Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center Announces A Season Of Blockbusters, Renewed Emphasis On Student-Centered Productions For 2015-2016

MIDLAND, Pa., May 6, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In its ninth sensational year of making high quality experiences in the creative and performing arts available, accessible, and affordable, Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center proudly announces a ten-show season that, with its exciting mix of timeless masterpieces and contemporary classics, offers something for audiences of all ages and interests (the complete season is attached).

"This marvelous season has all the hallmarks of the founding mission and vision of the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center," Mark Elder, the Center's Interim Managing Director, said. "Our professionally produced, but student-performed plays, musicals, and dance productions offer something truly unique in the tri-state region, and are the reason audiences have returned to Lincoln Park year after year."

The Mainstage Series

The newly christened Lincoln Park Mainstage Series kicks off in the fall with Cameron Macintosh's blockbuster musical Les Miserables. This timeless tale of Jean Valjean's self-sacrifice will be presented by some of the tri-state region's most talented young performers, including students from the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and the Henry Mancini Arts Academy.

Back by popular demand, the holiday favorite A Christmas Story, directed by and featuring local favorite Tom Schaller, will complement another much-loved holiday tradition, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Ballet.

Arguably the most acclaimed musical of the past half-century, Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story will open the new year in grand style. Dr. Ken Gargaro, who was recently tapped to serve as Artistic Consultant to Lincoln Park by the Center's Board of Directors, will direct the production.

"This will mark a first-time collaboration between the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and Robert Morris University, and will feature choreography by Lincoln Park veteran Jennifer Verba. What a way to kick off 2016," Gargaro said.

Verba also will be at the helm of a new ballet based upon the classic tale of Cinderella, a production that will continue Lincoln Park's tradition of creating original dance shows each spring.

Rounding out the Mainstage season will be the local premiers of two of the most popular Disney musicals: The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King Experience. Presented by special arrangement with Musical Theatre International and Disney Theatrical Licensing, The Lion King Experience is a distinctive, 70-minute version of the original production performed by middle school students from the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and designed for the entire family to enjoy.

The BlackBox Series

For performances in a more intimate setting, Lincoln Park's BlackBox Series leverages the unique atmosphere of its 175-seat studio theatre. Oscar Wilde's An Ideal Husband opens the series in the fall, followed on Halloween weekend by Night of the Living Dead, an opera composed by Lincoln Park's Resident Composer, Todd Goodman, with a libretto by former Lincoln Park Managing Director, Stephen Catanzarite. Goodman won the 2014 American Prize in Composition for Night of the Living Dead, which is based on George A. Romero's legendary 1968 film (which launched the modern "zombie" craze). Gregory Lehane, professor of drama and music at Carnegie Mellon University, will direct.

Finally, Arthur Miller's tale of paranoia and political intrigue, The Crucible, will be performed by students of the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School, under the direction of Tom Schaller.

Elder said he is particularly excited by the collaboration with Robert Morris University, and by several cross-curricular projects being developed around the season by the faculty and staff of the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and the Henry Mancini Arts Academy.

"Both our Board of Directors and our patrons have made it clear that our focus on helping to train and nurture young and aspiring artists is what makes Lincoln Park such a singular and successful organization," he said. "As we approach our 10^th anniversary, I'm thrilled that we are doubling down on the educational dimension of our mission, and giving even more students the opportunity to stand in the spotlight."

Subscribers to Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center's 2015-2016 season can select any four, seven, or all 10 shows in a package. The 10-show package guarantees the best seats and pricing for all shows. For more information on subscriptions, please call (724) 576-4644 and press "option 2" to reach the Lincoln Park Box Office.

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center is an arts, education, and cultural asset for western Pennsylvania and the surrounding tri-state region. Located in a beautiful park setting in Midland (Beaver County), Pennsylvania, the Center is home to the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School and the Henry Mancini Arts Academy. Since first opening its doors on June 1, 2006, its mission has been to strengthen the cultural, educational, and economic vitality of the tri-state region by making high-quality arts and education programs available, accessible, and affordable for everyone.

Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center 2015-2016 Season

An Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde.
October 9-11 and 16-18, 2015
BlackBox Series – Studio Theatre

Night of the Living Dead, The Opera by Goodman & Catanzarite
(Based on the original 1968 film by George A. Romero)
October 30, 31 and November 1, 2015
BlackBox Series – Studio Theatre

Les Miserables by Boubil & Schoenberg
November 13-15 and 20-22
Mainstage Series – Lincoln Park Theatre

A Christmas Story by Grecian & Shepherd
December 4-6, 2015
Mainstage Series – Lincoln Park Theatre

The Nutcracker Ballet by Tchaikovsky
December 18-20, 2015
Mainstage Series – Lincoln Park Theatre

West Side Story by Bernstein & Sondheim
February 12-14 and 19-21, 2016
Mainstage Series – Lincoln Park Theatre
(In association with Robert Morris University)

The Crucible by Arthur Miller
March 4-6 and 11-13, 2016
BlackBox Series – Studio Theatre

Cinderella: An Original Ballet
March 18-20, 2016
Mainstage Series – Lincoln Park Theatre

Disney's Little Mermaid by Menken, Slater, Ashman, & Wright
April 15-17 and 22-24, 2016
Mainstage Series – Lincoln Park Theatre

Disney's The Lion King Experience by John, Rice, Allers, & Mecchi
May 13-15, 2016
Mainstage Series – Lincoln Park Theatre

Contact:
Christina Zarek
(717) 805-2337

SOURCE Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center