Current Season – 67th

The Secret Garden

June 5, 2011  |  Posted by kworcester |  No Comments

The Tony Award Winning Soaring Musical Journey

Auditions
Children ONLY February 12th & 13th, 7:30pm
Adults February 19th & 20th, 7:30pm

April 27, 28, May 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 2012
Written by: Marsha Norman, Music by: Lucy Simon

The classic children’s story, blended with award winning music. Living in a lonely manor house in 1906 England, Archibald Craven yearns for his beautiful, late wife. He blames his crippled son, Colin, for his wife’s death and has left him neglected and isolated. Their quiet routine is turned upside down when young Mary Lennox, a rich, spoiled child, is sent to live with them following the death of her parents by cholera in India. While living at the manor house, Mary discovers a secret walled garden hidden in the grounds and releases the magic and adventures locked inside, changing their lives

Winner of 3 Tony Awards including Best Book!

““Elegant, entrancing…The best American musical of the Broadway season.”-Time

“A splendid, intelligent musical…It’s all you can hope for in children’s theatre. But the best surprise is that this show is the most adult new musical of the season.”- USA Today

“A many splendored children’s fable that neither cloys or loses grip on its unique spell.”-Newsday

Early One Evening at the Rainbow Bar & Grille

May 10, 2011  |  Posted by kworcester |  No Comments

A Laugh Out Loud Apocalyptical Comedy

November 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 & 19, 2011
By Bruce Graham

The world is coming to an end. You have one day left. What do you do?

This is the question tackled by Bruce Graham’s apocalyptic comedy/drama, EARLY ONE EVENING AT THE RAINBOW BAR & GRILLE. Forget mass hysteria and anarchy in the streets. If your name is Shep and you tend a bar in western Pennsylvania, it’s one last day of business and some rather odd decisions.

Graham’s intelligent and humorous script keeps everything low-key. The reason for Armageddon is mostly left ambiguous, other than it appears to be manmade. That’s not the focus of the play. Instead, we zero in on a well defined group of strangely upbeat small town folk as they unceremoniously and humorously come to grips with their impending doom.

We encounter the characters through their interactions with easy going bartender, Shep. There’s Roy, the fireman who’s playing one last winner-take-all hand of cards; Willy, the local marksman who’s intent on offing his dentist before the end arrives; Shirley, the barmaid who wants to have a wild goodbye fling; Bullard, the traveling salesman who’s in denial and is just passing through; and Virginia, the high school gym teacher who’s determined to head out west to be with family.

Then God walks into the bar. Yes, it sounds like the setup for a bad joke, but that’s exactly what happens…or is it? He seems to know a little about everyone and approaches Shep with an offer that is out of this world.

Funny, witty and intelligent with a surprisingly upbeat end.

“Early One Evening at the Rainbow Bar & Grille” is a serio-comic tale of love, death, rebirth, and a very strange book deal.”

“The preposterous, but often affecting and almost always hilarious proceedings are peppered by visual shtick and one liners.” Variety.

Christmas Naughty or Christmas Nice?

May 10, 2011  |  Posted by kworcester |  Comments Closed

Are you feeling Naughty or Nice this Christmas Season? Looking for something traditional, or perhaps something different and slightly irreverent? You’re covered in either case as the Hudson Players present two holiday shows this season.

An Humorous Edgy Holiday Saga

December 2 & 3, 2011
By Jeff Goode

This is not the Santa you’ve come to know and love. But don’t take my word for it, hear it straight from the, er, Reindeers’ mouths. “All those rumors you’ve heard about him and the elves? About Rudolph’s little secret? About Vixen’s story that was leaked to the press? Yes, the reindeer finally speak up and — believe us — they do not hold back!” Each of “The Eight” take their turn on stage as they tell their story. The dark comedy will have you rolling in the isles during the show and talking about all the topical issues it stirs up over drinks later. A cross between Scrooged and The Accused, the Eight will give an alternative to those adults looking for something different this holiday.

**CONTAINS ADULT LANGUAGE AND SITUATIONS – Not Recommended for Children**

“It’s really a metaphor for the troubled times in which we live and the disturbingly common problem of sexual harassment in the workplace. It’s about appearances and perceptions, truth and justice. Playwright Jeff Goode wrote the play after a high-ranking official of Chicago’s Catholic church was accused of sexual misconduct, tearing apart the congregation.” – Karen Feldman, The News-Press

Excellent thought provoking. — Dramalogue Magazine

Arrestingly funny. — Village Voice

A unique, fun presentation of the Christmas Carol we know and love.

