The Bushnell Announces Its Fun-Filled 2009-2010 Season!
From Broadway and Comedy to Concerts and Children’s Theater The Bushnell has something for the whole family!
Tickets go on sale Monday, August 24 at 10:00 a.m.
August 6, 2009 – HARTFORD, CT – The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts is pleased to announce its line-up for the 2009-2010 season featuring some of Broadway’s biggest blockbusters, side-splitting comedy, family entertainment, and much more.
Tickets for previously announced shows – Rhythm and Passion, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, Runt of the Litter, Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder, Dixie’s Tupperware Party, August: Osage County, and 2009-2010 Broadway Series subscription packages – are on sale now.
Tickets to the shows listed below will go on sale Monday, August 24, 2009 at 10 a.m.
Tickets can be purchased in-person at The Bushnell Box Office, located at 166 Capitol Avenue in Hartford, by calling The Bushnell Box Office at 860-987-5900 or online at www.bushnell.org. Group leaders may order tickets by calling 860-987-5959 or by emailing groups@bushnell.org.
THE HARTFORD FINANCIAL SERVICES GROUP BROADWAY SERIES
Christmas with the Rat Pack – Live at The Sands
December 15-20, 2009
Mortensen Hall
Beat the winter blues with the holiday version of The Rat Pack Live at The Sands, especially created to heat things up for the coolest kind of holiday cheer. This spectacular show celebrates the incredible talent of three of the world’s most famous entertainers, singing some of the finest music ever recorded. Drift back to a glamorous era with Frank, Sammy & Dean, a live 15-piece big band and the fabulous Burelli Sisters.
Tickets starting at: $15.00
In The Heights
January 5-10, 2010
Mortensen Hall
In The Heights, winner of four 2008 Tony Awards® including BEST MUSICAL, is a sensational new show about chasing your dreams and finding your true home. In The Heights is an exhilarating journey into a vibrant Manhattan community – a place where the coffee is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. Experience the next chapter of the classic American story…In The Heights.
Tickets starting at: $15.00
Spring Awakening
February 23-28, 2010
Mortensen Hall
Broadway’s most talked about new musical is now the biggest Tony Award® winner in years. Spring Awakening is the groundbreaking fusion of morality, sexuality and rock & roll that has awakened Broadway like no other musical in years. Winner of 8 Tony Awards® including BEST MUSICAL, Spring Awakening celebrates the unforgettable journey from youth to adulthood with a power, a poignancy and a passion you will never forget. We agree with The New York Times: “Broadway may never be the same again!” “A groundbreaking jolt of genius.” – Clive Barnes, NY Post
Contains sexual situations, brief nudity and mature themes.
Tickets starting at: $15.00
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s SOUTH PACIFIC
April 20-25, 2010
Mortensen Hall
“Simply wonderful! Beguiling theatrical magic!” hails the New York Post for the breathtaking new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific. A stunning reinvention produced by Lincoln Center Theater, South Pacific swept the 2008 Tony Awards®, winning seven honors including Best Musical Revival and Best Director for Bartlett Sher. Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. The beloved score’s songs include “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair,” “This Nearly Was Mine” and “There’s Nothin’ Like a Dame.” USA Today cheers, “Gorgeous! South Pacific doesn’t just float; it soars!”
Tickets starting at: $15.00
Porgy and Bess
June 8-13, 2010
Mortensen Hall
Porgy and Bess is recognized as an American masterpiece, with a story that intertwines pride, prejudice, pathos and passion through a jazz and blues influenced score. Originally billed as a “Folk Opera,” Porgy and Bess introduced classic Gershwin songs including “Summertime,” “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin’” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” as well as magnificent and enthralling choruses that stunned music and drama critics alike at its premiere in 1935.
Tickets starting at: $15.00
BROADWAY ENCORE PRESENTATIONS
MAMMA MIA!
December 1-6, 2009
Mortensen Hall
MAMMA MIA! is the ultimate feel-good show that has audiences coming back again and again to relive the thrill. Now it’s your turn to have the time of your life at this smash-hit musical that combines ABBA’s greatest hits, including “Dancing Queen,” “S.O.S.,” “Super Trouper,” “Take A Chance on Me” and “The Winner Takes It All,” with an enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship. Whether it’s your first visit or your fourteenth, see the show that has the whole world coming back for more, because every time feels like the first time at MAMMA MIA!
Tickets starting at: $25.00
COMEDY AT THE BUSHNELL
Ha! Ha! Hartford! sponsored by United Technologies Corporation
Friday nights at 8:30 p.m.
November, 20, 2009; January 29, 2010; March 26, 2010; April 30, 2010
He’s back! 96.5 TIC-FM’s irrepressible Damon Scott is back for his eighth season as host of The Bushnell’s homegrown comedy series. Comedians to be announced. Check www.bushnell.org for updates. May contain adult subject matter.
