The Arizona Theatre Company will roll up the canvas of its season-opener, Picasso at the Lapin Agile , at Tucson's Temple of Music and Art Oct. 3 and rehang it at ATC's Phoenix venue, the Herberger Theater Center, 222 E. Monroe, Oct. 8-24.
ATC Artistic Director David Ira Goldstein directed the Steve Martin comedy, which started previews Sept. 12 and officially opened Sept. 18 in Tucson. Michael Santo and Jos Viramontes star as Einstein and Picasso, respectively.
For ticket information, call (520) 622-2823 or 1-800-638-4253.
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Next, Circle Repertory Theatre founder Marshall W. Mason climbs one of the Everests of American theatre, O'Neill's Long Day's Journey Into Night (Tucson: Oct. 17-Nov. 7; Phoenix: Nov. 12-28). The Broadway-bound The Gershwins' Fascinating Rhythm, a new musical conceived by Mark Lamos and Mel Marvin, will begin its journey East when it plays at ACT's Tucson stage Dec. 5-27, then at the company's Phoenix location, Jan. 1-24, 1999. Mark Lamos will direct.
Lamos first staged Fascinating Rhythm in 1997 at Hartford Stage, where he was for many years artistic director. The show is a musical tribute to George and Ira Gershwin and features 50 of their songs, including "Lady Be Good," "The Man I Love," "I Got Rhythm," and "Someone to Watch Over Me." George Gershwin's centennial is on Sept. 26.
Producer Manny Kladitis told Playbill On-Line (Feb. 26, 1998) the show would have a brief tour before arriving on Broadway in 1999. Kladitis did not return a phone call regarding the show's current Broadway plans.
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Next at ATC is Pearl Cleage's Blues for an Alabama Sky (Tucson: Jan 9-30, 1999; Phoenix: Feb. 4-20, 1999), a co-production with Milwaukee Repertory Theatre. Tim Bond will direct the tale of two faded stars of the Harlem Renaissance. The season concludes with two recent New York attractions, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Paula Vogel drama How I Learned to Drive (Tucson: Feb. 27-Mar. 20, 1999; Phoenix: Mar. 25-Apr. 10, 1999) and Alfred Uhry's Tony Award winner The Last Night of Ballyhoo (Tucson: Apr. 10-May 1, 1999; May 6-22, 1999). No directors have been selected for the final two productions.
-- By Kenneth Jones
and Robert Simonson
