Season 3 – 2014

ABOUT TARZAN

Opened: December 5, 2013
Closed: December 14, 2013
Location: Emmett Hook Center

Based on Disney’s epic animated musical adventure and Edgar Rice Burrough’s Tarzan of the Apes, Stage Center presents TARZAN in an original production featuring heart-pumping music by rock legend Phil Collins and a book by Tony Award-winning playwright, David Henry Hwang. You’ll be wowed by high-flying excitement and hits like “You’ll Be in My Heart,” “Son of Man” and “Two Worlds.” TARZAN tells the story of an infant boy orphaned on the shores of West Africa. Taken in and raised by a tribe of gorillas, the young boy strives for acceptance by his ape father while grappling with his uniqueness. When a human expedition enters their territory, Tarzan – now a man – encounters strangers like himself for the first time.

Music & Lyrics | PHIL COLLINS
Book | DAVID HENRY HWANG
Based on the story Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Disney film Tarzan.

ABOUT OU SONG & DANCE CO.

Performed: May 4, 2014
Location: Marjorie Lyons Playhouse

Stage Center partnered with the Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theater at the University of Oklahoma to bring “The Oklahoma Song & Dance Company” to NW Louisiana. The event was sponsored by Steve & Jackie Pugh as a fundraiser for Stage Center’s School of Performing Arts. Stage Center’s artistic director, Jared Watson, hold his BFA from the Weitzenhoffer School, conferred in 2004. “The Oklahoma Song & Dance Company” is a 12 person, undergraduate musical theatre, song and dance ensemble featuring vocals by Hugh Martin (“Meet Me in St. Louis”) and dances from the swing era.

Choreography | LYN CRAMER
Musical Direction | PAUL CHRISTMAN

ABOUT RAGTIME

Opened: May 22, 2014
Closed: May 31, 2014
Location: Emmett Hook Center

WINNER OF 4 TONY AWARDS, including BEST BOOK and BEST SCORE. Called by Time Magazine “A triumph for the stage,” and by the International Herald Tribune “the best musical in twenty years,” this acclaimed musical is the winner of 4 TONY AWARDS, including BEST BOOK and BEST SCORE. RAGTIME is not just a powerful portrait of life in turn-of-the-century America, it is the epic tale of three families caught in the cross currents of a changing century and the conflicts of the American dream. Based on E.L. Doctorow’s distinguished novel, the musical confronts history’s timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and what it means to live in America.

Music | STEPHEN FLAHERTY
Lyrics | LYNN AHRENS
Book | TERRENCE McNALLY
Based on the novel “RAGTIME” By E.L. Doctorow

ABOUT A CHORUS LINE

Opened: July 24, 2014
Closed: August 2, 2014
Location: Marjorie Lyons Playhouse

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR DRAMA 
WINNER OF 9 TONY AWARDS, including BEST MUSICAL, BEST BOOK, & BEST SCORE
Based on true stories, A CHORUS LINE revolutionized Broadway, becoming the longest running musical in history in 1983 with over 6,000 performances. Auditions are underway for a new Broadway musical. For everyone present, it’s the chance of a lifetime. It’s the one opportunity to do what they’ve always dreamed of – to have the chance to dance. Told through captivating song, riveting drama and stunning choreography, the auditionees describe the events that have shaped their lives and their decisions to become dancers. Boasting such classics as ‘One (Singular Sensation)’, ‘What I Did For Love’ and ‘At The Ballet’, A Chorus Line is an iconic musical masterpiece that should not be missed.

Music | MARVIN HAMLISCH
Lyrics | EDWARD KLEBAN
Book | JAMES KIRKWOOD & NICHOLAS DANTE

ABOUT NOISES OFF

Opened: October 9, 2014
Closed: October 18, 2014
Location: Emmett Hook Center

Since its debut in 1982, Noises Off has become one of the most-produced comedies of all time. Frank Rich of the New York times called it “the funniest play written in my lifetime.” This side-splitting farce is about a third-rate theatre company performing a touring production of a pointless comedy called “Nothing On.”  Their neurotic personalities, fractured relationships, and backstage misbehavior combine to create an evening of absolute mayhem and constant laughter.

Written | MICHAEL FRAYN

ABOUT A CHRISTMAS STORY

Opened: November 26, 2014
Closed: November 30, 2014
Location: Emmett Hook Center

2013 Tony® Award Nominee BEST MUSICAL BEST BOOK  BEST SCORE
Based on the classic 1983 holiday movie, A CHRISTMAS STORY THE MUSICAL follows nine-year-old Ralphie Parker, a daydreamer from Indiana who spends his days counting down to the most exciting day in any kid’s life: Christmas. All he wants is an official Red Ryder Carbine-Action 200-shot Range Model Air Rifle, but as his parents and teachers warn him, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” A CHRISTMAS STORY THE MUSICAL chart’s Ralphie’s desperate quest to ensure that his perfect gift ends up under the tree on Christmas morning, and includes all of the movie’s best-loved moments, such as the Old Man’s leg-shaped lamp, the tongue-on-a-flagpole scene, the bunny suit, the Santa slide and all of Ralphie’s extravagant daydreams. The show is a big Broadway musical, complete with dazzling dance numbers, gorgeous sets and an incredibly talented cast of youngsters who play Ralphie and his classmates.

Music & Lyrics | BENJ PASEK & JUSTIN PAUL
Book | JOSEPH ROBINETTE
Based on the motion picture “A Christmas Story” ©1983 Turner Entertainment Co.
Distributed by Warner Bros., written by Jean Shepherd, Leigh Brown, & Bob Clark
and the book “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash” by Jean Shepherd