Upcoming Shows & Events
We are excited to announce our 2023 - 24 Season!
Consider becoming a Season Ticket Member for $99!
Sister Act
MUSICAL COMEDY • RATED PG
When disco diva, Deloris Van Cartier, witnesses a murder, she is put in protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won't be found: a convent! Disguised as a nun, she finds herself at odds with both the rigid lifestyle and an uptight Mother Superior. Deloris breathes new life into the church and community but, in doing so, blows her cover. A sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship, Sister Act is reason to REJOICE!
BY ALAN MENKEN, GLENN SLATER, CHERI STEINKELLNER, AND BILL STEINKELLNER
“Sister Act” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI www.mtishows.com
April 19, 20, 21 & 26, 27, 28
SPONSORED BY WVU MEDICINE
Everybody Dance!
Presented by The Old Opera House Arts Centre
Thursday, May 16 at 7:00pm
Friday, May 17 at 7:00pm
Saturday, May 18 at 2:30pm
Tickets: $20.00 Adults, $20.00 Senior 65+, Students 18-25, and Military, $15.00 youth under age 18
Coppélia
Presented by The Old Opera House Arts Centre
Thursday, May 30 at 7:00pm
Friday, May 31 at 7:00pm
Saturday, June 1 at 2:30pm
Tickets: $20.00 Adults, $20.00 Students 18-25, and Military, $15.00 Youth under age 18
New Voice Play Festival 2024
Each year, this one-act play festival attracts some of the country’s most talented new playwrights. See four of the best plays submitted each year and get serve as a theatre critic by voting for your favorite entry!
JUNE 21 & 22 • JUNE 23
More information to come!
Time TBA
CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY
SUMMER FAMILY SHOW • RATED G
Musical Comedy by David Greig, Marc Shaiman, and Scott Wittman
July 26, 27, & 28 August 2, 3, & 4
The Second-To-Last Chance Ladies League
COMEDY • RATED PG
In this hilarious sequel to Always a Bridesmaid, best friends Libby Ruth, Deedra, Monette, and Charlie return to their beloved Laurelton Oaks, and together they ingeniously re-imagine the business as 'Occasionally Yours', a center for all kinds of gatherings and joyfully begin hosting retirement parties, baby showers, even memorial services. What could possibly go wrong? Basically, almost everything. This rollicking and uproarious Jones Hope Wooten World Premiere will bring you endless joy and tears of laughter. So, get up and go-go to the theatre and spend some quality time with these fabulous women.
BY JESSIE JONES, NICHOLAS HOPE, AND JAMIE WOOTEN
Previously titled The Go-Go Girls of Laurelton Oaks.
"The Second-To-Last Chance Ladies League" is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York
March 8, 9, 10 & 15, 16, 17
Self Help
COMEDY • RATED PG-13
A married couple of second-rate theatre actors cast themselves as nationally renowned self-help gurus. Their lives unravel in a farce as they try to conceal a body and hold on to their falsely won fame. Norm Foster has been a favorite of the OOH, with shows like Here on the Flight Path, Looking, Skin Flick, and The Love List.
BY NORM FOSTER
"Self-Help" is staged by arrangement with Pam Winter, GGA, www.ggagency.ca.
February 2, 3, 4 & 9, 10, 11
SPONSORED BY WILEY CHASE FARM
The Nutcracker
Presented by the Old Opera House Dance Studio
Ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Adapted from E.T.A. Hoffman’s Story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”
DECEMBER 15, 16, & 17, 2023
Miracle on 34th Street
HOLIDAY FAMILY SHOW • RATED G
By chance, Kris Kringle, an old man in a retirement home, is hired to work as Santa for Macy's Department Store. Kris unleashes waves of goodwill when he refers parents to other stores to find exactly the toy their child has asked for. Seen as deluded and dangerous, Kris ends up in a court competency hearing. At stake is both Kris’s freedom and one little girl's belief in Santa.
