‘Little Shop,’ ‘Misery,’ ‘9 to 5’: Youngstown Playhouse Unveils 2023-24 Season
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown Playhouse’s 2023-24 season – its 99th – will open with the fun musical “Little Shop of Horrors” and will also include the regional premiere of the Broadway hit “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”
The 10-show season includes four musicals and two youth productions, and will close with the Dolly Parton musical “9 to 5.”
“I think we have a good mix of shows to satisfy our audiences and our brilliant performers,” said John Cox, Youngstown Playhouse board president.
For the upcoming season, the board put an extra focus on selecting each show’s director.
“We have some new faces and a couple of tested veterans returning,” Cox said. “Having a passionate storyteller directing a show only enhances the experience for the actor and the audience.”
The season will open Friday, Sept. 22, with “Little Shop of Horrors” on the main stage, directed by Robert Dennick Joki, founder and director of Rust Belt Theater and a veteran of the Valley’s entertainment scene.
Flex Pass subscriptions will go on sale Friday, June 16, and will be available in three pricing tiers. Passes are valid for four performances within the season. Special pricing for Flex Pass subscriptions is available through Aug. 6. Subscriptions start at $48 (plus a $4 fee per pass purchased). Go to youngstownplayhouse.org.
Flex Pass subscriptions can be purchased from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday by phone at 330 788 8739; in person at the DeYor Performing Arts Center box office, downtown; and online at youngstownplayhouse.org.
Individual tickets will be $17, $22 and $27 (plus a $4 fee per ticket) and will go on sale six weeks prior to each show’s opening.
Here is the 2023-24 schedule:
- “Little Shop of Horrors,” Sept. 22- Oct. 1, directed by Robert Dennick Joki, main stage. A meek flower shop clerk discovers the terrible secret about a new breed of plant in this comedy.
- “Misery,” Oct. 27-Nov. 5, directed by Chris Fidram, main stage. A successful romance novelist survives a car crash thanks to his rescuer and No. 1 fan, who takes his stories a little too seriously.
- “The Flu Season,” Nov. 10-19, directed by Pat Foltz, Moyer Room. An unconventional tale that follows the relationship of a couple who are patients in a mental hospital.
- “Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” Dec. 1-10, directed by Emma Wason, main stage. A musical adaptation of the beloved fairy tale.
- “Alice in Wonderland,” a youth theater production, Jan. 19-21, 2024; directed by Emelia Sherin, main stage.
- “Love/Sick,” Feb. 9-18, 2024; directed by Rosalyn Blystone, Moyer Room. A collection of nine slightly twisted and hilarious short plays about the joys and pains of being in love.
- “Shrek Jr.,” a youth theater production, March 8-10, 2024; directed by Shiloh Hart, main stage.
- “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” April 12-21, 2024; directed by Randall Brammer, main stage. A 15-year-old boy named Christopher stumbles upon his neighbor’s dead dog and is determined to find out who killed it.
- “Here on the Flight Path,” May 10-19, 2024; directed by Ben Gavitt, Moyer Room. A comedy about a man whose quiet life is interrupted by the women who moved into the adjoining apartment.
- “9 to 5,” June 7-16, 2024; directed by Connor Bezeredi, main stage. Based on the hit 1980 movie about three fed-up women office workers who get even with their male bosses.
Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
