By Chelsea Bohannon | On the heels of a record-breaking year, Aurora Theatre will celebrate its 20th Anniversary season! The historic theatre setting in downtown Lawrenceville’s square will provide an intimate backdrop for the premiere productions for another season of top-notch productions.
The season’s line-up includes:
July 23 to Aug. 30: Memphis: When Huey Calhoun walks into the underground Rock ‘n’ Roll bar Delray’s in 1950s Memphis, it’s not the music that stops him in his tracks – it’s the blank stares. As the only white person in the bar, people start to leave until he convinces them that he’s only looking to listen to the music. Little did they know at the time, Huey would become Rock ‘n’ Roll’s pioneering DJ, moving the iconic sound from radio to TV. There’s a lot more to the story than what happened at Graceland. Winner of the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical, Memphis is a co-production with Theatrical Outfit.
Oct. 1-25: Vanya and Sonia and Marsha and Spike: Last year’s most-produced play in America might be the funniest in a generation! It tells the story of the intertwined lives of three middle-aged siblings living in their Pennsylvanian family home. While butting heads and coming face-to-face with life’s tough decisions, this laugh-out-loud comedy explores the themes of love, friendship and sibling rivalry. Written by Christopher Durang, Vanya won the 2013 Tony Award for Best Play and is co-produced with Horizon Theatre Company.
Nov. 19-Dec. 20: Christmas Canteen, an Aurora Theatre original and Gwinnett’s longest-running theatrical holiday tradition, returns to the Lawrenceville stage for its 20th season run. An audience favorite, this nostalgic musical revue is a Winter Wonderland that just keeps getting better! Stand-up comedy mixed with theatrical numbers and singing galore, Christman Canteen 2015 is a variety show that continually gets good reception from the Aurora audience..
Jan. 14-Feb. 7, 2016: Wit focuses on a woman after being diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic ovarian cancer, Dr. Vivian Bearing agrees to undergo an experimental chemotherapeutic treatment. As the professor makes the transition from teacher to student, she begins to examine her life through the minutiae of the English language. An emotional journey through the heart wrenching trials of cancer rearing its ugly head, Wit is a powerful tale of strength and sorrow that will speak to audiences of all ages. Winning the 1999 Pulitzer Prize, it is a perfect choice for Gwinnett County, which hosts the most successful Relay for Life fundraiser for cancer research in the nation.
March 10-April 17, 2016: Into the Woods features an evil witch cursing a baker and his wife for stealing her “magic” beans, so they must seek out special ingredients for her special potion in order for her to lift the curse on the wife’s fertility. Along their enchanting journey into the woods, they encounter Cinderella, Rapunzel, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood and other fictional favorites, as they too come face-to-face with the consequences of their own desires and wishes. In this modern musical twist of intertwined Brothers Grimm fairytales, American composer Stephen Sondheim cleverly answers the question, “What happens after happily ever after?”
May 5-29, 2016: I’m Not Rappaport. This 1996 Tony Award winner is the touching humorous tale of two old men who inhabit a bench in New York’s Central Park. Nat Moyer, a feisty Jewish man, spins tall tales and doesn’t want his daughter dumping him into an old folk’s home, while half-blind, cantankerous African-American Midge Carter, hides from his disgruntled tenants.
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