The Colony Theatre Company has announced its 2010 - 2011 season of shows. In this, its tenth anniversary year in its beautiful home in Burbank, the multi-Ovation Award-winning theatre company brings its subscribers and audiences on five extraordinary and magical theatrical experiences, beginning with two women who find that they might just need each other more than they know; to the true story of one of the first freed slaves to ever graduate from an American university; from a beautiful witch who finds be-witching might lead her to lose her powers; to the fictionalized behind-the-scenes drama of one of the greatest movies of all time and to wrap up the season, they're gonna celebrate with an "all night" musical sensation!
The 2010/2011 Colony Theatre Company Season:
Grace & Glorie
Written by Tom Ziegler
June 12 - July 18, 2010 (Previews June 9 - 11)
Grace is a feisty illiterate 90-year-old who has checked herself out of the hospital and returned to her ramshackle cottage in the mountains of Virginia. Enter Gloria, a transplanted New Yorker with a Harvard MBA, now volunteering as a hospice caregiver. Which one do you think needs saving? At first, cultures and generations hilariously collide, but over time they realize they have more in common than they ever could have imagined. A celebration of the strength and resiliency of women at every age, Grace & Glorie is a poignant comedy about love, loss, and the search for meaning in all of our lives.
Free Man Of Color
Written by Charles Smith
August 14 - September 12, 2010 (Previews August 11 - 13)
A stirring drama about one of the first freed slaves to graduate from an American university - and he did it almost 40 years before the Emancipation Proclamation. Based on a true story, Free Man of Color explores the life of John Newton Templeton, a fascinating but forgotten figure in our history. A young African-American scholar, he learns in the course of the play that with freedom comes great responsibility and that his future is not as obvious as the color of his skin. Winner of the Joseph Jefferson Award for Outstanding New Work in Chicago, Free Man of Color speaks to the humanity in us all and reminds us that true freedom is derived not from the law but from determining our own destiny.
Bell, Book And Candle
Written by John van Druten
October 23 - November 21, 2010 (Previews October 20 - 22)
Before there was Bewitched, before Wicked and Harry Potter, there was Bell, Book and Candle. Gillian is a beautiful witch living in 1950s New York City who is smitten with her handsome upstairs neighbor. She casts a little spell, and he is immediately and completely captivated by her. But Gillian must be careful - if she falls in love with him, she could lose her magical powers forever. Will she be undone by her own mischief? A frothy and spellbinding romantic comedy, Bell, Book and Candle shows that love might be the most bewitching spell of all.
Moonlight And Magnolias
Written by Ron Hutchinson
February 5 - March 6, 2011 (Previews February 2-4)
Hollywood 1939. Famed producer David O. Selznick is three weeks into filming his latest historical epic, Gone With The Wind, but the screenplay just isn't working. He hires script doctor Ben Hecht to rewrite the script in five days - but Hecht has never read the book. What's a mogul to do? Selznick pulls director Victor Fleming from The Wizard of Oz and with Hecht, the three men spend five days locked in the producer's office re-enacting Margaret Mitchell's bestseller to craft a screenplay that will become one of the most successful films of all time. Inspired by true events, Moonlight and Magnolias is a wildly funny and winning story that illuminates the behind-the-scenes business of movie-making - and the larger-than-life egos - during the golden age of Hollywood.
The All Night Strut!
Conceived by Fran Charnas
April 2 - May 1, 2011 (Previews March 30 - April 1)
A classy, sassy musical celebration that carries us through the Depression, World War II, and the postwar boom. From the funky jive of Harlem to the sophisticated elegance of El Morocco and the romance of the Stage Door Canteen, this international hit sings, soars, and struts with its sublime, timeless music and sheer energy with songs that tug the heart, tickle the funny bone, and raise the rafters. Songs include In The Mood, Fascinating Rhythm, As Time Goes By, Chattanooga Choo Choo, Ain't Misbehavin', and more, by such legendary composers as Hoagy Carmichael, Frank Loesser, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Jerome Kern, Cab Calloway, and George Gershwin.
The Colony Theatre Company is a 35-year-old organization dedicated to bringing the finest quality theatrical productions to Los Angeles. The theatre is located at 555 North Third Street, at the corner of Cypress, in the heart of the Burbank Media Center. For further information, call 818-558-700 or visit their website at www.colonytheatre.org.