2015 fall theater preview: ‘Book of Mormon,’ ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ on tap

Wichita’s lively theater scene will reach a major milestone this fall as Wichita Community Theatre launches its 70th anniversary season.

As the oldest continuously operating theater troupe in the city, the WCT will feature a varied slate, from classics such as “Death of a Salesman” to a rarely performed Neil Simon comedy. There’s even an original script from a longtime WCT actor that encourages audience participation.

Live theater is also coming back to the Crown Uptown this fall after being suspended for a year while owners re-evaluated their plans for the vintage dinner theater. But it won’t approach the seven-shows-a-year schedule that was in place for three decades.

Instead, Crown is resurrecting its in-house theater troupe to bring back Halloween and Christmas musicals and one holiday children’s show. There is the possibility of adding a summer musical next year, a spokesman said.

But Crown Uptown is getting an artistic boost from the brash, new avant-garde DZ Productions formed by Rutgers University theater major Dalton Zogleman with help from his mom, Deanne Zogleman, director of music at Newman University.

The Zoglemans, whose mission is to showcase talented local performers on the verge of heading to Broadway, rents the theater for its cutting-edge shows, like last year’s regional premiere of “Heathers the Musical.” This year, it’s the premiere of the 2015 Tony Award-winning “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.”

After reducing its theater program from four shows per year to just two last year, Wichita Center for the Arts has apparently suspended its theater operations. A spokesman said there are no plans for shows this fall or next spring.

That still leaves local theatergoers dozens of titles to consider from now through next spring.

Among highlights are local and regional premieres of Theater League’s “The Book of Mormon” and “Flashdance the Musical,” the Forum’s “Hands on a Hard Body” and “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” DZ’s “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and Wichita State University’s “Light in the Piazza.”

Here’s a look at what’s scheduled for fall. As always, show titles and dates may change.

Theater League

“The Book of Mormon” (Nov. 24-29): Winner of nine Tony Awards, including best musical of 2011, this gleefully satirical romp about religion from the guys behind “South Park” follows two young Mormon missionaries in a remote African village who have trouble selling salvation when the locals are more worried about warlords, poverty and famine.

Details: Performances in Century II Concert Hall; shows at 7:30 p.m. Season tickets (four shows): $105-$275; call 800-776-7469. Individual show tickets: $40-$130; call WichitaTix at 316-219-4849. Discounts available. Info: www.theaterleague.com

Roxy’s Downtown

“Tru” (7:30 p.m. Sept. 18-19, 2 p.m. Sept. 20): Wichita actor, teacher and Broadway veteran Tom Frye performs Jay Presson Allen’s 1989 one-man tribute to flamboyant, eccentric writer Truman Capote in this 1989 one-man drama.

“Evil Dead the Musical” (Sept. 25-Oct. 31): Ridiculously entertaining 2006 Off-Broadway musical adaptation of the cult movie horror romp about five college kids trapped in a mountain cabin surrounded by demons, zombies and even a talking moose. One word: chainsaw!

“The Great American Trailer Park Christmas Musical” (Nov. 12-Dec. 30): All the eccentric Southern denizens of Armadillo Acres Trailer Park are back for this holiday sequel to the original 2005 romp, this time with the neighborhood Scrooge getting zapped by holiday lights and rediscovering the meaning of Christmas.

Details: Performances at 412 1/2 E. Douglas), 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (unless noted). Tickets: Show only $25; dinner/show $40 (doors open at 6:30 p.m., food service 6:30-7:30 p.m.). Call 316-928-2288.

Forum Theatre

“Little Shop of Horrors” (Oct. 22-31): One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows is Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s 1982 satirical rock/doo-wop musical, made into a cheesy horror flick in 1986, about a meek flower shop clerk who discovers a man-eating plant that gives him fame and fortune – as long as he satisfies its ever-increasing appetite.

“Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol” (Dec. 10-19): This 2011 musical by Paul Jackson and Conrad Jestmore about miserly Scrooge and his wondrous and terrifying battle with the ghosts of Christmases Past, Present and Yet to Come has become an annual tradition.

