Penguin Rep Theatre, under the leadership of Joe Brancato, founding Artistic Director, and Andrew M. Horn, Executive Director, announced its 2024 season – the nonprofit professional company’s 46th in Stony Point, New York – will feature four mainstage productions, including two world premieres.
The season kicks off May 3 with the premiere of The Sabbath Girl: A New Musical, with book by Cary Gitter, lyrics by Neil Berg and Cary Gitter, music by Neil Berg, and direction by Joe Brancato.
In The Sabbath Girl, Angie Mastrantoni has a lot going for her: her own art gallery, a new apartment, but not much time for romance … until a neighbor unexpectedly knocks on her door.
According to Mr. Horn, it’s “a sparkling new musical about big-city life and the possibility of finding love when you’re least looking for it – maybe even right down the hall.”
Composer/co-lyricist Neil Berg, a Nyack resident, also wrote the music and lyrics for the award-winning musical The 12 (Goodspeed Opera House), with book/co-lyrics by Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Schenkkan, directed by Tony Award-winning director John Doyle; Grumpy Old Men: The Musical; The Prince and the Pauper (Off Broadway); Tim and Scrooge (Broadway World Award – “Best New Musical”); and the upcoming My Cousin Vinny: The Musical.
The Sabbath Girl will be presented through May 26.
From June 14 through July 7, love, laughter, and mistaken identity take the stage when Penguin presents Centennial Casting, a comedy by Gino DiIorio and Nancy Bleemer, directed by Joe Brancato, which shows that sparks sometimes fly in the most unexpected places.
Next up, from July 26 through August 18, is Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise in which the award-winning playwright (Lend Me a Tenor, Crazy for You) recounts his parents’ courtship during World War II in a work signed, sealed, and delivered straight from the heart.
From September 6 through September 29, Penguin will present the world premiere of The Steel Man, a powerful drama by Penguin’s playwright-in-residence, Cary Gitter (The Sabbath Girl, Gene & Gilda), which explores the story of a father and son haunted by the past but hopeful for a more promising future.
Performances are scheduled at Penguin Rep Theatre, a repurposed hay barn, located at 7 Crickettown Road. “The converted barn, circa 1880, has never been more inviting” (The New York Times). Says Mr. Horn, “It’s theatre so close you can feel it, with comfortable upholstered seats and no seat more than 30 feet from the stage.” The theatre is air conditioned, handicapped accessible, and has plenty of free parking.
Performances will take place: Thursday evenings at 7:00 p.m., select Friday matinees at 2:00 p.m., select Friday evenings at 7:00 p.m., Saturdays at 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., and Sunday matinees at 2:00 p.m.
Individual tickets go on sale April 2. Tickets to The Sabbath Girl are priced at $54. Early ordering discount tickets to the musical are $46 if purchased by May 5.
Tickets to the other productions are priced at $49, with early ordering discount tickets priced at $42 if purchased by, respectively, June 16, July 28, and September 8.
Season ticket holders get the best seats in the house before general tickets go on sale, and there are value-added features such as post-performance discussions among the artists and audience, pre-show tastings supplied by local restaurants, dining discounts at area restaurants, and discounts on additional tickets and ticket insurance for lost or forgotten tickets.
Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more and young people (30 and under).
Additional details about the 2024 season, including casting, concerts, readings, and special events, will be announced in the coming weeks.
To order tickets or for further information, visit Penguin Rep’s website at www.penguinrep.org or call 845-786-2873.
