Tickets onsale now for the WORLD PREMIERE of Michael Elyanow’s LULLABY

 LULLABY, a spirited new play with alternative rock music presented as part of Theater Latte Da’s new work initiative  NEXT 20/20. LULLABY features Adelin Phelps as the young mother Cassie; actor, fight director and local band frontwoman Annie Enneking as the fierce, has-been rocker, and bar owner Thea; David Darrow as the mysterious and omnipresent Craig; and celebrated veteran theater, film and television actor best known for his role as James Walsh on the hit television series “Beverly Hills 90210” James Eckhouse as Gabriel.

LULLABY also features the music of national recording artists Garrison Starr, Chris Dallman, and Curt Schneider.

CLICK HERE FOR PHOTOS

Performances begin January 13 at the Ritz Theater in NE Minneapolis.

Single tickets and season mini-subscriptions are on sale now at latteda.org

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) Theater Latté Da today announced casting for Michael Elyanow’s spirited new play with alternative rock music LULLABY. Previously performed as a part of Theater Latté Da’s NEXT series, LULLABY is also the first world premiere in Theater Latté Da’s major new work initiative. NEXT 20/20 is a five-year endeavor aimed at developing 20 new musicals or plays-with-music and shepherding many of them to full production. Playwrights’ Center Producing Artistic Director Jeremy B. Cohen will direct with Peter Morrow as music director. Performances begin January 13 at the Ritz Theater (345 13^th Avenue NE in Minneapolis). Single tickets and season mini-subscriptions can be purchased at latteda.org or by calling 612-339-3003.

In hopes of learning to play lullabies for her infant son, a widowed young mother seeks guitar lessons from a once almost-famous rocker. As the two very different women bond over tricky chords and haunted pasts, a hilarious and moving story of friendship and forgiveness emerges. Lullaby is a hilarious new play with alternative rock music that’s powerful and absolutely beautiful. In addition to original music from Michael Elyanow, the production features the music of national recording artists Garrison Starr and Christopher Dallman.

Of this world premiere Elyanow offers, “Theater Latté Da is the musical genius place. It’s where the music happens. Having Lullaby produced by TLD gives me the opportunity to have it developed around people who have a deep understanding of how music functions within a story. I’ve seen a lot of TLD’s work and this piece is a different kind of musical that will resonate with their core audience and hopefully expand their reach as well.”

Cohen previously directed Theater Latté Da’s production of Beautiful Thing and has assembled a rock star cast for the production. LULLABY features Adelin Phelps in the role of the young, widowed mother Cassie. Phelps has appeared with Dark and Stormy Productions, Park Square Theatre, Frank Theatre, and Workhaus Collective. Of her work in Dark and Stormy’s production of Drunken City as Melissa, the Star Tribune writes, “The real discovery in “Drunken City” is relative newcomer Phelps, whose character goes from a slight woman just out having a good time to a powerhouse as soon as she hears that things might change.”

The production also features Annie Enneking in the role of the fierce, has-been rocker and bar owner Thea. Enneking is well known for her work as an actor, fight director, and musician and her work has been seen on almost every stage in the Twin Cities over the past thirty years. She is also the front woman and founder of the rock band Annie and the Bang Bang. Local stage sensation David Darrow appears as the mysterious, omnipresent Craig. Darrow has written three musicals and has appeared in several Theater Latté Da productions including Spring Awakening, Beautiful Thing, Our Town, Company, and Into The Woods. He has performed at the Guthrie Theater, Ten Thousand Things, Illusion Theater, and Sandbox Theater. He is also a founding member of 7th Houser Theater.

Phelps, Enneking, and Darrow will share the stage with celebrated veteran theater, film, and television actor James Eckhouse in the role of Gabriel. Eckhouse recently appeared on Broadway opposite Bryan Cranston (of AMC’s hit television series “Breaking Bad” fame) in the Tony award winning play All The Way. Twin Cities audiences will recognize Eckhouse from his work on dozens of films and TV shows, most notably, from his role as family patriarch Jim Walsh on FOX’s original “Beverly Hills 90210.”

Theater Latté Da is an award-winning Twin Cities musical theater company that combines music and story to illuminate the breadth and depth of the human experience. The company seeks to create new connections between story, music, artists and audience by exploring and expanding the art of musical theater.

MICHAEL ELYANOW (playwright) is grateful to have two plays produced in the Twin Cities in 2016, as Pillsbury House will be staging The Children in September. Recent theatre productions:  Robyn Is Happy at The B Street Theatre; The Children at The Theatre @ Boston Court (2013 GLAAD Award winner, published in TheatreForum Magazine); The Idiot Box at Open Fist and Naked Eye theatres (published by Samuel French). A Lasting Mark, commissioned by Hartford Stage, was part of Manhattan Theatre Club’s Reading Series. Michael has developed TV pilots with ACME Productions, Tagline Pictures and more.

JEREMY B. COHEN (Director) is entering his fifth season as the Producing Artistic Director at the Playwrights’ Center and previously served as the Associate Artistic Director/Director of New Play Development at Hartford Stage from 2003 to 2010, where he also directed several premieres. Other directing credits include productions at Centerstage, Alliance, Alley Theatre, Goodman, Dorset Theatre, Steppenwolf, McCarter, Theater J, Victory Gardens, Actors Theatre of Louisville, George Street Playhouse, Kansas City Rep, Repertory Theatre of St Louis, New Victory, Open Fist, Theatre Latté Da, and Royal George; workshops at O’Neill Playwrights’ Conference, New York Stage & Film, Pasadena Playhouse, Denver Center, New Harmony, Bay Area Playwrights Festival and Woolly Mammoth. As Founding Artistic Director of Naked Eye Theatre Company in Chicago, Cohen developed/directed more than 20 plays, including several premieres. He has received numerous directing awards, an NEA/TCG Directors Fellowship, and a Northwestern University grant for his play 12 Volt Heart. Last Season he directed the World Premiere of Brahman/I (Mixed Blood), and Wild With Happy (Centerstage), as well as a new musical Off-Broadway by award-winning singer/songwriter Jonatha Brooke called My Mother Has Four Noses, and recently directed the World Premiere of Joe Waechter’s Lake Untersee (Workhaus Collective/Illusion Theatre).

FACT SHEET:

LULLABY

A World Premiere Play With Music by Michael Elyanow

Directed by Jeremy B. Cohen

Music Direction by Peter Morrow

Featuring: David Darrow, James Eckhouse, Annie Enneking and Adelin Phelps

Performance Dates: Wednesday, January 13 – Sunday, February 7, 2016

Venue: Ritz Theater (345 13^th Avenue NE Minneapolis, MN)

Tickets: $23- $37

In hopes of learning to play lullabies for her infant son, Cassie, a widowed, young mother seeks guitar lessons from Thea, the strong-willed, local, has-been, celebrity rocker turned bar owner. Together the high-spirited, unlikely duo engages in a tug-of-war discovering the true meaning of friendship while reconciling their haunted pasts. LULLABY is a hilarious new play with alternative rock music that’s powerful and absolutely beautiful.

