action. THE CONSTANT WIFE was revived on Broadway in 2006 where it garnered four Tony Award Nominations including Best Revival of a Play.

CAN CAN
Music by Cole Porter
Book by David Lee and Joel Fields.
From the original book by Abe Burrows.
Lyrics by Cole Porter
Directed by David Lee
June 29 through August 5, 2007

The summer musical event of 2007 will be a world premiere re-envisioning of Cole Porter’s musical CAN CAN with a new book by David Lee and Joel Fields. CAN CAN centers on Pistache, the only woman in Paris w ho owns a café that features the sexy and provocative Can-Can. During this dazzling, if not naughty, evening of musical theater, Pistache faces both a fervent attempt to shut down her business as well as her own complications in love.

ON GOLDEN POND
By Ernest Thompson
August 24 through September 30, 2007

Rarely does a script have the distinction of receiving both the Tony Award and Academy Award and rarely does a script attract such legendary talent as ON GOLDEN POND. It’s because Thompson’s tale of family reconciliation speaks to all of us. When an aging couple arrives at their summer place and is visited by their estranged daughter and her family, they confront conflicts that are driven by love but that create deep emotional rifts. A soon-to-be-announced stellar cast joins us for a heartwarming and hilarious celebration of the everyday struggles and ultimate triumphs of life, love and family.

* All dates and artists subject to change.