The 90’s

Belmont Rose Theatre
August 19th – August 28th 1999

Director: David Adkins
Musical Director: Simon Walter
Choreographer: Dee King

Synopsis:

It’s Saturday Night at the provincial “Club A-Go-Go” and three blokes and four birds are out on the pull. The girls, chalk-faced, pale lipped and lacquered to perfection are desperate to look like Twiggy, Sandy Shaw or Dusty Springfield. The lads in their button-down collars and leather caps are all would-be Beatles or embryo Donovans. However, beneath the girls’ skimpy Mary Quant and St Laurent copied dresses beat virginal Barbara Cartland hearts, while inside the lads’ cool, hipster trousers lurk the impulses which have driven adolescents to distraction since the dawn of time. Sue is going out with Gary, who chats up Penny and any other bit of stuff that looks his way. Sharon fancies Rick who fancies Sharon but can’t pluck up courage to tell her because she hasn’t told him. Eddie fancies Bridget who doesn’t fancy anyone. And so, watched over by ageing rocker Eric (Rubber-legs) De Vere, the club’s seen-it-all, done-it-all owner, we follow then as they wend their way through teenage sexual mores as rigid and predictable as any New Guinea tribesman’s initiation rights.

The Pumphouse
November 6th – November 20th 1999

Director: Bruce Murray
Musical Director: Beth Sharp
Choreographer: Sally Aikman

Synopsis:

The first collaboration of famed partners Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, Oklahoma! set the American musical theatre standard. Set in Western Indian Territory just after the turn of the 20th Century, the spirited rivalry between the local farmers and cowboys provides the backdrop for the love story between Curly, a handsome cowboy, and Laurey, a beautiful farm girl. The road to true love is anything but smooth, but there is no doubt that these two romantics will succeed in making a life together. As the road to romance and the road to statehood converge, Curly and Laurey are poised to spend their new life together in a brand new state: O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A – OKLAHOMA!

NSMT Clubrooms (Formerly NSOS)
March 4th – March 7th 1998

Director: Steve King
Musical Director: Leon Gray
Choreographer: Dee King

The Pumphouse
May 16th – May 30th 1998

Director: Fleur Lowery-McCombe
Musical Director: Kerry Priestley
Choreographer: Kathy O’Meara

Synopsis:

Based on Little Orphan Annie, the popular comic strip by Harold Gray, Annie has become a worldwide sensation. Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, the beloved show features a wonderful score written by Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, including the Broadway smash hit, “Tomorrow”.

With a perfect combination of street-smarts and optimism, Annie warms the hearts of the audience as we witness her rise from next-to-nothing in New York City. She is determined to find her parents, who left her at the orphanage years ago. Though things don’t quite work out the way she has planned, she does manage to thwart the plans of the evil Miss Hannigan and find a new family with billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his secretary Grace Farrell, and her lovable pooch, Sandy.

The Pumphouse
September 12th – September 26th 1998

Director: David Adkins
Musical Director: Alan Foley
Choreographer: Lynette Perry

Synopsis:

Broadway’s longest-running American musical, Chicago is a dazzling and satirical look at fame, justice, and the media machine. Set in 1920s Chicago and based on real-life murders and trials, Chicago follows Roxie Hart, a wannabe vaudevillian star who murders her lover and is arrested, despite her attempts to convince her pushover husband, Amos, to lie for her. In the Cook County Jail, Roxie meets her hero, the famed double-murderess and nightclub performer Velma Kelly. When both acquire the same lawyer, the greedy and lustful superstar, Billy Flynn, tensions come to a head as they vie for the spotlight– though instead of onstage, they’re mugging for the flashbulb of the newspaper reporters. With catchy, sexy music and timeless lyrics by John Kander and Fred Ebb, and a funny, intelligent, and utterly engaging book by Kander and Bob Fosse, Chicago is a musical spectacular that is as addictive as gossip rags and as unforgettable as any trial of the century.

