This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Hale Centre Theatre will revive the musical "Big River" and produce regional premieres of "The Pirate Queen" and "Sister Act" as part of its new season.
Season Ticket Plus holders can renew their seats now, with regular season renewals set to begin June 1 and public sales on Aug. 1.
The West Valley City theater's 2016 lineup:
Dec. 31-Jan. 30 • "Beau Jest," the story of a Jewish daughter who hires an actor to pose as a Jewish boyfriend to please her parents. The comedy by James Sherman debuted in Chicago in 1989 before an off-Broadway run.
Feb. 12-April 2 • "The Pirate Queen," a regional premiere of the musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, composers of the blockbuster "Les Misérables." Set in 1558, the musical features the Irish lass and pirate Grace O'Malley, who bravely battles the British Navy in a fight for Irish independence. The story of romance and betrayal includes Celtic dancing, ships and swordfights. It debuted at a Chicago theater in 2006 and moved to Broadway for a short run (low sales, harsh reviews) in 2007.
April 15-May 18 • "Peter and the Starcatcher," the popular play-with-music "Peter Pan" prequel, which Utah audiences loved in its record-setting regional premiere at the Utah Shakespeare Festival in 2013 and last year's holiday production at Pioneer Theatre Company.
May 26-July 23 • "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (the musical adaptation of Mark Twain's 1884 novel, with a book by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by Roger Miller), revives HCT's 2003 production, which earned the company an international theater award for its use of 9,000 gallons of water.
Aug. 5-Oct. 1 • To help celebrate Disney's upcoming live-action 3-D version of "Beauty and the Beast," set for a 2017 release, here's the musical version of the classic story of Belle and the Beast. (The musical features music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, a book by Linda Woolverton, adapted from Disney's 1991 animated film.)
Oct. 12-Dec. 3 • "Sister Act," the regional premiere of the London and Broadway musical, adapted from the 1992 Whoopi Goldberg film. It's the story of a lounge singer who disguises herself as a nun and turns a convent choir into soul-singing sisters. (The musical was written by Cheri Steinkellner and Bill Steinkellner with Douglas Carter Beane, with lyrics by Glenn Slater and music by Alan Menken.)
Dec. 9-24 • The company's classic production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," now in its 32nd year.
facebook.com/ellen.weist —
Hale Centre Theatre
Renewals are available for Season Ticket Plus holders. Regular season renewals begin June 1, with new subscriptions available Aug. 1.
Tickets • 801-984-9000 or hct.org
Address • Box office and theater, 3333 S. Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City