LA CAGE AUX FOLLES & More announced for the 2022/2023 season of Studio Theater Tierra del Sol

In Season 7 of The Studio, for the first time, their four productions are set in the past. Although these are contemporary works, the settings span from the turn of the 19th century to the 1980s. Many of the conflicts in these pieces parallel the modern issues we still face today. Each story centers on characters who demand to be seen and understood for who they are. In each piece, a person bravely declares their identity to an unknown community. Along the way, the curtains are pulled back, secrets are unveiled and discoveries are made. Join us as we follow their journeys of independence and acceptance. As our musical La Cage Aux Folles proclaims, “Life is worth nothing until you can say I am what I am.” I am delighted to present season 7 at the Studio:

I am what I am. -Whitney Morse, Artistic Director-

SEASON SEVEN ANNOUNCEMENT:

IN THE NEXT ROOM, WHERE THE VIBRATOR PLAYS

A hysterical comedy about marriage, intimacy and medicine. Cheek By Sarah Rühl

In the Next Room, or the vibrator play is a hysterical comedy about marriage, intimacy and medicine. In 1880, at the dawn of electricity, Dr. Givings invented an amazing new device to treat “hysteria” in women (and some men): the vibrator. This treatment, administered in his private practice at home, consists of draining “emotional excess” by inducing a paroxysm. In the next room, his energetic young wife, Catherine, wonders how her husband helps his patients while she tries to care for their newborn daughter. When a “hysterical” new patient and her husband bring their own complicated relationship and nanny to the doctor, the Givings couple must come to terms with the nature of their own marriage and what it really means to love someone. With a revolving door of fun characters, In the Next Room is never campy or grim. This quietly sultry comedy shares the heartbreak, humor and humanity of our closest relationships.

DATES: Preview: September 27-29, 2022 | Opening: 30-9-22 | Closing: 22-10-22
Tickets: $15 for previews | $35 for performances

THE CHINESE LADY

The true story of the first Chinese woman in America. Cheek By Lloyd Suh

“Hello, my name is Afong Moy; I came to America in 1834, when I was fourteen…”

Brought to the United States from the province of Guangzhou, China, Afong Moy is presented as the first Chinese woman to have set foot on American soil. Although Afong thinks she is an ambassador of Chinese culture, she is actually a side exhibit. Spanning half a century, this two-person piece depicts his daily life as a traveling museum attraction. She performs in front of a paying audience showing them how she eats, what she wears and the highlight of the event: how she walks with her feet bound. Over the decades, his famous side show has come to define and challenge his very sense of identity. The Chinese Lady by Lloyd Suh is a poetic and whimsical piece inspired by the true story of Afong Moy’s life.

DATES: Preview: 15-17 November 2022 | Opening: 18-11-22 | Closing: 17-12-22

Tickets: $15 for previews | $35 for performances

THE CAGE AUX FOLLES

The hilarious award-winning musical that inspired the movie The Birdcage!

Music and lyrics by Jerry Herman and book by Harvey Fierstein

Gender, identity, homosexuality, gay love, child/parental expectations, trying to change people to fit our comfort level, aging, history. Welcome to La Cages Aux Folles, the Pride of Saint Tropez, the Envy of the World of Cabaret, the Jewel of the Riviera. This dazzling nightclub is run by Georges and stars his partner Albin as the queen of drag herself, “Zaza”. Hijinx ensue when Georges’ son, Jean-Michel, brings home his fiancee’s disapproving parents. With a hilarious supporting cast, sparkling musical numbers and glitzy dancing, these birds of a feather come together. This wacky adventure from Jerry Herman and Harvey Fierstein won 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and features the hit songs ‘I am What I am’ and ‘The Best of Times’. This Broadway stunner who inspired The Birdcage is incredibly funny and endlessly heartwarming.

DATES: Preview: 31 January-2 February 2023 | Opening: 2-3-23 | Closing: 3-4-23
Tickets: $20 for previews | $40 for performances

THOSE BRILLIANT LIVES

Based on the true story of the spirited women who worked at the Radium Dial Company. play by Melanie Marnich

In 1922, Catherine joined Charlotte, Frances and Pearl to work at the Radium Dial Company in Ottawa, Illinois. They are hired to paint watch faces that glow in the dark with the newly discovered element, radium. The company pays by the watch, encouraging them to be as efficient as possible while ignoring potential risks. Over the next decade, mysterious problems arise that threaten their health. Bonded by years of friendship, they decide to fight against the society that has kept them in the dark about the real risks of working with radioactive material. Based on the true story of the “Radium Girls”, These Shining Lives shares their spirit, energy and verve. Moving but never mournful, this beautiful, imaginative piece tells their story of perseverance, friendship and justice that inspired lasting change.

DATES: Preview: March 28-30, 2023 | Opening: 31-03-23 ​​| Closing: 29-4-23
Tickets: $15 for previews | $35 for performances

ABOUT STUDIO THEATER:

The Studio Theater is an extension of the Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center, located in the town square of Spanish Springs in The Villages community. The Studio Theater is led by producer Jason Goedken and artistic director Whitney Morse. resident director, Nathaniel Niemi; resident musical director, Gary Powell; Scenic Designer, Kenneth Constant; Property Design, Joshua E. Gallagher; sound designer, Nick Erickson; production manager, Danielle Paccione; technical director, Clayton Becker; company director, Ryan Loeckel; Literary Manager, Rachel Whittington; assistant production manager, Leslie Munson; Production Stage Manager, Grace Zottig; stage manager, Madison Youngblood; Assistant manager, Stéphanie Horn; house manager, Alec Speers; production engineer, Jessica Kearny; chief electrician, Mason Shell; and chief carpenter, Alison Scharvella.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

For each performance, the doors open thirty minutes before the curtain. All dates and parts are subject to change. More information about The Studio Theater‘The seventh season is available online: www.TheSharonStudio.com.

FOR SEASON SEVEN TICKETS:

May 17 – Start of subscription renewals

May 17 – Summer Song Cycle: It’s Only Life goes on sale

May 31 – New subscriptions will go on sale | New season passes are $130

May 31 – Individual tickets go on sale

The Studio Theater’s mission is to inspire Central Florida residents to examine relevant issues by elevating them through innovative and intimate storytelling. Think outside the box, inside the box.