The Pumphouse
March 15th – March 29th 1997

Director: Fleur Lowery-McCombe
Musical Director: Kerry Priestley
Choreographer: Sally Aikman

Synopsis:

Bringing Charles Dickens’ beloved novel to life, Lionel Bart’s Oliver! takes audiences on a wild adventure through Victorian England. Join young, orphaned Oliver Twist as he navigates the London’s underworld of theft and violence, searching for a home, a family, and – most importantly – for love. When Oliver is picked up on the street by a boy named the Artful Dodger, he is welcomed into a gang of child pickpockets led by the conniving, but charismatic, Fagin. When Oliver is falsely accused of a theft he didn’t commit, he is rescued by a kind and wealthy gentleman, to the dismay of Fagin’s violent sidekick, Bill Sykes. Caught in the middle is the warm-hearted Nancy, who is trapped under Bill’s thumb, but desperate to help Oliver, with tragic results. With spirited, timeless songs like “As Long as He Needs Me,” “Food, Glorious Food,” and “Where is Love,” Oliver! is a musical classic.

The Pumphouse
August 30th – September 13th 1997

Director: Alan Mullany
Musical Director: Alan Foley
Choreographer: Lisa Trail

Synopsis:

Jerry Herman’s energetic Hello, Dolly! is a musical filled with charisma and with heart. Matchmaker Dolly Levi is a widow, a matchmaker, and also a professional meddler –but everything changes when she decides that the next match she needs to make, is to find someone for herself. Set in New York City at the turn of the century, Hello-Dolly! is boisterous and charming from start to finish. Hello, Dolly! features such memorable songs as “Before the Parade Passes By,” “It Only Takes a Moment,” “Put on Your Sunday Clothes,” and – of course – the title number, “Hello, Dolly!” Dolly herself is one of the strongest and richest starring roles for a woman ever written for the musical theatre, and famous Dolly Levis have included Carol Channing, Ethel Merman, Molly Picon, Mary Martin, Barbara Streisand, and most recently, Bette Midler.

NSMT Clubrooms (Formerly NSOS)
November 12th – November 16th 1997

Director: Tricia McGrath
Musical Director: Janice Moore
Choreographer: Lisa Ritchie

Synopsis:

For a fun night out come along and join a talented cast who will take you from the rousing melodies of Victorian England through to the early 1900 songs of California

The Pumphouse
March 16th – March 30th 1996

Director: David Adkins
Musical Director: Campbell Rose
Choreographer: Simon Clements

Synopsis:

Little Shop of Horrors is a delectable sci-fi horror musical with an electrifying 1960s pop/rock score by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman. Seymour Krelborn is a meek and dejected assistant at a floral shop who happens upon a strange plant, which he affectionately names “Audrey II” after his crush at the shop. Little does he know that this strange and unusual plant will develop a soulful R&B voice, a potty mouth, and an unquenchable thirst for HUMAN BLOOD. As Audrey II grows bigger and meaner, the carnivorous plant promises limitless fame and fortune to Seymour, as long as he continues providing a fresh supply of blood. Just when it’s too late, Seymour discovers Audrey II’s extra-terrestrial origins and his true drive for world-domination.

Bruce Mason Centre
August 24th – September 7th 1996

Director: Rhonda Daverne
Musical Director: Campbell Rose (Choral) & Philip Beilby (concert)
Choreographer: Rhonda Daverne

Synopsis:

A Chorus Line examines one day in the lives of seventeen dancers, all vying for a spot in the “chorus line” of a Broadway musical. After the first round of cuts, Zach, the director and choreographer, asks each dancer to speak about themselves. Discomfort opens into revelation, confession leads to redemption, and within the bright, outwardly homogenous chorus, the audience begins to see each dancer’s individuality. From Cassie, the star who just needs the “music and the mirror and the chance to dance,” to Val, a small-town girl with a brand-new big-town body, to Mike, who took his sister’s place in dance class, saying “I can do that.” Based on real Broadway dancers’ stories, as told to fellow dancer and choreographer Michael Bennett, A Chorus Line is funny, heart-breaking, and refreshingly honest.

