Mill Mountain Theatre announced their 2020 Season with a joyous celebration and performance on the Trinkle MainStage.The theatre’s 2020 season will consist of three MainStage productions on the Trinkle, five productions for Young Audiences, two productions in the Fringe Series, and two concerts in their Music Series. A brilliant balance of shows that all will enjoy.
TRINKLE MAINSTAGE SERIES
Three big-cast shows of drama, comedy, music, and family fun, all with impressive production quality.
Dreamgirls
March 25 – April 11
Trinkle MainStage
A dazzling journey through 20th-century American popular music, Dreamgirls follows the rising stardom of The Dreamettes, an all-girl Motown group from Chicago. Known for its 2006 feature film adaptation starring Jennifer Hudson, and filled with show-stopping musical numbers from the genres of gospel, R&B, smooth pop, disco, and more, Dreamgirls explores themes of ambition, hope, and betrayal, all set in the glamorous and competitive world of the entertainment industry. Dreamgirls has music by Academy Award nominee Henry Krieger, with book and lyrics by Tony and Grammy Award winner Tom Eyen. Songs include, “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going,” “I Am Changing,” “One Night Only,” and “Steppin’ To The Bad Side.”
The Diary of Anne Frank
September 23 – October 4
Trinkle MainStage
“I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.” Thirteen-year-old Anne Frank wrote in her diary to better understand herself and the horrors of being Jewish in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. In this transcendently powerful new adaptation by Wendy Kesselman, Anne Frank emerges from the pages of history as a living, lyrical, and intensely gifted young girl. An impassioned drama about the lives of eight people hiding from the Nazis in a concealed storage attic, The Diary of Anne Frank captures the claustrophobic realities of their daily existence—their fear, their laughter, their grief, and their hope. This adaptation breathes new life into this iconic tale.
Holiday Inn
December 2 – 20
Trinkle MainStage
Based on the 1942 Paramount Pictures film of the same name, Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn tells the story of Jim, who leaves behind the bright lights of show business to settle down in a small farmhouse in Connecticut. His luck takes a spectacular turn when he meets Linda, a spirited schoolteacher with talent to spare. Together, they turn the farmhouse into a fabulous inn where they put on dazzling performances to celebrate each holiday, from Thanksgiving to the Fourth of July. Will Jim be able to salvage his latest chance at love when his best friend Ted tries to lure Linda away? Celebrate the holiday season with this joyous musical features thrilling tap-dance numbers, laugh-out-loud comedy, and a parade of hit Irving Berlin songs, including “Blue Skies,” “Easter Parade,” “Steppin’ Out With My Baby,” “Heat Wave,” “Be Careful, It’s My Heart,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “Shaking the Blues Away,” and many more!
THE FRINGE SERIES
Two productions of cutting edge drama.
Cabaret
June 25 – July 5
Trinkle MainStage
Willkommen to the Kit Kat Club! Set in a 1920’s Berlin nightclub, a garish Master of Ceremonies welcomes the audience and assures them they will forget all their troubles at the Cabaret. Cliff, a young American writer newly arrived in Berlin, is immediately taken with British Cabaret singer Sally Bowles. Using the Emcee’s bawdy songs as wry commentary, Cabaret explores the dark and tumultuous life of Berlin’s natives and expatriates as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. Featuring some of the most memorable songs in musical theatre history, including “Cabaret,” “Two Ladies,” and “Maybe This Time,” this Tony Award-winning masterpiece by John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Joe Masteroff is more relevant today than ever. So, “come to the cabaret my friends! Come to the cabaret!”
The Cake
November 5 – 8
Waldron Stage
When Della, a North Carolina baker and devout Christian, is asked to bake a wedding cake for her best friend’s daughter, she is overjoyed – until she finds out that the bride’s intended is another bride. For the first time in her life, Della is forced to think for herself, examine her deeply-held belief in “traditional marriage,” and make a decision that may turn her entire life upside-down. Inspired by true events, this hilarious and delicious play by Bekah Brunstetter (NBC’s This Is Us) is proof that love is the key ingredient in creating common ground.
YOUNG AUDIENCE SERIES
Four delightful productions all encouraging literacy and for children to read.
Cinderella
July 29 – August 9
Trinkle MainStage
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic musical, Cinderella, truly sparkles in this new, Tony Award-winning adaptation that won the hearts of audiences everywhere. Cinderella features some of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most beloved songs, including “In My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible,” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” alongside a hilarious and romantic libretto by Tony Award nominee Douglas Carter Beane, featuring some new characters and surprising twists! This full-length production on the Trinkle MainStage will feature local youth performers and is perfect for the whole family. In conjunction with this production, MMT will distribute free books to children in attendance as part of our initiative connecting theatre to literacy. Hurry– get your tickets– before the clock strikes twelve!
Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical
May 30 – July 3
Touring the Roanoke Valley
8-year-old Lily Polkadot just moved to the “Squares Only” small town of Rockaway, and is the first Polkadot in an all Square school. Experiencing everything from daily bullying to segregated drinking fountains, Lily feels hopeless until she meets Sky, a shy Square boy whose curiosity for her unique polkadot skin blooms into an unexpected friendship. Inspired by Civil Rights pioneers Ruby Bridges and The Little Rock Nine, Polkadots serves as a colorful history lesson for the world, reminding us that our differences make us awesome, not outcasts. MMT will delight families everywhere by performing this touring show at schools, libraries, parks, and neighborhood venues around the region. Admission is free, and MMT will distribute free books to student audience members as part of our initiative connecting theatre to reading and literacy.
Write Stuff! 2020
February 22nd, 2020
On the Waldron Stage
MMT’s young playwrights festival Write Stuff! returns for its fourth year, encouraging young writers to submit their short plays to be produced as staged readings on the Waldron Stage. Students, see your characters come to life on the MMT stage! The competition is open to all middle and high-school students, and the deadline for submissions is December 31st, 2019. Mark that on your calendar, folks! Several short plays will be selected from the submissions by a panel of readers, and will then be workshopped, produced in a staged reading format, and performed by Mill Mountain Theatre Conservatory students.
Treasure Island: A New Musical
May 2 – May 9
On the Waldron Stage
Based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale, this swashbuckling adventure shares the story of a young man in the midst of a race against Long John Silver to find buried treasure. Filled with mystery, scurvy pirates, and cheery sea shanties, Treasure Island is an expedition you don’t want to miss. This original musical will make its world-premiere on the Waldron Stage at Mill Mountain Theatre, and feature local students as performers, designers, and technicians. All public performances will be “pay what you can,” and include the distribution of free books to students as part of our initiative connecting theatre to reading and literacy.
Peter & Wendy
November 10 – 18
On the Waldron Stage
Fly to Neverland with Peter Pan and Wendy Darling in this new adaptation of J.M. Barrie’s most famous novel. Local student-performers will welcome audience members into a world full of mermaids, fairies, and pirates on the Waldron Stage for a performance that will mesmerize patrons of all ages. The original adaptation will also feature local students as designers and technicians. All public performances will be “pay what you can,” and include the distribution of free books to students as part of our initiative connecting theatre to reading and literacy.
MUSIC SERIES
Two musical concerts, with four fun-filled nights of well known tunes.
Golden Age of Broadway
May 22 – 23
Trinkle MainStage
Enjoy the sweeping and illustrious music of Broadway’s Golden Age in our Golden Age of Broadway concert on the Trinkle MainStage. Throughout the evening, enjoy songs from the Great White Way’s most iconic composers: Cole Porter (Anything Goes, Kiss Me Kate), Rodgers and Hammerstein (Sound of Music, South Pacific, Carousel, The King and I), Leonard Bernstein (West Side Story, On The Town), Irving Berlin (Annie Get Your Gun), Lerner and Lowe (My Fair Lady), Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls), and more! Featuring a live band and singers, this concert is produced by MMT in just a week and plays for two nights only!
Music of the Crooners
August 21 – 22
Trinkle MainStage
Remember some of the most celebrated entertainers of our time at our Music of the Crooners concert. Sit back and enjoy tunes originated by the velvety voices of singers like Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Tony Bennett, and more. Pop standards from the Great American Songbook will leave you humming all the way home. Featuring a live band and singers, this concert is produced by MMT in just a week and plays for two nights only!
Season Subscriptions
Season subscriptions are available on Oct 1st on their website. There are many different packages visit millmountain.org/tickets/subscriptions:
Trinkle Productions – Package includes: Dreamgirls, Cinderella (Young Audiences on Trinkle), The Diary of Anne Frank, and Holiday Inn.
Music Series – Package includes: Golden Age of Broadway and Music of the Crooners.
The Fringe Series – Package includes: Cabaret and The Cake.
All In Package – Package includes: Dreamgirls, Cinderella (Young Audiences on Trinkle), The Diary of Anne Frank, Holiday Inn, Golden Age of Broadway, Music of the Crooners, Cabaret, and The Cake.
Single tickets go on sale: December 1st.
Visit millmountain.org or call 540-342-5740 for more information
