RiverCenter/Adler Theatre’s 2008-09 season: 'Sweeney,' 'Rat Pack' coming to Q-C
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By David Burke | Friday, April 04, 2008 |
The schedule for the RiverCenter/Adler Theatre’s 2008-09 Broadway season is doing more than just bringing seven shows to Davenport, executive director Rick Palmer said.
It’s also evidence that the Adler’s $12 million 2005-06 remodeling — which included increasing the depth of the stage and adding dressing rooms — is doing its job.
“Finally, we’re hitting the pinnacle of what the renovation was all about,” Palmer said Wednesday.
Three of the shows — “Mamma Mia!” “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” and “Movin’ Out” — couldn’t have been played with the Adler’s prior limitations, he said.
“Before the construction, we couldn’t have programmed it if we wanted to,” he said.
The current season ends
Sunday, with a performance by Mannheim Steamroller.
Palmer called the season, which included “The Producers,” “Hairspray” and “Chicago,” a success.
“The response has been very good this year. We’ve had a very good season. Because of that, our partners are very comfortable in bringing it up to the next level and that’s certainly what we’ve done,” he said.
The Adler marquee may look like it belongs in the movies next season, as three titles have
film ties:
“Sweeney Todd,” which kicks off the season Sept. 27, was turned into a movie musical last winter with Oscar-nominated Johnny Depp.
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” playing next February, is a musical comedy based on the 1988 Steve Martin-Michael Caine film.
“Mamma Mia!,” the musical with all ABBA tunes, will arrive in movie theaters starring Meryl Streep in July before hitting the Adler in March.
Palmer said the movie exposure can only help sell the
live shows.
“I believe it certainly has the potential,” he said. “That happened with ‘Hairspray’ this season, which was one of our sellouts.”
Two other dates on the 2008-09 calendar have Broadway success in their backgrounds as well:
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” playing in January, won Tony Awards in 2005 for best book and best featured actor.
“Movin’ Out,” where 27 of Billy Joel’s hit songs are placed into a musical story, won a Tony for Twyla Tharp’s choreography in 2002.
Those shows represent a new generation of audience that the Adler is seeking, Palmer said.
“Because of the package, we should be able to attract a younger demographic as well as our current subscriber base,” he said. “I expect to see more of a regional pull versus the Quad-City region. People come to the show, eat dinner and spend the night here.”
Besides the five traditional Broadway shows, there are two performances offered in the
season:
“Rain — The Beatles Experience” has a two-decade history of Fab Four music, including almost 200 songs. It’s on stage in March 2009.
“The Rat Pack is Back!” re-creates the nightclub act of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin and Joey Bishop. It closes out the season in
MCurrent subscribers have been informed about the season. New subscribers can fill out applications that are available at the Adler box office. Those applications will begin to be processed in June.
2008-09 ADLER SEASON
“Sweeney Todd,” Sept. 27
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” Jan 26
“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” Feb. 11
“Mamma Mia!,” March 14
“Rain — The Beatles Experience,” March 24
“Movin’ Out,” April 16
“The Rat Pack is Back!,” May 7
David Burke can be contacted at
(563) 383-2400 or dburke@qctimes.com.
Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
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