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Tag Archives: 2024-25 Mainstage Season

THE 2024 – 2025 MAINSTAGE SEASON

We are super excited to share with you our upcoming Mainstage Season!  With sensational horror tales, romantic tragedies, Agatha Christie mysteries, powerful Black dramas, Neil Simon comedies, Southern melodramas, and everyone’s favorite musical about tradition, there is something for everyone!  And don’t forget our hugely popular annual Christmas show!  

You can now get an affordable Season Subscription to all 7 regular Mainstage shows by calling our Box Office at 562-494-1014 option 1.  Add on our Christmas Show for a low price.  Or buy Passport tickets and choose only those shows you want to see.  There are so many great ways and reasons to see a show in our new Mainstage Season!

CALL OUR BOX OFFICE AT 562-494-1014 option 1 TO SET UP YOUR SEASON SUBSCRIPTION!
INDIVIDUAL TICKETS TO SINGLE SHOWS WILL BE AVAILABLE STARTING IN AUGUST.

THE SHOWS:
THE PASSION OF DRACULA
By Bob Hall & David Richmond
Dates Sept. 21 – Oct. 19, 2024

In the bloodcurdling and sensational tradition of the Hammer horror films comes THE PASSION OF DRACULA! It’s 1911, and Dr. Seward presides over a mental hospital next to a quiet English village.  But a new resident to the locality has caused quite a stir, the charming and seductive Count Dracula.  When Seward’s ward, Wilhelmina, suffers from a strange wasting disease and grows more and more drawn to the stranger, can Professor Van Helsing, formidable Fredudian analyst Dr. Helga Van Zandt, and young reporter Jonathan Harker solve the mystery and keep the young woman from falling into an undying abyss of the Count’s alluring powers?

ROMEO & JULIET
By William Shakespeare
Nov. 2 – Nov. 30, 2024

Violent delights have violent ends in the quintessential story of star-crossed love, Shakespeare’s ROMEO & JULIET. Two clans war in the streets of Verona in a feud that threatens not only the peace of the city but the stability of their families themselves. Yet when Romeo sneaks into a party in disguise, he meets Juliet, the daughter of his enemy, and the two fall in love at first sight. Fresh in emotion, the two want to marry, and are helped by a well-meaning friar with the hope of burying ancient grudges.  Good intentions lead to grave consequences in a tragedy that prevails for the ages.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Adapted from the novella by Charles Dickens
Dec. 7 – Dec. 22, 2024

Holiday favorite A CHRISTMAS CAROL returns for its annual incarnation in this quick-paced, highly theatrical retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic tale. The ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future show Ebenezer Scrooge the poverty of his miserly ways and the blessings that come with generosity. Can they convince him to change before it’s too late? Come spend time with the characters you’ve come to love – Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and of course the irascible miser himself.  This yearly tradition will be the Christmas ghost story needed to set you and your loved ones on the path to holiday cheer.

Agatha Christie’s THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD
Adapted by Philip Grecian from the novel by Agatha Christie
Jan. 11 – Feb. 8, 2025

From Agatha Christie’s highly-praised novel comes this thrilling adaptation of THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD. Famed Detective Hercule Poirot has retired from sleuthing to garden near the small village of King’s Abbot. But when his friend and local patrician Roger Ackroyd is murdered in his country manor, Poirot is pressed to investigate. To discover the killer, he enlists the aid of the local doctor to be his “Watson,” and the new detecting duo uncover a web of deceit in which every member of the household has something to hide.  No one will foresee the shocking twist as the murderer finds there is no secret they can keep from Hercule Poirot.

