Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 6, 2012

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts announces its

2012-2013 THEATER SEASON

Season to highlight: A new Kennedy Center production of Ferenc Molnrs The Guardsman Touring productions of The Book of Mormon, War Horse, Anything Goes, Irving Berlins White Christmas, Jekyll & Hyde, and Million Dollar Quartet Five international theater productions part of Nordic Cool 2013 The return engagement of Druid Theatre Company in a three-play cycle: DruidMurphy A musical tribute to African culture in Songs of Migration The sixth season of Barbara Cooks Spotlight series and much more
(WASHINGTON, D.C.)The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced its 20122013 theater season. Reaching hundreds of thousands of audience members annually, the theater season features a new Kennedy Center produced production of Ferenc Molnrs The Guardsman; touring productions of The Book of Mormon, War Horse, Anything Goes, Irving Berlins White Christmas, Jekyll & Hyde, and Million Dollar Quartet; and five top-notch theater productions from Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden as part of Nordic Cool 2013. The season will also bring a musical tribute to African music, dance, and history with the international production of Songs of Migration; the return engagement of Druid Theatre Company in DruidMurphy, a three-play celebration of the writer Tom Murphy featuring the plays Famine, A Whistle in the Dark, and Conversations on Homecoming; as well as the sixth season of Barbara Cooks Spotlight series, individually showcasing five Broadway performers in a cabaret style. Committed to arts education, creation of new works, and community and national involvement, the Center also hosts the 11th annual Page-to-Stage new play festival and the 45th annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.
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PAGE-TO-STAGE, September 1-3, 2012, Throughout the Center The Kennedy Center hosts its 11th annual Page-to-Stage new play festival over Labor Day weekend, featuring more than 40 theaters from the D.C. metropolitan area, all with a mission to produce and support new work. The three-day, Center-wide event offers a series of free readings and open rehearsals of plays and musicals being developed by local, regional, and national playwrights, librettists, and composers in locations throughout the Center. BARBARA COOKS SPOTLIGHT, October 12, 2012 May 10, 2013, Terrace Theater In its sixth season, Broadway legend Barbara Cook selects preeminent Broadway talent to perform on the Kennedy Center stage in a cabaret-style performance as part of her Spotlight series. The five performers in the 2012-2013 season include Maureen McGovern on October 12, 2012; Donna Murphy on November 9, 2012; the return engagement of Judy Kuhn on December 7, 2012; Terri White on January 25, 2013; and Adam Pascal on May 10, 2013. DruidMurphy: CONVERSATIONS ON HOMECOMING, A WHISTLE IN THE DARK, AND FAMINE, October 17-20, 2012, Eisenhower Theater Told through three of the greatest plays by Tom Murphy, DruidMurphy is a major celebration of one of Irelands most respected living dramatists by a theater company internationally renowned and celebrated for large-scale theater performances. Directed by Garry Hynes, the DruidMurphy experience includes the possibility to see each of the plays individually or to experience all three plays together in a single day. Crossing oceans and spanning decades, DruidMurphy covers the period from The Great Hunger of the 19th century to the new Ireland of the 70s, exploring what we mean when we call a place home. Part of the etcetera! series. The plays include: DruidMurphy: CONVERSATIONS ON A HOMECOMING, October 19 & 20, 2012, Eisenhower Theater Even the humblest of small-town pubs can be a magnet for dreamers. But can dreams come true in the real world? Based in the 1970s, the play is about a man named Michael and his return to his home town in Ireland after a ten-year absence. Upon his sudden return from New York working as an actor, Michael has a reunion with old friends in the familiar pub called The White House. DruidMurphy: A WHISTLE IN THE DARK, October 18 & 20, 2012, Eisenhower Theater Set in the 1960s, A Whistle in the Dark tells how the uprooted Carney family adapts aggressively to life in an English city after emigrating from Ireland. DruidMurphy: FAMINE, October 17 & 20, 2012, Eisenhower Theater Famine is set in 1846 in the west of Ireland in Glanconnor village. When the second crop of potatoes fails, the community faces the real prospect of starvation. SONGS OF MIGRATION, October 17-20, 2012, Terrace Theater A musical tribute to the great songs of migrants across the African continent, Songs of Migration promotes African music, dance, and history. Created by internationally acclaimed trumpeter, composer, and lyricist Hugh Masekela and written and directed by award-winning director James Ngcobo, the production features the soulful Sibongile Khumalo as the lead female role with music of Mackay Davashe, Joseph Shabalala, Victor Ndlazilwane, Gibson Kente, Hugh Masekela, Dorothy Masuka, and Miriam Makeba. Part of the etcetera! series. WAR HORSE, October 23, 2012 November 11, 2012, Opera House Based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo and adapted by Nick Stafford, the National Theatre of Great Britains War Horse tells a tale of courage, loyalty, and friendship. As World War I begins, Joey, young
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Alberts beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped from England to France. Hes soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary journey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no mans land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home. With tour direction by Bijan Sheibani, War Horse features life-sized puppets created by South Africas Handspring Puppet Company that bring to life breathing, galloping, charging horses, strong enough for men to ride. JEKYLL & HYDE, November 20 25, 2012, Opera House Starring in the dual title role of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde, American Idol star and Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages) injects new life into the classic tale of good and evil, Jekyll & Hyde. Conceived for the stage by Tony and Grammy Award nominee Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden, the four time Tony Award nominated musical features a book and lyrics by two-time Oscar winner, Emmy winner, and four-time Tony Award nominee Leslie Bricusse, music by Frank Wildhorn, and will be directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Jeff Calhoun. Based on the acclaimed novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, this new production makes its pre-Broadway run and features classic songs including This is the Moment, A New Life, and Someone Like You. IRVING BERLINS WHITE CHRISTMAS, December 11, 2012 January 6, 2013, Opera House Direct from Broadway, the classic holiday movie White Christmas comes to the stage. This new musical shines with classic Berlin hits like Blue Skies, How Deep is the Ocean? and, of course, the unforgettable title song. Irving Berlins White Christmas tells the story of two buddies putting on a show in a magical Vermont inn and finding their perfect mates in the process. Full of dancing, laughter, and some of the greatest songs ever written, Irving Berlins White Christmas promises a merry and bright theatrical experience for the whole family. MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, December 18, 2012 January 6, 2013, Eisenhower Theater On December 4, 1956, an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley together. The place was Sun Records storefront studio in Memphis. The man who made it happen was Sam Phillips, the Father of Rock n Roll, who discovered them all. The four young musicians united for the only time in their careers for an impromptu recording that has come to be known as one of the greatest rock n roll jam sessions of all time. The Tony Award winning musical, directed by Eric Schaeffer and featuring a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, Million Dollar Quartet brings that legendary night to life with an irresistible tale of broken promises, secrets, betrayal and celebrations featuring an eclectic score of rock, gospel , R&B and country hits including; Blue Suede Shoes, Fever, Sixteen Tons, Who Do You Love?, Great Balls of Fire, Matchbox, Folsom Prison Blues, Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On, Hound Dog, and more.

