News: (Winnipeg) Royal MTC announces 2014-15 season (Press release)

ROYAL MTC LAUNCHES 2014-2015 SEASON

Cabaret, The Heart of Robin Hood, Private Lives among stories that are set to delight and transform audiences   

WINNIPEG, FEBRUARY 28, 2014 - From the high-flying action of Robin Hood and his merry men to the exhilarating underworld of a cabaret, the ROYAL MTC (MANITOBA THEATRE CENTRE) is delighted to offer an unforgettable season full of passionate characters, searing drama and thrilling adventure at the John Hirsch Mainstage and the Tom Hendry Warehouse for its 2014-15 season.

“At the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre this season, storytellers will delight and transform you. Robin Hood’s merry men will swing from our rafters, audiences will be drawn into the seductive hedonistic dream of pre-war Berlin cabaret, a legendary actress will ensnare Sherlock Holmes with a necklace crafted from Britain’s crown jewels, and a great blues singer will shimmy her way over to our Warehouse for an intimate and intoxicating evening of music,” said Artistic Director Steven Schipper. “Each play will help us to discover, like Robin Hood, that life’s riches are to be shared.” 

THE JOHN HIRSCH MAINSTAGE

SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CASE OF THE JERSEY LILY
BY KATIE FORGETTE
October 2-25, 2014 | Preview October 1

"Holmes has 'lock' on comedy..." – The Star Tribune

Threatened with blackmail over private correspondence with the Prince of Wales, stage darling Lily Langtry turns to ingenious detective Sherlock Holmes to get them back. With the nation’s most precious jewels and the reputation of the monarchy at stake, Holmes must engage in a battle of wits with a former nemesis to solve the case. With a cast of characters featuring the trusty Dr. Watson and ostentatious playwright Oscar Wilde, this comedic adventure stands out as an entertaining mash-up of fact and fiction.

THE HEART OF ROBIN HOOD
BY DAVID FARR
MUSIC BY POOR OLD SHINE
LYRICS BY POOR OLD SHINE AND DAVID FARR
DIRECTED BY GISLI ÖRN GARDARSSON
A CO-PRODUCTION WITH DAVID MIRVISH AND BARRY AND FRAN WEISSLER
November 13 – December 6, 2014 | Preview November 12

“By the time of its final glorious romantic tableau, it will be a rare theatergoer who’s not won over” – The Boston Globe

In a fresh twist on the famous English legend, Robin and his merry men don’t steal from the rich and give to the poor – they keep it for themselves. When Prince John threatens the kingdom, it’s up to Marion to defend the poor and turn Robin from an outlaw into a protector of the people. With high-flying adventure and exciting fight choreography, this epic romance is a smashing new treatment of an oft-told tale. 

CABARET
BOOK BY JOE MASTEROFF
BASED ON THE PLAY BY JOHN VAN DRUTEN AND STORIES BY CHRISTOPHER ISHERWOOD
MUSIC BY JOHN KANDER, LYRICS BY FRED EBB
BROADWAY PRODUCTION DIRECTED BY HAROLD PRINCE
PRODUCED FOR THE BROADWAY STAGE BY HAROLD PRINCE
January 8 – 31, 2015 | Preview January 7

"...the action shakes with naughty excitement." – The Star Tribune

When aspiring American novelist Clifford Bradshaw journeys to Berlin to kick-start his flagging novel, he’s drawn into the sensuous and exhilarating underworld of cabaret. His writing falls by the wayside, and Clifford begins a whirlwind romance with a vivacious club dancer. Their carefree lives are soon threatened by the gathering darkness of pre-war Germany. Sexy and electrifying, Cabaret is a once-in-a-lifetime theatre experience.

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE
BY CHRISTOPHER DURANG
A CO-PRODUCTION WITH MIRVISH PRODUCTIONS
February 12 – March 7, 2015 | Preview February 11

"Hilarious! A great leap of imagination!" – Variety 

Siblings Vanya and Sonia are left with little but each other after sacrificing their adult lives to care for their ailing parents. But when their sister Masha, an aging actress, arrives with unsettling news and her twenty-something boy toy Spike in tow, their static lives are thrown for a loop. In one of the hottest shows on Broadway that brought home a Tony award for Best Play, Christopher Durang proves that misery loves comedy. 

