JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR TAKES THE CUMBERLAND THEATRE STAGE

Rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber opens May 3rd

The Cumberland Theatre will continue their 36th Season with the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar penned by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The show will run May 3rd – 19th for a total of nine performances.

The first musical by Webber and Rice to be produced for the professional stage, Jesus Christ Superstar has wowed audiences for over 50 years. A timeless work, the rock opera is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary and universally known series of events but seen, unusually, through the eyes of Judas Iscariot. Loosely based on the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Superstar follows the last week of Jesus Christ’s life. The story, told entirely through song, explores the personal relationships and struggles between Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, his disciples and the Roman Empire.

Originally released as a concept album, the show opened on Broadway in 1971 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. The original London production ran for over eight years. By the time it closed, after 3,358 performances, it had become the longest-running musical in West End history at that time.

Jesus Christ Superstar has been reproduced regularly around the world in the years since its first appearance, with performances including a Broadway revival in 2012, an ITV competition TV show called Superstar that led to casting Ben Forster as Jesus in an arena tour of the show, and a production at the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre celebrating 45 years since the musical’s Broadway debut. Two film adaptations have been made: the first released in 1973 with Ted Neely, Carl Anderson and Yvonne Elliman, and the other released in 2000 starring Glenn Carter as Jesus and Jérôme Pradon as Judas.

The iconic 1970s rock score contains such well-known numbers as “Superstar,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “Gethsemane.” A true global phenomenon, Superstar continues to touch new generations of audiences and performers.

CT’s upcoming rendition features a 22-person cast (the largest cast to take the stage at Cumberland for past several years) of both local and out-of-town performers. Many of the actors are making their CT debuts.

Heading the cast as Jesus is local actor and singer Jordan Kline. His recent appearances on stage have included Trent in The Prom and Stacey Jaxx in Rock of Ages. Scott O’Brien returns to the CT stage in the role of Judas. O’Brien was last seen on the CT stage in 2020’s production of Assassins as John Wilkes Booth. Making her debut with CT, in the role of Mary Magdalene, will be Emma Schilling.

Also, performing for the first time at CT are John Danley (Caiaphas), Katie Davis (Annas), Jesse Plourde (Pilate) and Josh Carias (Peter) in supporting roles. Additional supporting roles are filled by Connor McCabe (Simon) and Melynda Wintrol (King Herod).

The other members of the Twelve Apostles will be portrayed by Maria Cabral, Robbie Smith, Sawyer Jenkins, Grace LaCount, Marcus Harbinger, Alex Grieves, Justice Courrier and Mark Worth. Rounding out the cast in a bevy of supporting roles are Emily Snyder, Mikayla Dodge, Savannah Tagliaferro, Cordelia Israel and Katie Zimmerman.

The show is being directed by Kimberli Rowley with music direction by Kelly Schrecengost and choreography by Danny Durr. Other creative team members include O’Brien (directing assistant) and Cabral (dance captain).

The design team for the show is comprised of Rhett Wolford (set design), Rachel Saylor (costume design) and Ken Phillips (lighting design). The run crew consists of Brendon McCabe (stage manager) and Rowan Dickson (assistant stage manager).

The show will also feature a live band comprised of Schrecengost, Jaiden Courrier, Mark Kowalski, Dave Armbruster and Zach Dodge.

A preview performance will be held Thursday, May 2nd at 8:00 pm. Following the preview, performances are May 3rd – 19th with Friday and Saturday performances at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. An opening reception is included in the ticket price for Friday, May 3rd.

More information on ratings, group sale, etc. can be found on cumberlandtheatre.com where single tickets are available for purchase as well as 2024 Season Passes. Reservations can also be made by calling the box office at 301.759.4990.

THE ROSE TATTOO IS NEXT UP AT CUMBERLAND THEATRE

Tennessee Williams classic opens next week

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - The Cumberland Theatre will continue their 36th Season with the classic dramady The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams. The show will run March 14th – 30th for nine performances.

Written in 1951, the play won four Tony Awards including Best Play and was adapted into a feature film starring Burt Lancaster and Anna Magnani, who won the Oscar for her portrayal of Serafina Delle Rose. The play has been revived on Broadway several times, most recently in 2019 which featured Marisa Tomei in the role of Serafina.

The play that Williams called his "love-play to the world," The Rose Tattoo is a passionate tale of superstitions, promises, and the possibility of love and passion after a broken heart. In a small Sicilian-American community along the Gulf Coast, Serafina Delle Rose is a fiery and passionate wife and mother. When her husband Rosario is murdered while smuggling contraband in a banana truck, Serafina shuts herself away from life and love. She ignores the town gossip--especially about Rosario’s infidelity--and lives in a stupor until her daughter Rosa declares herself in love. Frustrated and heartbroken, Serafina angrily attacks anyone who reason with her. That is, until a banana truck driver named Alvaro Mangicavallo arrives at her door.

CT’s upcoming rendition features both local and visiting actors and marks the return of guest director Michael Hood, who directed the CT production of Steven Martin’s Meteor Shower in 2019.  

Playing the roles of Serafina Delle Rose and Alvaro Mangicavallo will be Kimberli Rowley and Seth Thompson. Both were recently seen in The Play That Goes Wrong, A Few Good Men and The Wisdom of Eve.