Synopsis:

IRELAND 1908. Among a talented family whose lives revolve around their precious Music Room, a story unfolds. A tale of love, betrayal and revenge, their interwoven lives may change forever. Who will survive?

The Pumphouse
March 25th – April 8th 1995

Director: Rhonda Daverne
Musical Director: Grant Meese (choral) & Campbell Downie (concert)
Choreographer: Rhonda Daverne

Synopsis:

Chess is used as a metaphor for romantic rivalries and the US-Soviet rivalry during the Cold War. The main characters form a love triangle: the ill-mannered American Grandmaster, the intense Russian champion who plans on defecting to the West, and the Hungarian-American female chess second, who arrives at the International Championships with the American but falls in love with the Russian. From Bangkok to Budapest, the players, lovers, politicians, and spies all struggle to get the upper-hand.

Note: Chess has had multiple versions throughout its time. The original London version differs greatly from the less popular Broadway version. Additionally there have been adaptations in multiple countries, and a staged concert in 2008. The versions can change the setting, time, and song order. Most fans prefer the London version.

Director: Alan Mullany
Musical Director: Tony James
Choreographer: Sally Aikman

The Pumphouse
September 30th – October 14th 1995

Director: John Antony
Musical Director: Philip Beilby
Choreographer: Marita Gillespie

Synopsis:

Cabaret takes place from 1929-1930, a time when Berlin, in the midst of a post-World War I economic depression, is transitioning from a centre of underground, avant-garde cultural epicentre to the beginnings of Hitler’s totalitarian regime and the rise of the Nazi Party. Into this world enters Clifford Bradshaw, a struggling American writer looking for inspiration for his next novel. On his first night in Berlin, Cliff wanders into the Kit Kat Klub, a seedy nightclub overseen by the strange, omniscient and gender-bending Master of Ceremonies, “the Emcee.” Here, Cliff meets Sally Bowles, a vivacious, talented cabaret performer, and an utterly lost soul. Sally and Cliff begin a relationship, which blossoms unexpectedly into a dream-like romance. As time passes, however, the situation in Berlin changes from exciting and vital to ominous and violent; Ernst, Cliff’s first German friend, turns out to be an up-and-coming member of the Nazi Party, and Herr Schultz, a fellow boarder at Fraulein Schneider’s guest house (and Schneider’s fiancée), is the victim of an Anti-Semitic hate crime. When he finds out that Sally is pregnant, Cliff decides that they must leave for America at once, before things get any worse. Sally, afraid, confused, and unsure that she’ll ever really be able to trade the sexy, illicit cabaret lifestyle for motherhood, gets an abortion, and tells Cliff that he must leave without her. With a distinctly Brechtian dose of provocation and a score featuring songs that have become classics of the American Musical Theater, Cabaret is a fierce, meaty musical that pushes the boundaries of the form and literally holds “the mirror up to nature.”

The Pumphouse
April 16th – April 30th 1994

Director: Scott Blanks
Musical Director: Alan Foley
Choreographer: Tina Howse

Synopsis:

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning musical, is a story about the triumph of the common man amid the buffoonery of big business. When a restless, creative, and ambitious window washer named J. Pierrepont Finch happens upon a book entitled ‘How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying’, he decides to begin his rise up the corporate ladder. With the book’s instructions and a dose of his own cleverness, Finch starts by landing a job in the mailroom at the World Wide Wicket Company, before quickly gaining promotions and outsmarting his scheming, snivelling rival, Frump – who also happens to be the boss’s nephew– until finally reaching the very top of the organization. From the very beginning, Finch has had the love and support of Rosemary, a marriage-minded secretary who recognizes Finch’s potential, and finds his innocent demeanour endearing. But in his single-minded pursuit of the top job, Finch is in danger of discounting Rosemary’s love. In a moment of crisis, Finch’s manual to success can no longer help him: he must rely on his own wits, and ultimately, his heart, to save the day. The standout score by Frank Loesser features such classics as the surreal and funny “Coffee Break”, the rousing “Brotherhood of Man”, and the melodious tongue-in-cheek ballad, “I Believe In You”, while the immensely clever book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, won the Pulitzer Prize in 1962 for Best Drama.