Tickets starting at: $18.00
ROBINSON & COLE FAMILY SERIES
Letters Home
September 29, 2009
7:00 p.m.
Belding Theater
War letters are, by their nature, intensely emotional, heartfelt and honest. While making no political statement, this eloquent production reveals a poignant and powerful oral history of the American soldier currently fighting the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Appropriate for teens age 14 and up.
Tickets starting at: $20.00
The Nutmeg Ballet’s Nutcracker
December 19 & 20, 2009
Belding Theater
Enjoy yourself this yuletide season as you travel with young Clara to the enchanted Land of Sweets. Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts/Nutmeg Ballet brings Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker back to The Bushnell, delighting audiences young and old. This holiday favorite brings to life toy soldiers and dueling mice, princesses and sugarplums – a delicious treat for the child in all of us.
Tickets starting at: $27.50
Most Valuable Player: Jackie Robinson
April 6, 2010
7:00 p.m.
Belding Theater
Ebbet’s Field, Brooklyn, New York, 1947. Before a crowd of 26,623 Americans, an African-American baseball player suits up in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform and takes second base. On that day, despite hisses, walkouts and even death threats, Jackie Robinson heroically breaks the “color” barrier for the National Baseball League and forever changes the world of sports!
Tickets starting at: $10.00 for children and $18.00 for adults
SHOWCASE SERIES SUPPORTED BY BANK OF AMERICA
A Kenny G Holiday
December 13, 2009
7:00 p.m.
Mortensen Hall
With each new recording, Kenny G begins from a personal place— the sounds that move him. It brings him great joy to introduce new material to a live audience. For the past twenty years he has been a fixture in arenas, amphitheaters and concert halls and has performed for millions of people all over the world. When pressed about his theory as to why he has been so successful, Kenny offers, “I think my music gives people the opportunity to listen to their own thoughts. Tap into their imaginations. Create their own stories to songs without the limitation of words... plus it’s a really beautiful instrument.”
Tickets starting at: $35.00
SPECIAL EVENTS
My First Time
February 6 & 7, 2010
Belding Theater
Was your First Time awkward or did it feel like “Christmas morning” (Story #19553)? Were you with your high school sweetheart or with your psychology professor (Story #7779)? Were you in Washington Square Park (Story #5049) or a Burger King bathroom (Story #2995)?
If you did it, you probably remember it. And now you can hear about everyone else’s!
My First Time is a new play in the style of The Vagina Monologues featuring four actors in hysterical and heartbreaking stories about first sexual experiences written by real people...just like you. And now, these true stories and the unique characters in them are brought to life in this acclaimed 90 minute play.
Tickets starting at: $27.00
Steve Solomon’s MY MOTHER’S ITALIAN, MY FATHER’S JEWISH & I’M STILL IN THERAPY
May 1, 2010
7:30 p.m.
Belding Theater
Another installment from Steve Solomon. In this hysterical prequel, we go back with Steve from his baby years with his twin sister right up to the present. We’ll meet: Uncle Willie, Stuttering Cousin Bob, Demented Cousin Kenny, Steve’s new therapist, Cousin Sal (and Sal’s parole officer) and a myriad of astounding characters we know, love and tolerate from our own families.
Tickets starting at: $35.00
BUSHNELL CHILDREN’S THEATRE sponsored by Dominion and People’s United Community Foundation
Letters Home
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
10:30 a.m. (Bushnell Children’s Theatre)
Belding Theater
War letters are, by their nature, intensely emotional, heartfelt and honest. While making no political statement, this eloquent production reveals a poignant and powerful oral history of the American soldier currently fighting the war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Appropriate for: Teens 14 years of age or older
The Adventures of Harold and the Purple Crayon
Thursday, October 15, 2009
10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Belding Theater
One evening, four-year-old Harold decides to go for a walk. With no path on which to walk and no moon to light the way, Harold uses a purple crayon to draw the world he wants to explore. And so his adventure begins. Resourceful and brave, he joins a circus, flies to Mars, meets a king in an enchanted garden, and encounters a dragon. Based on the picture books by Crockett Johnson.
Appropriate for: Pre-K through Grade 3
Curriculum connections: Literature, visual arts, creative writing as storytelling with a focus on imagination, creativity, problem-solving
Runt of the Litter
Tuesday, October 27 & Wednesday, October 28, 2009
10:30 a.m.
Belding Theater
Written and performed by Bo Eason and directed by Larry Moss, Runt of the Litter opens in the final hour of Bo's lifelong dream. Only one thing stands in his way -- his older brother. The play looks at what happens to two brothers in a family of over-achievers. When their parents assure their older son he is destined for football superstardom, and tell their younger son he is too small to compete, a line in the family sand is drawn that colors the rest of their lives. Public performances will also be held at 7:30 p.m. both evenings.