Playing the role of Serafina’s daughter Rosa Delle Rose will be local actress Arianna Fiorentino. Fiorentino is a student at Mountain Ridge High School and was last seen on the CT stage in Elf the Musical. Playing Jack – the sailor Rosa falls in love with – will be local actor Brian Records, who was appeared last season in A Few Good Men and Escape to Margaritaville.

The supporting cast also includes Reiner Prochaska as Father DeLeo and newcomer Donna Schilke as Assunta. The large supporting cast also includes local actors Michaela Hale, Katie Zimmerman, Lura Thompson, and Savannah Tagliaferro. Visiting actors include Erik Alexis, Emily Beets, Emily Bonario, Nick Harvill and Allana Matheis. Playing the children will be Mackenzie Dunaway, Lincoln Vanmeter and Emmet Berhow.

The design team for the show is comprised of Rhett Wolford (set design), Cody Gilliam (costume design), Xander Mulder (lighting design) and Anthony Tagliaferro (props design). The run crew consists of Britt Kolek (stage manager), Katie Zimmerman (assistant stage manager) and Brian Records (fight captain).

A preview performance will be held Thursday, March 14th at 8:00 pm. Following the preview, performances are March 15th – 30th with Friday and Saturday performances at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. There will be no performance on Sunday, March 31st. An opening reception is included in the ticket price for Friday, March 15th. A dinner theatre package in partnership with Ristorante Ottaviani is being offered, which will include dinner at the restaurant or tasting room before the Friday and Saturday performances. More information on ratings, group sale, etc. can be found on cumberlandtheatre.com where single tickets are available for purchase as well as 2024 Season Passes.

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG WILL KICK OFF CUMBERLAND THEATRE’S 36TH YEAR

Popular farce will open new theatrical season featuring veteran cast

The Cumberland Theatre will officially open their 36th Season with the popular farce The Play That Goes Wrong on Friday, February 2nd. The show is being sponsored by Mary Splain Shrout with additional funding from Sam and Pam Griffith.

A celebration gala is planned to follow the performance which includes complimentary refreshments, a champagne toast, prizes and the announcement of the Cumberland Theatre Patron of the Year award. There is no additional cost to attend the gala. It is included in the ticket cost for that evening’s performance.

Written in 2012 by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields of Mischief Theatre Company, the play won Best New Comedy at the 2015 Laurence Olivier Awards. The show has been running since 2012 in London and since 2014, has undertaken five tours of the UK. It opened on Broadway in 2017 and ran for over 750 performances before transferring Off-Broadway to New World Stages where it is still playing.

The award-winning farce takes place on opening night of the Cornley University Drama Society’s newest production, The Murder at Haversham Manor, where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. Before the play even begins the audience sees the backstage staff doing last-minute adjustments to the set, including trying to mend broken set pieces and find a dog that has run off.

During the performance, a play within a play, a plethora of disasters befalls the cast, including doors sticking, props falling from the walls, and floors collapsing. The 1920’s whodunit has everything audiences never wanted in a show—an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines). Cast members are seen misplacing props, forgetting lines, missing cues, breaking character, having to drink paint thinner instead of whisky, mispronouncing words and being manhandled on and off stage. One cast member is knocked unconscious, and her replacement (the group's technician) refuses to yield when she returns. In another scene, an actor repeats an earlier line of dialogue, cuing the other actors to repeat the whole dialogue sequence, ever more frenetically, several times. Nevertheless, the accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call, with hilarious consequences! Part Monty Python, part Sherlock Holmes, this Olivier Award–winning comedy is a global phenomenon that’s left audiences aching with laughter all over the world.

CT’s upcoming rendition features both local and visiting actors and marks the debut of new guest director Rebecca Wahls. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, Wahls has served as Artistic Associate with Acting for Young People since 2015, where she has written and directed over 50 plays for children. In 2017, she founded the non-profit theatre Who What Where Productions, where she produced and directed several world premiere plays including Spills by Ruthie Rado, which has gone on to successful runs in NYC and London.

Playing the role of Chris Bean the self-proclaimed leader of the drama society, as well as the star and director of The Murder of Havisham Manor, will be CT veteran actor Bill Dennison, who was seen last season in The Wisdom of Eve and A Few Good Men.

Other members of the drama society are portrayed by Matt Baughman (last seen in Perfect Wedding), Aimee Meunier (last seen in Evil Dead the Musical), Bryan Murtha (last seen in 2016’s concert production of 1776), Kimberli Rowley (CT’s Artistic Director), Seth Thompson (last seen in A Few Good Men), Mark Worth (last seen in Murder on the Orient Express) and Alex Stompoly, who made his CT debut in December’s production of The Holiday Channel Christmas Movie Wonderthon.

The design team for the show is comprised of Rhett Wolford (set design), Cody Gilliam (costume design), Ken Phillips (lighting design) and Trevor McCabe (props design). Darrell Rushton will serve as the fight director with assistance from Brian Records. The run crew consists of Mel Mader (stage manager), Anthony Tagliaferro (assistant stage manager), Rowan Dickson (deck crew and wardrobe assistant) and Seth Thompson (fight captain).

A preview performance will be held Thursday, February 1st at 8:00 pm. Following the preview, performances are February 2nd – 18th with Friday and Saturday performances at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. The gala opening reception is included in the ticket price for February 2nd. More information on ratings, group sale, etc can be found on cumberlandtheatre.com where single tickets are available for purchase as well as 2024 Season Passes.