The Pumphouse
July 16th – July 30th 1994

Director: Bruce Murray
Musical Director: Graham Simons
Choreographer: Kathy O’Meara

Synopsis:

The greatest star, the ultimate people person…. the story of beloved comedienne Fanny Brice begins with her irrepressible youth in New York’s Lower East Side, where the stage-struck teenager clowns her way through burlesque and vaudeville, with dreams of making it big despite the discouragement of her friends and neighbours, who tell her that she isn’t pretty enough for the stage. Fanny, with her powerhouse voice and incredible ambition, knows better. After meeting Nick Arnstein, a handsome and charismatic gambling man with a gentle side, Fanny immediately falls in love. And with her big break in the Ziegfeld Follies on the horizon, the stardom she has always longed for is within her grasp. Her only problem….. the elusive Nick Arnstein, ignorant of her affection, is always leaving town on some “business” venture. After a romantic meeting in Baltimore, Nick and Fanny finally confess their feelings, and Fanny boldly abandons the Follies to follow Nick across the ocean. When Nick wins a bankroll, the newly-wealthy couple happily marry. No honeymoon lasts forever, though, and Fanny has to choose between the brilliant show business career she loves, or the adored husband who increasingly resents her success. A triumphant story of starry success and a bittersweet story of love, Jule Styne and Bob Merrill’s Funny Girl is a musical theatre classic which celebrates the exuberant and elegant flavour 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.”

The Pumphouse
November 5th – November 19th 1994

Director: John Fieldsend
Musical Director: Philip Bielby
Choreographer: John Fieldsend

Synopsis:

Featuring songs from classic musicals including Hello Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage Aux Folles, Jerry’s Girls brings together an all-female cast to celebrate Jerry Herman’s special gift for writing songs that capture the true spirit of the great American musical.

The Pumphouse
April 3rd – April 17th 1993

Director: Rhonda Daverne
Musical Director: Graham McBain
Choreographer: Rhonda Daverne

Synopsis:

Georges is the owner of the La Cage Aux Folles nightclub, which features a drag show starring his partner and the love of his life, Albin. After twenty years of un-wedded bliss, Georges and his partner Albin face the hardest challenge of their relationship, yet: meeting their son, Jean-Michel’s fiance’s parents. Albin has always raised Jean-Michel, Georges’ biological son, as his own. But when Jean-Michel falls in love and becomes engaged to the daughter of an ultra-conservative, anti-gay politician, Georges feels compelled to try to present a more “traditional” family to Jean-Michel’s potential in-laws. When Albin tries and fails to take on a masculine persona in the role of Uncle Al, he gets more creative in order to find a way to be part of the “meet the parents” experience. Based on Jean Poiret’s 1973 French play of the same name, the multi-Tony award-winning La Cage Aux Folles is a musical filled with delightful spectacle and great heart.

The Pumphouse
July 17th – July 31st 1993

Director: John Antony
Musical Director: Alan Foley
Choreographer: Kathy O’Meara

Synopsis:

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I is a moving, radiant story of East meets West. It is the early 1860s when newly widowed Anna Leonowens and her son, Louis, set sail from their native England for Bangkok, Siam (now Thailand). Anna, still grieving, has set her sights on a new adventure and taken a position as the schoolteacher for the royal offspring of the King of Siam. The King is determined to usher Siam into the modern world, and he thinks Western education can be a part of that – yet, Anna is horrified at first by many of the traditions that he holds dear. Anna and the King struggle to find common ground. The King is largely considered to be a barbarian by rulers of the West, and he takes Anna on as an advisor, asking her to help change his image – if not his actual practice. With both keeping a firm grip on their respective traditions and values, Anna and the King teach each other about understanding, respect, and love that can transcend the greatest of differences. Beneath the fraught, fiercely opinionated, conflict-ridden surface of Anna and the King’s relationship lies one of the most unique love stories in the musical theatre canon.