Appropriate for: The BCT performances listed above are appropriate for grades 3 through 8. A longer and more graphic version of the show will also be performed at 7:30 p.m. on both October 27 & 28. These evening performances, which are part of the Edwards Angell Palmer and Dodger Marquee Series, contain mature content and are for ages 18 and up. For more information about tickets to the evening performances visit www.bushnell.org.
Curriculum connections: character counts, family relationships, sports science
Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe
Monday, November 9, 2009
10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Belding Theater
Poe stands alone in the flickering darkness, trying desperately to convince himself that he’s not mad. Three brilliant tales spring from his troubled mind, tales that Poe himself considered among his best: The Raven, The Fall of the House of Usher, and The Tell-Tale Heart.
Appropriate for: Grade 6 and up
Curriculum connections: Theater arts, language arts, social studies
Lily’s Crossing
Monday, December 7, 2009
10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Belding Theater
Based on the Patricia Reilly Giff’s Newbery Honor Book: It’s 1944. Although Lily Mollahan expected a spectacular summer at her family’s bungalow on the Atlantic Ocean, she never planned for what World War II brings right to her doorstep—a Hungarian refugee. Is Lily brave enough to forge new relationships and follow her heart?
Appropriate for: Grades 3 through 8
Curriculum connections: Family relationships, history, literature, values
Tomie dePaola’s Strega Nona: The Musical
Thursday, January 28, 2010
10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Belding Theater
Based on the book by Tomie dePaola, here is a musical tale of Strega Nona, a friendly magical witch who strives to cure the ills of her tiny Italian town of Calabria. The town faces real problems when a local lug named Big Anthony sneaks a peek at Strega Nona’s magical book and uses the information for selfish means. The magical pasta pot overflows!
Appropriate for: Pre-K through grade 3
Curriculum connections: Performing arts, language arts, creative storytelling, imagination, problem-solving
The Little Engine That Could
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.
Belding Theater
Powered by its well-known refrain "I think I can, I think I can," Watty Piper's The Little Engine That Could is one of the greatest tales of motivation ever told. In this well-loved classic featuring songs, dance and dazzling costumes, the Little Engine overcomes seemingly impossible odds to carry a train full of toys over an imposing mountain. This entertaining, inspirational and interactive show offers a valuable lesson about the power of positive thinking.
Appropriate for: Pre-K through Grade 2
Curriculum connections: Reading, visual imagination, character counts
Most Valuable Player: Jackie Robinson
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
10:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m. (Bushnell Children’s Theatre)
7:00 p.m. (Robinson & Cole Family Series)
Belding Theater
Ebbet’s Field, Brooklyn, New York, 1947. Before a crowd of 26,623 Americans, an African-American baseball player suits up in a Brooklyn Dodgers uniform and takes second base. On that day, despite hisses, walkouts and even death threats, Jackie Robinson heroically breaks the “color” barrier for the National Baseball League and forever changes the world of sports!
Appropriate for: Grades 4 and up
Curriculum connections: History, character counts, civil rights
Ticket Information
- Individual tickets for all of the above performances go on sale to the public on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 10:00 a.m. Tickets may be purchased by visiting The Bushnell Box Office, located at 166 Capitol Avenue in Hartford, or by calling 860-987-5900. Tickets will also be available online at www.bushnell.org.
- Subscriptions to The Hartford Financial Services Group Broadway Series are available now. The 2009-2010 series includes The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein, August: Osage County, Christmas with the Rat Pack – Live at The Sands, In The Heights, Spring Awakening, South Pacific, and Porgy and Bess.
- For information on group sales, please call 860-987-5959 or email groups@bushnell.org.
- Ticket prices do not include applicable fees.
About The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts
The Bushnell is Connecticut’s premier performing arts center, hosting more than 350 events yearly, including major Broadway tours, symphony orchestras, family presentations, local arts and community events. The Bushnell is home to two theaters- the historic 2,800-seat Mortensen Hall, and the 907-seat Belding Theater, a state-of-the-art performance hall that opened in 2001. The Bushnell’s nationally recognized, award-winning, arts-in-education program, PARTNERS® (Partners in Arts and Education Revitalizing Schools), now in its 17th year, is a cross-community educational effort serving 21 schools and educational organizations in 8 districts across Connecticut. The Bushnell opened in January 1930 and is a non-profit organization. For more information, call The Bushnell at (860) 987-6000, The Bushnell Box Office at (860) 987-5900 or visit our website at www.bushnell.org.
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With support from the Connecticut Commission on Culture and Tourism.