Performance Dates and Times:

Wednesday, January 13 at 7:30 PM (Preview)

Thursday, January 14 at 7:30 PM (Preview)

Friday, January 15 at 7:30 PM (Preview)

Saturday, January 16 at 7:30 PM (Opening Night)

Sunday, January 17 at 2:00 PM (Director’s Dialogue)

Wednesday, January 20 at 7:30 PM

Thursday, January 21 at 7:30 PM (Post-Show Discussion)

Friday, January 22 at 7:30 PM

Saturday, January 23 at 7:30 PM

Sunday, January 24 at 2:00 PM (Post-Show Discussion)

Wednesday, January 27 at 7:30 PM

Thursday, January 28 at 7:30 PM (Post-Show Discussion)

Friday, January 29 at 7:30 PM

Saturday, January 30 at 7:30 PM

Sunday, January 31 at 2:00 PM (Post-Show Discussion)

Wednesday, February 3 at 7:30 PM

Thursday, February 4 at 7:30 PM (Post-Show Discussion)

Friday, February 5 at 7:30 PM

Saturday, February 6 at 7:30 PM

Sunday, February 7 at 2:00 PM

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Jazz, holiday music are among best bets for Dec. 20-26

December 19th, 2013Written by: Dominic P. Papalota Published by: Pioneer Press

Theater: All Is Calm

Through Dec. 22: A few years ago, Theatre Latte Da dispensed with its goofy perennial holiday show ("A Christmas Carole Petersen") and, joining with men's vocal musical ensemble Cantus, developed this more serious-minded work. It depicts the real-life story of a spontaneous holiday truce on the Western Front that briefly made a corner of World War I a peaceful place. Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Ave., Mpls.; $37-$28; 800-982-2787 or HennepinTheatreTrust.org. -- Dominic P. Papatola

"All is Calm" by Theater Latte Da at the Pantages Theatre

December 21st, 2013Written by: Jill Published by: www.cherryandspoon.com

If you see one Christmas-themed theatrical event this year, let it be All is Calm. Unlike most Christmas shows, there is not a red and green banner, brightly wrapped present, or figgy pudding in sight. It does not present the usual frenetic cheery energy associated with the holiday. Instead it is quiet and lovely, joyous and melancholy, celebrating a remarkable event when soldiers put down their weapons and shared the spirit of peace across enemy lines for one brief and beautiful moment. Created by Peter Rothstein and presented annually byTheater Latte Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust, All is Calm tells the story of the 1914 Christmas Truce during the first year of WWI, in which soldiers along both sides of the trenches on the Western Front stopped fighting and met in no man's land to exchange photos and stories, bury the dead, play football, and sing carols. This story is told simply on a bare stage with only some wooden platforms and crates as set pieces, with three actors bringing to life the words from actual letters, articles, and other historical documents, illuminated by songs performed by the marvelous nine-man a capella vocal ensemble Cantus. It's a perfect marriage of music and storytelling, not the story of specific people or characters, but rather the story of peace in the midst of war. What better representation of the spirit of the season?

The piece runs a short 75-minutes, a seamless flow from beginning to end. The songs are structured to tell the story of young men enthusiastically heading off to war, experiencing the fear and drudgery that is the reality of war, finding a brief reprieve one snowy Christmas day, and then being reluctantly forced back to reality as the cease-fire ends. Traditional British, French, and German Christmas carols like "Good King Wenceslas," "Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella," and "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" (one of my favorites), are combined with war songs both spirited and somber. The songs are perfectly chosen to evoke the feeling at each point in the story, and complement the words spoken by the actors sporting a wide variety of accents (Matt Rein, David Roberts, and Alan Sorenson).

If you've never seen Cantus before, you are in for a treat. They are nine gorgeous voices perfectly blended in multi-layered harmony so beautiful, it's tempting to just close your eyes and let it wash over you (purchase music here, including the soundtrack of All is Calm). But the men of Cantus are not just singers here, they're actors as well as they play the parts of soldiers. Actors and singers are dressed alike in warm black layers, adding hats and gloves as the weary night continues. They fill the space in beautifully staged movement, sometimes standing at attention, sometimes laughing and joking and shaking hands.

All is Calm is one of those shows that induces a trance-like state, aided by the fact that it's constructed with no applause breaks. The cycle of song - applause - song - applause can break the flow of the story, and there's none of that here. Just one long swell of music, words, and emotion. When the show was over, the trance continued as I walked out into the dark night with snow softly falling, the strains of "peace on earth" reverberating in my ears, the lovely and bittersweet feeling of the show remaining with me. This is the third time I've seen the show, and I think I love it more each time I see it. Only four performances remain, two today and two tomorrow. Take a break from the frantic holiday season to soak in the peace and beauty of All is Calm.

THEATER REVIEW | "All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914" finds peace at the Pantages Theatre

December 19, 2013Written by: Betsy Gabler Published by: Twin Cities Daily Planet

Al Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 is enjoying its sixth anniversary (and six performances only) from December 19-22, 2013 at the Pantages Theatre. Featuring Cantus, an accomplished vocal ensemble along with three actors, Theater Latte Da’s artistic director Peter Rothstein artfully recalls the historic foot soldier-created truce between WWI’s Allied and German forces over Christmas 1914.

Although an astounding moment in history, few of us were schooled in details about the truce. Rothstein’s inspired development of this production took five years, visits to the Western Front, and extensive research in Brussels, Ieper, Paris and London. This approx. 90-minute, no-intermission production tells the story of how active-duty soldiers working, literally sometimes just feet from each other, decide to lay down arms for at least one night (and in some locations, a few nights).

Artfully presented, the production begins with a Christmas carol prelude by Cantus. English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams created this particular arrangement for his own battalion. Throughout the performance, Cantus members hauntingly, heartily and authentically sing in the various languages of the troops or accents of the soldiers. The remarkable vocals gave me equal amounts of goose bumps and tears throughout the performance (a nod to musical arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach).

The staging is simple: a riser created with logs, crates for sitting, a pin light curtain, a full moon and graceful moments of falling snow or eerie fog. Perhaps it’s this minimalism and the black and grey costuming that unites the actors with the chorus members seamlessly. It also creates the illusion audience that we are indeed in the trenches.

The actors, Matt Rein, David Roberts and Alan Sorenson, narrate the performance with excerpts of actual letters from the soldiers. Their accents seem authentic, the projection is perfect and a true sense of camaraderie is extended out to the audience with very little theatrics. The letters provide vivid details, some humorous, all heartfelt about how stunned the soldiers were that a truce, albeit short, happened at all. An allied soldier expresses to his family his disappointment with the fact that “we” made the first kill when the truce was over, not the Germans. The authors’ names, rank, and battalion are cited at the end of each delivery. This adds a personal element that makes hearing the words even more profound. A favorite line was towards the end when one letter notes that soldiers were able to create something even the Pope could not: a peaceful Christmas day. (We’re told at the beginning that Allied leaders refused the Pope’s idea for a battle ground truce that year, although the Germans had agreed to it.)

The production and theater provides the audience with a helpful, detailed program that shares pictures, short bios, and other relevant information about the truce itself. Of particular interest are the four soldier poets of World War I that are introduced. It allows the audience to bring the story back home and extend the experience of learning about a poignant part of world history.

As a singular performance, this was moving and heartfelt. As a Christmas tradition, it provides opportunity for intergenerational conversation. My guest this evening was a woman whose grandfather served in World War I. She was struck by the beautiful sound of Cantus, but also remarked about the dignity this production offered the individual soldiers. All too often, it seems, that we the public are presented with vague information about fallen, or even active duty soldiers. A particular pet peave of mine is when an individual soldier is referred to as a “troop.” It is sons and daughters, fathers and mothers who are killed in war, not a troop. It is my opinion that individual stories deserve recognition just as they are presented in this production. Well done, Mr. Rothstein!

