Drury Lane's 2012-13 Season To Feature Five Films Brought to the Stage

Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, known for producing acclaimed, innovative and classic musicals and comedies, announces its 2012-2013 season featuring five glorious films brought to new life on stage. The Tony Award-winning phenomenon HAIRSPRAY previews April 12, opens April 19 and runs through June 17; the riveting thriller THE 39 STEPS previews July 5, opens July 12 and runs through August 26; the effervescent Broadway classic PROMISES, PROMISES previews September 6, opens September 13 and runs through October 28; the beloved masterpiece SINGIN' IN THE RAIN previews November 8, opens November 15 and runs through January 13; and SUNSET BOULEVARD, the triumphant Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, previews January 24, opens January 31 and runs through April 7.

Drury Lane Theatre's 2012 season opens with the smash hit musical comedy HAIRSPRAY. Set in 1960s Baltimore, HAIRSPRAY is the exuberant story of pleasantly plump teen Tracy Turnblad, who does whatever it takes to fulfill her lifelong dream of appearing on the popular Corny Collins Show. Can this plus-size trendsetter vanquish the program's reigning princess, win the heart of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate a television show without denting her fabulous 'do? HAIRSPRAY won eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, and inspired the 2007 blockbuster feature film. The New Yorker called HAIRSPRAY "Exhilaratingly funny!" and The New York Times raved that "If life were everything it should be, it would be more like HAIRSPRAY. It's irresistible!" The upbeat score includes oldies-inspired songs "You Can't Stop the Beat," "Welcome to the 60's," and "Hairspray." The production features music by five-time Oscar nominee Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman, and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan. HAIRSPRAY is directed and choreographed by Jeff Award winner Tammy Mader (Choreographer of Drury Lane Theatre's Spamalot and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) and previews April 12, opens April 19 and runs through June 17, 2012.

A current hit on Broadway and the West End, the thrilling comedy THE 39 STEPS is adapted from the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film and the 1915 novel by John Buchan. The story centers on Englishman "Richard Hannay," who inadvertently embarks on a chaotic adventure full of narrow escapes after trying to help a female spy. When he wakes up to find her dead in his apartment, he flees from the police and an espionage organization, desperately trying to find the truth. THE 39 STEPS features four actors bringing more than 150 characters to life throughout the play, making it a one-of-a-kind production that NBC called "Brilliant!," the New York Post raved is "The most entertaining show on Broadway," and the New York Daily News hailed as "Ingenious!" This fast-paced fun ride is a dizzy delight!" THE 39 STEPS was adapted for the stage by Patrick Barlow and is the winner of two 2008 Tony Awards, a 2008 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, and the 2007 Olivier Award for Best Comedy. THE 39 STEPS is directed by multi-Jeff Award nominee David New (Drury Lane Theatre's Broadway Bound, Sarah Siddons Award Winner and former Associate Artistic Director at Steppenwolf Theatre) and previews July 5, opens July 12 and runs through August 26, 2012.

The recent Broadway hit PROMISES, PROMISES is a smart and sexy musical based on the Oscar-winning 1960 Billy Wilder film The Apartment starring Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine. Set in 1960s Manhattan, PROMISES, PROMISES tells the story of Chuck Baxter, an enterprising and charming new employee at Consolidated Life Insurance Company. To work his way up the corporate ladder, Chuck lends executives his apartment for their extramarital romantic trysts. Complications arise when Fran Kubelik, the object of Chuck's affection, becomes the mistress of one of his executives. The Associated Press called PROMISES, PROMISES "Exuberantly joyful and consistently witty!" and The Los Angeles Times raved that "Its stylish mix of nostalgia and parody will likely make you thirsty for a Tom Collins!" The original production of PROMISES, PROMISES debuted on Broadway in 1968 and ran for 1,281 performances. It was nominated for eight Tony Awards, and the original cast recording was honored with a Grammy Award. The 2010 revival received five Outer Critics Circle nominations, including Outstanding Revival of a Musical. PROMISES, PROMISES features a book by the legendary Neil Simon, and a splashy, retro-infused score by the Academy Award-winning team of Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Rachel Rockwell (Drury Lane Theatre's The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd and Ragtime), named "Best Director" by Chicago Magazine, directs and choreographs PROMISES, PROMISES, previewing September 6, opening September 13 and running through October 28, 2012.

The quintessential Broadway musical masterpiece SINGIN' IN THE RAIN was hailed as "Blissful!" by the New York Times and "Pure joy...hugely engaging!" by The Telegraph. Featuring exhilarating, toe-tapping dance numbers and an effervescent love story, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is a timeless classic with a delightful score including "Good Morning," "Make "em Laugh," and "Singin' in the Rain." Set in glitzy, glamorous Hollywood in the 1920s, this lighthearted and funny tale centers on Don Lockwood, a film star who finds love while navigating the ever-changing world of showbiz. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is based on the 1954 film starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, which the American Film Institute named the #1 Greatest Movie Musical of all time and The New York Times called "The happiest movie musical ever made." The production has a book adapted by Betty Comden and Adolph Green with Music by Nacio Herb Brown and Lyrics by Arthur Freed. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is directed by Bill Jenkins (Chair of Ball State University's Department of Theatre and Dance and Director of Drury Lane Theatre's Seven Brides for Seven Brothers) and choreographed by Amber Mak and previews November 8, opens November 15 and runs through January 13, 2013.

Andrew Lloyd Webber's SUNSET BOULEVARD, based on Billy Wilder's 1950 film with the same name, weaves a magnificent tale of faded glory and unfulfilled ambition. Silent movie star Norma Desmond longs for a return to the big screen, having been discarded by Tinseltown with the advent of "talkies." Her glamour has faded in all but her mind. When Norma meets struggling Hollywood screen-writer Joe Gillis in dramatic circumstances, their subsequent passionate and volatile relationship leads to an unforeseen and tragic conclusion. The New York Times enthused that SUNSET BOULEVARD is "Scored with some of Lloyd Webber's loveliest melodies and designed with an extravagance of mind." SUNSET BOULEVARD was the winner of seven Tony Awards in 1995 and features a breathtaking score by the legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber (Evita, The Phantom of the Opera, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) and a book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton. SUNSET BOULEVARD, directed by Drury Lane Theatre's Artistic Director William Osetek (Drury Lane Theatre's smash hit production of Spamalot and Jeff Award nominee for Best Director and Best Production for Thoroughly Modern Millie) and choreographed by Tammy Mader, previews January 24, opens January 31 and runs through April 7, 2013.

Become a Drury Lane Oakbrook subscriber for as low as $125 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 8:30 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.