August Wilson’s THE PIANO LESSON
By August Wilson
Feb. 22 – Mar. 22, 2025

Can you transcend the past? In August Wilson’s masterpiece, THE PIANO LESSON, the past is a ghost that haunts a Black family’s dreams of a better life. It’s the Great Depression, and Boy Willie has come north to Pittsburgh to see his sister, Bernice, with an opportunity to buy some land down home in Mississippi. He wants her to sell the family’s antique piano.  But it is more than just a musical instrument; it’s a testament to the family’s rise from slavery, carved with the images of their ancestors. As the siblings contend with each other, can they escape the lives of their forefathers and put to rest the ghosts that still haunt them?

Neil Simon’s GOD’S FAVORITE
By Neil Simon
April 5 – May 3, 2025

Neil Simon is at it again in the awesomely funny comedy GOD’S FAVORITE! Successful businessman Joe Benjamin is a modern day ‘Job’ with a loving wife, two clueless but supportive younger children, and a household staff. But he is exasperated with his wise-cracking and seemingly apathetic oldest son. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any worse, he is visited by Sidney Lipton, a.k.a. A Messenger from God (and compulsive film buff), with a mission: test Joe’s faith and report back to “the Boss.” The jokes and tests of faith fly fast and furious as Simon spins a comedy like no other in this hilarious contemporary morality tale.

STEEL MAGNOLIAS
By Robert Harling
May 17 – June 14, 2025

See the beloved play the popular movie is based on – STEEL MAGNOLIAS. Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana is the place where the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done. Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s queen bees: local social leader, M’Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby, is about to get married; eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, who’s been in a bad mood for forty years; all helped out by Truvy’s eager new assistant, Annelle. Filled with hilarious repartee, this lovingly evoked picture of eccentricity in the small-town South will have your heart aching with laughter and heartbreak.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Book by Joseph Stein, Music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
June 28 – Aug. 3, 2025

Winner of nine Tony Awards, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF has touched audiences worldwide with its message of humor, warmth, and honesty. Set in the tight-knit, traditional Jewish community of Anatevka, Tevye, a poor milkman, his wife Golde, and their five daughters face the changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of 1905 Czarist Russia. Filled with iconic and beloved songs such as “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” this universal musical will leave you and your family crying tears of sadness, laughter, and joy.

July 19, 2024 @ 8:00 pm August 31, 2024 @ 8:00 pm

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Playing in the Long Beach Playhouse’s Mainstage Theater
June 28 – Aug. 3, 2025
Book by Joseph Stein, Music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick
Directed by Gregory Cohen
Musical Direction by Stephen Olear
Choreography by Kysa Cohen

Winner of nine Tony Awards, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF has touched audiences worldwide with its message of humor, warmth, and honesty. Set in the tight-knit, traditional Jewish community of Anatevka, Tevye, a poor milkman, his wife Golde, and their five daughters face the changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of 1905 Czarist Russia. Filled with iconic and beloved songs such as “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” this universal musical will leave you and your family crying tears of sadness, laughter, and joy.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE:
CHOOSE YOUR DATE:
AGE LIMIT

As a courtesy to our patrons, it is the policy of the theatre not to admit children under the age of 5. This policy may be altered from time to time based on shows and show content.

June 28 @ 8:00 pm August 3 @ 2:00 pm

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STEEL MAGNOLIAS
Playing in the Long Beach Playhouse’s Mainstage Theater
May 17 – June 14, 2025
By Robert Harling
Directed by Phyllis B. Gitlin

See the beloved play the popular movie is based on – STEEL MAGNOLIAS. Truvy’s beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana is the place where the ladies who are “anybody” come to have their hair done. Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town’s queen bees: local social leader, M’Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby, is about to get married; eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, who’s been in a bad mood for forty years; all helped out by Truvy’s eager new assistant, Annelle. Filled with hilarious repartee, this lovingly evoked picture of eccentricity in the small-town South will have your heart aching with laughter and heartbreak.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE:
CHOOSE YOUR DATE:
AGE LIMIT

As a courtesy to our patrons, it is the policy of the theatre not to admit children under the age of 5. This policy may be altered from time to time based on shows and show content.

