Valentine offers diverse lineup for 15th season

'Sweet Charity' is scheduled March 2.

The Moscow Festival Ballet brings 'Cinderella' to the Valentine at 8 p.m. Jan. 10.

The Valentine Theatre’s 15th season since its major renovation is decidedly diverse, offering five national Broadway tours, adding two series, featuring Ten Aussie Tenors, and serving students.

“We're happy we have something that appeals to everyone — from testing the waters with our country series to adding a fifth show to our Broadway season,” said Matt Lentz, director of marketing and public relations.

A Season of the Arts Plaza party opens the 2013-2014 season on Sept. 6 with free outdoor and indoor performances by several Toledo favorites including Toledo Opera, Toledo Ballet, Toledo Repertoire Theatre, Toledo Jazz Orchestra, Toledo School for the Arts, Masterworks Chorale, and Toledo Symphony. This celebration honors the rich heritage of the 118-year-old theater. The festivities run from 5 to 11 p.m.

The Valentine's 15th Season Gala follows on Oct. 19 with a performance by Waterloo, the renowned ABBA tribute band. Tickets are $125 and include dinner, dancing, and dessert. Tickets are $75 for concert, dancing, and dessert only. This event starts at 6 p.m.

Subscription renewals end June 21.

Series and individual ticket sales start June 24 at the theater box office, 400 N. Superior St. downtown, or online at valentinetheatre.com.

Broadway Series

The Broadway Series opens Nov. 7 with the Toledo premiere of The Addams Family, a new musical comedy from the authors of Jersey Boys. In this macabre and funny musical, Gomez must keep a secret from his beloved Morticia. He and Wednesday will attempt to convince her boyfriend's family the devilishly dark Addams family is normal. The performance is at 7 p.m.

Forbidden Broadway: Alive and Kicking, a second Toledo premiere, is a musical roast of all things Broadway that will feature dead-on impressions and outrageous costumes. Currently open on Broadway, this show has fresh views of the ups and downs of well-known shows including Anything Goes, Porgy and Bess, The Book of Mormon, and Death of a Salesman. This musical comedy will be performed at 8 p.m. Nov. 22.

Godspell makes its Valentine premiere in this classic retelling of parables from the Gospel of St. Matthew. It debuted off-Broadway in 1971. Its Tony-nominated score includes “Day By Day” and “Turn Back, O Man.” It will be performed at 8 p.m. Jan. 24.

'Sweet Charity' is scheduled March 2.

Sweet Charity, another Valentine premiere, looks at misadventures of the gullible Charity Hope Valentine, an unlucky romanticist in this Neil Simon musical comedy. This Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields score includes “Hey Big Spender” and “If My Friends Could See Me Now.” This performance will be at 7 p.m. March 2.

Smokey Joe's Cafe makes its return engagement to the Valentine featuring 40 rock and roll favorites including “Hound Dog” and “Love Potion #9.” A cast of nine and a four-piece band will rock the house with this Tony-nominated musical at 7 p.m. March 30.

Studio A Theatre

This intimate 85-seat black box theater gives area actors a chance to craft their art, kicking off its season with the 60th anniversary engagement of Agatha Christie's Mousetrap that runs weekends only Oct. 4-13 and Oct. 25-27. The Thing About Men will be performed weekends only Feb. 21 through March 9. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m. Sunday shows are at 2 p.m. General admission tickets are $20.

Dance

Cinderella will enchant young and young-at-heart in this classic ballet performance by the Moscow Festival Ballet at 8 p.m. Jan. 10.

Special Attraction

Australia's hottest tenors will perform one unforgettable show in The Ten Tenors: On Broadway at 7:30 p.m. March 18.

Comedy

The smart and funny Second City Comedy Troupe will perform its new Happily Ever Laughing production delving into the Second City archives and borrowing national headlines in this cutting-edge show at 8 p.m. Feb. 22.

A Little Bit Country Music and Comedy

A new series this season opens with Branson on the Road, featuring classic bluegrass, rockabilly, and gospel music combined with homespun humor at 8 p.m. March 22. Southern Fried Chicks Cage-Free Comedy Tour, an all-female comedy troupe featuring singing, dancing, stories, and audience participation is set for 7 p.m. Nov. 24.

Children’s Series

Four productions to delight the young and the young-at-heart: Angelina Ballerina, Sept. 21; Charlotte's Web, Feb. 15; Five Little Monkeys, March 29. and Stuart Little, April 6. Each performance is scheduled at 2 p.m.

School Days

The Valentine's educational outreach program for school field trips includes Treasured Stories of Eric Carle, Jan. 22 and 23; Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Feb. 18; Charlotte's Web, March 17, and The Teacher from the Black Lagoon, March 19. Teachers and home school parents can call 419-242-3490 extension 18 to make reservations for these shows for preschool through fifth-grade students. Performances will be at 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Tickets are $8 for groups of 16 or more and $9 for groups of 15 or less.

Film Series

A new Arthouse Film Series will feature Swedish, French, and Japanese films: Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal, Jan. 5; Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows, Jan. 19, and Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon, Feb. 9. All screenings will be at 2 p.m.

Returning is the popular Silver Screen Friday Series with more than 11 classic films.

Opening the season is Young Frankenstein Nov. 1. Gone With the Wind, Jan. 3, and All About Eve, March 21, are among the selections that run at 7:30 p.m. select Fridays through March 21. Tickets are $5.