Note: TPT's "MN O: Minnesota Original" airs "The Making of Peter Rothstein's 'All Is Calm'" on occasion.

Theater Latte Da's ALL IS CALM Opens Tonight at the Pantages Theatre

December 19th, 2013Written by: BWW News Desk Published by: www.broadwayworld.com

All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 opens next week, playing tonight, December 19-22, 2013 at the Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN.

All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 by Peter Rothsteinfeatures music arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach and will be directed by Peter Rothstein.

A co-production of Cantus, Theater Latté Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust.

The Western Front, Christmas, 1914. Out of the violence comes a silence, then a song. A German soldier steps into No Man's Land singing "Stille Nacht." Thus begins an extraordinary night of camaraderie, music, peace. A remarkable true story, told in the words of the men who lived it.

All Is Calm relives the story of an astounding moment in history when Allied and German soldiers laid down their arms to celebrate the holiday together by trading carols, sharing food and drink, playing soccer and burying each others' dead. In some places the truce lasted only a night, in others until New Year's Day. This dramatic re-telling contains actual quotes and letters from thirty World War I figures brought to life by actors Matt Rein, David Roberts and Alan Sorenson.

Cantus beautifully weaves a tapestry of sound, drawing from patriotic tunes, trench songs, medieVal Scottish ballads and holiday carols from England, Wales, France and Germany which take on new depths when set in the context of trench warfare. Music, an important part of life in the trenches, helped create a context that inspired the truce.

Performance Days & Times:

Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. Sunday, 1:00 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Post-show Discussions:

Friday, December 20, following the 7:30 p.m. performance Saturday, December 21, following the 2:00 p.m. performance

Click Here to Get Your Tickets Today.

Theater Latte Da Announces 2013-14 Season

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) — Theater Latté Da announced today that a season of four adventures in musical storytelling and the continuation of a major new work development program will comprise its 16th Season. Slated for production are Steerage Song at The Lab Theater (September 25 – October 20, 2013), All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 at the Pantages Theatre (December 19-22, 2013), Cabaret at the Pantages Theatre (January 15 – February 9, 2014), and Our Town at The Lab Theater (March 12 – April 6, 2014). In spring 2014, the company will bring back NEXT: New Musicals in the Making, their program to develop new works for the musical theater canon. In keeping with Theater Latté Da’s mission to explore and expand the art of musical theater and to tell stories that resonate with our current world, the company will open their sixteenth season with Steerage Song at The Lab Theater September 25 – October 20, 2013. Steerage Song premiered in concert form at the Fitzgerald Theater in 2011. Creators Peter Rothstein and Dan Chouinard have continued to develop the docu-musical, blending the songs of 20 countries of Old Europe and the rhythms of Tin Pan Alley into a moving, fully-staged, new musical. The production will be directed by Theater Latté Da Artistic Director Peter Rothstein with musical direction by Dan Chouinard and choreography by Linda Talcott Lee. The cast features Bradley Greenwald, Dennis Curley, Sasha Andreev and Jennifer Grimm among others.

Back by popular demand, Theater Latté Da will once again join forces with Hennepin Theatre Trust and the renowned vocal ensemble Cantus to present All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914. In 2007 Rothstein created what has become a holiday classic by melding European carols and war songs together with found text to tell the remarkable story of the World War I Christmas Truce. All Is Calm premiered on Minnesota Public Radio to great success, and has since been broadcast around the globe through American Public Media and the European Broadcasting Union. All Is Calm will tour the country later this year ending with a performance at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and six performances at the historic Pantages Theatre in downtown Minneapolis, December 19-22, 2013.

Theater Latté Da returns to the Pantages Theatre January 15 – February 9, 2014, Cabaret, the provocative, Tony Award-winning musical by John Kander and Fred Ebb. With book by Joe Masteroff, based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood, Cabaret is the second installment of Broadway Re-Imagined, a dynamic partnership between Theater Latté Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust. It comes on the heels of partnership’s hit production of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida. One of the greatest Broadway musicals of all time, Cabaret will be directed by Peter Rothstein, with musical direction by Denise Prosek and choreography by Michael Matthew Ferrell. The cast features Tyler Michaels as the Emcee. Michaels appeared as Melchior in Theater Latté Da’s 2012 Ivey Award-winning production of Spring Awakening, presented in partnership with the University of Minnesota Department of Theatre Arts and Dance.

March 12 – April 6, 2014, Theater Latté Da returns to The Lab Theater for a compelling production of the great American play Our Town. For 75 years Thornton Wilder’s play has played a profound role in American culture. Theater Latté Da will honor the play’s 75th anniversary with a unique production, which infuses this Thornton Wilder classic with live music. A multi-cultural cast of actor musicians become the citizens of Grover’s Corners in this exciting new concept directed by Rothstein with musical direction Denise Prosek.

Theater Latté Da will cap its 2013-14 Season with the return of NEXT: New Musicals in the Making during the spring of 2014. NEXT engages Twin Cities audiences in the creative process as Theater Latté Da supports the development of new works for the musical theater canon. This past season, audiences were treated to When the Moon Hits Your Eye by Pulitzer Prize-nominated Jon Marans, C. by local actor and playwright Bradley Greenwald and Tony Award-nominated Robert Elhai, and an expansion of Bessie’s Birthday by emerging artists Katie Baldwin Eng and Jeff Tang. Works to be developed in 2014 will be announced at a later date.

SEASON TICKETS Theater Latté Da will again offer season ticket packages. For information or to request a season brochure, call 612-339-3003.

ABOUT THEATER LATTÉ DA Theater Latté Da is a Twin Cities theater company recognized for its ability to connect story, music, artist and audience through diverse stories and theatrical innovation. Theater Latté Da specializes in advancing the art of musical storytelling through emotional, visceral and intellectual performances that resonate with our current world. The company’s bold approach expands the genre by originating new works, radically reinventing classics from the musical theater canon, and experimenting with unusual forms, musical styles and storytelling techniques. www.LatteDa.org

ABOUT HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST Hennepin Theatre Trust, owner of the historic Orpheum, State, Pantages and New Century Theatres, is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to arts-inspired community cultural development. They achieve their mission by presenting a rich mix of live performances, creating inspiring arts education experiences and advancing a thriving Hennepin Avenue cultural district in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Trust’s activities include presenting Broadway touring productions and the related Broadway Confidential series, concerts, comedy, speakers and other variety entertainment plus educational initiatives including the SpotLight Musical Theatre and SpotLight Critical Reviewer programs for high schools, Teen Ushers, the Access Program and Family Day events.

ABOUT CANTUS Cantus is known worldwide for its trademark warmth and blend and its engaging performances of music ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st Century. The Washington Post has hailed the ensemble’s sound as having both “exalting finesse” and “expressive power” and refers to the “spontaneous grace” of its music making. As one of the country’s only two full-time vocal ensembles, Cantus has grown to prominence with its distinctive approach to creating music. Working without a conductor, the members of Cantus rehearse and perform as chamber musicians, each contributing to the entirety of the artistic process. Cantus has released 15 albums on its own self-titled label, each to considerable acclaim. Of That Eternal Day (2010) The New York Times said, “the Cantus recording offers many satisfactions, none greater than a touching, ineffably simple performance of “The 23rd Psalm (dedicated to my mother)” by Bobby McFerrin.” The latest Cantus recording, On the Shoulders of Giants, was released in October 2012.