THE WOMAN IN BLACK
BY STEPHEN MALLATRATT
BASED ON THE NOVEL BY SUSAN HILL
March 19 – April 11, 2015 | Preview March 18

‘The most brilliantly effective spine chiller you will ever encounter…if you haven’t seen this show yet you are missing a treat’- The Daily Telegraph

A young lawyer in Edwardian England is hired to oversee the sale of a remote country estate, and finds himself embroiled in a tragic mystery that has been haunting the property for years. Decades later, he engages an emerging actor to recount the tale in an effort to exorcise the demons of his past. Spine chilling and heart pumping, The Woman in Black has been lauded as one of the scariest stories to ever hit the stage. 

CLEVER LITTLE LIES
BY JOE DIPIETRO
April 23 – May 16, 2015 | Preview April 22

"An exceptional new play...a completely entertaining theatrical experience.” – Broadway World

Overwhelmed by the stresses of work and a new baby, Billy cracks under the pressure and makes an alarming confession to his father. Sensing trouble, his intuitive mother Alice invites the whole family over in an attempt to intervene. In this fast and funny look at the lives of a family with abundant secrets, a mother’s bravery prompts an unexpected revelation that could change everything. 

THE TOM HENDRY WAREHOUSE

ARMSTRONG’S WAR
BY COLLEEN MURPHY
October 30 – November 15, 2014 | Preview October 29

"Funny, thought-provoking, heartfelt" – The Vancouver Sun

Corporal Michael Armstrong is recuperating in a rehab hospital when he’s ambushed by an optimistic 12-year-old Girl Guide in a wheelchair. Halley’s mission is to earn her Community Service badge by reading to a wounded soldier. In spite of himself, Michael becomes engaged in their sessions. When he gets up the courage to share an explosive story from his time in Afghanistan, the unlikely allies show each other how to stand tall.

THE DEVIL’S MUSIC: THE LIFE AND BLUES OF BESSIE SMITH
BY ANGELO PARRA
December 4 – 20, 2014 | Preview December 3

“The defiant energy and musical brilliance of ‘the Empress’ shines through in this affectionate portrayal” – The Wall Street Journal

Bessie Smith was a powerhouse in her day, earning her the title Empress of the Blues. She recorded with Louis Armstrong and toured in her own railroad car. And tonight, she’s centre stage in all her bawdy, boozy and bewitching glory. The Devil’s Musicsizzles with Bessie’s famous songs, including “I Ain’t Got Nobody,” “St. Louis Blues,” “Baby Doll” and “Tain’t Nobody’s Bizness If I Do.” Miche Braden (Mammy from Gone With the Wind) returns to Royal MTC as the hot and hungry momma with the bad luck soul. 

PRIVATE LIVES
BY NOËL COWARD
January 29 – February 14, 2015 | Preview January 28

“Eternally chic, eternally funny” – New York Times

In Noël Coward’s sparkling comedy, the happily divorced Elyot and his new bride inadvertently choose to spend their honeymoon in the suite adjoining his ex-wife Amanda and her new husband. As the old flame is rekindled, so is the venom that extinguished it in the first place. As only he can, Noël Coward creates characters whose sophistication, style and wit mask a delicious wickedness. Private Lives kicks off CowardFest, the 15th Annual Master Playwright Festival.

LATE COMPANY
BY JORDAN TANNAHILL
March 5 – 21, 2015 | Preview March 4

"...a powerfully polarizing script. There is humour and heartbreak in equal parts" – The Grid TO

A tragedy has shattered the lives of two families. In a gesture of reconciliation, they sit down to dinner. Before they can even get to dessert, the angry shards of guilt and grief tear away at their best intentions. As both couples navigate a minefield of political, sexual and parental hypocrisy, the road to closure seems miles away. Can they pick up the pieces and find their way to forgiveness?

SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR THE BEST SEATS AND SAVINGS!

Subscription packages for the 2014-15 season start at $115, and current Royal MTC subscribers can begin renewing their seats starting April 5, 2014 by calling the Royal MTC Box Office at 204-942-6537 (toll-free at 1-877-446-4500) in person at 174 Market Avenue, or online. 

Subscription benefits at Royal MTC include a substantial savings over single ticket prices, dining and retail discounts in the theatre district, and easy monthly installment plans.

For more information on subscriptions and subscriber benefits, visit our website at www.mtc.mb.ca.