STAGE RIGHT of Texas, resident theatre company at the historic Crighton Theatre (you remember us, right?) has some answers for you in what we are hoping is the aftermath of a global pandemic.
Are you still doing Peter Pan?
Yes, we are producing Peter Pan. Out of an abundance of caution though, our board in consultation with the show’s production team decided that it would be best to delay the show. The new dates for Peter Pan are September 11-27, 2020. So, Peter Pan will take the slot of the first show of our next season.
Why was Peter Pan delayed? I see people out and about and restaurants open and even other venues open?
As of press time for this article, live performance venues are currently under capacity restrictions and social distancing measures are still in effect. With capacity restrictions in place, the 541 seat Crighton Theatre is reduced to a little over 150 seats. We lose money if we run a show with only that amount of folks in the audience especially an expensive show like Peter Pan that comes with the exorbitant cost to fly performers. Additionally, maintaining 6’ distance is impossible on stage and backstage during a performance. Our cast and crew in preparation for a July show, as it was originally scheduled, would have to be in close proximity singing, dancing rehearsing, etc. much prior to July to be ready for a July performance. We just didn’t feel comfortable having our artists put themselves at risk prior to July especially when guidelines from the CDC and the state have recommended distancing remain in place. Other venues may have decided not to abide by the distancing recommendations or perhaps they feel they are able to do so in their venue. Our venue has a reduced sized lobby area due to renovation construction and still only one toilet downstairs. People unable to climb the stairs to go to the upstairs restrooms would be out the door waiting to use the restroom in order to maintain social distance of 6’. Theatre is a contact sport and the backstage area at the Crighton is very close quarters. We have chosen to do what we felt is in the best interest of our artists, patrons and our organization.
If Peter Pan is now in September, what happens to the next season line-up of shows?
Moving Peter Pan from the last show slot of our 2019-2020 season to the first slot of our 2020-2021 season has obviously necessitated a re-shuffle of our new season. Peter Pan will preplace The Odd Couple which was originally scheduled for September of 2020. Here is our show line-up going forward barring complete and total disaster:
Sept 11 – 27, 2020 – Peter Pan Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Music by Morris “Moose” Charlap, Additional Lyrics by Betty Comden Adolph Green, Additional Music by Jule Styne, Based on the play by Sir J. M. Barrie
Based on J.M. Barrie’s classic tale, Peter Pan is one of the most beloved and frequently performed family favorites of all time. This high-flying Tony Award-winning musical has been performed around the world and delighted audiences for 60 years.
Oct 23- Nov 8, 2020 – Nunsense by Dan Goggin
The Little Sisters of Hoboken discover that their cook, Sister Julia, Child of God, has accidentally poisoned 52 of the sisters, and they are in dire need of funds for the burials. The 5 remaining sisters decide that the best way to raise the money is to put on a variety show with riotous results.
Dec 4 – 20, 2020 – Elf-The Musical Based on the motion picture of the same name, with a score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin. The book is adapted by Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan from the 2003 film.
Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Feb 12-28, 2021– Funny Girl Book by Isobel Lennart, music by Jule Styne, and lyrics by Bob Merrill.
A musical theatre classic which celebrates the exuberant and elegant flavor of Broadway in the 1910s and 20s and the comic genius of Fanny Brice. Featuring such beloved songs as “People”, “Don’t Rain on My Parade”, and “Sadie, Sadie.”
Apr 9-25, 2021 – The Odd Couple by Neil Simon
The story of two divorced men – neurotic neat-freak Felix Ungar and fun-loving slob Oscar Madison – who decide to live together. Can two divorced men live together without driving each other crazy?
June 6-20, 2021 M*A*S*H Adapted by Tim Kelly from the book by Richard Hooker (this show was postponed from April of 2020)
M*A*S*H stands for Mobile Army Surgical Hospital, and joining it are two unpredictable madcaps, Hawkeye and Duke. They can’t be dealt with casually, however, because they are also two of the best chest surgeons in South Korea. They decide to wage a campaign to get a young Korean named Ho Jon to the United States and entered in a good school. If you loved the book and subsequent TV series, you’ll love the play.
Jul 9-25, 2021 – The Wizard of Oz (RSC version 1987) by L. Frank Baum adapted by John Kane from the motion picture screenplay for the Royal Shakespeare Company. With music and lyrics from the MGM motion picture score by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, Background music by Herbert Stothart
Dorothy lives on a farm in Kansas until a cyclone arrives, and picks her, her house, and her dog Toto up and deposits them in the land of Oz. There with the aid of the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion she travels to Oz so the Wizard may send her home again, because there’s no place like home.
What happened to Leaving Iowa: A Comedy About Family Vacations?
We decided to cut that show from the 2020-2021 season and replace it with the better known show The Odd Couple (that was bumped out of September to make way for Peter Pan). Don’t worry. We’ll most likely put it on our next season. It’s a delightful family friendly show and one that is sure to appeal to anyone that has traveled through our great country while sitting in the back seat with your siblings slowly driving your parents crazy.
Now, I’m real confused! I’m a season ticket holder and I already paid for some of these shows, how is that going to work??
Fear not. You will get what you paid for. For folks that had season tickets to our 2019-2020 season, you already paid for Peter Pan and M*A*S*H, so, when you renew your season subscription, you will be only charged for 5 shows (Nunsense, Elf, Funny Girl, The Odd Couple and Wizard of Oz).
If you were a season subscriber in 2019-2020 and already renewed for the 2020-2021 season and paid in full the $125, we owe you a refund, or we can give you extra tickets to a show of your choosing. You can get that by contacting the box office at 936-441-7469. Remember we moved M*A*S*H to a June slot where we normally don’t do a show, but your tickets will still be good for that so you’ll have tickets to all 7 shows above.
If you are a new season subscriber, the lineup of 6 shows is Peter Pan, Nunsense, Elf, Funny Girl, The Odd Couple and The Wizard of Oz. If you’d like to purchase separate tickets to see M*A*S*H that will be an add on and you can either buy them online or call the box office and see if your season seats are available for the performance you’d like to attend.
You lost me. I’m still confused.
Don’t worry, this all looks far more confusing on paper than it really is. If you have questions, please call the Crighton box office and they can answer any questions you might have and get all your ticketing issues resolved.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.stage-right.org or by calling the Crighton box office. Season Tickets for our upcoming season can be purchased by calling the Crighton Theatre box office at 936-441-7469. All 6 shows are only $125. Season tickets are your best investment if you intend to attend multiple shows in our fantastic line-up. In addition to your tickets for each show, we also provide one Friends Ticket for each season package purchased. That way you can invite a friend to join you to see one show during the season for free. Your seats will be reserved for the next season, your name will be in every playbill and you can always change the date of attendance for free! We hope you’ll consider joining us for our lucky 13th Season at the historic Crighton Theatre!Please keep up with the most current information regarding dates for shows on our website: www.stage-right.org or the Crighton Theatre website www.crightontheatre.org. Please keep safe, stay well and we look forward to seeing you in September (hey, that would make a great song title)!