SEASON AT A GLANCE

STEERAGE SONG

By Peter Rothstein and Dan Chouinard

Peter Rothstein, Director Dan Chouinard, Music Director Linda Talcott Lee, Choreographer

September 25 – October 20, 2013 Wednesdays – Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 2:00 p.m. Previews: September 25, 26 & 27 Opening Night: September 28 ASL/AD: October 10 Post-show Director’s Dialogue: September 29 Post-show Discussions: October 3, 6, 10, 13 & 17

The Lab Theater 700 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401 Box Office: 612-339-3003 LatteDa.org  

ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914 by Peter Rothstein with musical arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach

A co-production with Cantus and Hennepin Theatre Trust

December 19-22, 2013 Thursday and Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2:00 & 7:30 p.m. Sunday, 1:00 & 6:30 p.m. Opening Night: December 19 ASL/AD: December 22, 2:00 p.m. Post-show Discussions: December 20, 7:30 p.m. & December 21, 2:00 p.m.

Pantages Theatre 710 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403 Box Office: 800-982-2787 HennepinTheatreTrust.org  

CABARET Book by Joe Masteroff Based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood Music by John Kander Lyrics by Fred Ebb

Peter Rothstein, Director Denise Prosek, Music Director Michael Matthew Ferrell, Choreographer Featuring Tyler Michaels as the Emcee

A co-production with Hennepin Theatre Trust

January 15 – February 9, 2014 Wednesday, Jan. 15, 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Fridays, 8:00 p.m. Saturdays, 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. Sundays, 2:00 p.m. Previews: January 15, 16& 17 Opening Night: January 18 ASL/AD: January 30 Open Captioning: February 2 Post-show Director’s Dialogue: January 19 Post-show Discussions: January 23, 26 & 30; February 2 & 6

Pantages Theatre 710 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403 Box Office: 800-982-2787 HennepinTheatreTrust.org  

OUR TOWN By Thornton Wilder

Peter Rothstein, Director Denise Prosek, Music Director

March 12 – April 6, 2014 Wednesdays – Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 2:00 p.m. Previews: March 12, 13 & 14 Opening Night: March 15 ASL/AD: March 20 Post-show Director’s Dialogue: March 16 Post-show Discussions: March 20, 23, 27, 30 & April 3

The Lab Theater 700 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401 Box Office: 612-339-3003 LatteDa.org  

NEXT: New Musicals in the Making Spring 2014 Titles and specific dates to be announced at a later date.

For more information or to purchase season subscriptions, please call 612-339-3003 or visit www.LatteDa.org.

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Theater Latté Da Announces Cast for ‘Bessie’s Birthday’ at The Lab Theater

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) — Theater Latté Da announced the cast for Bessie’s Birthday, book and lyrics by Katie Baldwin Eng, music by Jeff Tang. This musical comedy is being developed as part of NEXT: New Musicals in the Making, a major new work program to develop new musical theater in the Twin Cities. Bessie’s Birthday features Caroline Innerbichler as Bessie, Elizabeth Griffith as Delphine, Janet Hanson as May, John Gamoke as Jack, Julie Madden as Grace, James Detmar as Sam, and Sasha Andreev as Max. Public readings of Bessie’s Birthday will take place April 26-28 at The Lab Theater in the Minneapolis Warehouse District.

This hilarious and insightful new musical, Bessie’s Birthday, is set in rural Wisconsin and reunites a family for its annual celebration of Bessie’s birthday. Although Bessie is turning 30, she suffered a seizure as a child that has left her perpetually six years old, or so they think. But this year’s party is different; Bessie is on the cusp of change, ready to take the plunge. In the end, everyone is indeed changed as they all leap into the family pool.

Theater Latté Da presented a 40-minute version of Bessie’s Birthday in 2009 as a part of Passage of Dreams, a triptych of new musicals at the Southern Theater. NEXT allows Eng and Tang to develop the piece into a full-length musical. Baldwin says, “Peter Rothstein is both intelligent and brave which allows him to be respectful of the creative process and let it unfold organically.”

NEXT will provide Twin Cities’ audiences the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the creative process and witness new musicals in the making. Peter Rothstein, Theater Latté Da Artistic Director, sits on the board of directors of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and has been highly involved in their festival of new musicals. NEXT enters Theater Latté Da into this national arena and fulfills the organization’s commitment to the next generation of the American Musical Theater.

Rothstein says, “I have been attending and assessing new work festivals for a number of years. I believe NEXT will put playwrights, composers and lyricists at the center of the process and engage our audience as a key collaborator. It’s a thrilling step for the company.”

ABOUT THEATER LATTÉ DA

Theater Latté Da is a Twin Cities theater company recognized for its ability to connect story, music, artist and audience through diverse stories and theatrical innovation. Theater Latté Da specializes in advancing the art of musical storytelling through emotional, visceral and intellectual performances that resonate with our current world. The company’s bold approach expands the genre by originating new works, radically reinventing classics from the musical theater canon, and experimenting with unusual forms, musical styles and storytelling techniques. www.LatteDa.org

BESSIE’S BIRTHDAY AT A GLANCE

Book & Lyrics by Katie Baldwin Eng Music by Jeff Tang

April 26-28, 2013 Friday – Saturday, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, 2:00 p.m.

Single tickets are $14.

The Lab Theater 700 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401 Box Office: 612-339-3003 LatteDa.org

The musicals being presented as part of NEXT are works in progress and not fully-realized productions. As such, reviewer tickets will not be available. For more information, please call 612-339-3003 or visit www.LatteDa.org.

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Theater Latté Da Announces Cast for ‘C.’ at The Lab Theater

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) — Theater Latté Da announced today the cast for C., book and lyrics by Bradley Greenwald, music by Robert Elhai. This musical adaptation of the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand is being developed as part of NEXT: New Musicals in the Making, a major new work program to develop new musical theater in the Twin Cities. C. features Bradley Greenwald as Cyrano. The talented cast also includes Laurel Armstrong, Lauren Asheim, Patrick Bailey, Sean Dooley, Elizabeth Griffith, Josiah Gulden, Reid Harmsen, Eric Heimsoth, Kim Kivens, John Middleton, David Roberts, and Max Wojtanowicz.

Public readings of C. will take place April 19-21 at The Lab Theater in the Minneapolis Warehouse District.

C. will be the second work presented at NEXT. Greenwald is one of the Twin Cities most cherished performers and was a key writer in the opera work of Theatre de la Jeune Lune. Elhai is a prolific film composer and orchestrator based in the Twin Cities. He was nominated for a Tony and a Drama Desk award for his orchestrations for The Lion King on Broadway.

Greenwald says, “We drown in an ocean of words that are talked, typed, texted, tweeted, twisted and turned to the breaking point of losing all meaning, and thereby their truth and beauty. This new adaptation of Edmond Rostand's great play reminds us of the power of language, and of one of its greatest champions.”

NEXT will provide Twin Cities’ audiences the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the creative process and witness new musicals in the making. Peter Rothstein, Theater Latté Da Artistic Director, sits on the board of directors of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and has been highly involved in their festival of new musicals. NEXT enters Theater Latté Da into this national arena and fulfills the organization’s commitment to the next generation of the American Musical Theater.

Rothstein says, “I have been attending and assessing new work festivals for a number of years. I believe NEXT will put playwrights, composers and lyricists at the center of the process and engage our audience as a key collaborator. It’s a thrilling step for the company.”

