The International City Theatre is back in full force with a complete season of five in-person plays scheduled for 2022, the group’s artistic director announced this week.
“We need the arts, now more than ever as we move beyond Covid-19, to provide hope and healing for our community,” says artistic director caryn desai [sic]. “Each of the five plays we’ve chosen to celebrate our return to live theater continues our vision: to entertain, inspire and educate.”
The season kicks off in February with Marry Me A Little. Conceived and developed by Craig Lucas and Norman René, this charming, bittersweet musical two-hander weaves 17 lesser-known songs by Stephen Sondheim into a tale of love and loneliness that The New York Times calls “a disarming experience.” The story of two single strangers who unknowingly live one floor apart is told entirely through songs written early in Sondheim’s career or cut from his groundbreaking Broadway musicals. (Feb. 11 through Feb 27; previews begin Feb. 9.)
Next up, in April, is A Dolls House: Part 2 by Obie award-winning playwright Lucas Hnath. It was shocking for audiences to watch Nora leave her husband and children in A Doll’s House, the 1879 play by Henrik Ibsen. How shocking will it be for us, in 2022, to dive deeper into the reasons behind that fateful choice in Hnath’s bitingly funny, Tony-nominated stand-alone sequel to Ibsen’s revolutionary masterpiece? (April 15 through May 1; previews begin April 13.)
Production number three puts Jamie Torcellini at the helm of The Legend of Georgia McBride, a heartfelt, feel-good, music-filled comedy by Matthew Lopez. Casey is young and broke. He has a baby on the way, and the landlord is knocking on his door. Now, the owner of the bar where he works as an Elvis impersonator has replaced his act with a B-level drag show, and Casey’s about to learn a lot about show biz — and himself. (June 10 through June 26; previews begin June 8.)
The season will go out on a high note (pun intended) in October with Ken Ludwig’s two-time Tony-nominated screwball comedy Lend Me A Tenor. When world-famous tenor Tito Morelli arrives for a fundraiser at the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, a chain-reaction of mistaken identity and mixed signals spirals out of control, leading to mayhem, high-jinx and hilarity —and leaving audiences giddy and teary-eyed with laughter. (Oct. 21 through Nov. 6; previews begin Oct. 19.)
A fifth play, set to run Aug. 26 through Sept. 11, will be announced at a later date.
Two of the plays in the season, The Legend of Georgia McBride and Lend Me A Tenor, were previously announced to open in 2020 but put on hold due to the pandemic.
“We are so grateful to be able to put these two plays back on the schedule,” desai says. “We are back to doing what we are meant to do — tell stories that help us better understand our world and our shared humanity.”
Recognized by Long Beach as the City’s resident professional theater company, International City Theatre is the recipient of over 400 awards, including the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle’s prestigious Margaret Harford Award for “Sustained Excellence” and the LADCC’s 2016 Polly Warfield Award for an “Excellent Season.” In addition to its professional theater productions, ICT offers six community and educational outreach programs each year. The company’s commitment to the community also includes ongoing collaborations with Long Beach’s African American community and other groups and organizations. Former Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe called ICT “a cultural treasure.”
All performances take place Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. For more information about ICT’s 2022 season and to purchase subscriptions or single tickets, call (562) 436-4610 or visit www.internationalcitytheatre.org.