Details: Performances at 332 E. First St.; shows at 8 p.m. Thursday-Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday. Season tickets $92.75-$149. Individual show tickets $23 Thursday evening and Saturday matinee, $25 Friday and Saturday evenings. Call 316-618-0444. Info: www.forumwichita.com

National Theatre Live

“Hamlet” (Oct. 15-16): Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Imitation Game”) steps into the troubled shoes of Shakespeare’s “To be or not to be” melancholy Dane as he rages against a deceitful family tearing itself apart while avenging his father’s murder.

“Of Mice and Men” (Nov. 19-20): James Franco and Chris O’Dowd star in the acclaimed Broadway revival of John Steinbeck’s heartbreaking testament to friendship between two drifters and the young woman who comes between them.

“Jane Eyre” (December TBA): This co-production with the Bristol Old Vic is a bold re-imagining of Charlotte Bronte’s tale of a spirited young woman who begins life as a destitute orphan but faces life’s obstacles head-on, surviving poverty, injustice and betrayal to follow her heart.

Details: Live HD broadcasts from the National Theatre in London (unless noted) shown onscreen at the Murdock Theatre, 536 N. Broadway. Live at 1 p.m. Thursday, taped repeat at 7 p.m. Friday. Tickets: $15 adult/senior, $12 student, available online at www.murdocktheatre.com. Call 316-263-1665.

Mosley Street Melodrama

“Hitchcock’s Psycho Motel” (Sept. 17-Oct. 31): Spooky original melodrama by J.R. Hurst that spoofs Hitchcock suspense thrillers. Followed by musical revue.

“I Got Botox for Christmas, or O Come All Ye Facefull” (Nov. 12-Dec. 30; no shows Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day): Original holiday melodrama by Tom Frye. Followed by musical revue.

Details: Performances at 234 N. Mosley in Old Town; shows at 7:50 p.m. Thursday-Saturday (doors open at 6, dinner 6:15-7:30). From Nov. 27-Dec. 23, shows at 7:50 p.m. nightly plus 1:50 p.m. Saturday matinee (doors open at noon, buffet 12:15-1:30 p.m.). Tickets: Dinner/show, $30 adults, $26 ages 60 and older, $26 ages under 12; show only: $20 all ages. Season tickets and group discounts available. Call 316-263-0222. Info: www.mosleystreet.com

Crown Uptown Theatre

“The Rocky Horror Show” (Oct. 2, 8-9, 16, 21-24, 28-31): Richard O’Brien’s 1973 cult classic mixes cross-dressing space aliens, mad scientists and Victoria’s Secret style with a rock beat as Dr. Frank-N-Furter strives to create the perfect monster. Shows at 7:30 p.m. (dinner starts at 5) with additional midnight shows on Oct. 24 and 31. Tickets: $20-$50 for dinner/show; $20-$35 for show only.

“Nuncrackers: The Nunsense Christmas Musical” (Nov. 28-Dec. 20): Don Goggin’s second sequel (of six) of his miraculously popular 1985 original musical romp follows the hilarious misadventures of quirky nuns in the Little Sisters of Hoboken convent. This show is a behind-the-scenes look at the sisters’ Christmas special being taped for public access TV, which culminates in a wacky spoof of Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” ballet. Shows at 7:30 p.m. with dinner starting at 5 p.m. Ticket prices TBA.

Details: Performances at 3207 E. Douglas. Call 316-612-7696.

Prairie Pines

“The Mystery of Mistletoe Manner” (Nov. 20-21, 28, Dec. 3-6, 9-13, 16-23, 26): This comedic murder mystery is set in the 1940s at a luxurious Bar Harbor estate where a reclusive millionaire and his twin sister (both played by Scott Noah) host a lavish party for a diverse set of eccentric guests, including Karen Robu, Hope Astle and Keely Connely as the singing Cando Sisters, before guests start dropping like the ball in Times Square. Also starring Tim Robu, Mike Roark, Kip Scott and Michelle Frikken.

