052 CENTERSTAGE SERIES PROMISES A ‘SEASON OF CLASSICS’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 7, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Lisa L. Rollins, 615-898-2919


Children’s Production Part of Annual Series for 1st Time, Report CenterStage Organizers

(MURFREESBORO)—MTSU Theatre & Dance and MTSU Opera will again join forces to present the 2006-07 CenterStage Series, a variety-filled season of classics that will include two theatrical productions, a musical, two operas, two dance shows and, for the first time, a children’s production.
Jeff Gibson, assistant professor of speech and theatre, says, “This season offers the public a wide array of classic selections from the broad spectrum of theater history … with something in it for everybody.”
The CenterStage Series will get under way at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29-30 and Oct. 4-7 on the stage of MTSU’s Tucker Theatre with Noel Coward’s “Hay Fever,” a 1924-era comedy of bad manners that visits the Bliss family.
As the “Hay Fever” story unfolds, Gibson says, “A pleasant country home becomes a chaotic and hilarious nightmare when each member of the family, unbeknownst to one another, invites a guest home for the weekend.”
Next, the classic musical known as “Oklahoma!” will lead theatergoers of all ages into the fall season when it’s presented at 7:30 nightly Nov. 10-11 and Nov. 15-18 in Tucker Theatre.
“The Rodgers and Hammerstein hit, which is one of the America’s most beloved musicals, will surely be a treat for the whole family,” observes Gibson, who adds that the show will highlight familiar songs such as “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” and the stunning duet, “People Will Say We’re In Love.”
Meanwhile, next door at the T. Earl Hinton Music Hall in MTSU’s Wright Music Building, the season’s first opera, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by Benjamin Britten, one of the premier opera composers of the 20th century, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17-18.
Britten, through his “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” contribution, has set music to Shakespeare’s 1595 comedy in an innovative performance that beautifully crafts the worlds of fantasy and love, Gibson notes.
MTSU Dance Theatre will round off 2006 by presenting an exceptional evening of grace and athleticism that features the choreography of international guest artists Gabriel Masson and Ivan Pulinkala, along with premieres by dance faculty and students, during its annual Fall Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30-Dec. 2 in Tucker Theatre.
In the 2007 spring semester, the CenterStage Series will again ignite with “Mozart Onstage!” at 7:30 nightly Feb. 15-16 in MTSU’s T. Earl Hinton Music Hall.
Described as an engaging evening of favorite scenes from the composer's greatest operas, this musical celebration will be performed by vocal students in the McLean School of Music.
Next, on Feb. 24-25, “Ramona Quimby,” one of the most memorable characters in American children’s fiction, will come to life on the Tucker Theatre stage at 7:30 nightly in this entertaining adaptation of Beverly Cleary’s beloved children’s book series.
“Families who attend this production can follow 8-year-old Ramona through her adventurous third-grade year as she faces some of life’s most difficult obstacles with courage and humor,” offers Gibson of the production, which has been dubbed as “a treat for the whole family.”
William Wycherley’s “A Country Wife,” complete with love, lust, deception, curious wives and jealous husbands, will be performed at 7:30 p.m. March 30-31 and April 4-7 in Tucker Theatre.
Gibson calls this 1675 Restoration comedy one of the funniest and most vulgar plays of its time.
“It was certainly risqué at its time, but by today’s standards it’s just flirtatious and full of innuendo,” he explains. “A lot of its humor comes out of relationships, especially a love interest and the twisted circumstances in relationships. But Restoration theater, in general, has its own physical style, with fans and specific body positioning … and the student actors will be learning those techniques for this production.”
Last but not least, the series will conclude with the annual Spring Dance Concert at 7:30 p.m. April 19-21 in Tucker Theatre. The concert’s emphasis will be on faculty and student choreography as well as special guest artists Chung Fu Chang and Zelma Badu-Younge.
•TICKET INFO: Season tickets, ranging from $16 to $48, are available by calling the MTSU CenterStage Ticket Office at 615-494-8810 or by visiting www.mtsu.edu/~theatre/.
Tickets for individual shows, $4-$10, may be purchased at the door. MTSU students with a valid university ID will be admitted free.
For more information about tickets or individual shows, please call MTSU’s CenterStage Ticket Office 615-494-8810.

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ATTENTION, MEDIA—For editorial needs, including interview requests with performers or faculty, photo requests or to obtain review tickets, please contact Lisa L. Rollins in the Office of News and Public Affairs at MTSU at lrollins@mtsu.edu or by calling 615-898-2919.