ABOUT THEATER LATTÉ DA

Theater Latté Da is a Twin Cities theater company recognized for its ability to connect story, music, artist and audience through diverse stories and theatrical innovation. Theater Latté Da specializes in advancing the art of musical storytelling through emotional, visceral and intellectual performances that resonate with our current world. The company’s bold approach expands the genre by originating new works, radically reinventing classics from the musical theater canon, and experimenting with unusual forms, musical styles and storytelling techniques. www.LatteDa.org

NEXT: NEW MUSICALS IN THE MAKING AT A GLANCE

WHEN THE MOON HITS YOUR EYE by Jon Marans April 12-14, 2013

C. Book & Lyrics by Bradley Greenwald Music by Robert Elhai Adapted from the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand April 19-21, 2013

BESSIE’S BIRTHDAY Book & Lyrics by Katie Baldwin Eng Music by Jeff Tang April 26-28, 2013

April 12-28, 2013 Fridays – Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 2:00 p.m.

Single tickets are $14.

The Lab Theater 700 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401 Box Office: 612-339-3003 LatteDa.org

The musicals being presented as part of NEXT are works in progress and not fully-realized productions. As such, reviewer tickets will not be available. For more information, please call 612-339-3003 or visit www.LatteDa.org.

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Theater Latté Da Announces Line-up for ‘NEXT: New Musicals in the Making’

Three New Shows to Launch the Company’s Major New Work Development Program (Minneapolis/St. Paul) — Theater Latté Da announced today the line-up for the inaugural year of NEXT: New Musicals in the Making, a major new work program to develop new musical theater in the Twin Cities. NEXT opens with When the Moon Hits Your Eye, running April 12-14, followed by C., running April 19-21, and closes with Bessie’s Birthday, running April 26-28, all performed at The Lab Theater in the Minneapolis Warehouse District.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye, by Jon Marans, is a multi-ethnic play with music set in an old tenement walk-up in Hell’s Kitchen, New York City. The drama/comedy, tells the story of a widowed Italian barber, who finally wants to marry the true love of his life – Felizbela Carvalho – his mistress for the past twenty-five years. However, the course of true love never runs smoothly. The barber, his mistress and the other five off-beat lovebirds in this play find themselves consumed with the churning, inner turmoil of passion.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye is not a musical but a play infused with music, much like Marans’ play Old Wicked Songs, for which Theater Latté Da won the 2009 IVEY Award for Overall Excellence. Marans states, “With this new initiative, Theater Latté Da is one of the rare theater companies that have the expertise and the interest to help writers explore the musical aspects of a show, to allow and to help guide a show to find both its emotional center and its musical voice.”

C., book and lyrics by Bradley Greenwald, music by Robert Elhai, will be the second work presented at NEXT. C. is a musical adaptation of the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand. Greenwald is one of the Twin Cities most cherished performers and was a key writer in the opera work of Theatre de la Jeune Lune. Elhai is a prolific film composer and orchestrator based in the Twin Cities. He was nominated for a Tony and a Drama Desk award for his orchestrations for The Lion King on Broadway.

Greenwald says, “We drown in an ocean of words that are talked, typed, texted, tweeted, twisted and turned to the breaking point of losing all meaning, and thereby their truth and beauty. This new adaptation of Edmond Rostand's great play reminds us of the power of language, and of one of its greatest champions.”

The final installment of this season’s NEXT is Bessie’s Birthday, book and lyrics by Katie Baldwin Eng, music by Jeff Tang. Set in rural Wisconsin, the musical reunites a family for its annual celebration of Bessie’s birthday. Although Bessie is turning 30, she suffered a seizure while swimming in their family pool that has left her perpetually six years old, or so they think. But this year’s party is different; Bessie is on the cusp of change, ready to take the plunge. In the end, everyone is indeed changed as they all leap into the pool.

Theater Latté Da presented a 40-minute version of Bessie’s Birthday in 2009 as a part of Passage of Dreams, a triptych of new musicals at the Southern Theater. NEXT allows Eng and Tang to develop the piece into a full-length musical. Baldwin says, “Peter Rothstein is both intelligent and brave which allows him to be respectful of the creative process and let it unfold organically.”

NEXT will provide Twin Cities’ audiences the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the creative process and witness new musicals in the making. Peter Rothstein, Theater Latté Da Artistic Director, sits on the board of directors of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and has been highly involved in their festival of new musicals. NEXT enters Theater Latté Da into this national arena and fulfills the organization’s commitment to the next generation of the American Musical Theater.

Rothstein says, “I have been attending and assessing new work festivals for a number of years. I believe NEXT will put playwrights, composers and lyricists at the center of the process and engage our audience as a key collaborator. It’s a thrilling step for the company.”

ABOUT THEATER LATTÉ DA Theater Latté Da is a Twin Cities theater company recognized for its ability to connect story, music, artist and audience through diverse stories and theatrical innovation. Theater Latté Da specializes in advancing the art of musical storytelling through emotional, visceral and intellectual performances that resonate with our current world. The company’s bold approach expands the genre by originating new works, radically reinventing classics from the musical theater canon, and experimenting with unusual forms, musical styles and storytelling techniques. www.LatteDa.org

NEXT: NEW MUSICALS IN THE MAKING AT A GLANCE

WHEN THE MOON HITS YOUR EYE by Jon Marans April 12-14, 2013

C. Book & Lyrics by Bradley Greenwald Music by Robert Elhai Adapted from the play Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand April 19-21, 2013

BESSIE’S BIRTHDAY Book & Lyrics by Katie Baldwin Eng Music by Jeff Tang April 26-28, 2013

April 12-28, 2013 Fridays – Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 2:00 p.m.

3-Show passes are available for $25. Single tickets are $14.

The Lab Theater 700 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401 Box Office: 612-339-3003 LatteDa.org

The musicals being presented as part of NEXT are works in progress and not fully-realized productions. As such, reviewer tickets will not be available. For more information, please call 612-339-3003 or visit www.LatteDa.org.

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Cast Announced for Theater Latté Da’s Production of ‘The Light in the Piazza’ – February 7, 2013

(Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN) – Theater Latté Da announced today casting for its upcoming production of The Light in the Piazza, book by Craig Lucas, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel, which will be presented at the Ordway McKnight Theatre March 14 – April 7, 2013. The Light in the Piazza features Kathleen Humphrey as Margaret Johnson and Jessica Fredrickson as her daughter Clara. Kathleen recently appeared in the world premiere of Minnesota Opera's Doubt, while Jessica is currently starring in Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' Bye Bye Birdie. Fabrizio Naccarelli will be played by Aleks Knezevich, who starred in the Guthrie Theater's hit production of H.M.S. Pinafore.

The cast also includes Erin Capello (Franca Naccarelli), Steven Grant Douglas (Giuseppe Naccarelli), Sarah Gibson (Signora Naccarelli), Helen Hassinger (Tour Guide), Kevin Leines (Roy Johnson), and Bill Scharpen (Signor Naccarelli).

The Light in the Piazza is a romantic tale that revolves around Margaret Johnson, a wealthy Southern woman, and her curiously innocent daughter, Clara, who spend a summer of 1953 in Florence, Italy. When Clara falls in love with Fabrizio, a young Italian man, Margaret is forced to reconsider not only Clara’s future, but her own deep seated hopes and regrets as well. Based on a novella by Elizabeth Spencer, The Light in the Piazza won six Tony Awards in 2005 and is perhaps the most celebrated score of the past decade.

“Adam Guettel is one of the most celebrated composer/lyricists of the contemporary stage,” said Peter Rothstein, artistic director for Theater Latté Da. “The Light in the Piazza is his most recent masterpiece and provides wonderful roles for singer/actors, musicians and designers. Everything about the work is exquisite.”

