The premiere production of the season will be a revival of Peter Mills and Cara Reichel's Illyria. Adapted from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, the musical will be presented in a new production under the direction of producing artistic director Reichel.
"Shipwrecked and alone on the shores of a land where 'clarity's a rarity, and madness rules,' Viola disguises herself as her twin brother," read press notes for Illyria. "Entering the service of Duke Orsino, she is quickly drawn in to a tangle of unrequited love with her new master and the mournful Lady Olivia. Meanwhile, Olivia's ne'er-do-well uncle and maid do their best to bring mirth back to the household. Cakes and ale abound and mistaken identity reigns in this gender-bending adventure." The musical comedy runs Oct. 18-Nov. 16 at the Hudson Guild Theatre.
The mid-season offering will be the site-specific work The Dome, running Jan. 31-March 1, 2009 at the West End Theatre.
Prospect Theater Company members will create the site-specific work within the "vaulted splendor" of the West End Theatre. The production, according to press notes, poses the questions, "Who are we? Where did we come from? Why are we here?" The collaborative work incorporates original music, found text, video projections and a clown to create a story of modern-day New York.
The final production will be a new bluegrass musical Golden Boy of the Blue Ridge, based on John M. Synge's 1907 play Playboy of the Western World. The new musical runs April 4-May 3, 2009 at 59E59 Theaters. With a score by Peter Mills and direction by Cara Reichel, Synge's classic "finds a new home in the foothills of Appalachia… This tale of an unlikely hero, a backwoods romance, and a slapdash murder promises pitch-dark comedy with the kick of moonshine."
Casting and creative duties will be announced at a later date.
For tickets and further information visit ProspectTheater.
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Founded in 1998 by five graduates of Princeton University, Prospect Theater Company is known both for its development of new musicals and its engaging interpretations of classic plays.
