Lyric Stage Fall Season
Includes Classics, Comedy and Adventure

The Lyric Stage Company’s 2009-2010 Season will feature its trademark variety of musicals, dramas, and comedies including Cole Porter’s classic Tony Award-winning musical  "Kiss Me, Kate;" the New England Premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s dark comedy "Dead Man’s Cell  Phone;" the Boston Premiere of Donald Margulies’ incredible adventure tale "Shipwrecked!;" the  New England Premiere of the South African drama "Groundswell, Legacy of Light," a journey  over time between two scientists; "Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill," the poignant and  tragic story of Billie Holiday featuring Jacqui Parker; and the classic Noel Coward comedy "Blithe Spirit," featuring Paula Plum, Richard Sneeand Kathy St.  George. 

Announced by Producing Artistic Director Spiro Veloudos, the complete season, listed by performance date, is as below:

"Kiss Me, Kate"
September 4 - October 10, 2009  
Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter, Book by Sam and Bella Spewack 
Directed by Spiro Veloudos
A theater actress turned movie star, her leading man ex-husband, and his latest girlfriend make for a merry love triangle in the story of an acting troupe taking a musical version of Shakespeare’s  "Taming of the Shrew" on the road..  Cole Porter’s score, including “Brush Up Your Shakespeare,” “Too Darn Hot,” and “So in Love,” underscores the Bard’s sharp wit.

"Dead Man’s Cell Phone" 
October 16 - November 14, 2009
By Sarah Ruhl 
Directed by Carmel O’Reilley     
When a man at a café table suddenly dies and his cell phone rings, the woman at the next table answers it, dropping her into the labyrinth of his life in this new comedy. As she forges new relationships on his behalf with his bereft family members, she discovers his  life was a mystery even to those closest to him. The New York Times said, “Ms. Ruhl is the rare young writer with a truly  theatrical imagination. She goes her own way, discovering surprising beauty and offbeat humor in  unlikely places.”

"Shipwrecked! An Entertainment: 
The Amazing Adventures of Louis de Rougemont (as Told by Himself)"
November 27 - December 20, 2009
By Donald Margulies 
Directed by Scott Lafeber     
A Boston Premiere
At sixteen, Louis de Rougemont leaves his sickbed and London home, vowing to see  the world. As he climbs aboard a ship of pearl divers, a typhoon hits, leaving him stranded on an island.  Thirty years later, hailed as a hero, he returns to Victorian London with a tale so amazing it’s hard to  believe it's true. Filled with theatrical magic and “good old-fashioned yarn spinning” (The New York  Times),  this magical story encompasses exotic lands, extraordinary creatures and incredible adventures. 

"Groundswell" 
January 1 - January 30, 2010
By Ian Bruce 
Directed by Daniel Gidron    
The lives of three disappointed men intersect with volatile consequences in a sleepy South African port town hotel, when Thami, the gardener and caretaker, and Johan, the odd-job man and former  police officer, conspire to pressure the hotel’s lone guest to invest in their diamond mining scheme.  They soon find themselves in a power struggle fueled by greed and entitlement. This “cross  between David Mamet and Athol Fugard” (The New York Times) is a psychological thriller about desperation and hope, and the glittering promises of the post apartheid society.

"Legacy of Light" 
February 12 - March 13, 2010
By Karen Zacarias 
Directed by Lois Roach     
During the Age of Enlightenment, Sir Isaac Newton watched apples fall while another brilliant  physicist, Emilie du Chatelet, found herself with child. At 42, fearing she would die in childbirth, she raced  to complete her research and leave her legacy. Meanwhile, present day scientist Olivia, unable to conceive and wondering what she will sacrifice for motherhood, arranges for a surrogate, who pulls  together past and present in a stellar collision. This “entertaining new comedy” (Variety) blends unexpected twists of self discovery with two women’s quests for knowledge and love. 

"Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill" 
March 26 through April 24, 2010   
By Lanie Robertson 
Directed by Spiro Veloudos 
This Off-Broadway hit features the soulful music of blues legend Billie Holiday, voiced through a dramatic cabaret act. During one of her final performances, she intertwines songs (such as “God Bless the Child” and “Strange Fruit”) with stories of her life, wrestling with both her past and her addiction to heroin. It soon becomes clear that music is a force that has helped her to survive.  “The most sensible attempt to capture the elusive mystique of the great Billie Holiday.” (The New York Times.)

"Blithe Spirit" 
May 7 - June 5, 2010
By Noël Coward 
Directed by Spiro Veloudos    
Psychic mediums, séances gone awry and celestial visitors are a recipe for amusement in Noel Coward's  classic comedy. When Charles and Ruth Condomine invite friends over for a séance with the eccentric Madame Arcati, they get more than they bargained for when Charles’ late first wife materializes in a ghostly state.  As the visiting specter frolics, Charles is caught between two wives, one past and one present, in an evening filled with what The New York Times called “supernatural gags in verbal and physical permutations.” 

Season Tickets for The Lyric Stage Company’s 2009-2010 Season are currently available in  a variety of packages.  Single ticket sales for all seven mainstage shows will begin mid-August. For information, stop by the box office, call 617-585-5678 or visit www.lyricstage.com.

-- OnStage Boston