OPAS Season 47 Season Brochure (2019-20) by SoloShoe Communications, LLC

SEASON & SINGLE TICKETS

O N SALE N OW ! Photo by Joan Marcus

ORDER TODAY TO GET THE BEST SEATS AT THE BEST PRICE.

DO YOU REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME YOU SANG

IN T IMAT E GATHERINGS … Our up-close and personal

ALONG TO CAROLE KING’S ICONIC LYRICS

series includes five dynamic events, kicking-off with Southern

“SO FAR AWAY. DOESN'T ANYBODY STAY IN ONE

favorite Driving Miss Daisy; a big-band holiday extravaganza

PLACE ANYMORE?” LYRICS LIKE THESE THREAD

“Christmas Bells Are Swingin’!” with Boston Brass & Brass All-Stars

TOGETHER WONDERFUL MEMORIES IN OUR LIVES

Band; a return by bluegrass stars Steep

LIKE A BEAUTIFUL TAPESTRY – THE PERFECT

Canyon Rangers; the internationally

REPRESENTATION OF OUR VIBRANT AND ECLECTIC 2019-20 SEASON.

jaw-dropping feats will soar through Photo by Carol Rosegg

Rudder in September with our season opening performances of Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy. Another big Broadway musical, Bandstand, will open its national tour right here in Aggieland this October. Expect huge laughs from one of Broadway’s most recent and biggest hit Photo by Jeremy Daniel

Singers; and a timely take on George Orwell’s classic novel 1984.

MAIN STAGE …Flowing fabrics and

Photo by Michael Pool

renowned vocal group The King’s

plays with The Play That Goes Wrong. Carole King’s biographical musical, Beautiful, weaves together an incredible life story with over two dozen pop classics. Two more hit musicals round out the Main Stage with family favorite Fiddler on the Roof and the Pulitzer Prize-winning RENT.

A N N OUN C ING S INGULAR SE N SAT IONS … We’re thrilled to introduce a brand-new series this season! These can’t-miss events will be in Rudder Auditorium for one-night-only. Catch concert fever with the three programs on the inaugural season of this new series with The Four Italian Tenors, The Midtown Men: Holiday Hits, and A Cappella Live! Since Christmas is the most wonderful time of year, we have a

BON US E V ENT FO R YO UR ENTIRE FAM ILY – A Christmas Carol. This will be performed in Rudder Theatre and tickets are sure to go fast! So, order yours now!

WE HOPE THAT THIS 47TH SEASON OF INCREDIBLE THEATRE WILL MAKE YOU “FEEL THE EARTH MOVE” AND INSPIRE YOU TO DANCE DOWN THE AISLES. AS A SEASON TICKET HOLDER, YOU KNOW “YOU’VE GOT A FRIEND” IN OPAS! WE CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU IN RUDDER.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHY BUY SEASON TICKETS? •

Season ticket holders get the best seats at the best price!

•

Take advantage of exclusive access to purchase tickets to

•

special events before they go on sale to the general public.

DONATE TODAY AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE..................................................22

Receive invitations to special events like the annual

MAIN STAGE ...................................................4

season announcement party!

Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy Bandstand

•

Replace your lost or missing tickets at no additional charge.

•

Donate your tickets for student use if you can’t attend a

Beautiful

performance. You will receive a ticket donation receipt

Fiddler on the Roof

equal to the value of the tickets.

RENT

•

Renew your season tickets for next season (2020-21) before they go on sale to the general public.

The Play That Goes Wrong

INTIMATE GATHERINGS.............................88 Driving Miss Daisy Christmas Bells Are Swingin’! with Boston Brass & Brass All-Stars Band Steep Canyon Rangers The King’s Singers Aquila Theatre’s 1984

SINGULAR SENSATIONS...........................10 10 The Four Italian Tenors

The Midtown Men: Holiday Hits A Cappella Live

FAMILY FUN SPECIAL................................. 12 11 A Christmas Carol

Photos by Brian Wright

IMPACTING THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN ...............................12 12 Frequently Asked Questions.................................................... 13 Mark Your Calendars................................................................. 13

B EC O M E A D O N O R S E ASO N

DONATE TODAY and

MAKE A DIFFERENCE The programs you enjoy on the stages of Rudder Theatre and Rudder Auditorium are funded by revenue generated through tickets sales and donor contributions. Ticket sales make up approximately 60% of these programming costs. Therefore, contributions play an important role in the success of each OPAS season. Please review the table below and choose the level of support that’s right for you. Donors at the Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond levels ($1250 and up) have exclusive access to the VIP Donor Lounge prior to every Main Stage performance (single night performances excluded). The Donor Lounge includes light fare from Christopher's World Grille and a cash bar. Your season donation is considered tax-deductible for IRS purposes.*

