Philadelphia Theatre Company Announces 2007-2008 Season

The 2007-2008 season will showcase the dramatic new theater with the new Stephen Sondheim musical revue Being Alive, conceived and directed by Billy Porter; the world premiere of The Happiness Lecture, a Philadelphia Theatre Company-commissioned work created by Tony Award-winner Bill Irwin to be performed by Irwin and an ensemble cast; the Philadelphia premiere of Wendy Wasserstein's final work, Third; and the Philadelphia premiere of M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang to celebrate the 20th anniversary of this landmark work.

"We are proud to be producing such a diverse assortment of premieres for the inaugural season in our new theater. These works not only reflect our ongoing commitment to developing and producing new American work but will showcase the beauty and enhanced production capabilities of Philadelphia Theatre Company's Suzanne Roberts Theatre," said Producing Artistic Director Sara Garonzik.

The season opens with Being Alive onstage October 23-December 2, a new musical revue conceived and directed by award-winning musical theater performer Billy Porter. Being Alive blends the songs of Stephen Sondheim with the poetry of William Shakespeare to tell the universal story of man's seven ages in African-American musical idioms including soul, jazz, blues, R&B, hip-hop, and gospel. Featuring such songs as "Anyone Can Whistle," "Send in the Clowns," "Pretty Women," "Children Will Listen," and "Being Alive," this musical revue showcases Sondheim's songs in a totally new and thrilling way! Being Alive is currently running at the Westport Country Playhouse from August 24 - September 9, 2007.

Philadelphia Theatre Company rings in the new year with the Tony Award-winning play M. Butterfly by David Henry Hwang, running January 18-February 17. Directed by Joe Calarco, whose previous Barrymore Award-winning productions for PTC include William Finn's Elegies and Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years, this production celebrates the 20th anniversary since the premiere of M. Butterfly. Based on a true story, M. Butterfly captivates with a provocative story of lust, politics, and betrayal. A French diplomat falls in love with a Chinese opera singer who is to him, the "perfect woman," yet this Chinese butterfly of his passions is ultimately revealed to be far more than she seems. M. Butterfly weaves many parallels and ironic reversals of Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly as it explores the stereotypes that underlie and distort relations between Eastern and Western cultures, and between men and women.

Another highlight of the new season will be Philadelphia Theatre Company's Philadelphia premiere of Third, the final work of lauded playwright Wendy Wasserstein, author of The Heidi Chronicles, from March 21-April 20. A moving and uncompromising portrait of a woman at a crossroads, Third is the story of Laurie Jameson, a liberal and much-revered college professor at an elite New England college, who is forced to confront her own prejudices about class privilege when she suspects that her student Woodson Bull III (Third) has committed plagiarism. As Laurie works to discover the truth behind Third's actions in a series of wrenching confrontations, she ends up also having to question her most deeply held beliefs. Third will be directed by Mary B. Robinson.

The season concludes with master clown and actor Bill Irwin bringing his inestimable skills to Philadelphia for The Happiness Lecture from May 16-June 15, a new work that muses on dreams, puppets, technology, and contemporary life as we know it. Bill Irwin, who received a Barrymore Award for his performance in Philadelphia Theatre Company's production of Trumbo, is an original creator and star of the productions Regard of Flight and Fool Moon. In 2005, he received a Tony Award for his lead role in Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? opposite Kathleen Turner. The production of The Happiness Lecture is supported by the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative, a program of the Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by the University of the Arts.

Special interest series are also available during the run of each show including: Meet the Artists, an in-depth, behind-the-scenes discussion following each play; two Wine Tasting nights, with opportunities to sample top wines selected by noted sommelier, Luca Mazzotti; the LGBT friendly Night OUT, a pre-show reception; and NEXT, The Young Patrons of Philadelphia Theatre Company for those between the ages of 26 through 40 with a passion for theater.

Subscriptions for the 2007-2008 Season are available at $130-$202 for a four-play season. -- www.phillytheatreco.com