*Preview night is $10 for those purchasing tickets over the phone or in person, there is a $3 service fee for those purchasing online.

May 17 @ 8:00 pm June 14 @ 8:00 pm

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Neil Simon’s GOD’S FAVORITE
Playing in the Long Beach Playhouse’s Mainstage Theater
April 5 – May 3, 2025
By Neil Simon
Directed by James Rice

Neil Simon is at it again in the awesomely funny comedy GOD’S FAVORITE! Successful businessman Joe Benjamin is a modern day ‘Job’ with a loving wife, two clueless but supportive younger children, and a household staff. But he is exasperated with his wise-cracking and seemingly apathetic oldest son. Just when it seems things couldn’t get any worse, he is visited by Sidney Lipton, a.k.a. A Messenger from God (and compulsive film buff), with a mission: test Joe’s faith and report back to “the Boss.” The jokes and tests of faith fly fast and furious as Simon spins a comedy like no other in this hilarious contemporary morality tale.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE:
CHOOSE YOUR DATE:
AGE LIMIT

As a courtesy to our patrons, it is the policy of the theatre not to admit children under the age of 5. This policy may be altered from time to time based on shows and show content.

*Preview night is $10 for those purchasing tickets over the phone or in person, there is a $3 service fee for those purchasing online.

April 5 @ 8:00 pm May 3 @ 8:00 pm

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August Wilson’s THE PIANO LESSON
Playing in the Long Beach Playhouse’s Mainstage Theater
Feb. 22 – Mar. 22, 2025
By August Wilson
Directed by Rovin Jay

Can you transcend the past? In August Wilson’s masterpiece, THE PIANO LESSON, the past is a ghost that haunts a Black family’s dreams of a better life. It’s the Great Depression, and Boy Willie has come north to Pittsburgh to see his sister, Bernice, with an opportunity to buy some land down home in Mississippi. He wants her to sell the family’s antique piano.  But it is more than just a musical instrument; it’s a testament to the family’s rise from slavery, carved with the images of their ancestors. As the siblings contend with each other, can they escape the lives of their forefathers and put to rest the ghosts that still haunt them?

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE:
CHOOSE YOUR DATE:
AGE LIMIT

As a courtesy to our patrons, it is the policy of the theatre not to admit children under the age of 5. This policy may be altered from time to time based on shows and show content.

*Preview night is $10 for those purchasing tickets over the phone or in person, there is a $3 service fee for those purchasing online.

This Production is Sponsored by the Port of Long Beach!

February 22 @ 8:00 pm March 22 @ 8:00 pm

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Agatha Christie’s THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD
Playing in the Long Beach Playhouse’s Mainstage Theater
Jan. 11 – Feb. 8, 2025
Adapted by Philip Grecian from the novel by Agatha Christie
Directed by Mitchell Nunn

From Agatha Christie’s highly-praised novel comes this thrilling adaptation of THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD. Famed Detective Hercule Poirot has retired from sleuthing to garden near the small village of King’s Abbot. But when his friend and local patrician Roger Ackroyd is murdered in his country manor, Poirot is pressed to investigate. To discover the killer, he enlists the aid of the local doctor to be his “Watson,” and the new detecting duo uncover a web of deceit in which every member of the household has something to hide.  No one will foresee the shocking twist as the murderer finds there is no secret they can keep from Hercule Poirot.

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE:
CHOOSE YOUR DATE:
AGE LIMIT

As a courtesy to our patrons, it is the policy of the theatre not to admit children under the age of 5. This policy may be altered from time to time based on shows and show content.

Our opening night gala is sponsored by The Port of Long Beach!