MSC OPAS Donor Rewards First Option to Purchase Tickets to Special Events, Invitations to Special Events, and Personalized Donor Card Special Handling of Season Ticket Order • Priority Based on Giving Level Name Listing in All Main Stage OPASBills Priority Season Seating Option to Order AA Premium Season Tickets

Access to VIP Lounge*

Up to 2 VIP Donor Lounge passes per performance

Elite Access Parking on Perf Night Reserved Area for Easy Entry/Exit Highest Priority Season Seating, Up to 4 VIP Donor Lounge passes per performance Opportunity for Meet & Greet for Selected Performances Private Champagne Reception Pre- or PostPerformance for 12 People, Up to 6 VIP Donor Lounge passes per performance

*Donors receive a lounge pass for each Main Stage season ticket package at the qualified donor level (refer to table). Additional guest passes may be purchased for $25 per person. For tax purposes, the fair market value for VIP Donor Lounge usage is $200 per person per season.

“SOME PEOPLE GIVE TIME, SOME MONEY, SOME THEIR SKILLS AND CONNECTIONS, SOME LITERALLY GIVE THEIR LIFE’S BLOOD. BUT EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING TO GIVE.” - Barbara Bush 2

“FOR IT IS IN GIVING THAT WE RECEIVE.” - St. Francis of Assisi

“THINK OF GIVING NOT AS A DUTY BUT AS A PRIVILEGE.” - John D. Rockefeller Jr.

In appreciation of your support! SPECIAL PERFORMANCE FOR SEASON 47 DONORS PAT HAZELL’S THE WONDER BREAD Y EAR S

“WE MAKE A LIVING BY WHAT WE GET. WE MAKE A LIFE BY WHAT WE GIVE.” - Winston S. Churchill

Thursday, October 3, 2019 7:30 PM • Rudder Theatre A fresh and funny salute to Americana, The Wonder Bread Years Starring Pat Hazell is a fast-paced, hilarious production that gracefully walks the line between standup and theater. Audiences across the country

“SINCE YOU GET MORE JOY OUT OF GIVING JOY TO OTHERS, YOU SHOULD PUT A GOOD DEAL OF THOUGHT INTO THE HAPPINESS THAT YOU ARE ABLE TO GIVE.”

- Eleanor Roosevelt

are enjoying a show that not only restores a much-needed sense of wonder, but leaves audiences laughing and savoring the past like never before. From sitting at the kids table to riding in the way back of the Country Squire Wagon, The Wonder Bread Years is a comic bullseye!

A more detailed invitation will be mailed to donors (at the friend level and above) closer to event. A more detailed invitation will be mailed to donors

(at the friend level and above) closer to event.

ANN COBB WIATT

CIRQUE DREAMS JUNGLE FANTASY Tuesday & Wednesday September 17 & 18, 2019 7:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium

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Soaring aerialists, spine-bending contortionists, and incredible acrobats, jugglers, and musicians join together for awe-inspiring acts known as “the grandest circus spectacle east of Vegas” (New York Magazine). Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy is an exotic encounter inspired by nature’s unpredictable creations that leaves audiences of all ages exhilarated. Full of vibrant costumes and stunning choreography, this imaginative theatre experience won critical acclaim on Broadway and features lots of action-packed adventure for the whole family.

Broadway National Tour Kicks-Off in Aggieland!

BANDSTAND Tuesday & Wednesday October 29 & 30, 2019 7:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium From three-time Tony winner and Hamilton choreographer, Andy Blankenbuehler, comes an inspiring new American musical that explodes with infectious music and high-octane, heart-stopping dancing. It’s 1945, and six soldiers return from war to a changed nation. When NBC announces a national competition to find the nation’s next great musical superstars, they form a band unlike any the nation has ever seen. Along the way, they discover the power of music to face the impossible, find their voice, and finally feel like they have a place to call home. ®

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG Tuesday & Wednesday February 18 & 19, 2020 7:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium What would happen if Sherlock Holmes and Monty Python had an illegitimate Broadway baby? You’d get The Play That Goes Wrong, Broadway & London’s award-winning smash comedy! Called “A GUT-BUSTING HIT” (The New York Times) and “THE FUNNIEST PLAY BROADWAY HAS EVER SEEN” (HuffPost), this classic murder mystery is chock-full of mishaps and madcap mania delivering “A RIOTOUS EXPLOSION OF COMEDY” (Daily Beast) that is “TONS OF FUN FOR ALL AGES” (HuffPost)!

strong language, parental discretion advised Sponsored by

ORDER YOUR TICKETS TODAY! Visit www.MSCOPAS.org or call 979-845-1234.