Details: Performances at 8 p.m. at 4055 N. Tyler Road. Doors open at 6:15 for cider and browsing in Old Barn Christmas Shop; dinner starts at 6:45 and goes throughout show; show at 8. Tickets: $31.95-$33.95. Call 316-303-2037.

Wichita Community Theatre

“Fools” (Through Sept. 20): Neil Simon’s 1981 comic fable is about a 19th-century Russian teacher hired to tutor a doctor’s stupid daughter in a small eccentric village who learns that the whole populace has been cursed for over 200 years to be stupid. And he’s in danger of joining them when he falls in love.

“An Inspector Calls” (Oct. 14-25): British playwright J.B. Priestley’s classic 1945 drawing room drama is a scathing indictment of Victorian upper-class hypocrisy as a man visits a prosperous family to ask about the apparent suicide of a young working-class woman that they may have caused.

“A Christmas Story” (Nov. 27-Dec. 13): Philip Grecian’s 2000 authorized stage version of the beloved 1983 movie is a celebration of childhood in the 1940s, in particular 9-year-old Ralphie’s quest for a genuine Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas.

Details: Performances at 258 N. Fountain; shows at 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $14 adults, $12 seniors/military/students (unless noted). Special $10 tickets on opening nights. Call 316-686-1282.

Guild Hall Players

“Bus Stop” (Oct. 1-4): The classic 1955 American romantic comedy by Kansas native William Inge is about a wild young cowboy who has to rein in his pride to be worthy of the woman he loves.

“The Subject Was Roses” (Nov. 19-22): Frank D. Gilroy’s 1964 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama is about the change in family dynamics when a boy who goes away to war comes home a man.

Details: Performances in St. James Episcopal Church, 3750 E. Douglas; shows at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $12; $10 students. Call 316-683-5686. Info: www.stjameswichita.org

WSR Signature Theatre

“A Year With Frog and Toad” (Sept. 25-27): Robert and Willie Reale’s 2003 children’s musical is based on Arnold Lobel’s charming stories about the adventures of a perky frog and a worrywart toad.

Details: Performances in Scottish Rite Auditorium, 332 E. First St. Shows at 7 p.m. Tickets: $10 adults, $7 students at the door (no reservations). Info: 316-263-4218

Kechi Playhouse

“Pantie-monium” (Through Sept. 27): This is the premiere of an original new comedy by Kechi Playhouse founder Misty Maynard.

“Chapatti” (Oct. 1-25): A gentle, poignant romantic comedy from Christian O’Reilly is about two lonely people in Dublin – a man with a dog named Chapatti and a woman with 19 cats – who meet and find an unexpected spark of companionship.

Details: Performances at 100 E. Kechi Road, Kechi. Shows at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $11 Thursday and Sunday, $12 Friday and Saturday. Call 316-744-2152.

Music Theatre for Young People

“Footloose” (Oct. 9-11): Lively dance-heavy 1998 musical (based on 1984 movie) by Tom Snow and Dean Pitchford about a rebellious Chicago teen transplanted to small-town Oklahoma, where dance is considered a sin. He ends up leading his classmates in a foot-stomping rock rebellion.

Details: Performances in Mary Jane Teall Theater in Century II; shows at 7:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: $12 adults in advance and $15 at the door, $10 students both in advance or at door; at WichitaTix at 316-219-4849 or www.wichitatix.com. Info: www.mtypks.org

Wichita Children’s Theatre & Dance Center

Main Stage

“Junie B. Jones the Musical” (Oct. 9-10): Lovable Junie B., heroine of the popular book series, shows that first grade has never been so much musical fun.

Details: Performances at 201 Lulu (unless noted); call for show times. Tickets: $6; special pizza shows, $7.50 (group discounts available). Call 316-262-2282. Info: www.wctdc.com

Heather Muller Black Box

“Working” (Nov. 20-22): Tony Award-winning musical, based on Studs Terkel’s famous book, that whips up vivid portraits of vital working-class men and women that the world mostly takes for granted.

