Every theater company in Northwest Arkansas has its own niche. And Ed McClure wants to make sure Arkansas Public Theatre hangs on to the one it has claimed.
In announcing Season 31 on Thursday, McClure reiterated that role, which he said "appears to have been working for us for the past three or four years: Fresh from Broadway, cutting-edge scripts that appeal to the demographic of Northwest Arkansas."
FYI
Arkansas Public Theatre
Season 31
Sept. 9-25 — “R0ck of Ages”: Five-time Tony nominated Broadway musical featuring the music of the hit bands Styx, Journey, Bon Jovi, Whitesnake, Poison and more. Aspiring rock star Drew longs to take the stage as the next big thing (and longs for small-town girl Sherri, fresh off the bus from Kansas with stars in her eyes). But the fairy tale is about to end when German developers sweep into town with plans to turn the fabled Sunset Strip into just another capitalist strip mall.
Nov. 4-13 — “Annapurna”: After 20 years apart, Emma tracks Ulysses to a trailer park in the middle of nowhere for a final reckoning. What unfolds is a visceral and profound meditation on love and loss with the simplest of theatrical elements: two people in one room.
Dec. 2-11 — “The Santaland Diaries” & “Season’s Greetings”: David Sedaris shares his holiday job as an elf. Overlapping “The Santaland Diaries” is “Season’s Greetings,” a funny, touching — and twisted — look at the annual Christmas letter.
Feb. 10-26 — “Young Frankenstein”: Grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein, Frederick Frankenstein (pronounced “Fronk-en-steen”) inherits his family’s estate in Transylvania. With the help of a hunchbacked side-kick, Igor (pronounced “Eye-gore”), and a leggy lab assistant, Inga (pronounced normally), Frederick finds himself in the mad scientist shoes of his ancestors.
March 31-April 9 — “Of Mice and Men”: Written by Nobel Prize in Literature winner John Steinbeck, the story of two drifters, George and his man-child friend Lenny, is an American classic.
May 12-21 — “Velocity of Autumn”: The story swirls around Alexandra, an 80-year-old artist in a showdown with her family over where she’ll spend her remaining years.
June 16-25 — “Dead Man’s Cell Phone”: An incessantly ringing cell phone in a quiet café. A stranger at the next table who has had enough. And a dead man — with a lot of loose ends. So begins “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” a wildly imaginative new comedy by Pulitzer Prize finalist Sarah Ruhl, author of “The Clean House” and “Eurydice.”
July 28-Aug. 13 — “The Wedding Singer”: It’s 1985 and rock-star wannabe Robbie Hart is New Jersey’s favorite wedding singer. He’s the life of the party, until his own fiancée leaves him at the altar. Shot through the heart, Robbie makes every wedding as disastrous as his own.
Season tickets are available ranging in price from $92 to $340.
INFO — 631-8988
"We're having pretty good success with this season, as we have had in seasons before it," he added. "We didn't need to try to reinvent the wheel."
In a year-end story, McClure said six months after the name change from Rogers Little Theatre to Arkansas Public Theatre in 2015, as much as 85 percent of the APT audience at any given performance is new.
"Our credit card reports tell us if you've ever used your credit card," the productions chairman said. "It's not scientific. But these are theoretically new credit cards never used at our place before.
"Even less scientific is just looking around and talking to folks who have been involved for awhile: 'Do you know any of these people?' We've seen a lot, a lot, a lot of brand new faces so far this season, which is the most exciting thing."
And, he added, although APT continues to have a "pretty wide demographic, the median age has gone down since the change. Our nighttime performances are clearly younger families and folks in their 30s, 40s and 50s."
The 31st season continues to reflect that audience's desires, with three musicals -- "Rock of Ages," "Young Frankenstein" and "The Wedding Singer"; one classic, "Of Mice and Men"; one hilarious holiday offering, David Sedaris' "The Santaland Diaries" paired with "Season's Greetings"; and three contemporary scripts, "Annapurna" by "The Other Place" author Sharr White, "Velocity of Autumn" by Eric Coble and Sarah Ruhl's "Dead Man's Cell Phone."
McClure said "Of Mice and Men" didn't just appear out of nowhere, "a nice revival just closed on Broadway. I think it will be an amazing production for us." And "Young Frankenstein" "is the show that men from age 40 to 60 are willing to come see. There's not a funnier movie in the world!" And "The Wedding Singer," like all of APT's summer musicals, "has a lot of younger people in it. And it's got an '80s vibe to it. That's a good age group to get in to the theater."
"I'm excited about the season," he said. "I know that sounds like a cliché answer. But it's true."
"APT is a great venue for Northwest Arkansas, and our theater brings people together regardless of our ethnicity, religion or age," agrees Thomas Karounos, incoming president of the APT Board. "We have a great talent pool of singers, actors, musicians and crew, and newcomers coming to see a show at APT are always surprised at the professionalism of each performance and the beauty of our theater.
"As an audience member, be prepared to laugh, cry, clap and think. APT is bringing some amazing musicals and plays in Season 31."
NAN What's Up on 01/22/2016