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Media Release

Friday, January 27, 2012

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Lewisville Summer Musicals sets second season at MCL Grand

The second season of Lewisville Summer Musicals will bring eight popular musical plays to the Performance Hall of the Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater, with performance dates starting in March and running through August. Season and single-show tickets are on sale now.

The shows will be presented by Texas Family Musicals, which debuted the summer series in Lewisville last year. [Media note: Full schedule is listed at end of this release.]

Lewisville Summer Musicals will kick off March 16-17 with “His Eye in on the Sparrow: The Ethel Waters Story.” This powerful musical drama by playwright Larry Parr is based on the heart-wrenching tale of Ethel Waters and her early life in Philadelphia. The show is threaded with the sassy suggestive music from the early 1920’s performed in blues and jazz venues such as the legendary Cotton Club.

“Love Letters” will show on May 4-5, featuring former television stars Tony Dow (Leave it to Beaver) and Judy Norton (The Waltons) and a Pulitzer-winning script by A.R. Gurney. “Love Letters” centers on two characters as they read the hilarious and poignant letters that have passed between them throughout their lives, painting a vivid portrait as their relationship unfolds from what is written – and what is left unsaid – in their letters.

The hilarious romp, “The Foreigner,” will be presented June 15-16. Lead actor Johnny Crawford, who portrayed Mark McCain on television’s The Rifleman, will star as an Englishman visiting a resort-style fishing lodge in rural Georgia whose mysterious presence leads to misunderstandings, confusion and boundless comedy.

The series continues July 6-7 with three performances of “America the Beautiful,” a patriotic tribute that thrills audiences with upbeat music and performances. Characters from Will Rogers to Yankee Doodle will remind young and old alike what it means to be a proud American.

On July 20-21, audiences will enjoy the Broadway favorite “A Chorus Line.” One of the most highly acclaimed shows in Broadway history, including nine Tony Awards, “A Chorus Line” tells of the achingly poignant ambitions of professional Broadway gypsies to land a job in the show, and is a powerful metaphor for all human aspiration. Memorable musical numbers include “I Can Do That,” “At the Ballet,” “What I Did for Love,” “One (Singular Sensation),” and “I Hope I Get It.”

The touching Buddy Holly tribute “The Night the Music Died” is scheduled for three shows Aug. 3-4. This show will take the audience back to the fateful night in 1959 when Holly died in a plane crash, along with the Big Bopper and Richie Valens, through musical memories that revisit their final concert.

“British Invasion” will take the stage on two weekends, Aug. 10-11 and 17-18. This clever recreation of the Beatles’ fabled first appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show includes all the original acts from that February 1964 broadcast, complete with live commercials.

The series finale will be “Rocky Mountain High” on Aug. 24-25, featuring stories and music remembering beloved singer John Denver. The stage will be filled with fabulous dance numbers and multimedia backgrounds to place the audience in the natural world Denver celebrated through his music.

All show times are 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Ticket prices for individual shows are $26, $28 or $30, depending on the seating. Discounts are available for seniors, or for groups of 12 or more. Season ticket packages are further discounted and can be purchased for five, six, seven or eight shows.

All ticket sales will be through Texas Family Musicals at its website, www.Texasfamilymusicals.com. For information, call 800.547.4697.

Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater, located at 100 N. Charles Street between Main and Church streets, opened its doors in January 2011. The 40,000-square-foot facility features a 296-seat proscenium theater, black box theater, dance recital hall, art gallery, five art classrooms and a large courtyard. Medical Center of Lewisville has a multi-year agreement with the city for naming rights at the center.

To reach the MCL Grand from Interstate 35E, take exit 452 and proceed east on Main Street to Charles Street. MCL Grand will be on the left. Free public parking is available along Main and Church streets, or at Lewisville City Hall across Church Street from the center. Parking is not allowed on the grass lot across Church Street from MCL Grand.

For details about upcoming events, or rental information for the facility, please visit www.cityoflewisville.com or call 972.219.3401.

Media contact: Arts Center Manager Jim Wear, 972.219.8444

2012 Lewisville Summer Musicals

Location: Medical Center of Lewisville Grand Theater, 100 N. Charles Street, Lewisville

Dates:

His eye is on the Sparrow – March 16 (7:30 p.m.), March 17 (2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)

Love Letters – May 4 (7:30 p.m.), May 5 (2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)

The Foreigner – June 15 (7:30 p.m.), June 16 (2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)

America the Beautiful 2012 – July 6 (7:30 p.m.), June 7 (2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)

A Chorus Line – July 20 (7:30 p.m.), July 21 (2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)

The Night the Music Died – Aug. 3 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 4 (2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)

British Invasion – Aug. 10 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 11 (2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.), Aug. 17 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 18 (2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)

Rocky Mountain High: The world of John Denver – Aug. 24 (7:30 p.m.), Aug. 25 (2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.)

Tickets: $26, $28 or $30, depending upon seating

Season Tickets: Packages available for five, six, seven or eight shows

Ticket information: www.TexasFamilyMusicals.com or 800.547.4697