This Show Contains:
  • Very Loud Blank Firing Gun Shot
  • References to Suicide and Self-Harm
  • MURDER!
This is a Two Act Show, with one, 15 min. Intermission
•Act One is Approx. 1 Hr. 15 mins.
•There will be a 15 Minute Intermission
•Act Two is Approx. 1 Hr. 10 mins.
PREVIEW CLIP:

PERFORMANCE  PHOTOS
CAST:
  • Ace Christensen (DR. JAMES SHEPPARD)
  • Harriet Whitmyer (CAROLINE SHEPPARD)
  • Robert J. Fetes (HERCULE POIROT)
  • Jack Murphy (INSPECTOR RAGLAN)
  • Hope Abel (FLORA ACKROYD)
  • Carmen Tunis (MRS. ACKROYD)
  • Harris Banneck (GEOFFREY RAYMOND)
  • Michael Marmont (JOHN PARKER)
  • Aaron Izbicki (MAJOR HECTOR BLUNT)
  • Tracy Wilkes (ELIZABETH RUSSELL)
  • Alyssa Blaise Kammerer (URSULA BOURNE)
  • Lee Samuel Tanng (CHARLES KENT/RALPH PATON)

January 24 @ 8:00 pm February 8 @ 8:00 pm

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A CHRISTMAS CAROL (2024)
Playing in the Long Beach Playhouse’s Mainstage Theater
Dec. 7 – Dec. 22, 2024
From the novella by Charles Dickens

Holiday favorite A CHRISTMAS CAROL returns for its annual incarnation in this quick-paced, highly theatrical retelling of Charles Dickens’ classic tale. The ghosts of Christmases Past, Present, and Future show Ebenezer Scrooge the poverty of his miserly ways and the blessings that come with generosity. Can they convince him to change before it’s too late? Come spend time with the characters you’ve come to love – Bob Cratchit, Tiny Tim, and of course the irascible miser himself.  This yearly tradition will be the Christmas ghost story needed to set you and your loved ones on the path to holiday cheer.

Can’t make it to the Theatre? Watch our Production Online!

A Recorded Version of the Show is available! Only $5! ($8 when bought online with service fee)

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE:
CHOOSE YOUR DATE:

THIS PRODUCTION CLOSED ON DEC. 22, 2024

AGE LIMIT

As a courtesy to our patrons, it is the policy of the theatre not to admit children under the age of 5. This policy may be altered from time to time based on shows and show content.

A Big Thank You to The Port of Long Beach for Sponsoring our Opening Night Gala!

PERFORMANCE  PHOTOS:
CAST:
  • Scott Ruiz (EBENEZER SCROOGE)
  • Mark Carlin (BOB CRATCHIT)
  • Kaylie Jackel (GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PAST)
  • Alan Bornemann (GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT)
  • Tod Walker (JACOB MARELY)
  • Benjamin V. Rasmussen (FRED HOLLOWELL / YOUNG EBENEZER)
  • Trina Estanislao (MRS. CRATCHIT / MRS. OLIVER)
  • Alexandra Rae (BELLE / CAROLINE)
  • Sam Hardy (ELIZABETH HOLLOWELL / MRS. DILBER)
  • Oliver Chang (PETER CRATCHIT / IGNORANCE)
  • Carissa Klaus (BELINDA CRATCHIT / FAN / WANT)
  • Ava Rae Abundis (TINY TIM / SCHOOL-AGE SCROOGE)

December 22, 2024 @ 2:00 pm December 23, 2024 @ 9:00 am

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ROMEO AND JULIET
Playing in the Long Beach Playhouse’s Mainstage Theater
Nov. 2 – Nov. 30, 2024
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Lauren Velasco

Violent delights have violent ends in the quintessential story of star-crossed love, Shakespeare’s ROMEO & JULIET. Two clans war in the streets of Verona in a feud that threatens not only the peace of the city but the stability of their families themselves. Yet when Romeo sneaks into a party in disguise, he meets Juliet, the daughter of his enemy, and the two fall in love at first sight. Fresh in emotion, the two want to marry, and are helped by a well-meaning friar with the hope of burying ancient grudges.  Good intentions lead to grave consequences in a tragedy that prevails for the ages.

