Roxy Regional Theatre to Launch 35th Season with “The Wizard of Oz”

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Roxy Regional Theatre, Clarksville's oldest live theater and only professional theater, has announced its "Season 35: Discover the World Behind the Curtain.”

The season opener will be the L. Frank Baum musical classic “The Wizard of Oz” Sept. 8, 2017.  Presented in part by F&M Bank and featuring songs like "Over the Rainbow," "Munchkinland (Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead)," "If I Only Had a Brain" and "We're off to See the Wizard (Follow the Yellow Brick Road)," the musical launches a jam-packed 2017-2018 season. 

Kicking off the 2017-2018 season of alternative stage productions upstairs in theotherspace, “35MM: A Musical Exhibition” will take the stage of the Roxy's 50-seat black-box theatre in October 2017.  Written by Ryan Scott Oliver and inspired by photographs by Matthew Murphy, this new multimedia production merges the worlds of musical theatre, photography and pop/rock music.

The fall schedule also brings the 6th annual return of Richard O'Brien's wildly popular cult classic “The Rocky Horror Show” in October 2017, complete with a midnight showing on the final weekend. 

A whimsical musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy “A Midsummer Night's Dream” is slated for the mainstage in November 2017.

Just in time for the holiday season, Charles M. Schulz's beloved Peanuts characters will take center stage in a musical adaptation of the classic animated television special “A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS,” opening Thanksgiving night and running through December 2017. 

The 16th annual presentation of Eve Ensler's “The Vagina Monologues” will play upstairs in January 2018 in the theatre's theotherspace. Funny, outrageous, emotionally affecting and occasionally angry, this series of monologues about women and performed by women aims to raise awareness about violence against women and girls through stories of self-discovery, abuse, birth and more.

In honor of Black History Month, Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking drama “A Raisin in the Sun” will bring its powerful message to the mainstage in February 2018.  Unflinching in its vision of what happens to people whose dreams are constantly deferred, this enduring portrait of the African-American experience still resonates today with its themes of identity, justice and moral responsibility.

At the end of the month, Ryan Bowie will bring to life nearly 40 wildly diverse characters in theotherspace production of “Fully Committed.”  Following a day in the life of an out-of-work actor who mans the red-hot reservation line at Manhattan's number-one restaurant, this devastatingly funny one-man show was named one of Time Magazine's "Top Ten Plays of the Year" when it premiered in 2000.

Roald Dahl's fantastical tale of a boy, his insect friends and their amazing journey across the ocean on a giant piece of fruit will take a musical turn in “James and the Giant Peach” March 2018.

Shirley Lauro's Vietnam War drama “A Piece of My Heart” will come to the mainstage in April 2018.  Named "the most enduring play on Vietnam in the nation" by The Vietnam Vets Association, this landmark piece explores the often overlooked contributions of women in service.

Wrapping up theotherspace season, the comedy “Marilyn/God” will bring one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s. Starting from the premise that Marilyn Monroe has just died and must audition for heaven, Rosary Hartell O'Neill's comedy explores the multi-levels of complexity of the cult goddess: her vulnerability, anger, and how Americans' worship of beauty and fame fueled her rise to stardom.

Students from the Roxy Regional School of the Arts will bring to life the story of Annie in “Annie, Jr.” May and June 2018. Featuring tunes like "Tomorrow," "NYC," and "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile," the musical will feature students ages 10 to 18 who have participated in the youth drama program during the school year.

The musical comedy “Dames at Sea” will bring a sense of nostalgia to the mainstage in late June and early July 2018. A long-running hit off-Broadway that brought stardom to Bernadette Peters, this campy show pays homage to flashy Hollywood musicals of the '30s..

Rodgers and Hammerstein's “Oklahoma!” will cap off Season 35 July and August 2018. Musical numbers like "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "People Will Say We're in Love," "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top," "Kansas City" and the triumphant song of the brand new state, "Oklahoma!," provide the soundtrack for this love story between cowboy Curly and farm girl Laurey.

Tickets for all productions in the Roxy Regional Theatre's Season 35 are now on sale. 

For reservations and additional information, visit www.roxyregionaltheatre.org, call 931-645-7699, or visit the box office 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, and one hour prior to show times.

The Roxy Regional Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to producing professional live theatre and promoting the arts, with emphasis on education, in Clarksville, Middle Tennessee and the Southeast.  The theatre is located at 100 Franklin Street in Historic Downtown Clarksville. 

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