The production is directed by Peter Rothstein with music direction by Denise Prosek. The design team includes scenic designer Rick Polenek (Theater Latté Da’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Evita and The Full Monty); costume designer Rich Hamson (Theater Latté Da’s Company, Spring Awakening, …Spelling Bee, Evita, Gypsy and Floyd Collins); lighting designer Paul Whitaker (Theater Latté Da’s …Spelling Bee and Evita) and sound designer Collin Sherraden (Theater Latté Da’s Company).

Tickets for The Light in the Piazzastart at $19 for preview performances and start at $29 for all other performances. Tickets are on sale now through the Ordway Ticket Office at www.Ordway.org or by calling (651) 224-4222. Group discounts are also available through Theater Latté Da by contacting groups@latteda.org or (612) 339-3003.

Support for the Theater Latté Da production of The Light in the Piazza is provided by City of Saint Paul Cultural STAR Program Funds, financed in part by the Neighborhood Sales Tax Revitalization Program, and the COMPAS/Travelers’ Arts & Diversity Committee. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Press Photography: Press photos can be found at http://www.theaterlatteda.com/media-room/media-room-2012-13-season/piazza-publicity-and-production-photos.

About Theater Latté Da: Theater Latté Da is a Twin Cities theater company recognized for its ability to connect artists, audiences and communities through diverse stories that are both entertaining and enlightening. The company seeks to create new connections between story, music, artists, and audience by exploring and expanding the art of musical theater. For more information, please visit Theater Latté Da’s website at www.LatteDa.org.

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Theater Latté Da receives $10,000 from NEA

December 1, 2012. The National Endowment for the Arts announced last week that 31 arts organizations in Minnesota, including Theater Latté Da, will receive a total of $877,500 as part of the NEA's Art Works grants.

Theater Latté Da will use their $10,000 grant to support the development of Bessie's Birthday, a new musical by composer Jeff Tang and lyricist/librettist Katie Baldwin Eng. Directed by Peter Rothstein, the piece tells the story of a family gathering to celebrate the 30th birthday of a daughter with a mental disability.

Theater Latté Da patrons may recognize Bessie's Birthday as part of the triptych of new musicals Passage of Dreams, which premiered in 2009 at the Southern Theater. Theater Latté Da will work with Tang and Baldwin Eng again to expand Bessie's Birthday into a full-length, stand alone musical.

The NEA will award 832 grants totaling $23.3 million through its Art Works funding category. Not-for-profit arts organizations in 47 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will receive funding. The supported projects span 13 artistic disciplines and fields and focus primarily on the creation of work and presentation of both new and existing works for the benefit of American audiences.

"Through a rigorous peer-review panel process, the NEA ensures that projects recommended for funding are among the most creative, the most effective, and will make a real impact," said NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman. "I am proud to announce these 832 Art Works grants and 40 Creative Writing Fellowships and I look forward to seeing the projects come to fruition for the benefit of both the grantees and their communities across the country."

Hennepin Theatre Trust and Theater Latté Da Launch Broadway Re-Imagined, a Fresh New Series, with Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, January 2013 at the Pantages – October 9, 2012

MINNEAPOLIS— Hennepin Theatre Trust and Theater Latté Da announced today the launch of Broadway Re-Imagined, a new collaborative partnership taking a fresh look at Broadway and other musical theatre productions. The series kicks off in January 2013 with a co-production of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, imaginatively directed by Latté Da’s acclaimed artistic director Peter Rothstein, at the historic Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis. Single tickets for Aida will go on sale through Hennepin Theatre Trust and Theater Latté Da at 10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 12, 2012. Performances will run Thursday–Sunday, January 3–27, 2013. Aida has also been on sale as part of Theater Latté Da’s season subscriptions and as part of the Trust’s Flex Ticket Packages. Additional information is available at latteda.org and at HennepinTheatreTrust.org.

Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida is based on a timeless love story drawn from the Giuseppi Verdi opera. It was made into a modern, Tony winning Broadway musical by Walt Disney Theatrical productions with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice and book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang.

As part of this new collaboration, the two organizations anticipate co-producing at least one show annually. The impetus for Broadway Re-Imagined builds from Theater Latté Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust’s successful work together since 2008 on All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, co-presented with Cantus and running this year December 19–22 at the historic Pantages Theatre.Broadway Re-Imagined also expands the Trust’s continuum of work with such Minnesota talent as Wendy Knox and Frank Theatre, and the local productions of 2 Sugars, Room for Cream, Girls Only: The Secret Comedy of Women and Standing on Ceremony, all featuring Twin Cities casting and presented at the Trust’s New Century Theatre.

Tom Hoch, President/CEO of Hennepin Theatre Trust, said, “Launching Broadway Re-Imagined with Theater Latté Da and Peter Rothstein, taps the best of both organizations. The new series melds the Trust’s experience with Broadway tours and strategic marketing plans to further open our Hennepin Avenue theatres to Theater Latté Da’s passion and talent for reinventing the classic musical theater canon.”

“This new collaboration is perfectly in line with Theater Latté Da’s dedication to expanding the genre of innovative musical theater,” said Artistic Director Peter Rothstein. “We prize the entire development and creative process and our continued work with the Trust and access to the historic Pantages Theatre establishes a well-known platform for us to explore and advance the art form and reach a broader range of contemporary audiences.”

Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida the musical originated from a children's storybook version of Verdi's opera written by the soprano Leontyne Price. The tale unfolds in the Egyptian wing of a modern museum, when a man and a woman catch each other's eyes and are magically transported to ancient Egypt. Thus begins a dramatic love story between Radames, the captain of the Egyptian army, and Aida, the captured Nubian princess.

The source material was developed by Disney into the stage version which premiered on Broadway during March 2000, running for 1,852 performances until September 2004. It became the 34th longest running Broadway musical, with two U.S. national tours from 2002–2003 and from 2006-2007. Aida won four Tony Awards in 2000, including Best Musical Score and Best Performance by a Leading Actress. The cast recording also won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album and “Written in the Stars” (recorded and sung by Elton John and LeAnn Rimes) reached No.2 in the Billboard U.S. charts and No.1 in the Canadian contemporary charts.Aida was also named by Time Magazine in 2000 as one of the top ten theatre productions of the year.

Hennepin Theatre Trust, non-profit owner of the historic Orpheum, State, Pantages and the newly developed New Century Theatres, is dedicated to enriching the vibrant cultural atmosphere of the Twin Cities. We present a rich array of live performances, create inspiring arts education experiences and advance a thriving cultural destination in downtown Minneapolis. Our programs include Broadway touring productions, the Broadway Confidential series, our SpotLight Musical Theatre Program for high schools, the Critical View student reviewer program, the free ticket Access Program and Kids’ Night and leading the planning for a cultural district that will extend from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden to the Mississippi Riverfront.

Theater Latté Da is a Twin Cities musical theater company recognized for its ability to connect artists, audiences and communities through diverse stories that are both entertaining and enlightening. The company seeks to create new connections between story, music, artists and audience by exploring and expanding the art of musical theater.

