Arvada Center Announces 2008/2009 Theater Season

ARVADA, CO – The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities announces its upcoming theater season, featuring five amazing Tony Award®-winning shows, one not to be missed holiday classic and the largest musical to ever be produced at the Arvada Center. It truly is a blockbuster season and we are incredibly excited about it, as well as all of our theater packages. We are offering the best and most worthwhile subscriber benefits in recent history. Be a part of this extraordinary season and subscribe today.

After 16 amazing years on Broadway, Les Miserables makes its way to the Arvada Center's main stage. This Tony Award®-winning musical is an epic saga of one man's escape from social injustice. After Jean Valjean's parole from prison for stealing a loaf of bread to feed his family, he is haunted by a constant cloud of suspicion and distrust. Les Miserables, a musical of love, courage and redemption, is truly an inspirational journey. The largest production to ever grace the Arvada Center stage is a must see.

 
Hollywood Arms
October 21 – November 23
Black Box
Directed by Terry Dodd
Written by Carrie Hamilton & Carol Burnett
Previews Oct 17 – 19

Co-written by the late Carrie Hamilton and her mother Carol Burnett, Hollywood Arms, the Tony Award®-winning dramedy set in 1940's Hollywood, chronicles a cast of characters based on Burnett's memoir. The story portrays her real-life relatives—a hypochondriac, six-time-married grandmother; a beautiful, yet troubled mother; a part-time father; and Helen, Burnett's stage alter-ego. Both poignant and hilarious, Hollywood Arms is a glimpse into the first moments when one of the funniest women in American entertainment history became a star.

 
A Wonderful Life
November 25 - December 28
Main Stage
Directed by Bev Necomb-Madden
Adapted from the Frank Capra film It's a Wonderful Life
Book & Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick & Music by Joe Raposo
Previews Nov 21 – 23

 Based on the classic holiday movie starring Jimmy Stewart, A Wonderful Life is a joyful musical adaptation of this sentimental favorite. George Bailey, a small town banker, tired from the struggles of life and at his lowest of lows, is rescued on Christmas Eve by Clarence, his guardian angel. A Wonderful Life is the perfect holiday reminder of just how important our loved ones are—and how important we are to them.

 
The Crucible
February 3 – March 8
Black Box
Written by Arthur Miller
Previews Jan 30 – Feb 1

Arthur Miller's Tony Award®-winning classic The Crucible examines the dangers that result when people believe that they possess the absolute truth. This gripping historically-based drama is also a chilling parable of modern society. Set during the Salem witch trials, the story focuses on a young farmer, his wife and a teenage servant-girl who maliciously accuses the wife of witchcraft. This spark of vengeance ignites a raging fire of bigotry and paranoia which threatens to consume the entire community.

 
Evita
April 21 – May 17
Main Stage
Directed by Rod A. Lansberry
Lyrics by Tim Rice & Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Previews April 17 – 19

Andrew Lloyd Webber's music swoons in heartfelt fashion in Evita—a larger-than-life modern musical that audiences worldwide adore. This Tony Award®-winning masterpiece is about the beautiful and charismatic Eva Perón and her rise from the poor slums of Argentina to a powerfully influential leading lady in world politics. It is an awe-inspiring story told through song—Don't Cry for Me Argentina, You Must Love Me and She Is a Diamond. Evita is a glamorous, powerful and fiery account of the world's first major political celebrity.

 
Big River
July 14 – August 9
Main Stage
Music & Lyrics by Roger Miller
Book by William Hauptman
Adapted from the novel by Mark Twain
Previews July 10 – 12

Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, based on one of Mark Twain's greatest creations, tells a tale of adventure and self-discovery. This timeless Tony Award®-winning play begins aboard a raft on the Mississippi River in the 1840's, where Huck, escaping from a drunken father, meets up with Jim, a runaway slave, for an amazing downstream journey. Get swept away by this heartwarming slice of musical Americana, a treat for the entire family.

 
The Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities is one of the metro area's largest cultural attractions, devoted to all aspects of the arts and generously supported by the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). For more information about the Center and our 2008/2009 Theater Season, call the Arvada Center box office at (720) 898-7200 or visit arvadacenter.org.

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