
Michael Baron of Lyric Theatre, 1727 N.W. 16th, picked the musicals Cabaret (Reduxion Theatre Company, 1613 N. Broadway) and In the Heights (Pollard Theatre Company, 120 W. Harrison in Guthrie).
Cabaret is one of my favorite musicals, and Im interested to see what director Matthew Sipress does with it, Baron said about Reduxions in-the-round Broadway Theater.
Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Parks Kathryn McGill has set sights on Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre, 201 N. Walker, and its four performances of Red, a drama about the life of abstract artist Mark Rothko.
I love plays that investigate the artists life and the relationship between the artist and their creations, McGill said. It also helps if the artist is tormented, so this play hits me at all levels. I also love Rothkos work.
Pollard is reviving its production of Passing Strange, last staged to much acclaim in 2011. Lance Garrett of Ghostlight Theatre Club cited that production as well as Sylvia, A.R. Gurneys 1995 comedy-turned-tearjerker about a man and his dog, as plays he wants to see. Sylvia will be staged at Oklahoma City Theatre Company, 201 N. Walker.
Incidentally, Garrett said Ghostlight will have an announcement soon about planned productions for the new season.
Donald Jordan of City Rep will spend some time in Guthrie this season seeing Passing Strange and Pollards new production of In the Heights. The latter, he said, is from a fresh, new voice telling a positive, life-affirming story. OKCTCs Rachel Irick will be in the audience at Pollards The Vagina Monologues.
Ive never had the opportunity to see a live, professionally produced version of this show, she said.
She makes a good point. Amateur readings of Monologues have become an annual ritual in this country and worldwide, but a professional production has never been staged around here.
W. Jerome Stevenson of Pollard will get a dose of that old-time religion at Godspell (City Rep) and Jesus Christ Superstar (OKCTC). A lot of people are certain to join him at the latter when they hear it stars Matthew Alvin Brown as Jesus and Renee Anderson as Judas. Veteran actor Jonathan Beck Reed will step across the footlights to direct Godspell.
Needlessly fearing predictability, Tyler Woods of the up-and-coming Reduxion looks forward to Much Ado About Nothing, which will be City Reps first staging of Shakespeare.
Hes also excited about One-Man Star Wars Trilogy at City Rep.
I saw this show years ago in New York, Woods said. It was fantastic. So glad shows like this quirky, off-the-wall an unusually, unexpectedly entertaining are coming to the city.
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