Theater Latté Da Announces 2012-2013 Season - July 31, 2012

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) — Theater Latté Da announced today that a season of four adventurous musicals and the launch of a major new work development program will comprise its 15th Anniversary Season. Slated for production are Company at the Ordway McKnight Theatre (October 25 – November 18, 2012), the holiday classic All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 at the Pantages Theatre (December 19-22, 2012), Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, a co-production with Hennepin Theatre Trust at the Pantages Theatre (January 3-27, 2013), and The Light in the Piazza at the Ordway McKnight Theatre (March 14 – April 7, 2013). On April 12, 2013, the company will launch NEXT, a major new works program to develop new musical theater in the Twin Cities. Theater Latté Da opens their fifteenth anniversary season with the musical comedy Company at the Ordway McKnight Theatre October 25 – November 18, 2012. As Minnesota grapples with defining marriage, Latté Da presents Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s insightful and hilarious examination of marriage in contemporary society. On the night of his 35th birthday, confirmed bachelor Bobby contemplates his unmarried state. Surrounded by “those good and crazy people, his married friends,” Bobby weighs the pros and cons of married life, leading to one of the most profound conclusions in the American Musical Theater. Company showcases Sondheim at his brilliant, witty best, including the songs Another Hundred People, Side by Side, The Ladies Who Lunch and Being Alive. The original Broadway production won six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Lyrics and Best Book. The production will be directed by Latté Da’s artistic director Peter Rothstein and will star Twin Cities’ favorite Dieter Bierbrauer in the role of Bobby. Bierbrauer starred in Theater Latté Da productions of Violet, Parade, Floyd Collins, and A Christmas Carole Petersen.

Back by popular demand, Theater Latté Da will once again join forces with Hennepin Theatre Trust and the renowned vocal ensemble Cantus to present All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914. In 2007 Rothstein created what has become a holiday classic by melding European carols and war songs together with found text to tell the remarkable story of the World War I Christmas Truce. All Is Calm premiered on Minnesota Public Radio to great success, and has since been broadcast around the globe through American Public Media and the European Broadcast Union. All Is Calm will tour across the country ending with six performances at the historic Pantages Theatre in downtown Minneapolis, December 19-22, 2012.

Theater Latté Da returns to the Pantages Theatre with a re-imagining of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, January 3-27, 2013, a co-production with Hennepin Theatre Trust. With a book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang (M. Butterfly, Yellow Face), Aida is a contemporary spin on Giuseppe Verdi's grand opera about love and hate, slavery and freedom, war and peace. Featuring one of the most compelling scores of the Broadway stage by the legendary Elton John (Billy Elliot, The Lion King) and Tim Rice (Evita, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat), Aida won four Tony Awards and the Grammy for Best Musical Show Album. The production will be directed by Rothstein, choreographed by Michael Matthew Ferrell, and will feature Jared Oxborough as Captain Radames and Cat Brindisi as Princess Amneris. Oxborough appeared as Che in Theater Latté Da’s record-breaking production of Evita, and Brindisi appeared last season in Theater Latté Da’s productions of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Spring Awakening.

Theater Latté Da returns to the Ordway Center’s intimate McKnight Theatre for a production of The Light in the Piazza, book by Craig Lucas, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel (March 14 – April 7, 2013). Based on a novella by Elizabeth Spencer, this romantic tale revolves around Margaret Johnson, a wealthy Southern woman, and her curiously innocent daughter, Clara, who spend a summer together in Florence. When Clara falls in love with a young Italian man, Margaret is forced to reconsider not only Clara’s future, but her own deep seated hopes and regrets as well. The Light in the Piazza will be directed by Rothstein, with musical direction by Latté Da’s co-founder Denise Prosek. The Light in the Piazza won six Tony Awards in 2005 and is perhaps the most celebrated score of the past decade.

Theater Latté Da will cap its 15th Anniversary Season by launching a major new works initiative NEXT. The inaugural season will feature three new musicals in various stages of development (April 12-28, 2013) at The Lab Theater in Minneapolis’ historic warehouse district. NEXT will provide Twin Cities audiences the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the creative process and witness new musicals in the making. Rothstein sits on the board of directors of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and has been highly involved in their festival of new musicals. NEXT enters Latté Da into this national arena and fulfills the organization’s commitment to the next generation of the American Musical Theater.

SEASON TICKETS

Theater Latté Da will again offer season ticket packages. For information or to request a season brochure call 612-339-3003.

ABOUT THEATER LATTÉ DA

Theater Latté Da is a Twin Cities theater company recognized for its ability to connect story, music, artist and audience through diverse stories and theatrical innovation. Theater Latté Da specializes in advancing the art of musical storytelling through emotional, visceral and intellectual performances that resonate with our current world. The company’s bold approach expands the genre by originating new works, radically reinventing classics from the musical theater canon, and experimenting with unusual forms, musical styles and storytelling techniques. www.LatteDa.org

SEASON AT A GLANCE

COMPANY Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by George Furth

Peter Rothstein, Director Jerry Rubino, Music Director Michael Matthew Ferrell, Choreographer Featuring Dieter Bierbrauer as Bobby

October 25 – November 18, 2012 Wednesdays – Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 2:00 p.m. Previews: October 25 & 26 Opening Night: October 27 ASL/AD: November 8 Post-show Director’s Dialogue: October 28 Post-show Discussions: November 1, 4, 8, 11 & 15

Ordway McKnight Theatre 345 Washington Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102 Box Office: 651-224-4222 Ordway.org

ALL IS CALM: THE CHRISTMAS TRUCE OF 1914 by Peter Rothstein with musical arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach

A co-production with Cantus and Hennepin Theatre Trust

December 19-22, 2012 Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 11:00 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. Friday, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, 2:00 & 7:30 p.m. Opening Night: December 19 ASL/AD: December 22, 2:00 p.m. Post-show Discussions: December 21 & December 22 (following the 2:00 p.m. performance)

Pantages Theatre 710 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403 Box Office: 800-982-2787 HennepinTheatreTrust.org

ELTON JOHN AND TIM RICE’S AIDA Music by Elton John Lyrics by Tim Rice Book by Linda Woolverton, Robert Falls and David Henry Hwang

Peter Rothstein, Director Jason Hansen, Music Director Michael Matthew Ferrell, Choreographer Featuring Jared Oxborough as Captain Radames and Cat Brindisi as Princess Amneris

A co-production with Hennepin Theatre Trust

January 3-27, 2013 Wednesdays – Thursdays, 7:30 p.m. Fridays – Saturdays, 8:00 p.m. Sundays, 2:00 p.m. Previews: January 3 & 4 Opening Night: January 5 ASL/AD: January 17 Post-show Director’s Dialogue: January 6 Post-show Discussions: January 10, 13, 17, 20, 24

Pantages Theatre 710 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55403 Box Office: 800-982-2787 HennepinTheatreTrust.org

THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA Book by Craig Lucas Music and Lyrics by Adam Guettel

Peter Rothstein, Director Denise Prosek, Music Director

March 14 – April 7, 2013 Wednesdays – Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 2:00 p.m. (excluding March 31, 2013) Special Saturday Matinee: March 30, 2013, 2:00 p.m. Previews: March 14 & 15 Opening Night: March 16 ASL/AD: March 28 Post-show Director’s Dialogue: March 17 Post-show Discussions: March 21, 24, 28 & April 4

Ordway McKnight Theatre 345 Washington Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102 Box Office: 651-224-4222 Ordway.org

NEXT New Musicals in the Making (Titles to be announced at a later date)

April 12-28, 2013 Fridays – Saturdays, 7:30 p.m. Sundays, 2:00 p.m.

The Lab Theater 700 North First Street, Minneapolis, MN 55401 Box Office: 612-333-7977 TheLabTheater.org

For more information or to purchase season subscriptions, please call 612-339-3003 or visit www.LatteDa.org.