Photo by Matthew Murphy

BEAUTIFUL Tuesday & Wednesday March 17 & 18, 2020 7:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium BEAUTIFUL – The Carole King Musical tells the inspiring true story of King’s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Along the way, she made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation.

Lor

Featuring a stunning array of beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, including “I Feel The Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “You’ve Got A Friend” and the title song, BEAUTIFUL has a book by Tony® Award-nominee and Academy® Award-nominated writer Douglas McGrath, direction by Marc Bruni, choreography by Josh Prince, and took home two 2014 Tony® Awards and a 2015 Grammy® Award.

Sponsored by

TOM AND MARY KIRK

(McGregor, Texas) FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Tuesday & Wednesday March 31 & April 1, 2020 7:30 PM â&#x20AC;˘ Rudder Auditorium Audiences across North America are toasting a new production of Fiddler on the Roof! Rich with musical hits you know and love, including "Tradition," "Sunrise, Sunset,' "If I Were A Rich Man,' "Matchmaker, Matchmaker" and "To Life (L'Chaim!)," Fiddler on the Roof is the heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and life, love and laughter. TonyÂŽ-winning director Bartlett Sher and the team behind South Pacific and The King and I bring a fresh and authentic vision to this beloved theatrical masterpiece from Tony winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. Featuring a talented cast, lavish orchestra and stunning movement and dance from

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Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins, Fiddler on the Roof will introduce a new generation to the uplifting celebration that raises its cup to joy! To love! To life!

ORDER YOUR TICKETS TODAY! Visit www.MSCOPAS.org or call 979-845-1234.

RENT Monday & Wednesday April 20 & 22, 2020 7:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway and forever changed the landscape of American theatre. Two decades later, Jonathan Larson’s RENT continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. And now, this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award®-winning masterpiece returns to the stage in a vibrant 20th anniversary touring production. A re-imagining of Puccini’s La Bohème, RENT follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters—love.

THIS PROGRAM FEATURES STRONG LANGUAGE

Photo by Carol Rosegg

AND MATURE THEMES AND SITUATIONS.

Miss Daisy Starring Sheree J. Wilson & Clarence Gilyard & of TV’s “Walker Texas Ranger”

of TV’s “Walke r, Texas Ra nger” CHRISTMAS BELLS ARE SWINGIN’! WITH BOSTON BRASS & BRASS ALL-STARS BAND

DRIVING MISS DAISY Wednesday, October 9, 2019 7:30 PM • Rudder Theatre It’s 1948 in America, deep in the South, and the Civil Rights Movement has yet to take place. Enter Daisy Werthan, a rich, seventy-two-year-old Jewish widow who finds herself needing the chauffeur services of Hoke, an unemployed black man who couldn’t possibly have any less in common with her. But over the span of twenty-five years, the pair finds themselves not only connecting, but relying on each other as their differences become distant memories.

Thursday, December 5, 2019 7:30 PM • Rudder Theatre Move over Little Drummer Boy, there’s a new musical act in town ready to spread some holiday cheer! Get ready to hear all of your favorite Christmas classics – like “White Christmas,” “The Christmas Song,” “Motown Jingle Bells,” “Greensleeves,” selections from The Nutcracker and more – dressed up with a jazzy, big-band sound. Trumpets, French horns, trombones, and tubas will deck Rudder Theatre for this festival holiday concert featuring the incomparable Boston Brass & Brass All-Stars Band.

Winner of the 1988 Pulitzer prize, New York Daily News boasts, “Driving Miss Daisy is a total delight."

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Starring Sheree J. Wilson & Clarence Gilyard & of TV’s “Walker Texas Ranger”

STEEP CANYON RANGERS Tuesday, February 4, 2020 7:30 PM • Rudder Theatre Six guys. One Grammy. Endless bluegrass hits. This concert event fuses together the sounds of bluegrass, pop, country, and folk rock for an incredible American musical experience. Celebrated as one of the most versatile bands on the contemporary music scene, Steep Canyon Rangers have taken the world by storm for nearly 20 years including performances on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, a hit tour with Steve Martin, and a sold-out visit to College Station in 2011. And they’re not just all about that (upright) bass: their

“TO SAY THE PERFORMERS ARE SPECTACULAR AND TECHNICAL MUSICAL WIZARDS I S AN UNDERSTAT EMENT.” – Charleston Today

ORDER YOUR TICKETS TODAY! Visit www.MSCOPAS.org or call 979-845-1234.

toe-tapping tunes are also accompanied by acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and more!