FROM THE NOVEL BY VALENTINE DAVIS
Based on the Twentieth Century Fox motion picture Miracle on 34th Street
Adapted by Mountain Community Theatre
"Miracle on 34th Street" is produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois
December 1, 2, 3 & 8, 9, 10
SPONSORED BY THE BENNETT AGENCY
Hot Cocoa with Mrs. Claus
Hot Cocoa with Mrs. Claus
Mrs. Claus appeared on the Old Opera House stage in Kris Kringle the Musical and she was so wonderful, we have invited her back to greet our younger patrons (those under age 99) and asked her to bring along her delicious hot cocoa.
Mrs. Claus will be joined by her merry elves, and we have been promised a visit from Old Saint Nick too!
NOVEMBER 18 10AM - 1PM
Dress Rehearsal
Dress Rehearsal
Jefferson County Holiday Spectacular
November 2, 2023 • 7PM
Tickets: $40
The Addams Family
MUSICAL COMEDY • RATED PG
The Addams Family is a comical feast that embraces every father’s nightmare: Wednesday Addams, the ultimate princess of darkness, has fallen in love with a sweet, young man from a respectable family. And if that wasn’t upsetting enough, Gomez Addams must do something he’s never done before – keep this a secret from his beloved wife, Morticia. Everything will change for the whole family on one fateful night.
BY MARSHALL BRICKMAN, RICK ELICE, & ANDREW LIPPA
"The Addams Family" is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.theatricalrights.com
October 20, 21, 22 & 27, 28, 29
SPONSORED BY AMERICAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SYSTEMS
Annual Autumn Auction 2023
A Fundraiser for The Old Opera House
October 7 • 6pm - 10pm
Featuring a chance auction and a live auction, gift certificates, collectibles, experiences, and services from local merchants and friends of the Old Opera House. The auctioneers are regular Old Opera House performers, and their antics are guaranteed to keep everyone entertained.
Tickets $40 and includes delicious hors d'oeuvres, wine, and loads of fun!
The Odd Couple
COMEDY • RATED PG
This classic comedy opens as a group of the guys assemble for cards in the apartment of divorced Oscar Madison. And if the mess is any indication, it's no wonder that his wife left him. Late to arrive is Felix Unger, who has just been separated from his wife. Fastidious, depressed, and none too tense, Felix seems suicidal, but as the action unfolds, Oscar becomes the one with murder on his mind when the clean freak and the slob ultimately decide to room together with hilarious results as The Odd Couple is born.
BY NEIL SIMON
"The Odd Couple" is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
September 8, 9, 10 & 15, 16, 17
Kick-Off Karaoke
A Fundraiser for The Old Opera House
August 25 • 7pm - 10pm
Includes Battle of the Divas!
Dinner includes Locust Hill’s delicious chicken wings / Cash bar
Tickets: $25
Keep on Dancin’ Dance Recital
Presented by The Old Opera House Arts Centre
Thursday, June 1 at 7:00pm
Friday, June 2 at 7:00pm
Saturday, June 3 at 2:30pm
Tickets: $20.00 Adults, $15.00 students under age 18
The Wizard of Oz Ballet
Presented by The Old Opera House Arts Centre
Thursday, May 18 at 7:00pm
Friday, May 19 at 7:00pm
Saturday, May 20 at 2:30pm
Tickets: $20.00 Adults, $15.00 students under age 18
50th Anniversary Gala
Fifty years is a wonderful milestone for any business, but for a nonprofit that relies heavily on a volunteer work force this is especially meaningful. Organizations like the Old Opera House Theatre Company exist and grow where there is a strong sense of community. So, this is one of those special times when we pay tribute to all the performers, patrons, artists, donors, and volunteers that helped the Old Opera House to thrive over the past five decades. It is also an opportunity to pause and look to the future. Where will the Old Opera House Theatre Company be fifty years from now? Will we still be proving quality entertainment, educational opportunities, and a nurturing environment for artists? With the continued support of our local community, we will continue to Build Excitement for the Arts!