NORDIC COOL 2013, February 19, 2013 March 17, 2013 Royal Dramatic Theatre (Stockholm, Sweden): Fanny and Alexander Tampere Workers Theatre (Tampere, Finland): The Warmblooded National Theatre (Oslo, Norway): The Wild Duck Vesturport (Reykjavik, Iceland): BastardsA Family Saga Winter Guests (Bergen, Norway): Bird in Magic Rain with Tears

FANNY AND ALEXANDER, Eisenhower Theater The Royal Dramatic Theatre of Stockholm, Sweden presents the U.S. premiere of the stage performance of Ingmar Bergmans Oscar-winning feature film and television drama Fanny and Alexander directed by Stefan Larsson. Bergman was managing director of the theater from 1963-1966. Jan Malmsj, who played Bishop Edvard Vergerus in the film version, is part of the cast for this production. The Royal Dramatic Theatre (Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern or Dramaten) is Sweden's national theater. Founded in 1788 by King Gustav III, it has been home to legendary theater and film directors such as Alf Sjberg and Ingmar Bergman who have shaped Sweden's theatrical history. Fanny and Alexander is a drama set in the early 1900s that revolves around the wealthy Ekdahl family, including the widow Helen and her three sons. The eldest son Oscar runs a theater with his wife Emelie. After Oscars premature death, Emelie marries the bishop of the city and moves with her children, Fanny and Alexander, to his home where the atmosphere is strict and austere. Part of Nordic Cool 2013. THE WARMBLOODED, Eisenhower Theater One of the largest national theaters in Finland, the Tampere Workers Theatre (or Tampereen Tyven Teatteri/TTT) was founded in 1901 in Tampere, Finland, the countrys theater capital and home to the renowned Tampere Theatre Festival. Written and directed by Sirkku Peltola, The Warmblooded (Lmminveriset) is the third in the award-winning trilogy chronicling the diminishing fortunes of the Kotala family. Once the proud owners of a small farm, and later housed by the council in a one room flat, the Kotalas are now destitute and living in the underpass of a disused motorway flyover, along with a motley crew of drunks and Romanian gypsies. Though the lives of societys outcasts are dismal, there is always room for warmth and rays of light. Enthusiastically received at its premiere in 2011, the play is a comedic, warm-hearted look at Finnish life. Part of Nordic Cool 2013. THE WILD DUCK, Eisenhower Theater The National Theatre from Oslo, Norway presents The Wild Duck by Henrik Ibsen. Norways largest theater, the National Theatre is steeped in tradition yet continues to push boundaries. The theater has a long association with Henrik Ibsen and most of his plays have been performed there. The Wild Duck begins with the homecoming of Gregers Werle, who arrives to find his old friend, Hjalmar Ekdal, involved in a scandalous lie, of which he has no knowledge. Gregers is determined to expose the lie, involving an affair between his father and Hjalmars wife, Gina. Meanwhile, Ekdals daughter Hedvig is losing her eyesight and spends her days playing in the attic with a captive wild duck. This production is part of the biennial International Ibsen Festival taking place in summer 2012 and is sponsored by the National Theatre. The festival will showcase dramatic art from seven different countries and three continents for more than two weeks. Part of Nordic Cool 2013. BASTARDSA FAMILY SAGA, Eisenhower Theater Icelandic theater collective Vesturport teams up with Reykjavik City Theatre and Malm City Theatre to produce this international collaboration based on Dostoyevskys The Brothers Karamazov, with a cast and creative team from Denmark, Sweden, and Iceland. Founded in 2001, Vesturport made an international name for itself, touring with ground-breaking productions like David Farr and Gisli rn Gardarssons theatrically explosive Metamorphosis, with music by Nick Cave, which was produced in conjunction with the Lyric Hammersmith in London and appeared at the BAM Next Wave Festival in 2010. The Reykjavik City Theatre is the municipal theater of Iceland's capital city and ranks among Iceland's oldest and most prestigious cultural institutions. The theater was founded in 1897 and is now, alongside the National Theatre of Iceland, one of the two preeminent dramatic stages in the nation. Founded in 1933, Malm City Theatre is one of Swedens leading theaters, producing both new plays and classic masterpieces. Part of Nordic Cool 2013.
