JONESBOROUGH, TN - Jonesborough Repertory Theatre announces its 2013-14 season, beginning in August with the hit Broadway Musical Shrek, and ending in July 2014 with the Theatre's own 1940's USO Show.
Shrek the Musical, based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film, brings the hilarious story of everyone's favorite ogre to life on stage. In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won't shut up, a villain with a short temper, a cookie with an attitude and more than a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. The production will run Aug. 22 through Sept. 15 with school performances on Sept. 4 and 11.
Adding magic and wonder to Jonesborough's Halloween activities, JRT will present Rumpelstiltskin/Rapunzel. These two one act plays combine into a thrilling trip for all ages. The strong narrative leads from the longing of a man and his wife for a child to their harsh bargain with a witch who takes the child away to an enchanted tower. Then, set in the highlands of Medieval Scotland, this fun, bright play for children, comes to life with suggested folk songs, creative staging, and audience participation. Rumpelstiltskin/ Rapunzel runs Oct. 25 through Nov. 3 with school performances on Oct 30.
In the spirit of the holidays, the 1940s Christmas Carol by Samuel Frenchwill grace the stage of JRT running Dec. 5 through 20. It's Christmas Eve 1943, and the Feddington Players are broadcasting from a hole-in-the-wall studio in Newark, N.J. Whether it's the noisy plumbing, missed cues, electrical blackouts or the over-the-top theatrics of a veteran actor, this musical features swing arrangements of many Christmas standards. School performances will take place Dec. 16.
Just in time for Valentine's Day, Smoky Joe's Café returns to the JRT stage Jan. 31 through Feb. 16, 2014. This musical revue by songwriters Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller is the longest running musical in Broadway history. Smokey Joe's Cafe features some of the best songs from the '50s and '60s including "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," "Kansas City" and "Spanish Harlem" along with stellar dance numbers and hilarious routines.
Fans of Rudyard Kipling will be thrilled, as The Jungle Book comes alive on stage March 21 through 30, 2014. One of literature's most enduring classics is brought to life in this exciting adventure of an Indian boy raised by caring wolves, befriended by a panther and a bear, and threatened by an evil tiger. Follow young Rudyard Kipling, who is sent from his home in Bombay to a British boarding school where he encounters his own jungle. School performances will take place on March 24.
The Secret Garden, based on the book by Frances Hodgson Burnett debuts in May with a story about Mary and Colin, whose natures have been badly warped, as they thrive with the discovery that selflessness opens a secret door to happiness. They are encouraged by a warmhearted Yorkshire maid and her brother, who understand the language of birds, animals and flowers. The production will run May 2 through 11, 2014 with school performances April 29 and 30.
Local favorite, Good Evening by Samuel French concludes the month of May with comedy involving some unlikely subjects, such as a one legged actor applying for the role of Tarzan, an in-depth interview with an unimpressed shepherd who witnessed the Nativity, and a French singer who misunderstands an Anglo Saxon vulgarity and composes a song around it. The production will run May 16 through 25, 2014.
The season's finale and the theatre's most popular annual production returns July 3 through 13, 2014. The 1940s USO Show created by JRT's Jennifer Schmidt fills the stage with dance and laughter with classics such as Over There, Swing on a Star, Count Your Blessings; Choo, Choo, Ca Boogie and Remember Pearl Harbor all staged as a 1940s radio show.
Season subscriptions are available by calling the Historic Jonesborough Visitors Center at 423-753-1010 or online a twww.jonesboroughtheatre.com. The prices are $84 for general season passes and $72 for students and seniors. 2013-2014 season subscriptions will go on sale July 14, 2013.
Tickets to the theatre's shows are $14 general admission and $12 for students and seniors.
