2010 Mainstage Productions

Bye Bye Birdie

Book by Michael Stewart; Lyrics by Lee Adams; Music by Charles Strouse.

Conrad Birdie, an Elvis-like rock and roll singer is about to be inducted into the army.  His agent’s secretary, Rosie, concocts one final national publicity plan before he goes.  That takes them to Sweet Apple, Ohio, where the likes of Birdie has never been encountered in person.  Everyday life is upended, and the satirical humor is softened with infectious fondness. With songs “Kids”, “A Lot of Livin’ to Do” and “Put on a Happy Face”.

• For audiences of all ages.

Table Manners

by Alan Ayckbourn

Table Manners - one of Ayckbourn’s “Norman Conquests” trilogy - stands the test of time as  an engaging comedy. Spirited exchanges and verbal sally prove to be less than well-mannered dinner conversation between two sisters, an older brother, their mates, and a veterinarian neighbor. In the words of one critic, the humor “ripples you with laughter that shakes the body and, more subversively, fractures the soul.”

• For those who delight in human comedy, adult themes

Twist & Shout: A Beatles Songbook

Conceived by Jacques Stewart

The Beatles arrived in America appearing on Ed Sullivan’s show in 1964: their music has never departed, nor would anyone want it to.  Tunes and lyrics have stood the test of time, emerging as standards for what is now multiple generations of fans:  what other songs can grandparents sing along with their children’s children?  An all-musical evening that will showcase the creative talents of AEA performers and Weathervane musicians.

• Recommended for every music lover.

First Night/Major Sponsor: Presby Environmental

South Pacific

Music by Richard Rodgers; Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II; Book by Oscar Hammerstein II, Joshua Logan. Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel “Tales of the South Pacific” by James A. Michener

With a score as lush as the island paradise in which the story unfolds, two parallel love stories emerge, both threatened by the dangers of

prejudice and war. The war is WWII, and the island is in the Pacific theatre: the characters - and songs - are timeless. “Some Enchanted

Evening”, “Bali Ha’i”, “There Is Nothing Like a Dame” among others in this classic.

• A favorite of every generation for 60 years.

Hair

Book by Gerome Ragni and James Rado; Music by Galt MacDermot; Lyrics by Gerome Ragni and James Rado

The “age of Aquarius”, a time of “harmony and understanding” removed inhibitions, and an era began of sex, drugs, dropping out, and literally letting down hair - “long, straight, curly, fuzzy, snaggy, shaggy” . . . A social commentary of its times, Hair (the first and most successful of the rock musicals) provides an insight into what ‘unconventional’ still means today.  Songs like “Hair”, “Easy to Be Hard”, “Good Morning Starshine” and others have become a soundtrack of our lives.

• Recommended for flower children of appropriate age.

The Three Musketeers

By Tom Haas and Robert F. Gross; Based on characters created by Alexandre Dumas

Enduring characters, the musketeers have been re-visioned in any number of stage and film incarnations. This version, from Weathervane co-founder Tom Haas, was revived in 1992 by the fine hand of Jacques Stewart - who will direct this sharp, fast-paced, rollicking and satirical comedic revival in honor of our 45th Anniversary.

• Recommended for mature teens and up

Ragtime

Book by Terrence McNally; Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens  Music by Stephen Flaherty

Based on the novel, Ragtime, by E.L. Doctorow

Masterful and musical intertwining of the history of three families as they confront timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and what it means to live in America.  Based on a distinguished book by E. L. Doctorow, fictional characters and actual personages - whites, African-Americans, immigrants and celebrities - populate the turn-of-the-20th century, the rich narrative tapestry as varied as the musical rhythms that contained in the magnificent score.

• Multi-generational appeal.