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BIRD IN MAGIC RAIN WITH TEARS, Terrace Theater Alan Lucien yen is one of Norways most exciting up-and-coming artists whose work as dancer, writer, choreographer and director has been highly acclaimed in his home country and abroad. His company Winter Guests was founded in 2004 and received great critical acclaim for its 2009 production of AMERICA Visions of Love. A piece about longing and coming to terms with ones current situation or predicament, Bird in Magic Rain with Tears, written by Alan Lucien yen and Andrew Wale and directed by Alan Lucien yen, draws real life inspiration from the biography, Storeulv, about Norwegian shipping mogul John Fredriksen. A multi-media two-act play about longing and coming to terms with ones current situation or predicament, the plot revolves around three characters whose fates are coincidentally intertwined: a conceptual artist trying to get past the death of her son, a boy-prostitute vainly looking to find the truth about his past, and a terminally ill businessman longing for the love his marriage could never provide. Part of Nordic Cool 2013. KENNEDY CENTER AMERICAN COLLEGE THEATER FESTIVAL (KCACTF), April 15-20, 2013 Since its establishment 45 years ago, KCACTF has reached more than 16.5 million theatergoers and 420,000 college and university theater students nationwide. The national festival brings together participants from regional festivals around the country to the Kennedy Center from April 15-20, 2013. The national festival includes an awards ceremony, an opportunity for participants to engage with colleagues from across the nation, as well as the Washington, D.C. theater community, scholarship eligibility, and master classes in the theatrical arts. THE GUARDSMAN, May 25, 2013 June 23, 2013, Eisenhower Theater With direction by Gregory Mosher, this fresh Kennedy Center adaptation has been translated into English by Richard Nelson based on the original by Ferenc Molnr from 1910. This comedy tells the story of newlywed husband and wife actors. The husband suspects that his wife could be unfaithful to him, if given the opportunity. In the attempt to prove his suspicion true, he disguises himself as a guardsman and tries to seduce her under false identity bringing drama into their real lives. The Guardsman made its Broadway premiere in 1924 and starred Lynne Fontanne and Alfred Lunt, real-life husband and wife actors, in their first-ever collaboration. ANYTHING GOES, June 11, 2013 July 7, 2013, Opera House With direction and choreography by Kathleen Marshall, Roundabout Theatre Companys production of Anything Goes is the winner of three 2011 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival and Best Choreography. When the S.S. American heads out to sea, etiquette and convention get tossed out the portholes as two unlikely pairs set off on the course to true loveproving that sometimes destiny needs a little help from a crew of singing sailors, an exotic disguise, and some good old-fashioned blackmail. Peppering this timeless Cole Porter comedy are some of musical theaters most memorable standards, including I Get a Kick out of You, Youre the Top, and Anything Goes. THE BOOK OF MORMON, July 9 August 18, 2013, Opera House Winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical, The Book of Mormon features book, music and lyrics by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone. Parker and Stone are the four-time Emmy Awardwinning creators of the landmark animated series, South Park, and Tony Award-winner Lopez is cocreator of the long-running hit musical comedy, Avenue Q. The musical is choreographed by Tony Award-winner Casey Nicholaw (Monty Pythons Spamalot, The Drowsy Chaperone) and is directed by Nicholaw and Parker. Contains explicit language.