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Theater Latté Da to Open Its 15th Season With Company at the Ordway's McKnight Theatre - July 3, 2012

(Minneapolis/St. Paul) – Theater Latté Da announced today they will produce Company, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by George Furth, this fall at the Ordway McKnight Theatre. Company will preview October 25 and October 26, open on October 27, and run through November 18, 2012. As Minnesota grapples with defining marriage, Theater Latté Da presents Stephen Sondheim’s insightful and hilarious examination of marriage in contemporary society. On the night of his 35th birthday, confirmed bachelor Robert contemplates his unmarried state. Surrounded by "those good and crazy people, his married friends,” Robert weighs the pros and cons of married life, leading to one of the most profound conclusions in the American Theater. Company showcases Sondheim at his brilliant, witty best; songs including “Another Hundred People,” “Side by Side,” “The Ladies Who Lunch” and “Being Alive.” Company is the winner of 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Lyrics and Best Book.

Robert will be played by Dieter Bierbrauer. Dieter is currently starring in Chanhassen Dinner Theatre’s production of Xanadu. His Theater Latté Da credits include Violet, Parade, Floyd Collins, A Man of No Importance and A Christmas Carole Petersen.

“I have long respected Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's concept musical about the institution of marriage, but I have never chosen to produce it because it spoke to another time, place and ideology,” said Theater Latté Da’s Artistic Director Peter Rothstein. “However, today we as a nation are radically re-examining our ideas around marriage, and Furth and Sondheim’s insightful, humorous and artful exploration feels more relevant than ever.”

“I think Company also has new relevance today because of the drastic shifts in our communication systems. Technology has transformed the way we meet one another, the way we communicate with one another and the way we express intimacy. Our production will strive to illuminate this dramatic shift.”

Tickets for Company are available starting at $19 and are on sale through the Ordway Center at www.Ordway.org or by calling 651-224-4222. Group discounts are also available through Theater Latté Da by contacting groups@latteda.org or 612-339-3003.

Company is made possible in part by a grant provided by the Minnesota State Arts Board, through an appropriation by the Minnesota State Legislature from the Minnesota arts and cultural heritage fund with money from the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.

All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 Returns to the Pantages, December 19-22, 2012

Tickets Go On Sale at 11 a.m., Friday, June 1, 2012

“… a classic to be repeated for years to come"—Graydon Royce, Minneapolis Star Tribune Presented by Cantus, Theater Latté Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust

MINNEAPOLIS—All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914, the poignant production that has become a Twin Cities’ holiday classic and an annual theatre-going tradition, will return for six performances only Wednesday through Saturday, December 19–22, 2012 at the historic Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. With words and songs drawn from the era, All Is Calm recalls the remarkable and spontaneous World War I truce between Allied and German forces in No Man's Land over Christmas 1914. This compelling ode to peace was created by Theater Latté Da’s acclaimed artistic director Peter Rothstein and features Cantus, one of America’s finest vocal ensembles, with musical arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach. All Is Calm is a collaboration among Cantus, Theater Latté Da and Hennepin Theatre Trust. Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m., Friday, June 1. To purchase and for more information visit HennepinTheatreTrust.org.

All Is Calm relives the story of an astounding moment in history when Allied and German soldiers laid down their arms to celebrate the holiday together by trading carols, sharing food and drink, playing soccer and burying each others’ dead. In some places the truce lasted only a night, in others until New Year’s Day. This dramatic re-telling contains actual quotes and letters from thirty World War I figures brought to life by actors Matt Rein, David Roberts and Alan Sorenson.

Cantus beautifully weaves a tapestry of sound, drawing from patriotic tunes, trench songs, medieval Scottish ballads and holiday carols from England, Wales, France and Germany which take on new depths when set in the context of trench warfare.  Music, an important part of life in the trenches, helped create a context that inspired the truce. All Is Calm opens with a set of carols arranged by English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams for his own battalion.

Rothstein, hailed as one of the Twin Cities’ premiere directors, worked five years to develop All Is Calm. He remembers, “I wanted to tell the story in their words, so I created the drama primarily through found text including letters, official war documents, autobiographies, World War I poetry, grave stone inscriptions and even an old radio broadcast. I was able to spend time along the Western Front and conduct extensive research in Brussels, Ieper, Paris and London. It was incredibly powerful to stand on the very spot where this extraordinary happening took place. For decades, the Christmas truce was considered a romantic fable, however there is no doubt thousands of courageous men took part.”

The world premiere of All Is Calm was broadcast live on Classical Minnesota Public Radio and has since been heard around the globe through American Public Media and the European Broadcast Union. The program won the Gold World Medal at the 2010 New York Festivals and the 2010 Gabriel Award, which honors works of excellence in broadcasting that serve audiences through the positive, creative treatment of concerns to humankind. The original All Is Calm cast recording from this highly acclaimed collaboration between Cantus and Theater Latté Da is available for purchase on CD and as a download at cantussings.org.

Reaction from the Press:

“A dramatic, real-life musing about the power this season has to make us stop, reflect, and decide to operate in a mode of peace.”—Lani Willis, Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine

“A work of beauty…not only an outstanding piece of musical theater, but a brilliantly executed production that understands that its power comes from its simplicity.”—Rob Hubbard, St. Paul Pioneer Press

TICKET INFORMATION

Tickets are on sale now and priced at $28 and $35.50 for adults; $25 and $15 for students (ages 6-18), seniors (age 62+) and military/veterans (with valid i.d.). Prices depend on seating preference and are subject to change. Additional fees may apply. Tickets may be purchased in person at the State Theatre Box Office (805 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, 55402), online at HennepinTheatreTrust.org, through Ticketmaster by calling 800.982.2787 or by visiting a Ticketmaster Ticket Center. Groups of 10 are eligible for discounts and should call 612.373.5665 for information and reservations. Performances are held at the Pantages Theatre, 710 Hennepin Ave., Mpls., 55403.

Performance dates and times: Wednesday, Dec. 19 through Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012 Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20 at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

Added Bonus! The Friday 7:30 p.m. and Saturday 2 p.m. performances include post-show “Talk Backs” with Peter Rothstein and members of the company. All audience members at these shows are invited to stay and participate.

For more information on All Is Calm and other work by Cantus and Theater Latté Da please visit cantussings.org and latteda.org.

HENNEPIN THEATRE TRUST, non-profit owner of the historic Orpheum, State, Pantages and the newly developed New Century Theatres, is dedicated to enriching the vibrant cultural atmosphere of the Twin Cities. We present a rich array of live performances, create inspiring arts education experiences and advance a thriving cultural destination in downtown Minneapolis. Our programs include Broadway touring productions, the Broadway Confidential series, our SpotLight Musical Theatre Program for high schools, the Critical View student reviewer program, the free ticket Access Program and Kids’ Night and participating in the planning for the cultural corridor that will extend from the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden to the Mississippi Riverfront.

Cantus is acclaimed as the “premier men’s vocal ensemble in the United States” (Fanfare) and distinguishes itself with its remarkable musical versatility.  Touring nationally and enjoying sold-out concerts in its home of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Cantus is featured this season as Artists in Residence on American Public Media’s Performance Today, heard by over 1 million listeners each week

Theater Latté Da is a Twin Cities musical theater company recognized for its ability to connect artists, audiences and communities through diverse stories that are both entertaining and enlightening. The company seeks to create new connections between story, music, artists and audience by exploring and expanding the art of musical theater.