Drury Lane Theatre Announces 2013-2014 Season: NEXT TO NORMAL, HELLO DOLLY!, and More

Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, known for producing acclaimed, innovative and classic musicals and comedies, announces its 2013-2014 season including three major regional premieres. The Tony Award-winning classic OLIVER! previews April 4, opens Thursday, April 11 at 8 p.m. and runs through June 2; the new popular Broadway farce BOEING-BOEING previews June 13, opens Thursday, June 20 at 8 p.m. and runs through August 4; the Broadway phenomenon and Pulitzer Prize winning NEXT TO NORMAL previews August 15, opens Thursday, August 22 at 8 p.m. and runs through October 6; the beloved masterpiece HELLO, DOLLY! previews October 17, opens Thursday, October 24 at 8 p.m. and runs through January 5; and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the outrageously funny Mel Brooks hit, previews January 16, opens Thursday, January 23 at 8 p.m. and runs through March 23, 2014.

Drury Lane Theatre’s 2012 season begins with the timeless, internationally celebrated musical OLIVER! Adapted from Charles Dickens’ masterpiece Oliver Twist, OLIVER! first opened in the West End in 1960 and features a beloved score including such favorites as “Food, Glorious Food,” “Consider Yourself,” “You’ve Got to Pick-a-Pocket or Two,” and “Who Will Buy?” A poignant story set in nineteenth century London, OLIVER! follows the adventures of young orphan Oliver Twist. Forced into the scheming underworld of pick-pocketing, Oliver finds himself caught in a tug-of-war with his family and the sinister characters he has met in the streets of London. Featuring a Book, Music and Lyrics by Lionel Bart, OLIVER! is the winner of three Tony Awards and was called “Ageless, timeless and matchless!” by the Sunday Express. Jeff Award-winner Rachel Rockwell (Ragtime, The Sound of Music and Sweeney Todd at Drury Lane Theatre) will direct the production, which previews April 4, opens Thursday, April 11 at 8 p.m. and runs through June 2, 2013.

BOEING-BOEING is the flighty tale of Bernard, a jet-setting architect living in 1960’s Paris who is juggling three flight attendant fianceés with the help of his reluctant housekeeper. When his old pal, Robert, arrives at his swanky bachelor pad, Bernard reluctantly unveils his ingenious scheme. Despite his clever arrangement, Bernard’s life starts to unravel when a new turbo-charged Boeing is introduced. In a hysterical whirlwind of mayhem, Bernard finds out that one woman is all he can handle. Hailed as “Pure pleasure and unconditional bliss!” by The New York Times and “One of the funniest plays to hit Broadway in ages!” by The Wall Street Journal, BOEING-BOEING won two Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Play in 2008 after a successful seven-year run in the West End. The hilarious production holds a Guinness World Record for the most performed French play in the world. BOEING-BOEING was written by Marc Camoletti and adapted by Beverley Cross. Dennis Zacek (former Artistic Director at Victory Gardens Theater and recipient of the 2001 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre) will direct the regional premiere of the newest adaption, which previews June 13, opens Thursday, June 20 at 8 p.m. and runs through August 4, 2013.

Drury Lane Theatre presents the regional premiere of the recent Broadway sensation, NEXT TO NORMAL, one of only eight musicals in history to win the Pulitzer Prize for drama. This moving story is an unconscious dissection of a “normal” American family. Driven by a provocative score featuring more than 30 original songs, the narrative digs into the household’s foundation, unearthing skeletons of the past. NEXT TO NORMAL was nominated for eleven 2009 Tony Awards and won three, including Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations. The New York Times raved that NEXT TO NORMAL is a “Brave, breathtaking musical!” and Rolling Stone Magazine called it "The best new musical of the season—by a mile!” NEXT TO NORMAL features a Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey and Music by Tom Kitt. Drury Lane Theatre Artistic Director William Osetek (Jeff Award-nominee for Best Director and Best Production for Thoroughly Modern Millie as well as the smash hit Spamalot at Drury Lane Theatre) directs the production, which previews August 15, opens Thursday, August 22 at 8 p.m. and runs through October 6, 2013.

HELLO, DOLLY!, the quintessential musical masterpiece that The New York Times proclaimed “One of the biggest, brightest musicals of this century!” has won 10 Tony Awards and enjoyed three Broadway revivals. The original Broadway production ran for over 3,000 performances. This whimsical turn-of-the-century tale centers around Dolly Gallagher Levi, a New York City matchmaker-extraordinaire hired to help a pompous Yonkers merchant in his pursuit of a wife. When Dolly unexpectedly falls in love with him, she stops at nothing to win his favor in this zany love story. The musical’s soaring score includes “Hello, Dolly!”, “When the Parade Passes By” and “Put on Your Sunday Clothes.” Hello, Dolly! An Original Cast Recording was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. The production features Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman and a Book by Michael Stewart. HELLO, DOLLY!, directed by Rachel Rockwell, previews October 17, opens Thursday, October 24 at 8 p.m. and runs through January 5, 2014.

The smash hit Broadway musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is based on the critically acclaimed Mel Brooks film that was named “one of the funniest movies of all time” by the American Film Institute. Featuring a Book, Music and Lyrics by Brooks (The Producers), YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN has been called “Delightfully nutty! Glittering, buoyant fun that tickles its audience into high spirits!” (Los Angeles Times); “A highly entertaining musical-comedy spectacular featuring endless doses of Brooks’ classic humor!” (Hollywood Reporter); and “A jolly monster of a show!” (Variety). YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is the wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend. The story follows young Dr. Frankenstein as he attempts to complete his grandfather’s masterwork and bring a corpse to life. With his cockroach-eating servant, Igor, bombshell lab assistant, Inga, and madcap fiancée, Elizabeth, Dr. Frankenstein succeeds in creating a monster—but not without monstrous repercussions. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN was nominated for three 2008 Tony awards and was the winner of the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN is directed by William Osetek and previews January 16, opens Thursday, January 23 at 8 p.m. and runs through March 23, 2014.

Become a Drury Lane Oakbrook subscriber for as low as $130 per person and guarantee seats for all five spectacular 2012 productions for the price of three. Subscribers receive discounts on dining, early notification and priority seating for added events and concerts, a flexible ticket exchange policy, discounts on banquet catering and discounts at The Hilton Suites and Hilton Garden Inn. For more information, call 630.530.0111.

The performance schedule is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. ($35), Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. ($35) and 8 p.m. ($40), Fridays at 8:00 p.m. ($45), Saturdays at 5 p.m. ($45) and 8:30 p.m. ($46) and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. ($45) and 6 p.m. ($40). Lunch and dinner theater packages range from $49.75 to $68 depending on the day of the week. Student tickets start as low as $20 and senior citizen tickets start as low as $30 for matinees and $44.75 for a matinee luncheon package. For reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, call TicketMaster at 800.745.3000, or visit www.drurylaneoakbrook.com.