BRSC announces 2009 lineup
Musicals, mysteries and Hank Williams take the stage in Blowing Rock

The 2009 season of the Blowing Rock Stage Company has a little something for everyone. This year the company will stage a record nine productions including musicals, dramas, comedies and beloved classics.
Here’s a look at what’s in store for theatre lovers in the High Country as the BRSC gets set to present its most magical year ever:

Shear Madness: June 10-28

Discover why more than 8 million people around the world have seen Shear Madness, an uproarious salon-set whodunit where the audience gets to solve the crime. A mixture of improvisation and up-to-the-minute spontaneous humor, the play, which Time magazine calls “one of the best-kept successes in show business,” incorporates the latest media scandals and local news items. Plus, since the audience plays sleuth, Shear Madness is delightfully different every time you see it. Produced in collaboration with the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (Charlotte, NC). “A hair-raising hit.”-Newsweek

Suite Surrender: July 3-12

It’s 1942, and the luxurious Palm Beach Royale Hotel is under siege as two of Hollywood’s biggest divas vie for the same suite. The hotel staff and the stars’ secretaries do all they can to keep Hollywood legends Claudia McFadden and Athena Sinclair from killing each other. Mistaken identities, overblown egos, double entendres, and one pampered lap dog all crash together in Florida playwright Michael McKeever’s show-business valentine to those hysterical old farces of the 30’s and 40’s.  Great fun for the whole family. “Buckle up for a funny ride.” – Caldwell Theatre Company

Bye Bye Birdie: July 17-August 2

This Tony Award winner for Best Musical made its Broadway debut in 1960 with Dick Van Dyke, Chita Rivera and Charles Nelson Reilly. Now this tuneful, toe-tapping musical comedy inspired by Elvis Presley comes to Blowing Rock. The affectionate tale follows rock and roll superstar Conrad Birdie and the antics that precede a publicity stunt on The Ed Sullivan Show in which Conrad will kiss one lucky girl from Sweet Apple, Ohio, before being drafted into the Army. “The score still sends us out of the theatre humming.” –talkinbroadway.com

Angel Street: August 7-16

One of the longest-running non-musicals in Broadway history, this Victorian England-set psychological thriller spawned a new generation of stage thrillers and led to the 1944 Oscar-winning film Gaslight, starring Ingrid Bergman. Patrick Hamilton’s white-knuckle-inducing tale, which follows a sensitive woman whose husband has just about convinced her that her sanity is disintegrating, is the stuff of great dramatic literature. Prepare to be glued to the edge of your seat. And don’t forget to breathe. “A dynamite thriller.” –theatremirror.com

Hank Williams: Lost Highway: August 21-September 6

This spectacular musical biography is a tender ode to the brash, pioneering country star who stands among the greatest innovators of American popular music. The musical documents the singer-songwriter’s rise from obscure hillbilly to Country-Western super-stardom to his early demise at age 29. An unforgettable tribute, Lost Highway highlights Williams’ unique magic as a performer and the unbreakable spell of his haunting songs. “Exhilarating! A rare achievement in musical theatre!” —Rolling Stone magazine

The Scarlet Letter: October 8-18

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic tale, set in 17th-Century Puritan New England, moves gloriously from page to stage in this adaptation that debuted to acclaim at New York’s New Globe Theatre. Hester Prynne, whose husband is believed to be lost at sea, is branded an adulterer when she produces a daughter. Vilified by the hypocritical community, she refuses to identify the father. But after enduring seven years of shunned life, Hester gains a clearer vision of morality than her righteous tormentors. “A drama of Shakespearean proportions.” –New York Theatre Wire

Dracula: October 22-November 1

Eighty-two years after Bela Lugosi took a bite out of Broadway, the classic vampire tale hits Blowing Rock with that original 1927 script guaranteed to get your blood flowing. One of the most famous tales in the world, Dracula, based on Bram Stoker’s blood-chilling novel of the same name, tells the tale of an ancient yet ever-modern evil. Full of power, passion, surrender and redemptive love, this nerve-tickling thriller is perfect for the full moon-seeking Halloween crowd...and anyone who loves a story worth sinking their teeth into. “A spine-tingling winner.” –CurtainUp

It’s a Wonderful Life: December 3-13

The uplifting story of George Bailey and his guardian angel-fueled journey from hope to despair, cynicism to love of self, family, friends and life is a heart-warming tale full of humor and pathos. Based on Frank Capra’s classic Christmas film staple starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, It’s a Wonderful Life is the perfect antidote for today’s commercialization and stress-filled holiday season. Come join us as we all celebrate an angel getting his wings...and the true meaning of the season. “If you’ve experienced it a million times, it’s still a pleasure.” –Orlando Sentinel

High School Musical 2: April 30-May 9

What time is it? Summer time! And the lovable Wildcats all have jobs at the local country club, where they engage in plenty of antics and the requisite talent show. Join Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Ryan and the rest of the East High gang as they indulge in lessons on friendship, loyalty and being yourself in this energetic and charming sequel. BRSC’s Rocket Youth Players performed the original Disney’s High School Musical in ’07 to sold-out audiences. To paraphrase Sharpay, HSM2 is gonna be fabulous! /“More fun than a mall full of teenagers.” –gomemphis.com.

Individual tickets for Blowing Rock Stage Company productions are $14 for students and range from $18 to $30 for adults. Tickets for the April 30-May 9 production of Disney’s High School Musical 2 are $14 for adults and $7 for students.

Summer passes, full-season passes, Flex 10 and Flex 6 passes are also available. For more information, visit www.blowingrockstage.com or call the Hayes Center Box Office at (828) 295-9627.