The Giver
By Lois Lowry
Directed by Dawn Carter
Jonas’ world is perfect. Everything is under control and safe. There is no war or fear or pain. There are also no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the community. But when Jonas turns 12, he is chosen for special training from The Giver—to receive and keep the memories of the community. The Giver is the only person who holds the memories of real pain and real joy. Now Jonas will learn the truth about life—and the hypocrisy of his utopian world. Through this astonishing and moving adaptation, discover what it means to grow up, to grow wise, and to take control of your own destiny.
Performance Dates
September 27-October 6, 2013
Venue
NOVA Main Stage
Young Frankenstein
By Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
Directed by Vincent Raye
The hilarious, musical comedy is a re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend based on Mel Brooks’ film masterpiece. The story follows Young Frankenstein (pronounced ‘Fronkensteen’) as he brings a corpse back to life. Don’t miss the kooky cast of characters delivering all your favorite moments from the classic film: the hunchback sidekick, Igor (that’s pronounced ‘Eye-gor’); the curvaceous lab assistant, Inga; the stern housekeeper, Frau Blucher; the mad-cap fiancé, Elizabeth; and of course, the monster, Frankenstein.
Performance Dates
October 18-November 2, 2013
Venue
NOVA Main Stage
August: Osage County
By Tracy Letts
Directed by Craig Huisenga
NOVA Center for the Performing Arts is thrilled to bring the Tracy Letts play, August: Osage County to Billings. Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize and Tony, Drama Desk and NY Drama Critics awards for best play. Venture Theatre previously performed two other Tracy Letts plays, Bug and Man From Nebraska. August: Osage County is directed by NOVA’s new Interim Managing Producer, Craig Huisenga and features local actors Guy Vieg and Dina Brophy as patriarch Beverly Weston and his oldest daughter, Barbara. Ruth Nyback, a Red Lodge resident plays Violet Weston, the matriarch of the extended Weston clan. When Beverly disappears, the family gathers to comfort Violet and reestablish their fragile relationships with each other. The result is one of the American theatre’s all-time dysfunctional family plays. It is by turns horrifying and laugh-out-loud funny. Prominent local musicians Ed and John Kemmick will provide music for the production.
Performance Dates
November 8-23, 2013
Venue
MOVA Main Stage
Amahl and the Night Visitors
By Gian Carlo Menotti
Directed by Dodie Rife
This one-act opera is the holiday story of Amahl, a precocious disabled boy; his loving, care-worn mother; and the regal visitors who arrive one night and change Amahl’s life forever. With its beautiful score and touching libretto, “Amahl and the Night Visitors” is appealing to all ages and musical backgrounds and is an inspiring story of how faith, charity, unselfish love and good deeds can truly work miracles. This will be NOVA’s second presentation of Amahl. Returning in this year’s production, directed by William Mouat, are Amy Logan as the mother; her son, Jacob Logan, as Amahl; and Shawn Rasch as Kaspar, one of the travelling kings.
Performance Dates
December 6-15, 2013
Venue
NOVA Main Stage
Dead Man's Cell Phone
By Sarah Ruhl
Directed by Tina Scariano
When a lonely woman answers a dead stranger’s cell phone, it turns out to be a wake-up call that sends her on a date with the dead man’s brother, a drinking binge with his wife, a mysterious rendezvous with his mistress, and a trip to the afterlife and back.
Performance Dates
January 10-25, 2014
Venue
NOVA Main Stage
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
By Louis Carroll adapted by Tim Kelley
Directed by Kelsey Steffan
Join Alice in her misadventures in Wonderland. In this Lewis Carroll adaptation by Tim Kelly, we follow Alice down the rabbit hole and into a world of intrigue and fantasy. In a land populated by peculiar creatures, Alice must find her way through a mad tea party, absurd debates, a giant chess match and an unfair trial. Watch as her imagination and curiosity propel her into one extraordinary situation after another which eventually leads to a struggle for her own survival.
Performance Dates
February 21-March 2, 2014
Venue
NOVA Main Stage
St. Nicholas
St. Nicholas
By Conor McPherson
Directed by Amanda McCave
When a jaded and cynical Dublin drama critic comes under the spell of a beautiful young actress and pursues her into a coven of vampires in modern day London, storytelling at its spooky best comes to vivid life. Is it all a drunken lie? A tantalizing fairy tale? Or is it his own version of a higher truth? Conor McPherson’s stunning one-man play is an intriguing, well-told story offering a unique perspective on the myth of vampires.
Performance Dates
March 6-15, 2014
Venue
NOVA Main Stage
Carmen's Tragedy
By Georges Bizet (Adaption)
Directed by Jeff Kitto
Carmen’s Tragedy is a unique performance featuring Bizet’s beloved tale of doomed love and violent passion. It was adapted from Carmen by Georges Bizet. Performers in Carmen’s Tragedy include Michelle Berger as Carmen, William Mouat as the bullfighter Escamillo, Carolyn Coefield as Micaela, and Jeff Kitto as Don José. Shawn Rasch as Lillas Pastia and fight choreographer Jayme Green will portray both the villainous Lieutenant Zuniga and the dangerous brigand Garcia transported directly from the novel, Carmen and Other Stories, by Prosper Mérimée.
Performance Dates
March 29-30, 2014
Venue
NOVA Main Stage
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Craig Huisenga
Gods mix with mortals, a feuding king and queen unleash magical practical jokes on one another, spells yield improbable love affairs and a band of comical tradesmen wander into an enchanted wood and are transformed in the most unlikely ways in Shakespeare’s most popular and enduring comedy.
Performance Dates
April 4-19, 2014
Venue
NOVA Main Stage
Chicken Little
Chicken Little
By Joseph Jacobs
Directed by Dan Nickerson
In this creative re-imagining of the classic childhood tale, originally called Henny Penny by Joseph Jacobs, follow Chicken Little in a desperate attempt to inform the masses that the sky is falling. Join our chorus of singing Pig Narrators, Chicken Little and Friends as they stumble through a barnyard kingdom and fight for survival against a sly fox and conquer their fear of the clouds toppling down to the earth. Children will be given the opportunity to participate in a unique, new world premiere with an original script and music by Dan Nickerson, Jodi Jones and Alyssa Krieger.
Performance Dates
April 24-May 4, 2014
Venue
NOVA Main Stage
Little Shop of Horrors
By Howard Ashman, Alan Menken (Music)
Directed by Chaslee Schweitzer
A down-and-out skid row floral assistant becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon “Audrey II” grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore who offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing itself to be an alien creature poised for global domination! One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, this affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies has become a household name, thanks to a highly successful film version and a score by the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who redefined the animated musical film with Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Charming, tuneful and hilarious, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS never fails to entertain.
Performance Dates
May 16-31, 2014
Venue
NOVA Main Stage