The Coachella Valley Repertory has expanded its lineup of shows for the 2023-24 season in Cathedral City, the theater group said in a news release on the Discover Coachella Valley website. The lineup includes five productions never before presented at CVRep, world and West Coast premieres and multiple Tony Award-recognized shows.
"Our 2023-24 season is going to be a great adventure. The shows represent everything we want to offer Coachella Valley audiences: fun, irresistible classics, familiar works examined for new insights and relevance, plus all new works that reflect the interests and ideas in our world today," CVRep Executive Artistic Director Adam Karsten said. "I am so grateful to CVRep's family of donors and sponsors who make it possible for us to produce the quality productions that our community has grown to expect of us and deserve."
CVRep will commence its season with "The Fantasticks - A Love Story Reimagined," a West Coast premiere of a re-imagined and re-gendered adaptation of the iconic musical by Tom Jones. Running from Nov. 1 to Nov. 12, this version retains the original score and storyline while transforming the two young lovers, Matt and Louisa, into Matt and Lewis.
Taking the stage from Dec. 6 to Dec. 17, CVRep's second production of the season will present the world premiere of "Summer Session with the Bones Brigade," a new play that delves into the lives of four teenage skateboarders and their two female friends. When one of them vanishes under mysterious circumstances, the group begins to turn their guilt and shame against one another. This first-ever production is a story about the "challenges of friendship, youth, overbearing parents, loss and the coming of age," the news release said.
CVRep's third production in January will be the immersive musical "Cabaret" (1998 version), written by the renowned American songwriting duo John Kander and Fred Ebb, which won eight Tony Awards. This production will transport audiences to a tumultuous era in an unstable country, immersing them in a world of vibrant nightlife and inherent danger.
After "Cabaret," CVRep will present "POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive," a Tony-Award-nominated comedy that will be staged from Feb. 28 to March 10. This play humorously delves into the lives of seven women working in the presidential Oval Office, as they take escalating measures to preserve the president's image amidst a series of scandals that trigger a global crisis.
Concluding the season, "Nice Work If You Can Get It" is a lively musical production that will take the stage from April 10 to April 21, showcasing a collection of catchy Gershwin songs. This revitalized adaptation of the classic 1920s musical farce combines elements of comedy, romance and exuberant production numbers, accompanied by a Tony Award-winning script that satirizes class snobbery during the Prohibition Era.
Beginning July 1, existing subscribers have the opportunity to renew their season tickets, while new subscriptions will be available for purchase starting Aug. 1. Single tickets will go on sale Sept. 15. Tickets and season passes can be ordered online at cvrep.org, by calling 760-296-2966, or by visiting the CVRep box office located at 68510 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Cathedral City. The box office operates from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.