SA Stage Co Announces Debut Performance of Award-winning Musical, NEXT TO NORMAL
Starting Arts Launches New Professional Performance Company and Black Box Theatre
SAN JOSE, Ca—Friday, June 6, 2014— Today, SA Stage Co, Starting Arts’ (www.startingarts.com) new professional company, announces its first production, NEXT TO NORMAL, which opens this month at the anticipated SA Studios Black Box Theatre, located at 525 Parrott Drive in San Jose.
NEXT TO NORMAL, produced by Starting Arts and directed by Stephanie Renee Maysonave, marks Starting Arts’ first venture into the world of professional theatre. The production opens June 26 and runs through July 6. The ticket price is $25. For showtimes, details and to purchase tickets, visit http://www.startingarts.com/ntn/.
In this Tony Award and 2010 Pulitzer Prize-winning rock musical, a typical American family copes with the unpredictability of a mother’s worsening bipolar disorder. The performance illustrates the effect of the growing illness and addresses issues such as suicide and ethics in modern psychiatry. The New York Times called NEXT TO NORMAL a “brave, breathtaking musical,” and Rolling Stone added, “It’ll pin you to your seat.”
“After fourteen years of children’s theatre, we are excited to offer a professional production that will challenge our students and serve as a bridge between their youth theatre past and their future in professional theatre”, remarked Maysonave, SA Stage Co-Director.
Leading the production in the role of Diana, a bipolar suburban mother, is the talented Amy Baker*, who was most recently nominated for her role as Amalia in SHE LOVES ME (Best Actress in a Musical Nominee, Broadway World San Francisco). Joining Baker is a powerful cast of experienced professionals and young student artists including Robert Lopez (Dan), Jeremy Scharf (Gabe), Eva Zakula (Natalie), Andy Stover (Henry), and Corey Liggans (Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine).
In order to prepare a proper performance venue for this acclaimed musical, SA Stage Co has launched a funding campaign for SA Studios Black Box Theatre. Donations will be used to prepare the space with the necessary lighting and sound equipment. The completed theater will be used for a variety of performance opportunities, including student-directed and designed projects. To donate, visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1221717324/starting-arts-black-box-theatre. Donations will be accepted through June 8 at 12:55 PM PST.
*Actor appears courtesy of Actors’ Equity Association, the union for professional actors in the United States.
About SA Stage Co
Starting Arts (www.startingarts.com), located in San Jose, CA, is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to promoting and preserving arts education for children in Bay Area Schools. SA Stage Co is a professional company that was conceived in 2014. The purpose of the company is to showcase talented Starting Arts teaching artists and student performers in theatrical productions and projects.