Details: Performances in Black Box Theatre, 201 Lulu; shows at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday (unless noted). Tickets: $8.50; premium, $12.50 (group discounts available). Call 316-262-2282. Info: www.wctdc.com

“Once Upon a Time” Series

“How I Became a Pirate” (Nov. 4-7): Swashbuckling musical adventure as comical pirates look for perfect place to bury their treasure.

Details: Performed by WCT&DC’s adult company for youngsters ages 2 to 8 with audience participation. Performances at 201 Lulu; call for show times. Tickets: $6; special pizza shows, $7.50 (group discounts available). Call 316-262-2282. Info: www.wctdc.com

Wichita State

Main Stage

“Smokey Joe’s Cafe” (Sept. 24-27): Showcasing 39 pop/rock standards from Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, like “Fools Fall in Love,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Yakety Yak” and “Spanish Harlem,” this 1995 show became the longest-running musical revue in Broadway history.

“Light in the Piazza” (Oct. 29-Nov. 1): This 2006 Tony-winning musical features near-opera and classical elements, often in Italian or broken English, for this 1950s-era tale of a wealthy Southern matron re-examining her notions of what’s best for her developmentally-stunted daughter when the girl falls in love with a young Italian man during a summer vacation.

Details: Performances in Wilner Auditorium on WSU campus (unless noted); shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets for musicals: $16, $14 faculty/seniors/military, $6 non-WSU students, WSU students free. Tickets for nonmusicals: $10, $8 faculty/seniors/military, $6 non-WSU students, WSU students free. Call 316-978-3233.

Second Stage

“Wrong Window” (Nov. 18-22): Fast-paced, pun-filled, pratfall parody of Alfred Hitchcock suspense tales, from “Rear Window” to “The 39 Steps,” as a New York couple spies through their window an apparent murder across the courtyard, only to have doubts when they try to prove it.

Details: Performances in Welsbacher Theatre in Hughes Metropolitan Complex, 29th and Oliver. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Tickets: $10, $8 seniors/military, $6 students. Call 316-978-3233.

Newman University

“Hay Fever” (Oct. 8-11): (Jabara Theatre) Noel Coward’s 1925 farcical comedy of manners, set in an English country house in the 1920s, follows four members of the eccentric, self-centered Bliss family as they invite one guest each to a weekend house party that turns into a sharp-tongued battle of wits.

“Damn Yankees” (Nov. 19-22): (DeMattias Hall) Richard Adler and Jerry Ross’ 1955 musical comedy about America’s love of baseball that retells the Faust legend with a middle-aged Washington Senators fan vowing to sell his soul to the devil for a chance to become a long-ball hitter who could beat the hated rival New York Yankees.

Details: Performances at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (unless noted) in DeMattias Performance Hall or Jabara Theatre. Tickets at DeMattias: $12 adults, $10 students, $5 Newman students. Tickets at Jabara: $10 adults, $8 students, $5 Newman students.

Friends University

“The Rain Game, or Baal Out, He Said” (Sept. 17-20): Original script by Charles Parker, associate professor of drama and director of theater at Friends University.

“Wait Until Dark” (Oct. 22-25): Frederich Knott’s chilling 1966 thriller about a young blind woman terrorized in her own Greenwich Village apartment by three drug smugglers trying to recover a cache of heroine hidden in a doll that they believe was given to her as a present.

Student One-Act Plays (Nov. 20-21): An evening of one-act plays selected, directed and performed by theater students. Free.

Details: Performances in Cornerstone Studio Theatre in Riney Fine Arts Center on the Friends campus. Shows at 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday (unless noted). Tickets: $11, $9 seniors/students (unless noted). Call 316-295-5537. Info: www.friends.edu/theater

This story was originally published September 13, 2015 at 10:34 AM with the headline "2015 fall theater preview: ‘Book of Mormon,’ ‘Hedwig and the Angry Inch’ on tap."