THE KI N G’S SINGERS Thursday, February 27, 2020 7:30 PM • Rudder Theatre Said by The Washington Post to be “effortless, stylistically varied and beautifully blended, even in the most complex polyphony,” The King’s Singers are acclaimed worldwide for their virtuosity, life-affirming energy and charm. The Grammy winning ensemble has commissioned over 200 works, including landmark pieces from leading contemporary composers as well as arrangements of everything from jazz standards to pop chart hits. It’s no wonder The London Times calls them, “The superlative vocal sextet.”

1984 Tuesday, March 24, 2020 7:30 PM • Rudder Theatre “Big Brother” is always watching. As our modern world grapples with the threats and benefits of technological integration, Aquila Theatre’s production of 1984 provides a space to appreciate the value of individual thought – an evocative and timely narrative of personal freedom against political repression. Today, George Orwell’s prescient story resonates even more around the globe as individuals, systems, and governments clash. “Beautifully spoken, dramatically revealing, and crystalline in effect.” - The New Yorker

THIS PROGRAM FEATURES SOME LANGUAGE AND MATURE THEMES. The Intimate Gatherings Series is sponsored by

NEW THIS SEASON!

We’re thrilled to introduce a brand-new series this season! These can’t-miss events will be in Rudder Auditorium for one-night-only.

THE MIDTOWN MEN: HOLIDAY HITS

A CAPPELLA LIVE

Tuesday, December 3, 2019 7:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium

On your mark, get set…beatbox!

The Midtown Men return to Rudder with their

contemporary a cappella, A Cappella Live is

new “Holiday Hits” show! After taking

conceived and arranged by Deke Sharon,

Broadway by storm in the original cast of

vocal producer of the smash-hit Pitch Perfect

Jersey Boys, Tony winner Christian Hoff and

trilogy and TV’s The Sing-Off. Rocking out

Tony nominee J. Robert Spencer, along with

onstage are internationally renowned

Michael Longoria and Daniel Reichard, have

singing groups, including Grammy

been rockin’ venues across the country. Backed

Award-Nominated Committed, Pitch Perfect

by an equally explosive band, the boys will sing

2’s The Filharmonic, International A Cappella

and dance their way through a concert blending

Open Champions Women of the World and

iconic 1960’s rock 'n' roll hits with great

American Idol’s Blake Lewis. Get ready to

holiday classics. Enjoy favorites like "Winter

dance to your favorite songs like you’ve never

Wonderland," "Christmas Waltz," "Let It

heard them before!

Stars from the Original Broadway Cast of Jersey Boys

T HE FOUR ITALIAN T ENORS Thursday, October 17, 2019 7:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium O Sole Mio! Close your eyes and journey to Italy with Alessandro D’Acrissa, Federico Serra, Federico Parisi and Roberto Cresca, known affectionally as The Four Italian Tenors! In this first-ever U.S. concert tour, these magnificent tenors will salute some of Italy’s greatest singers like Andrea Bocelli, Luciano Pavarotti, Mario Lanza, and Enrico Caruso. You’ll fall in S E ASO N

love with the dramatic flair and operatic stylings of these handsome crooners and their Italian wit and charm. That’s Amore!

Snow," "White Christmas," and "Happy Holidays" performed with the group's dynamic choreography, electrifying arrangements, and of course, signature four-part harmony!

ORDER YOUR TICKETS TODAY! Visit www.MSCOPAS.org or call 979-845-1234.

Thursday, February 13, 2020 7:30 PM • Rudder Auditorium

A high-energy musical celebration of

A CHRI STMAS CA ROL Sunday, December 8, 2019 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM • Rudder Theatre Twenty-six iconic holiday tunes envelop this seasonal classic about Ebenezer Scrooge, the famous greedy businessman who lacks kindness, compassion and charity. But when a series of ghosts time-travel with the old Scrooge through his holiday memories, his dark past, present and future unfold right before his eyes. Charles Dickens’ tale is a heartwarming holiday favorite that shares the immortal story of redemption. Celebrate the magic and mystery of Christmas with this unforgettable visit to the theatre.