The Pumphouse
August 26th – August 28th 1993

Compiled and Directed: Rhonda Daverne
Musical Director: Deryn Trainer

Synopsis:

This year the North Shore Operatic Society is thirty years old and to. celebrate the occasion a very special anniversary concert will be held at the Pumphouse. This concert promises something for everyone with excerpts from favourite shows such as ‘Guys and Dolls’, ‘Showboat’ and ‘Pink Champagne’ through to our more recent productions of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, ‘Evita’, ‘Big River’ and ‘La Cage Aux Folles’. Narrated by Warwick Slyfield, the programme will be made up of solos, duets, and rousing chorus numbers presented by a multi-talented Cast from past and present shows. What a wonderful opportunity to rekindle old friendships and relive those special theatrical moments!

The Pumphouse
November 6th – November 20th 1993

Director: David Adkins
Musical Director: Grant Meese
Choreographer: Simon Clements

Synopsis:

When little orphan Heidi and her dog Kodak are taken in to live with the nasty Herr and Frau Pumpernickel she is quickly put to work in their tavern where she meets her new friend Frankenstein. It is at the same tavern that Prince Ludwig arrives, to warn the villagers of the return of Count Dracula and his evil grandmother Granula. A group of visiting schoolgirls, led by Dame Miss Nelly attract the attention of the vampires and in letting them in to the tavern, enable them to kidnap Heidi and wound Frankenstein. Fortunately, the local crazy Professor Crackpot is on hand to repair Frankie and he converts him into a monster to combat the evil duo. Frankie leads his supporters to Dracula’s Castle and the battles begin!

The Pumphouse
March 28th – April 11th 1992

Director: Rhonda Daverne
Musical Director: Graham McBain
Choreographer: Rhonda Daverne

Synopsis:

The S. S. American is sailing between New York and England with a comically colourful assemblage of passengers: Reno Sweeney, a popular nightclub singer and former evangelist, her pal Billy Crocker, a lovelorn Wall Street broker who has come aboard to try to win the favour of his beloved Hope Harcourt (who is engaged to another passenger, Sir Evelyn Oakleigh), and a second-rate conman named Moonface Martin, aka “Public Enemy #13.” Song, dance, and farcical antics ensue as Reno and Moonface try to help Billy win the love of his life.

The Pumphouse
July 18th – August 1st 1992

Director: John Antony
Musical Director: Grant Meese
Choreographer: Teesh J. Szabo

Synopsis:

Mark Twain’s beloved classic takes us back to old “Muddy Waters” as Huck Finn and the runaway Jim escape down the mighty Mississippi River in search of freedom. Huckleberry Finn is a wild child in 1840’s Missouri. He roams freely in his small town of St. Petersburg, mostly able to do what he pleases. Trouble arises, however, when his alcoholic and violent father suddenly demands custody over the boy (in order to get at his trust fund).

Fearing for his life, Huck takes off on a raft down the Mississippi River. Along the way, he meets up with a runaway slave, Jim, who is trying to find his wife and children up North. Soon, Huck and Jim gain two new compatriots, the Duke and the King (who are really escaped convicts).

After a series of adventures and a brief reunion with his best friend, Tom Sawyer, Huck discovers that Jim’s owner died and freed Jim in her will: thus Jim is free at last to find his wife and children. For his part, Huck decides to move out West, where no one can civilize him. Featuring a score from country music legend Roger Miller, Big River is certain to become a fan favourite!

