ATC Returns to the Stage
Originally published on ONStageAZ.com.
A new direction, mission and leadership team advance ATC into its 54th season.
Arizona Theatre Company (ATC) puts artists and audiences at the heart of all it does. ATC performances bring people together to experience essential stories, from reimagined classics to contemporary plays, original works, and innovative musicals. The theatre’s mission is to foster conversations beyond the theatre walls and this 54th season is no exception. ATC is led by the new Kasser Family Artistic Director Sean Daniels and Managing Director Geri Wright and they have prepared a stunning season with stories from all walks of life.
Getting his start as an Arizona theater lover, Daniels remembers the days in his youth of enjoying Arizona Theatre Company productions and workshops. Now, he leads the charge as The Kasser Family Artistic Director for ATC with a vision to showcase world class theater in Arizona.
“We’re a local theater that the world pays attention to,” said Daniels. “Our opening show is going off Broadway and other shows in our lineup this season will have a global presence tracing all the way to London.” He adds, “We can’t wait to bring audiences back together, to hear Broadway singers and world class performers live. We’ve all gone too long without that communal connection.”
This season marks the first that Daniels has fully programmed, and he will be directing the first three plays beginning with My 80-Year Old Boyfriend opening in Tucson, Ariz. on Oct. 1 . The musical will run in Tucson at the Temple of Music and Art through Oct. 16 and then continue performances in Phoenix at the Herberger Theater Center Oct. 21 through Nov. 7. My 80-Year-Old Boyfriend is a delightful musical that tells the story of an unlikely duo forming the friendship of a lifetime. This show is created by Charissa Bertels, Christian Duhamel and Ed Bell, and directed by Sean Daniels.
The season will continue with, Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley, audiences of all ages can create holiday memories when Jane Austen’s 19th century Pride and Prejudice characters come alive in a charming story that celebrates family, friends, love and independence. This show runs Nov. 6 through Dec. 4 in Tucson and Dec. 9 through Jan. 2 in Phoenix.
Daniels believes in celebrating local artists and that “zip code doesn’t determine talent” which shows through his casting as this season hosts the most Arizona locals in the theatre’s history. “Arizona deserves a world class theater and unprecedented arts education,” said Daniels.
Subscriptions begin at $163 and include six-play subscriptions as well as flex passes that can be used in multiple combinations for any shows. Tickets for individual shows start at $25 and can be purchased at atc.org or 1-833-ATC-SEAT.