State Theatre unveils schedule
Enjoy the romantic times of knights and sorcerers, visit Yonkers to see how two brothers cope with their stern grandmother and gangster uncle or revisit the days of swing during the upcoming season at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown. The 2006-07 season is rife with music, featuring plays like “Camelot,” “Wonderful Town” and “Lost in Yonkers.” The season also brings the comedy stylings of The Smothers Brothers and the ever-popular Glenn Miller Orchestra.
“I’m excited we’re here for another season and ready to go,” Executive Director Marty Schiff said Thursday. “Last year’s season was fabulous and this year’s season is equally fabulous.”
He said patronage of the theatre has gone up, and there has been an increase in ticket sales over the past two years.
A brochure for the season features each show and pictures of the theater as removable post cards that can be sent to friends and family as reminders of what’s coming.
Schiff said the 1,400-seat State Theatre is the last theater standing in Fayette, Greene Somerset and Washington counties and is a treasure to Uniontown that should be appreciated. To that end, he said improvements to the theatre, which opened in 1922, will continue.
Work on the theatre’s new marquee was expected to start today, Schiff said, noting that the new marquee will be an ongoing project during the next few years. It will feature an electronic board that advertises the theatre’s upcoming shows, Schiff said.
“The marquee colors tie into the colors of the mosaic in the front lobby,” he said.
Other improvements, including widening seats and redoing restrooms in the building, have occurred over the past few years.
Featured in the eight-show season are:
– The season kicks off Oct. 7 with “Camelot,” the story of King Arthur and the Round Table. The story tells the tale of Arthur’s romance with Guinevere, and her ultimate betrayal of him with Sir Lancelot. The play features the songs “Camelot,” “If Ever I Would Leave You” and “I Wonder What the King Is Doing Tonight.”
Noting its popularity, Schiff said he anticipates the season opener will attract patrons.
– The Smothers Brothers, Tom and Dick, take the stage on Oct. 22 to bring their brand of comedy to the State Theatre stage. The brothers had their first professional performance in 1958, and three years later, debuted their comedy on the Jack Paar show. The duo had television shows in the 1960s, 70s and 80s, including “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour.”
– “Wonderful Town,” Broadway musical tells the story of Ruth and Eileen Sherwood, two women who come to New York City from Columbus, Ohio, hoping to find love and fortune. The musical premiered in 1953, and saw a Broadway revival in 2003, when Brooke Shields took on the role of Ruth. The play is scheduled for Nov. 12.
– On Nov. 19, “Club Swing,” takes place in the soon-to-be closed nightclub of the same name. Past its heyday of swing, the club is ready to close, and former “mixologist” Joe comes by for one last visit. During his visit the club is revived. Five by Design, who performed “Radio Days” during the last season, is back to celebrate the swing movement with songs 1937-1955.
– “Urban Cowboy: The Musical” is based on the 1980 movie “Urban Cowboy,” starring John Travolta. The play tells the story of Bud Davis, a new breed of cowboy who’s turning heads and looking for love. The play, scheduled for Jan. 28, features songs like, “Friends in Low Places,” “Beer for My Horses” and “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”
“I’m very excited to see this as a musical,” Schiff said.
– On March 10, Tony Waag’s Tap City comes to the State’s stage. The show, founded in 2001 by Waag and the late Gregory Hines, features an international cast of tap veterans ensembles and up-and-coming tappers. A live jazz combo backs the dancing.
Schiff said he anticipates that Tap City will bring fun to the stage for all.
– “Lost in Yonkers,” a play by Neil Simon, comes to the theatre on March 31. The play chronicles the lives of an eccentric family in crisis during the summer of 1942. Brothers Jay and Arty are in the care of their stern grandmother and child-like aunt when their Uncle Louie, a gangster, comes to hide out. Simon won a Pulitzer Prize for the play, which draws upon his childhood growing up in New York City.
“This play rarely tours, so we’re very lucky to have it in our season this year,” Schiff said.
– The Glenn Miller Orchestra, under the direction of Larry O’Brien, rounds out the season with a May 19 performance. Miller was one of the most successful of the dance bandleaders in the 1930s and 40s. The 19-member bane plays original Miller arrangements of some of the most beloved songs of the era.
“Our audience loves these kinds of shows,” Schiff said.
Additionally, “The Nutcracker,” performed by California University of Pennsylvania Department of Theatre and Dance and The Mon Valley Dance Council, comes to the theater on Dec. 8, 9 and 10.
The deadline for renewing a subscription pass for the theatre is Aug. 7. New subscription requests begin the next day and tickets to the performances go on sale on Aug. 28.
Call the box office at 724-439-1360 for more information.