SHEAR MADNESS, Continuous, Theater Lab As it has done for 25 years, Shear Madness by Paul Portner, adapted by Bruce Jordan and Marilyn Abrams continues to play in the Theater Lab. Shear Madness, the comedy whodunit, takes place in present-day Georgetown and engages locals and tourists alike as armchair detectives to help solve the scissor-stabbing murder of a famed concert pianist who lives above the Shear Madness hairstyling salon. The show combines up-to-the-minute improvisational humor and a mixture of audience sleuthing to deliver a unique performance each night. Explore the Arts educational events including Theater Look-ins will be held in conjunction with most productions as part of the Kennedy Centers ongoing education program. MYTIX PROGRAM Several of this seasons theater performances will be part of the Kennedy Centers MyTix program, which offers those 18-30 years old and active duty members of the armed services complimentary and discounted tickets to a wide variety of performances throughout the 2012-13 season. Patrons can visit kennedycenter.org/mytix to register and receive MyTix member benefits including a bi-weekly newsletter and ticket alerts, discounts on food and beverage service, discounts at Kennedy Center Gift Shops, and much more. The Kennedy Center also commissions, produces, and presents theater for young audiences and families. Please see the Performances for Young Audiences 2012-2013 press release for more information. TICKET INFORMATION To receive subscription information by mail, call the Subscription Office at (202) 416-8500. Subscriptions may be purchased in advance of general on sale dates. Groups of 20 or more may contact Kennedy Center Group Sales at (202) 416-8400. Dates for sales of individual tickets will be announced at a later date. Please turn to the following page for a 2012-2013 Theater season calendar.

2012-2013 Season Schedule Theater

Performance Dates
September 1 3, 2012 October 12, 2012 October 17 20, 2012 October 17 & 20, 2012 October 18 & 20, 2012 October 19 & 20, 2012 October 23 November 11, 2012 November 9, 2012 November 20 25, 2012 December 7, 2012 December 11, 2012 January 6, 2013 December 18, 2012 January 6, 2013 January 25, 2013 February 19, 2013 March 17, 2013

Theater
Throughout the Center Terrace Theater Terrace Theater Eisenhower Theater Eisenhower Theater Eisenhower Theater Opera House Terrace Theater Opera House Terrace Theater Opera House Eisenhower Theater Terrace Theater Throughout the Center

Show
Page-to-Stage Barbara Cooks Spotlight: Maureen McGovern Songs of Migration DruidMurphy: Famine DruidMurphy: A Whistle in the Dark DruidMurphy: Conversations on Homecoming War Horse Barbara Cooks Spotlight: Donna Murphy Jekyll & Hyde Barbara Cooks Spotlight: Judy Kuhn Irving Berlins White Christmas Million Dollar Quartet Barbara Cooks Spotlight: Terri White Nordic Cool 2013 The Royal Dramatic Theatres Fanny and Alexander The Tampere Workers Theatres The Warmblooded The National Theatres The Wild Duck Vesturports BastardsA Family Saga Winter Guests Bird in Magic Rain with Tears Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival (KCACTF) Barbara Cooks Spotlight: Adam Pascal The Guardsman Anything Goes The Book of Mormon Shear Madness

April 15 20, 2013 May 10, 2013 May 25 June 23, 2013 June 11 July 7, 2013 July 9 August 18, 2013 Continuous

Throughout the Center Terrace Theater Eisenhower Theater Opera House Opera House Theater Lab

All artists and performances are subject to change.

FUNDING CREDITS Musical theater at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of The Adrienne Arsht Musical Theater Fund. The Kennedy Center Theater Season is sponsored by Altria Group. Additional support is provided by The Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater. Barbara Cooks Spotlight is made possible through the generosity of the Charles E. Smith Family Foundation. Nordic Cool 2013 is presented in cooperation with the Nordic Council and the Washington, DC Embassies of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. HRH Foundation is the Presenting Underwriter of Nordic Cool 2013. Additional support is provided by the State Plaza Hotel. International Programming at the Kennedy Center is made possible through the generosity of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts. Explore the Arts and MyTix are part of the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, which is generously funded by David and Alice Rubenstein. The Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, part of the Rubenstein Arts Access Program, is generously funded by David and Alice Rubenstein. Additional support is provided by The Honorable Stuart Bernstein and Wilma E. Bernstein; the Dr. Gerald and Paula McNichols Foundation; The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust; and the National Committee for the Performing Arts.
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