Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre’s 2014 Season will be a celebration of shows marking milestones and a musical mix of stories that take audiences around the world from London to Oklahoma to a tiny Russian town called Anatevka.
Singers and sailors, cats and cowboys, a practically perfect nanny and four unforgettable ladies will take the stage for this fun-filled lineup.
‘Lend Me a Tenor’
The new season starts on the right note as “Lend Me a Tenor” takes the stage starting Dec. 28. A world-famous singer is set to perform with the Cleveland Grand Opera Co., but all doesn’t go according to plan in this madcap comedy set during the 1930s.
The general manager desperately tries to save the day, and the results are nothing short of hilarious! Winner of three Tony and two Drama Desk Awards, and celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2014, “Lend Me a Tenor” was written by Ken Ludwig and is on stage through Feb. 2.
‘Cats’
Nothing short of a musical phenomenon, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats” leaps onto the Beef & Boards stage from Feb. 6 through March 30. This seven-time Tony Award winning marvel celebrates the annual gathering of the Jellicle cats at which one is selected to ascend to the Heaviside layer. Based on the universally popular poetry of T.S. Eliot and also marking its 25th anniversary in 2014, “Cats” remains the second-longest running Broadway musical in history. Music is by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with lyrics by T.S. Eliot, Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe.
‘Anything Goes’
Then get on board with Cole Porter’s lively score as “Anything Goes” weighs anchor April 3 through May 11. Two unlikely pairs set off on a course to true love on the S.S. American in this classic boy-meets-girl tale. But they’re going to need the help of a crew of singing sailors, exotic disguises and good old-fashioned blackmail to reach their destination. Celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2014, this musical comedy features music and lyrics by Hoosier born Cole Porter, book by Guy Bolton, P.G. Wodehouse, Howard Lindsay, Russel Crouse, Timothy Crouse and John Weidman.
‘Mary Poppins’
Flying in to Beef & Boards for the first time is that practically perfect nanny in Disney’s “Mary Poppins,” presented as the 2014 Family Show from May 15 through June 29. With a little magic and a lot of common sense, Mary Poppins is a nanny like the troubled Banks family has never seen before, and she teaches them to value each other again. Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic Walt Disney film, the production’s book is by Julian Fellowes with original music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, and new songs, additional music and lyrics by George Styles and Anthony Drewe and co-created by Cameron Mackintosh.
‘A Mighty Fortress Is Our Basement’
A new show with familiar faces brings audiences back to the basement for “A Mighty Fortress Is Our Basement,” the latest offering in the hilarious and heartwarming Church Basement Ladies series. The year is 1960 and it means new high heels for confirmation, a food booth at the county fair and spontaneous driving lessons. On stage July 5 through Aug. 17, this musical comedy was inspired by the books Growing Up Lutheran and Those Lutheran Ladies by Janet Letness Martin and Suzann Nelson. Music and lyrics by Drew Jansen; book by Greta Grosch.
‘Oklahoma!’
Beef & Boards celebrates one of the most famous musical theater teams of all time as it presents the spirited “Oklahoma!” on stage from Aug. 21 through Oct. 5. The first collaboration of Rodgers & Hammerstein is set in Indian Territory at the turn of the century where farmers and cowboys collide and love doesn’t come easy for one particularly headstrong pair. Based on the play “Green Grow the Lilacs” by Lynn Riggs, “Oklahoma!” originally opened on Broadway in 1943 and has spurred four revivals since. Music by Richard Rodgers, book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.
‘Fiddler on the Roof’
Marking its 50th anniversary in 2014 is “Fiddler on the Roof,” the musical that embraces tradition in a changing world. Even in the tight-knit Jewish community of Anatevka, social mores are changing and anti-Semitism is growing in Czarist Russia. A nine-time Tony Award winner, “Fiddler on the Roof” has touched audiences around the world for its humor, warmth and honesty. On stage Oct. 9 through Nov. 23 with book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick.
‘A Beef & Boards Christmas’
The holidays are heralded in style with A Beef & Boards Christmas live on stage Nov. 28 through Dec. 23. The season is beautifully celebrated through song and story in this original production that has become a tradition for many families for more than 20 years. A show for all ages, “A Beef & Boards Christmas” celebrates both the joy and the meaning of the holiday in a special setting.
‘A Christmas Carol’
Returning in 2014 is Beef & Boards’ one-hour adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, “A Christmas Carol,” on stage for select performances Dec. 6 through 22. Enhanced with holiday carols, this iconic tale of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge who is given a second chance is the ideal way to enjoy the holidays.
Children’s theater
The Pyramid Players also announce their 2014 Live Theatre for Kids series. Designed to entertain children of any age, these shows are a great way to introduce preschoolers to live theater. Youngsters also have the opportunity to meet the cast after the show for pictures and autographs.
“How I Became a Pirate” makes its debut Feb. 14 through March 15 to kick off the Live Theatre for Kids season. Based on Melinda Long’s popular children’s book of the same name, this musical brings to the stage the tale of young Jeremy Jacob’s high seas adventure.
“Sleeping Beauty” is the fall production, on stage Oct. 17 through Nov. 15. This classic fairy tale made popular by the Brothers Grimm centers around a beautiful princess, who is destined to fall into a deep sleep for 100 years until being awakened by a prince’s kiss.
Performances take place on select Fridays at 10 a.m. and Saturdays at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Performances last one hour, are presented without intermission, and include juice and a snack.
Membership and ticket availability
VIP Memberships for the 2014 Season are now on sale. Individual show tickets also are now on sale to the general public. Visit beefandboards.com for complete details.