May 6, 2023 • 6:00pm
Curtains
MUSICAL COMEDY • RATED PG
It’s the brassy, bright, and promising year of 1959. Boston’s ColonialTheatre is host to the opening night performance of a new musical. When the leading lady mysteriously dies on stage the entire cast and crew are suspects. Enter a local detective, who just happens to be a musical theatre fan! Packed with glorious tunes and a witty, charming script filled with delightful characters, Curtains is a hilarious journey for both performers and the audience. The Broadway production garnered eight nominations at the 2007 Tony Awards including Best Musical.
BOOK & ADDITIONAL LYRICS BY RUPERT HOLMES; MUSIC AND ADDITIONAL LYRICS BY JOHN KANDER, LYRICS BY FRED EBB
SPONSORED BY WVU MEDICINE
“Curtains” is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.theatricalrights.com
APRIL 21, 22, 23 & 27, 28, 29, 30
The Lifespan of a Fact
DRAMA • RATED PG13
Jim Fingal is a fresh-out-of-Harvard fact checker for a prominent but sinking New York magazine. John D’Agata is a talented writer with a transcendent essay about the suicide of a teenage boy—an essay that could save the magazine from collapse. When Jim is assigned to fact-check D’Agata’s essay, the two come head-to-head in a comedic yet gripping battle over facts versus truth.
The Lifespan of a Fact was on Broadway at Studio 54 during the 2018-19 Season featuring Daniel Radcliffe, Cherry Jones, and Bobby Cannavale.
BY JEREMY KAREKEN, DAVID MURRELL, AND GORDON FARRELL
MARCH 10, 11, 12 & 17, 18, 19
“The Lifespan of a Fact” is presented by special arrangement with Broadway Licensing, LLC, servicing the Dramatists Play Service collection. www.dramatists.com
Chelsea McBee Live
WV sweetheart Chelsea McBee brings her band back to Charles Town for an evening of great tunes and excellent vibes. Down home banjo tunes and songs you'll recognize. Join us for a rockin' Friday night!
February 17 • 7:30pm
Leading Ladies
COMEDY • RATED PG
In this hilarious comedy by the playwright who wrote Lend Me A Tenor, two English Shakespearean actors, Jack and Leo, find themselves so down on their luck that they are performing “Scenes from Shakespeare” on the Moose Lodge circuit in the Amish country of Pennsylvania. When they hear that an old lady in York, PA is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long-lost English nephews, they resolve to pass themselves off as her beloved relatives and get the cash. The trouble is, when they get to York, they find out that the relatives aren’t nephews, but nieces! Romantic entanglements abound.
BY KEN LUDWIG
Ken Ludwig's “Leading Ladies” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
FEBRUARY 3, 4, 5 • 10, 11, 12
The Nutcracker
Presented by the Old Opera House Dance Studio
Ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Adapted from E.T.A. Hoffman’s Story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”
DECEMBER 16, 17, & 18, 2022
Hot Cocoa with Mrs. Claus
Hot Cocoa with Mrs. Claus
Mrs. Claus appeared on the Old Opera House stage in Kris Kringle the Musical and she was so wonderful, we have invited her back to greet our younger patrons (those under age 99) and asked her to bring along her delicious hot cocoa.
Mrs. Claus will be joined by her merry elves, and we have been promised a visit from Old Saint Nick too!
DECEMBER 10 2022 10AM - 2PM
Cinderella
MUSICAL COMEDY • RATED G
A beautiful maiden, her Fairy Godmother, a couple of mean stepsisters, a handsome Prince, and a glass slipper all come together in this classic fairytale brought to the stage by one of America’s most beloved musical teams, Rodgers & Hammerstein. Suitable for the entire family, this delightful tale shows how with grace and humility, and a touch of magic, a lowly maid can rise from a life of drudgery and servitude to become a princess.