The Pumphouse
November 7th – November 21st 1992

Director: Robert Letcher
Musical Director: Philip Beilby
Choreographer: Kathy O’Meara

Synopsis:

Set against the dramatic background of an idyllic South Pacific island during WWII, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific intertwines the themes of romance, duty, and prejudice to create a story that is all at once hilarious, heart breaking, and thought-provoking. Based on the anecdotes of a real-life U.S. Navy commander who was stationed on an island, the musical follows two intercultural love stories: Nellie, a spunky nurse from Arkansas, falls in love with Emile, a French plantation owner on the island who has two children from his late Polynesian wife; at the same time, U.S. Lieutenant Cable falls for a beautiful island native named Liat. Both Americans find themselves struggling to reconcile their own cultural prejudices with their amorous feelings, all the while under the dark cloud of a war that is coming ever closer to their island paradise.

The Pumphouse
April 13th – May 3rd 1991

Director: John Fieldsend
Musical Director: Kerry Priestly
Choreographer: Diane Whisker-Field

 Synopsis:

Evita is based on the historical story of María Eva Duarte de Perón, a poor Argentinian girl who grows up to be the wife of the president of Argentina, worshipped by her people. As a young woman who longs for an acting career, fame, and fortune, Eva quickly learns that her feminine wiles hold power among a culture, and a political system, run by men. Once she makes it to Buenos Aires, Evita finds fame and power in her powers of seduction, eventually seducing the rising political figure, Juan Perón, who becomes the President of Argentina. As First Lady of Argentina, she aligns herself with the poor, winning herself, and Perón, popularity among Argentinians. Evita becomes a hero to the poor and the working class­—and an enemy to the rich. A young and unknown revolutionary, Ché, narrates the rise and fall of the beloved matriarch of the Argentinian people. This blockbuster musical, made even more famous as a 1996 Hollywood film starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas, shows both the righteous determination, and the ruthless power, of Argentina’s 20th century matriarch.

The Pumphouse
July 13th – July 27th 1991

Director: Scott Blanks
Musical Director: Amanda Henry & Greg Moverly
Choreographer: Deirdre King

Synopsis:

Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular show, The Pirates of Penzance, is a rollicking, delightfully funny tale of a band of soft-tempered pirates. Mistakenly apprenticed to a pirate (instead of a pilot) by his nursemaid Ruth at the age of eight, the handsome Frederic is now twenty-one and, though quite fond of the group of joyous and fun-loving pirates, chooses to abandon his profession and “lead a blameless life henceforth,” dedicating himself instead to their eradication. Shortly after leaving them, he encounters a gaggle of beautiful maidens (one of whom, Mabel, steals his heart) and their father, the eccentric Major-General. The whole group has a run-in with the pirates themselves before escaping on the false premise that the Major-General is an orphan — a fact these tender-hearted pirates simply cannot help but take into account, given the fact that the majority of them are orphans themselves and “know what it’s like.” Just as Frederic is ready to lead a band of lily-livered policemen to take out the Pirate King and his men, a secret is uncovered that will change his fate forever, but, naturally, all comes out right in the end. Beloved since its premiere in 1879, The Pirates of Penzance (or The Slave of Duty) is a delightful farce of a classic that is fun for all ages.

The Pumphouse
October 5th – October 19th 1991

Director: Rhonda Daverne
Musical Director: Grant Meese
Choreographer: Rhonda Daverne

Synopsis:

Based on the Gospel according to Matthew, Godspell is the first musical theatre offering from composer Stephen Schwartz who went on to write such well-known hits as Wicked, Pippin, and Children of Eden. The show features a comedic troupe of eccentric players who team up with Jesus to teach his lessons in a new age through parables, games, and tomfoolery.

Godspell also features the international hit, “Day by Day”, as well as an eclectic blend of songs ranging from pop to vaudeville, as Jesus’ life is played out onstage. Even after the haunting crucifixion, Jesus’ message of kindness, tolerance and love lives vibrantly on.

