2004-2005
8-Track, The Sounds of the 70's
June 3 - July 31st
Written By: Rick Seeber
Directed By: Lauren Caldwell
Forever Plaid took us back to the '50s, Beehive transported us into the '60s, and now 8-Track plunges us headfirst into the '70s! Hippodrome State Theatre is proud to bring to the stage polyester shirts, halter tops, platform shoes and 10 years of groundbreaking music with its performance of 8-Track, The Sounds of the 70's
This outrageous and far out musical is a seventies flashback of culture, fashion, and, most importantly, unforgettable music. The music of 8-Track has everything from feverish disco beats to the sounds of velvety love ballads.
All the different styles of 1970s music interweave with the themes of the decade, creating a flavorful, entertaining, and oft-times moving tale, not with words, but with over fifty wonderfully diverse songs which connect in interesting, sometimes surprising, ways. It's a musical journey.
'8-Track' brings down the brick house — Gainesville Sun Review
The Hipp shakes its booty — Gainesville Sun Article
Anna in the Tropics
April 15th -May 8th
Written By: Nilo Cruz
Directed By: Mary Hausch
Awards: Winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Anna in the Tropics is set in a Cuban-American cigar factory in 1929 in Ybor City, Florida where cigars are still rolled by hand and "lectors" are hired to educate and entertain the workers by reading aloud to them. Love steals into the factory when a new lector arrives, seducing everyone with Anna Karenina The tropics and the American dream become a volatile combination when the lector stirs up passion. Jealousies spread dangerously out of control releasing emotions that change the destiny of everyone who listens.
Our Town
February 25th - March 20th
Written By: Thornton Wilder
Directed By: Lauren Caldwell
Pulitzer Prize-Winner Our Town by Thornton Wilder opens at the Hippodrome Mainstage February 25th. You may have read Our Town in English class or caught a glimpse of it on television. You may even think you know everything there is to know about this masterpiece. No matter what your experience has been with it - newcomer or expert - don't deny yourself the opportunity to EXPERIENCE IT LIVE at the only professional regional theatre in town. Utilizing some of the best local talent in Gainesville, the Hippodrome State Theatre will bring Our Town to Our Town February 25-March 20.
Set at the turn of the 20th Century, Our Town follows the lives, loves and losses of two families in a small American town. Weaving truths, humor and themes that relate to all ages, master storyteller Thornton Wilder crafted a timeless tale that has appeared on stages around the world since its debut in 1938 (and was recently revived in New York with Paul Newman at the helm). To see Our Town is to rejoice in the ordinary, everyday events of our lives…to appreciate what the character Emily Webb means when she says: "Oh, earth, you're too wonderful for anybody to realize you."
2 Pianos, 4 Hands
January 7th - January 30th
Written By: Richard Greenblatt and Ted Dykstra
Directed By: Mary Hausch
"... an acting and performing tour de force, funny ... hugely entertaining ..." — The Birmingham Post
"'2 Pianos', tickles more than the ivories." — Examiner Theatre Critic, San Francisco
2 Pianos, 4 Hands spans over 30 years where we follow Richard and Ted as promising child prodigies to their awkward teenage years of experimenting with jazz to their retrospection in adulthood. This delightful tale recounts the endless hours of repetitious practice while other kids were outside playing, the pushy parents dreaming of celebrity for their children, eccentric music teachers that were encountered along the way as well as a very humorous approach to the bouts of stage fright that all audience members can relate to.
A Christmas Carol
November 27th - December 19th
Written By: Charles Dickens
Adapted By: Mary Hausch
Directed By: Sara Morsey
Join Scrooge, Marley, the Cratchits and a host of Christmas ghosts for this holiday favorite and Hippodrome tradition. Dazzling special effects, an original adaptation and a timeless message have made A Christmas Carol one of the most popular Hippodrome productions of all time.
A Tuna Christmas
November 26th - December 19th
Written By: Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard
Directed By: Mary Hausch
After a brief hiatus, A Tuna Christmas makes its 4th appearance at the Hippodrome. Many of you saw the wacky characters from Tuna, Texas strut across our stage three years ago. Mark Chambers and Lauren Caldwell return and make every character more lively than ever. This year they're back with special licensing arrangements for our region only.
Take a trip to the third smallest town in Texas where the tensions run high in the competition for the annual Christmas yard display contest. Meet Didi Snavely, the chain-smoking weapons shop owner; Stanley Bumiller, a juvenile delinquent doing community service in the hometown production of A Christmas Carol; Good 'Ole "Rubber Sheets" Givens, the town sheriff; Vera Carp, President of the Smut Snatchers of the New Order; and many others including the mysterious Christmas phantom who's wreaking havoc on the contest. You'll laugh out loud at this yuletide comedy in which two actors take on all of the roles! Come see why the New York Post said A Tuna Christmas could "make a raccoon laugh affectionately at Davy Crockett."
Nickel And Dimed
Oct 15th - Nov 7th
Written By: Barbara Ehrenreich
Directed By: Lauren Caldwell
Meet Barbara. She’s a new kind of superhero: the social critic-turned-undercover journalist. Her mission? To expose the realities of America’s working poor by briefly living in their shoes. But don’t expect the telltale signs of a certain superhero we all know. Barbara’s not exactly a mild-mannered reporter (speaks without thinking). She doesn’t wear a red cape (but dons several unique uniforms). And she’s not exactly faster than a speeding bullet. But her courage, conviction and eagerness to stand up for the underdog make her worthy of induction into the Justice League. Her unique mission provides a poignant, yet comical look at what it means to be “nickel and dimed” in America. And the Hippodrome lets you take the trip with her.
Nickel and Dimed On (Not) Getting By in America was the outcome of a mission created by real-life writer, Barbara Ehrenreich. It quickly became a New York Times Best-seller and Notable Book of the Year. In it, the author set out to answer the question, “Can anyone survive on minimum wage?” Ehrenreich’s odyssey (and the one presented by the Hippodrome) includes such stints as a waitress in Key West, a maid in Portland, Maine and a sales associate at a large retail store in Minneapolis. Her discoveries soon prompted other important questions: Will one low-wage job be enough? How do you secure a place to live when your paycheck won’t cover first month and last month’s rent? What if you’re a single mother? Is it better to work for a corporation than an independent business? Who are the working poor? If the rich are so rich why don’t they pay their help better wages? Are the homeless necessarily jobless? What are the secrets to survival? Does it matter if you haven’t waited tables since the 60s?
The Underpants
August 27th - September 9th
Written By: Carl Sternheim
Adapted By: Steve Martin
Directed By: Lauren Caldwell
With an off-the-wall title like The Underpants, you might not be surprised to find "wild and crazy" actor-novelist-playwright Steve Martin behind the Hippodrome's upcoming hilarious production. Set in 1910 Germany, this irreverent show tells the story of how one woman's undergarments turn an entire town upside down.
A seemingly accidental flash of her panties at a parade for the King leads to a firestorm of newfound celebrity for Louise Maske, and overblown shame for Theo, her government-employed husband. Thanks to a string of hot-blooded male suitors, the room for rent in the Maske’s apartment is suddenly the hottest property in town! Sex-starved Louise is flattered by the attention and, at the urging of a nosy upstairs neighbor, she positions herself to reap the rewards of the ultimate "wardrobe malfunction".