This production of ROMEO & JULIET at the Long Beach Playhouse is partially sponsored by the Port of Long Beach

A BIG THANK YOU to the Port of Long Beach!

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE:
CHOOSE YOUR DATE:

THIS PRODUCTION CLOSED ON NOV. 30, 2024

AGE LIMIT

As a courtesy to our patrons, it is the policy of the theatre not to admit children under the age of 5. This policy may be altered from time to time based on shows and show content.

This Show Contains:
  • Adult Content and Themes
  • Sexually Suggestive Gestures and Innuendo
  • Simulated Depictions of Violence 
  • Simulated Depictions of Self Harm
  • Sword Fighting Near the Audience
Act One is Approx. 1hr. 20 mins.
There will be a 15 Minute Intermission
Act Two is Approx. 1hr. 10 mins.
PERFORMANCE PHOTOS:
CAST:
  • Robbie Macey (ROMEO)
  • Miko Monroe (JULIET)
  • Andy Justus (FRIAR LAURENCE)
  • Patty van Empel (NURSE)
  • Giovanni Navarro (BENVOLIO/GUARD)
  • Colleen McCandless (MERCUTIO/GREGORY)
  • Jack Loeprich (TYBALT/FRIAR JOHN)
  • Scott Haven (LORD CAPULET)
  • Jessica Buckelew (LADY CAPULET)
  • Kelli Lackey (PARIS/SAMPSON)
  • Mack Noe (BALTHASAR)
  • Amara Phelps (THE PRINCE/PETER)
  • Serena Bottiani-Henderson (MONTAGUE)

November 2, 2024 @ 8:00 pm November 30, 2024 @ 8:00 pm

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THE PASSION OF DRACULA
Playing in the Long Beach Playhouse’s Mainstage Theater
Sept. 21 – Oct. 19, 2024
By Bob Hall & David Richmond
Directed by David Scaglione

In the bloodcurdling and sensational tradition of the Hammer horror films comes THE PASSION OF DRACULA! It’s 1911, and Dr. Seward presides over a mental hospital next to a quiet English village.  But a new resident to the locality has caused quite a stir, the charming and seductive Count Dracula.  When Seward’s ward, Wilhelmina, suffers from a strange wasting disease and grows more and more drawn to the stranger, can Professor Van Helsing, formidable Freudian analyst Dr. Helga Van Zandt, and young reporter Jonathan Harker solve the mystery and keep the young woman from falling into an undying abyss of the Count’s alluring powers?

PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS HERE:
CHOOSE YOUR DATE:

THIS PRODUCTION CLOSED OCT. 19, 2024

AGE LIMIT

As a courtesy to our patrons, it is the policy of the theatre not to admit children under the age of 5. This policy may be altered from time to time based on shows and show content.

This Show Contains:
  • Adult Themes
  • Fog and Smoke Effects
  • Flashing Lights
  • Simulated Smoking
  • Simulated Violence and Depictions of Self Harm
  • Loud Gun Shots
  • The Undead!
Act One is Approx. 45 mins.
There will be a 15 Minute Intermission
Act Two is Approx. 1hr. 15 mins.
PREVIEW CLIP:

PERFORMANCE PHOTOS:
CAST:
  • Michael Hovance (DR. CEDRIC SEWARD)
  • Alan Bornemann (JAMESON)
  • James Matthis (PROF. VAN HELSING)
  • Andrea Stradling (DR. HELGA VAN ZANDT)
  • Guy C. van Empel (LORD GODALMING)
  • Trevor Hart (MR. RENFIELD)
  • Caitlin Zinn (WILHELMINA MURRAY)
  • Jay Miramontes (JONATHAN HARKER)
  • Ben Trotter (COUNT DRACULA)

September 21, 2024 @ 8:00 pm October 19, 2024 @ 10:00 pm

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