Post from the Prez: NINE TO FIVE

Theater League president, Mark Edelman, talks about NINE TO FIVE The Musical:

Recently, I saw the new Broadway musical NINE TO FIVE, trying out at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles. This one is a real winner. Allison Janney (from TV's The West Wing) stars in this stage adaptation of the movie with two WICKED veterans Megan Hilty (who plays the Dolly Parton role) and Stephanie Block (Lily Tomlin's part) co-starring.

It's very funny, and Dolly Parton has written a wonderful, warm, winning score. Speaking of WICKED, Joe Mantello directs the show just right. The choreography is very inventive; set is really cool and the rest of the cast-- including stand-out Kathy Fitzgerald from THE PRODUCERS-- is amazing.

I counted twelve Tony nominations without breaking a sweat. This is the one to see on Broadway (opens in the Spring, I think).

- Mark Edelman, Theater League President
http://www.theaterleague.com/

NINE TO FIVE is one of the new musicals Theater League has invested in as part of our mission to encourage and support the arts nationwide.

The Dickens You Say!

Oliver Twist, the second novel by Charles Dickens, was originally written as a monthly serial for a publication called Bentley's Miscellany in London. It was published from February 1837 through April 1839 and proved to be highly successful, not just as a novel, but as a way to address the issues surrounding the poor and lower classes of English Victorian society. The novel contains some of the most well-known characters in literature, many of which were based on people Dickens came into contact with throughout his childhood.

Far from idyllic, Dickens' family dealt with poverty throughout his younger years. At 12, Dickens was forced to work 10 hour days placing labels on jars of shoe polish in order to support his family. He lived with friends of the family for many years and grew resentful of a system that, for all intents and purposes, took his childhood away. The character Oliver Twist may have been based on his own experiences. Or perhaps was influenced by the life of Robert Blincoe, whose own childhood in the workhouses of London was widely known in the early 1830s.

At the time of its publication, Oliver Twist shocked and surprised readers with its depiction of life in the workhouses and slums of London. The novel is credited with "the clearing" of the slum that was the basis of Jacob's Island in the story. Dickens' characterization of Oliver as above reproach, a young boy whose soul could not be tarnished by the world around him, became a way for the writer to highlight his "goal of social commentary." He was able to show the extremes of life in a way that could reach the masses in society. These were not just simple plot devices, but an aspect of humanism in which good always triumphed in very unexpected ways.

Dickens' style of writing and vivid descriptions of life in 19th Century London made his novels popular among dramatists who longed for material to produce for the stage. To date, more than 100 adaptations of his work have been created for stage and screen. Many of his works were adapted as plays during his lifetime as Dickens had a keen respect and fascination for theater.
Dickens' picturesque descriptions and memorable characters have lived on in productions ranging from A CHRISTMAS CAROL to THE PICKWICK PAPERS and some of his most well-known characters will come to life again in Toledo as Theater League presents the Broadway classic OLIVER! November 13-16.

Visit our website to BUY TICKETS NOW for OLIVER!

Broadway Buzz... Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy

Last season, you had a chance to experience the magic of CIRQUE DREAMS JUNGLE FANTASY before it made its debut on Broadway!

CIRQUE DREAMS JUNGLE FANTASY, after an extensive US Tour, made its debut at the Broadway Theatre in New York on June 26th for an exclusive 10-week engagement. After a highly successful nation-wide run, the producers approached several presenters involved in the tour and asked them for help in bringing the show to Broadway.

Theater League invested in making the producers' goal a reality. "If you go to the Broadway Theatre-next door to where David Letterman is taped-you will see Theater League above the title as one of the shows presenters," says Theater League President Mark Edelman. CIRQUE DREAMS JUNGLE FANTASY is just one of many shows Theater League has supported. 9 To 5 The Musical, NOVEMBER starring Nathan Lane and THE COLOR PURPLE are just a few of the productions Edelman and Theater League have chosen to support.

CIRQUE DREAMS JUNGLE FANTASY has been well received in New York. Audiences have been as entranced by the spectacle as the audiences in Theater League's cities. So much so that the production, after closing on Broadway this month, will mount a new national tour. There may even be an award in the shows future. "I think it has a good chance to win a Tony Award® for best special event-like BLAST received several years ago," says Edelman. The best part is Theater League members got to see this show first!

Be on the look out for even more exciting shows in the coming years as Theater League works to bring you the best and the brightest BEFORE they go to Broadway!

Visit Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy's Official Website

A Closer Look...The Tango

The Tango, as we know it today, symbolizes glamor and class, with women in glittering gowns and men in starched tuxedos. However, the origins of the tango are much less glamorous. This popular and respected form of dance comes from the brothels of Argentina, the underbelly of society, and was popular with immigrants who gravitated to the poorer sections of Argentina in the late 1800s.

These immigrants helped create the music that would underscore the dance. This mingling of styles was created to ease the feelings of despair and loneliness felt by the outcasts of society. In reality, it defined them. The tango "speaks of more than frustrated love. It speaks of fatality, of destinies engulfed in pain." The tango is the dance of sorrow.

As its popularity grew, it came to be accepted by the upper crust of Argentinean society and made its way to Europe and the United States. The dance lost much of its original aggressiveness, but its structure remained the same, although some of the more gentile ladies of America wore "bumpers"(padding) to keep a "safe" and respectable distance from their male partners.

After taking Paris by storm, the dance and its music became mainstays in popular Argentinean culture. It wasn't until the death of Eva Peron in 1952 that the tango lost its popularity, replaced by American rock-n-roll. Competitive ballroom dance helped bring this purely South American art form to the forefront and now, the Tango is more popular than ever. From its beginnings in low class brothels, to the glitter of the Broadway stage, the tango and its music have come to epitomize passion and fire of love lost.

Theater League is proud to present FOREVER TANGO dancing on to the stage at Century II Concert Hall in Wichita, October 13-14. This internationally acclaimed production has played to audiences from Italy to Los Angeles and is the longest running tango production in Broadway history. FOREVER TANGO brings the heat and rich history of Argentina to Wichita and is a not-to-be-missed theatrical event.

Visit our website to BUY TICKETS NOW for Forever Tango

Single Show Tickets On Sale

Single show tickets are now available in Thousand Oaks, Santa Barbara, South Bend, Wichita and Toledo. Phoenix and Mesa single show tickets will go on sale Monday, September 29th. Purchase early to get the best available seats!

Season tickets are still on sale in all markets and are your passport to the best seats at the best prices. Visit our website, http://www.theaterleague.com/, and choose your city at the left to purchase season tickets now!

About Theater League

For over 30 years, Theater League - a not-for-profit, community-based organization - has been dedicated to presenting professional Broadway series in the cities we serve. Theater League enriches the lives of more than 300,000 theatergoers annually, made possible by the support of the our 27,000+ members, who subscribe to Theater League's Broadway Series nationwide.

Theater League produces and presents professional theater series in the following communities (click to read about the series in that city on our website):

Mesa, AZ
Phoenix, AZ
Santa Barbara, CA
South Bend, IN
Thousand Oaks, CA
Toledo, OH
Wichita, KS

Feel free to call or email any questions, feedback or requests at

1.800.776.SHOW (7469) or info@theaterleague.org.

Theater League, Inc.

P.O. Box 140206

Kansas City, MO 64114