PEACH WEEKENDER | THEATRE

Comic opera to open Rep’s 82nd season

Company’s youth troupe to stage ‘Bugsy Malone, Jr.’

Elle Hurst, Tanner Strock, Carter Rodriguez, and Charlie Herrman, front row, and Alice Momany and Abbie Fricke, in back row, are among cast members in the Young Rep’s presentation of ‘‍Bugsy Malone, Jr.’ today through Sunday.

The Toledo Rep will open its 82nd season Sept. 12 with the comic opera The Pirates of Penzance, the first production in a season celebrating beloved theater classics.

Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates, about an apprentice pirate whose birth in a leap year threatens to extend his service with the seafaring band of robbers and get in the way of his romance, will be performed Sept. 12, 13, and 14, and Sept. 18, 19, 20, and 21.

The 2014-15 season also includes:

● Laura, based on the classic 1944 film noir about a New York police detective who falls in love with a woman he thinks is a murder victim — but is she? Performances are Nov. 7, 8, and 9 and Nov. 13, 14, 15, and 16.

● The Rep’s always-popular holiday production, A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’ legendary drama about the true meaning of Christmas. Performances, Dec. 5, 6, and 7, will be at the Valentine Theatre.

● Blithe Spirit, Noel Coward’s comedy about a novelist who is haunted by the ghost of his bothersome first wife. Performances are Jan. 16, 17, and 18 and Jan. 22, 23, 24, and 25.

● The Taming of the Shrew, Shakespeare’s comedy centered on the efforts of Petruchio to rein in the stubborn Katherina, the shrew he hopes to wed. April 10, 11, and 12 and April 16, 17, 18, and 19.

● South Pacific, the Rogers & Hammerstein musical of romance between an American nurse stationed in the South Pacific and a plantation owner, and an American lieutenant and his Asian love. Shows are June 5, 6, and 7, June 12, 13, and 14, and June 18, 19, 20, and 21.

● Special Event: All Aboard the Marriage Hearse. Amy and Sean have been happily living together in New York for three years, but now, Amy wants a wedding, but Sean isn’t so sure. Performances are Feb. 13, 14, and 15.

● Edgy Rep Readings: Detroit, a drama with touches of humor about the perilous economics and emotions of suburban life, Oct. 10 and 11. The Last Days of Judas Iscariot, in which Judas’ fate is decided in a court case with witnesses that include Mother Teresa, Sigmund Freud, and Satan, March 20 and 21.

Subscriptions for the 2014-2015 season are available at 419-243-9277 and at toledorep.org, where a brochure can be downloaded.

‘Bugsy’ at the Rep

This weekend on the Toledo Rep’s 10th Street stage, the Young Rep presents Bugsy Malone, Jr. A playful tribute to 1920s gangster films, the musical production features 32 performers ages 7 to 13 from 18 area schools and is directed by Jill Reinstein. Performances today through Saturday are at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 12 and younger, from 419-243-9277 or toledorep.org.

Rescheduled

50 Shades! The Musical, originally set for Sept. 25 at the Valentine Theatre, has been rescheduled for Jan. 10 at 8 p.m. The change was made to accommodate the producers’ request for a longer run in the Midwest, Matt Lentz, Valentine marketing director, said.

The musical, the original parody of E.L. James’ erotic bestseller that became a trilogy of adult novels, opened off-Broadway on Feb. 21. The show, which has dance numbers and original songs performed by an onstage band, begins when a ladies‘ book club decides to read Fifty Shades of Grey.

Tickets, $29, $36, and $45, are adults only, ages 18 and over, and are available at the Valentine box office, 419-242-2787, or valentinetheatre.com.

Send theater news two weeks in advance to Sue Brickey at sbrickey@theblade.com.