A production of Dirty Blonde — Claudia Shear's ode to Mae West and the fans who loved her — will be part of the George Street Playhouse's 2002-2003 season.
It was thought that Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? would fill the Oct. 29-Nov. 24 spot at the New Jersey Theatre. Instead, however, Shear's Tony-nominated play will run during that period. Originally produced at Off-Broadway's New York Theatre Workshop in 1999, Dirty Blonde transferred to Broadway's Helen Hayes in April 2000. The original mounting featured playwright Shear in the dual role of Mae West and a devoted West fan. Shear received a Tony nomination for her performance, as did co-stars Kevin Chamberlin and Bob Stillman. Casting has yet to be announced for the George Street production.
The George Street Playhouse is located on Livingston Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Tickets may be purchased by calling the theatre's box office at (732) 246-7717. For more information, go to www.georgestplayhouse.org.
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The George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick's first professional theatre, announced its 2002-2003 schedule May 22. Hailed by Stephen Sondheim as "one of the few theatres left which is dedicated to new work," the George Street's new season will include the world premiere of a play by Arthur Laurents, a new drama from Wendy Kesselman, a new musical by Michael Bush, Michael Aman and Joel Silberman as well as a Regina Taylor work.
Suzzanne Douglas begins the season in Regina Taylor's A Night in Tunisia, which premiered at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival and is being revised for its George Street Playhouse run. The play features Douglas as four different women, ranging from a teenager to a 109-year-old fan of the Psychic Network. Featuring such songs as "Natural Woman," "Respect" and "I Will Survive," the play is being directed by Ted Sod and will run Sept. 17 through Oct. 20.
"Someone Who'll Watch Over Me," "You Made Me Love You" and "Alexander's Ragtime Band" are just a few of the 20 classic tunes featured in a new musical by Michael Bush, Michael Aman and Joel Silberman. Entitled Let Me Sing, the show, directed by Bush, concerns the story of six New York hopefuls who plan to make it big on Broadway. Andre De Shields, last on Broadway in The Full Monty, will star in the production, which begins performances Dec. 3, 2002, and runs through Jan. 5, 2003.
The New Year at the George Street kicks off with Elizabeth Wilson and Tom Aldredge starring in a double bill of two American comedies directed by the Playhouse's Artistic Director, David Saint. Israel Horovitz's The 75th — about the last two surviving members of their high school class — and Arthur Laurents' The Vibrator — about two older folks who discover what makes them feel younger than their kids — will run Jan. 14 through Feb. 9.
The fifth production has yet to be announced, although it is scheduled for Feb. 18 to March 17.
Wendy Kesselman's The Last Bridge, which is set during World War II and concerns the story of a young Jewish ballerina who has escaped the Nazis, plays March 25-April 20. David Saint will direct.
—By Andrew Gans
