Musical Theatre West’s (MTW) Reiner Staged Reading Series will return this season with a line-up of classic and forgotten Broadway shows, beginning with Pal Joey on Sunday, Jan. 24 at 7pm at the University Theatre at California State University, Long Beach.
The Reiner’s Reading Series productions are performed concert-style, a bit like radio theatre, according to MTW. Using minimal sets and costumes, but featuring the full scripts and scores, the performances aim to celebrate the spectrum of musical theatre while discovering some new favorite songs and shows. The shows will be performed in their entirety with the scores played by a live orchestra, provided by Los Angeles Musicians Collective.
The series is produced by Michael Betts and David Lamoureux and is made possible by a donation from Ken & Dottie Reiner with additional funding provided by The Ackerman Family/Evalyn M. Bauer Foundations, Kathy Baker Campbell, Robert & Donna Betts, Ben & Norena Thompson, Pat & Janice DeRouen, Marian Pincombe, and Ken & Cheryl Simpson.
Pal Joey takes place in the late 1930s in Chicago, where Joey Evans is a small-time performer with big dreams of starting his own night club. A philanderer always working the angles, he draws the attention of two women, the innocent Linda who brings out the best in him and the wealthy, middle-aged and married Vera Simpson, who can give him the club and lifestyle he’s always wanted.
Tickets are now on sale at the MTW ticket office or by calling (562) 856-1999, ext. 4. Advance general-admission tickets for each performance are $27 (or $32 on the day of the performance). Those interested may also purchase a subscription for all four Reiner Staged Reading performances (to include Pal Joey on Jan. 26; On The Twentieth Century on May 16; Donnybrook! on June 12; and Li’l Abner on Aug. 28) for $100, or $75 for a choice of three shows. Seating is general admission, with season subscribers receiving early access to the theatre via a special subscriber door.
