Gaslight Theatre presents ‘complex’ musical ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ in Wilkes-Barre on Aug. 1-10
From a press release:
Gaslight Theatre Company will present the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical “Sunday in the Park with George” on Friday, Aug. 1 through Sunday, Aug. 10 at the George P. Maffei II Theatre at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre.
Inspired by the famous painting “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by French artist Georges Seurat, the show – with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine – is one of the most acclaimed musicals of the 1980s.
Gaslight’s production, produced by Northeastern Pennsylvania native and arts supporter Michele Millington, features an ensemble of strong singing actors to perform this challenging and heartbreaking piece, including two coveted starring roles made famous by the Broadway performances of Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters.
“When I saw ‘Sunday in the Park with George’ on Broadway in 1984, it inspired me to immerse myself in music and art on our local stage,” Millington said.
“41 years later, I chose Gaslight Theatre to help produce this complex Pulitzer Prize-winning show because of their history and commitment to excellence.”
The musical explores the days leading up to the completion of Georges Seurat’s most famous painting and his struggle to make meaningful art and maintain a relationship with his lover, Dot. Amid the scorn of the artistic community, Seurat’s artistic ability thrives while his love diminishes. A century later, Seurat’s descendant – named George and also an artist – finds himself burnt out and in search of what artistic path to follow. The show merges past and present into poignant truths about life, love, and the creation of art.
“‘Sunday’ is an extremely difficult show to produce,” said Dave Reynolds, the show’s director and Gaslight board member.
“This is true for those singing and performing this complicated music, but also every department in the theatre – musicians and designers. Perhaps this is why it is not produced all that often. But the reward of all this difficult work is a truly beautiful, thought-provoking, funny, and moving piece of theatre that is not likely to come around to this region again anytime soon.”
Six performances will be held at the Maffei Theatre (133 N. River St., Wilkes-Barre) on the King’s College campus on Friday, Aug. 1 and Saturday, Aug. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 3 at 2 p.m., as well as the following weekend on Friday, Aug. 8 and Saturday, Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 10 at 2 p.m. The show has one intermission, with an estimated runtime of 2.5 hours. Free on-site parking is available.
General admission tickets are $20 and will be sold online and at the door. Cash and cards are accepted. More information about the cast, performances, and tickets can be found at gaslight-theatre.org.
Gaslight Theatre Company was founded in 2003 with the mission to create impactful, innovative, and high-quality theatre that enriches the lives of local artists and the community. “Sunday in the Park with George” is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International.
Photos by Rich Howells/NEPA Scene
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