Classic musical theatre meets contemporary as New Westminster's Patrick Street Productions offers up its first-ever two-production season in 2014.
The company is producing two back-to-back musicals at Vancouver's newly opened York Theatre - Rodgers & Hammerstein: Out of a Dream in February, followed by Floyd Collins in March.
Out of a Dream was conceived by Peter Jorgensen, co-artistic producer of Patrick Street Productions. It's a nostalgic review journeying through the Broadway songbooks of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and it's onstage Feb. 5 to 16.
It will star five accomplished musical theatre artists: Kazumi Evans, Kaylee Harwood, Warren Kimmel, Caitriona Murphy and New West's own Sayer Roberts.
Out of a Dream will be followed by the Vancouver premiere of Floyd Collins, running March 11 to 30.
The musical, based on the true story of an American explorer, was composed by Adam Guettel - Richard Rodgers' grandson, and the composer of The Light in the Piazza, a hit for Patrick Street Productions in 2011.
Daren A. Herbert stars in the title role, with Arctic Air's Kevin McNulty and Republic of Doyle's Krystin Pellerin as Floyd's father and sister.
"Patrick Street Productions is dedicated to giving Lower Mainland audiences new musical theatre experiences," Jorgensen said in a press release. "We realize this in two distinct ways in our first-ever two-show season. With Out of a Dream, we invite theatergoers to rediscover their favourite songs in a shining new light. With Floyd Collins, we offer a long-overdue Vancouver premiere, introducing the city to an important and very beautiful piece of theatre."
Floyd Collins is being produced in partnership with Talk is Free Theatre.
Katey Wright, fellow artistic producer, said the link between the composers of the two pieces is very meaningful to them.
"Rodgers and Hammerstein's glorious fusion of song and storytelling gave rise to the golden age of musical theatre," she said. "Adam Guettel, grounded in those classic R&H works, embodies in his work the continuing evolution of the musical theatre form. Peter and I hear the future of musical theatre in Flloyd Collins."
A two-pack subscription is available now, with A-section tickets to both productions available for $60. Buy online at tickets.thecultch.com.
