Opening Nights | March 2016

By Richard Schultz, March 2016 Issue.

Barrio Stories

Barrio Stories showcases new works by award-winning playwrights Elaine Romero, Virginia Grise and Martin Zimmerman. This site-specific, promenade style theatrical event was created and directed by producing director Marc David Pinate. Staged outdoors on the grounds of the Tucson Convention Center, this world premiere brings to life the oral histories of Tucson’s original Mexican- American neighborhood demolished with the building of the convention center in the 1960s. The performance focuses on what was lost as memories come to life when audience members take a theatrical tour of what used to be the bustling epicenter of commerce and public celebrations for Tucson’s Mexican-American community. Four vignettes, with performance installations encountered throughout the plaza, culminate in a post-show production featuring folklorico and mariachi youth ensembles with interactive art and audio booths.

Barrio Stories

March 3-6

Borderlands Theater

Tucson Convention Center

260 S. Church Ave., Tucson

Tickets: $10 (Suggested donation); 520-882-7406

borderlandstheater.org

The Weir

The Weir, Conor McPherson’s play about things that go bump in the night, is a haunting and evocative story. In a remote country

pub in Ireland, newcomer Valerie arrives and becomes spellbound by an evening of ghostly stories told by the local bachelors who drink there. With a whiff of sexual tension in the air and the wind whistling outside, what starts out as blarney soon turns dark as the tales drift into the realm of the supernatural. Then, Valerie reveals a startling story of her own.

The Weir

Feb. 26-March 13

Theatre Artists Studio

4848 E. Cactus Road, Ste. 406, Scottsdale

Tickets: $20; 602-765-0120

thestudiophx.org

Wittenberg

It’s October 1517 in northern Germany and Hamlet, is returning from a summer in spent studying astronomy in Poland, where he has come in contact with a revolutionary scientific theory that threatens the very order of the universe. His teacher and mentor John Faustus, has decided to make an honest woman of his paramour (a former nun). Martin Luther, a professor of theology and a priest, is dealing with the spiritual and medical consequences of his long-simmering outrage at certain abusive practices of the church. This comedy reveals how these three men’s sagas overlap, intertwine and impact each other’s lives.

Wittenberg

Feb. 26-March 12

Southwest Shakespeare Company

Mesa Arts Center

1 E. Main St., Mesa

Tickets: $37-$44; 480-644-6500

swshakespeare.org

Fiddler on the Roof

This beloved Tony Award-winning production follows Tevye, the milkman, on his touching journey to protect his daughters and

his way of life in an ever-changing world. The show’s humor, warmth and honesty cut across barriers of race, class, nationality and religion leaving audiences crying tears of joy and sadness. The brainchild of Broadway legends, including Jerome Robbins and Harold Prince, Fiddler on the Roof has become a musical theater staple around the globe and features such iconic songs as “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were A Rich Man” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker.”

Fiddler on the Roof

Feb. 26-April 3

Arizona Broadway Theatre

7701 W. Paradise Lane, Peoria

Tickets: $51-$90.50; 623-776-8400

azbroadway.org

Monty Python’s Spamalot

This hilariously over-the-top extravaganza borrows lovingly (and unapologetically) from the film classic Monty Python and the

Holy Grail. In telling the tale of King Arthur and his epic quest with the Knights of the Round Table, this endlessly amusing musical, which was written by Monty Python alum Eric Idle and has earned three Tony Awards, features beautiful show girls and such outlandish oddities as flatulent Frenchmen, flying cows, killer rabbits and The Knights Who Say Ni.

Monty Python’s Spamalot

March 4-20

Mesa Encore Theatre

Mesa Center for the Arts

1 E. Main St., Mesa

480-644-6500

mesaencoretheatre.com

The Gershwin Experience: Here to Stay

This multimedia concert celebrates the genius of George and Ira Gershwin, two of America’s foremost composers of the 20th Century, and features leading Grammy Award-winning soprano Lisa Vroman and tap dancing sensation Ryan VanDemBoom. The performance showcases rare audio and video footage, family photos and elegant, state-of-the-art visuals of the Gershwins. Such classic hits as “I Got Rhythm,” “Strike Up the Band,” “The Man I Love,” “’S Wonderful” and other favorites highlight the performance.

The Gershwin Experience: Here to Stay

March 11-13

Phoenix Symphony

Symphony Hall

75 N. Second St., Phoenix

Tickets: $18-$83; 602-495-1999

phoenixsymphony.org

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

Direct from its run in New York, this Tony Award-winning musical tells the uproarious story of Monty Navarro, an heir to a family

fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession by – you guessed it – eliminating the eight pesky relatives who stand in his way. All the while, Monty has to juggle his mistress (she’s after more than just love), his fiancée (she’s his cousin, but who’s keeping track?) and the constant threat of landing behind bars! Of course, it will all be worth it if he can slay his way to his inheritance and be done in time for tea.

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

March 15-20

ASU Gammage

1200 S. Forest Ave., Tempe

Tickets: $20-$125; 480-965.3434

asugammage.com