BY RICHARD RODGERS & OSCAR HAMMERSTEIN II
SPONSORED BY THE BENNETT AGENCY
“Cinderella” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. www.concordtheatricals.com
DECEMBER 2, 3, 4 • 9, 10, 11
Go Back for Murder
MYSTERY • RATED PG
After receiving a letter from beyond the grave, Carla Crale believes her mother, who died in prison, was wrongly convicted of her father’s murder. In a passionate attempt to clear her name, she persuades those present on the day of her father’s death to return to the scene of the crime and ‘go back’ 15 years to recount their version of events. An unusual take on the traditional murder mystery, the action of the play slips seamlessly from past to present, examining the danger of relying on personal testimony warped by time, prejudice, and perception.
BY NEIL SIMON
SPONSORED BY AMERICAN PUBLIC UNIVERSITY SYSTEM
Go Back for Murder” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
OCTOBER 14, 15, 16 • 21, 22, 23
Annual Autumn Auction 2022
A Fundraiser for The Old Opera House
October 1 • 6pm - 10pm
Featuring a chance auction and a live auction, gift certificates, collectibles, experiences, and services from local merchants and friends of the Old Opera House. This auction has everything from 20 tons of gravel to a diamond ring ready to go home with the lucky winners. The auctioneers are regular Old Opera House performers, and their antics are guaranteed to keep everyone entertained.
Includes delicious hors d'oeuvres, wine, and loads of fun!
Rumors
COMEDY • RATED PG13
At a large, tastefully appointed Sneden’s Landing townhouse, the Deputy Mayor of New York has just shot himself. Though only a flesh wound, four couples are about to experience a severe attack of Farce. Gathering for their tenth wedding anniversary, the host lies bleeding in the other room, and his wife is nowhere in sight. His lawyer, Ken, and wife, Chris, must get “the story” straight before the other guests arrive. As the confusions and mis- communications mount, the evening spins off into classic farcical hilarity.
SEPTEMBER
9, 10, 11 • 16, 17, 18
BY NEIL SIMON
“Rumors” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals
on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
Oliver!
Summer Family Show
Bringing Charles Dickens’ beloved novel to life, Lionel Bart’s Oliver! takes audiences on a wild adventure through Victorian England. Join young, orphaned Oliver Twist as he navigates London’s underworld of theft and violence, searching for a home, a family, and - most importantly - for love. When Oliver is picked up on the street by a boy named the Artful Dodger, he is welcomed into a gang of child pickpockets led by the conniving, but charismatic, Fagin. When Oliver is falsely accused of a theft he didn’t commit, he is rescued by a kind and wealthy gentleman, to the dismay of Fagin’s violent sidekick, Bill Sikes. Caught in the middle is the warm-hearted Nancy, who is trapped under Bill’s thumb, but desperate to help Oliver, with tragic results. With spirited, timeless songs like “As Long as He Needs Me,” “Food, Glorious Food,” and “Where Is Love,” Oliver! is a musical classic.
BY LIONEL BART
Sponsored by Charles Town Kiwanis
New Voice Play Festival 2022
The 2022 New Voice Play Festival finalists:
Don’t miss the 22nd Annual New Voice Play Festival on June 17, 18, 19. All four finalists will be presented each evening and we will ask the audience to vote for their favorite play of the festival, helping us determine this year’s winner. Tickets are now on sale.
A Safe Place by Mike Byham (Southlake, TX)
Dan awakens to a new reality where he has been chosen to restart the human race - by an entity wishing to learn how to love.
Directed by Deidre Johnson
It’s Only Fitting by Jennifer Hart (Fredericksburg, VA)
What hilarious things can happen when two strangers squeeze into a small fitting room in a clothing boutique? Caroline is desperately hiding from an ex-boyfriend. Zeke is lusting over the boutique's owner, Schvinga, a Swedish "goddess." Caroline, Zeke and Schvinga must handle insults, laughter, and heartbreak -- while avoiding clothing malfunctions!