December 16 & 17, 2011
Performed by the Largely Literary Theater Co.

This fundraiser to benefit worthwhile Christmas Charities is sponsored by The Hudson Players.

Adapted and directed by Mark Dawidziak, this 90-minute play in two acts begins with the premise that the audience has gathered to hear Dickens give one of his popular readings of the story about miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. Dickens (played by Dawidziak) appears on stage, opens the book and starts reading the familiar words, “Marley was dead to begin with …” As the “reading” progresses, Scrooge (Tom Stephan) appears. Almost all the other roles – men and women, ghosts and mortals – are played by a single third actor , Sara Showman, – with Dickens moving in and out of the action as a third voice is needed.

The audience is drawn in, visualizing everything Dickens is describing. The few set pieces – a trunk, tables, some chairs – are constantly shifted by the cast to suggest various scenes, everything being used and reused as imaginatively as possible. This has been an area favorite for years and The Hudson Players are pleased to bring this production to Hudson.

Bingo the Musical

May 6, 2011  |  Posted by kworcester |  No Comments

A Splashy, Zippy, Fun New Musical Comedy

Auditions November 20th & 21st, 7pm

February 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 24 & 25, 2012
By Michael Heitzman, Ilene Reid & David Holcenberg

Get your game cards ready. Bingo, is “a winning new musical” that allows audiences to play along with the game of chance, Bingo mixes character songs, quirky contestants, romance and rivalry into an interactive, presentational contest — all during a fierce hurricane.

In this environmental musical comedy, the audience gets to join in the Bingo game at Hamerin County’s St. Luke’s Church basement, where they will meet, among others, Vern, Honey and Patsy: three pals that have driven through Hurricane Dora in the name of their weekly obsession. In between the number calling, strange rituals and fierce competitions, love blossoms and estranged friends reunite, sending everyone home a winner.

Bingo has a book by Michael Heitzman and Ilene Reid; lyrics and music by Heitzman, Reid and David Holcenberg, Writers Heitzman and Reid co-wrote the song “Throw That Girl Around” from the Grammy Award-nominated Broadway show, Swing!

“Hilarious and Inventive” LA Weekly

“A Fun, Cheerful and Witty New Show With Songs to Bring Down the House!” Los Angeles Times

“Extremely Funny and Whimsical. Bingo creates a hilarious portrait of a peculiar event, much in the way “Spelling Bee” did for Elementary School Spellers” Associated Press

Season Tickets

April 19, 2011  |  Posted by admin |  Comments Closed

Season Tickets are the best way to see the Hudson Players great 2010-2011 season! With them you get to secure great seats to our three main 67th Season productions, along with getting a discount on our special holiday show. Our best ticket value, Season Tickets give you three shows for the price of two!

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Dinner and a Show

April 18, 2011  |  Posted by kworcester |  Comments Closed

The Hudson Players are again teaming with Hudson’s Restaurant on the Green to offer our patrons and unbeatable dinner and show option. For only $64, two people can enjoy dinner at Hudson’s Restaurant before the show (including an appetizer) and then be done in time to see a great Hudson Players production at the Barlow Community Center.

Available on select performances, dinner and show reservations must be made by the Tuesday prior to the upcoming weekend. Patrons will get their choice from a broad selection of Hudson’s great menu options and are asked to arrive at Hudson’s Restaurant on the Green at 6:15 on their selected show night to insure they will be able to enjoy a relaxed meal and be completed well prior to show time. Season tickets including the dinner and show option are also available for only $177 for the three main show season (Early One Evening at the Rainbow Bar & Grille, Bingo! The Winning New Musical & The Secret Garden). Dinner and show tickets are also available separately for our special Holiday productions of The 8: Reindeer Monologues and The Largely Literary Theater Company’s: A Christmas Carol.

Dinner and show ticket reservations (including Dinner and Show Season Tickets), must be purchased either by phone (330-655-8522) or via mail (please email us at info@hudsonplayers.com for mail order info).