‘A Chorus Line,’ ‘The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940’ and Big Band Concerts at FAU this Summer

Florida Atlantic University’s Department of Theatre and Dance in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters has announced its summer lineup for Festival Repertory Theatre 2023.

 

“The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940” by John Bishop, will run from Friday, June 16 to Saturday, July 1; the musical “A Chorus Line,” by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, will run from Friday, July 14 through Sunday, July 30; and Big Band Hits from the Golden Age will be presented on Saturday, July 8 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, July 9 at 2 p.m. The plays all will take place in he Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre, with the concerts in the University Theatre, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus.

Tickets for each show are $27, and groups and package discounted tickets are available at fauevents.com or by calling 561-297-6124.

In “Musical Comedy Mysteries of 1940,” the creative team responsible for a recent Broadway flop (in which three chorus girls were murdered by the mysterious “Stage Door Slasher") assemble for a backer’s audition of their new show at the Westchester estate of a wealthy “angel.” As the composer, lyricist, actors and director prepare their performance, a blizzard cuts off any possible escape from the estate. As bodies start to drop in plain sight, knives spring out of nowhere, masked figures dragging victims behind swiveling bookcases, and accusing fingers point in all directions, the hunt for the murder is afoot. With no thanks to the bumbling police inspector who snowshoes in to investigate, the mystery is solved in the nick of time and the “slasher” is unmasked – but not before the audience has been treated to a sidesplitting good time.

“A Chorus Line” captures the spirit and tension of a Broadway chorus audition. Exploring the inner lives and bittersweet ambitions of professional Broadway performers, the show features one powerhouse number after another. Memorable musical numbers include "What I Did for Love, "One," "I Can Do That," "At the Ballet," "The Music and the Mirror," and "I Hope I Get It." A Chorus Line originally opened on April 15, 1975 and closed in April 1990 after running 6,137 performances. It was the first Broadway show to exceed 6,000 performances, and received a Tony Award in 1984 for becoming Broadway’s longest running musical.

The big band concert features the Florida Wind Symphony Jazz Orchestra, a professional ensemble-in-residence at FAU. The band will present an evening of hits from the 30s, 40s and 50s, including authentic music of big band sensations like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman.

“Festival Rep,” will once again feature professional equity actors working alongside FAU’s finest graduate and undergraduate students in their last production before they graduate and enter the world of professional theater.

For more information on Festival Rep, visit fau.edu/festivalrep.