NSMT Clubrooms (Formerly NSOS)
November 29th – November 7th 1991

Director: Robert Letcher
Musical Director: Alan Foley
Choreographer: Rachel Antony

Synopsis:

Wild, Wild, Women is a tuneful foot-stompin’, thigh-slappin, outrageously funny musical romp that takes a light-hearted look at the traditional Western. Set in Aggroville, where the Clantons and the McLairds are constantly killing each other, and where hangin’ Judge West and the Earps try to keep control, things come to ahead when the lovely singing nun, Sister Priscilla, is killed by a stray bullet. Alice Tibbs, of the Peaceable Heaven Saloon, convinces all the womenfolk to take part in a love strike in order to bring the men to their senses.  There is much twitching amongst the men, aggravated by the temptations of the Doves and the Red Candle Saloon, and amongst the women as they sing and dance themselves out of their dilemma.

The Pumphouse
April 7th – April 21st 1990

Director: John Fieldsend
Musical Director: Graham McBain
Choreographer: Rhonda Daverne

Synopsis:

Inspired by the timeless story of Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story takes Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, and places them in the vibrant battleground of New York City’s West Side in the 1950s. In the midst of the deep-seated rivalry between the Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks, and the white gang, the Jets, Maria and Tony discover that ancient grudges are no match for true love. Their warring factions, however, refuse to back down, and the “rumbles”, romance, and resentment lead the bloody path to the lovers’ ultimate, tragic conclusion with soaring, sophisticated, and diverse melodies, energetic and athletic dance battles, and its remarkably salient social message, West Side Story remains one of American musical theatre’s most revolutionary and most loved treasures.

The Pumphouse
July 14th – July 28th 1990

Director: Scott Blanks
Musical Director: Amanda Henry
Choreographer: Deirdre King

Synopsis:

Frank Baum’s classic novel comes to life in The Wizard of Oz. This faithful adaptation by the Royal Shakespeare Company features all the most beloved songs and moments from the 1939 classic film, brought to life onstage. Young Dorothy Gale is swept away by a tornado from her Kansas farm to the magical land of Oz. There, she encounters a host of whimsical characters: good witches, bad witches, animals that talk, scarecrows that walk, and things magical to behold. To find her way home, she must journey along the Yellow Brick Road to see the mysterious and all-powerful Wizard in Emerald City. Along the way, she makes new friends, but must also brave many dangers, including the Wicked Witch of the West, who will stop at nothing to get her hands-on Dorothy’s magical ruby slippers. To make it home safely, Dorothy must learn an important lesson: there’s no place like home.

The Pumphouse
November 1st – November 10th 1990

Director: Bruce Murray
Musical Director: John Hambling
Choreographer: Diane Whisker-Field

Synopsis:

When New Yorkers Tommy Albright and Jeff Douglas get lost on a vacation in the Scottish Highlands, they stumble into Brigadoon. Brigadoon is a mythical village that, they learn, appears for a single day once every hundred years. At first, Tommy and Jeff are mystified by the villagers’ 18th century garb as they go to market, but they are soon charmed by romantic liaisons: Tommy, who is engaged back in New York, falls terribly in love with headstrong Fiona, while Jeff enjoys a harmless flirtation with Meg Brockie. It is only when Harry Beaton, the rejected suitor of Fiona’s sister, Jean, tries to leave Brigadoon that the two men realize the complicated truth: at the end of the day, this town will disappear into the mist for the next hundred years –- and if anyone succeeds in leaving Brigadoon, the town and the people in it will be lost, forever. Tommy is forced to choose between returning to the world that he knows and his New York fiancée — or taking a chance on life and love in a mysterious new place. Including such famous hits as “Heather on the Hill” and “Almost Like Being in Love,” Lerner and Loewe’s Brigadoon has music that will sweep you off your feet and a whimsical story that is a tribute to the power of true love.