Directed by Katie O’Neill
Snip, Snip by Charlie Perkins (Charles Town, WV)
Dan, thinking that he and his wife, Lisa, were never going to have children had a vasectomy three years ago without telling her. He wrestles with disclosing the truth due to Lisa’s newfound interest in having a baby. Dan seeks out the advice of his friend and neighbor, Pete. Should Dan continue to hold on to his secret, or finally come clean and tell Lisa that he had the “ol’ snip, snip?”
Directed by Val Phillips
Friday Afternoon Bridge Club by Lloyd “L.D.” Potter (Rapid City, SD)
Catherine’s ride to her weekly Friday afternoon bridge club takes an unexpected turn when her good friend, Milly, offers to take a couple of folks that she just met at her macramé class on a few errands around town.
Directed by Ed Conn
2022 Honorable Mentions:
The Tea Test by Seth Freeman (Pacific Palisades, CA)
Climbing Kilimanjaro by Marc Littman (Granada Hills, CA)
Peter Perfect Picked a Peck of Pickled Perfection by Jay Huling (Jacksonville, FL)
Bud and Lou by Gavin Kayner (Tucson, AZ)
Dangerous Affection by Carl Williams (Houston, TX)
Special Thanks to the 2022 NVPF Judges: Ed Conn, Michael George, David Lusk, Katie O’Neill, John-Michael Rolnick, Linda Romero, Lorin Smith, and Kevin Tester
Peter Pan Spring Ballet
Peter Pan Spring Ballet
Our Ballet is just around the corner, and we could not be prouder of our dancers! In this handbook you'll find everything you need to know about rehearsals and performances—so we can help keep excitement high and stress low. The Peter Pan ballet features all our ballet classes from Beginning to Advanced. Performances will be approximately 90-minutes long and will include a 15-minute intermission.
Saturday June 4 & Sunday June 5 at 2:30 PM
You Can Dance - Annual Dance Recital
You Can Dance - Annual Dance Recital
Our Recital is just around the corner, and we could not be prouder of our dancers! In this handbook you'll find everything you need to know about rehearsals and performances—so we can help keep excitement high and stress low. You Can Dance, our Spring Dance Recital, features Broadway, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Lyrical, Preschool, and Tap dance styles. Performances will be approximately 90-minutes long and will include a 15-minute intermission.
Thursday June 2, and Friday June 3 at 7 PM
Concert for Worker’s Rights
Special performance at the Old Opera House Theatre in Charles Town, WV
Friday, May 13 at 7:30pm
$10.00 per person
The Battle of Blair Mountain in September 1921 in southern West Virginia was the culmination of coal miners fighting for worker’s rights against coal companies and their allies. It was a major steppingstone toward unionization along with the 5-day work week, fair pay, and more for workers everywhere. The following spring of 1922, twenty-four coal miners were jailed and tried for treason against the State of West Virginia at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Charles Town, WV, the same courthouse where abolitionist John Brown stood trial just 63 years earlier. Today organizers in the Eastern Panhandle of WV have planned events to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the WV Treason Trials in Jefferson County.
The May 13th “Concert for Worker’s Rights” features two performers who have written songs in support of coal miners and their fight for worker’s rights. Tom Breiding has been called “the greatest labor singer in the United States today” by Cecil Roberts, President of the United Mine Workers of America. Tom has been invited to perform at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival for the past four consecutive years and his 2020 release “Love Commits Me Here” is a tribute to the hard wrought labors of mining. Mary Hott’s 2021 album “Devil In The Hills: Coal Country Reckoning” was released in conjunction with the Battle of Blair Mountain Centennial. The Associated Press called Hott’s album “grim history beautifully told” and the Roots Music Journal No Depression listed the album on its ‘Best of 2021’ significant American roots albums. Hott and her backing band, The Carpenter Ants, were featured on NPR Music’s Mountain Stage along with Steve Earle performing from his “Coal Country” album. Hailing from Charleston, The Carpenter Ants have been performing as West Virginia’s troubadours nationally and internationally for over 30 years, sharing their unique sound of ‘country-fried soul’ with the world.
