A Noise Within offers theatre lovers a backstage glimpse, while Boston Court announces its first post-COVID production
As Pasadena functions under the COVID-19 lockdown, one of its prime theatres has maintained an online presence with its fans and supporters, and another has announced a tentative opening date for a production that had to be rescheduled from a spring run.
Repertory theatre giant A Noise Within (ANW) has been filling the theatrical void with its Fridays @ Five series of live-streamed events.
A Noise Within has postponed its fall 2020 mainstage productions to fall 2021. The spring 2021 lineup will open in February as scheduled, pending the approval of public health guidelines.
Meanwhile, Boston Court theatre plans to present the production “Passion” from Sept. 10-Oct. 18.
To help kick off theatre lovers’ weekends, ANW has been providing content on alternate Fridays at 5 pm – offering them the chance to engage in their beloved art form over a favorite cocktail, brew or mocktail in the comfort of their homes.
The next scheduled event in the series is a Q&A with the cast of their upcoming production of “Alice in Wonderland.” The virtual panel will let viewers plunge down the rabbit hole to discover how the artists involved approach their craft as well as Lewis Carroll’s topsy-turvy world.
Previous segments in the series have included the June 12 discussion “Noise Now – Re-imagining Classics,” which asked key questions that define the theatre’s mission, including “What defines a classic? Why do we revisit them time and time again? And, what new, cultural lenses can we apply to these ancient stories?” ANW’s Director of Cultural Programming Jonathan Munoz-Proulx led Noise Now artists in the discussion about what goes into adapting classics for modern and diverse audiences.
Other installments included a Q&A with the cast and director of ANW’s “The Winter’s Tale” production, as they took a retrospective look at the show. The event gave viewers a chance to pick their creative brains for how they approach their work in Shakespeare and beyond.
The series kicked off with a Q&A with ANW resident artists, the theatre troupe whose faces fans see in almost every production there. Each edition can be viewed Fridays at 5 pm at the theatre’s website, anoisewithin.org. Comments and questions for consideration in each edition can be sent in advance to marketing@anoisewithin.org.
Meanwhile, Boston Court has announced that it plans to return to live events with the rescheduled run of “Passion,” the famed musical with music and lyrics by the legendary composer Stephen Sondheim and book by his longtime collaborator, James Lapine. Directed at Boston Court by Michael Michetti, the play is based on the film “Passione d’Amore” directed by Ettore Scola, which was in turn based on the novel “Fosca” by I.U. Tarchetti.
“Passion” tells the story of Giorgio, a handsome young army captain in 1860s Italy, who finds himself torn between Clara, his beautiful young lover, and Fosca, the unattractive, sickly woman who challenges his notion of what love is. With an achingly beautiful score, Passion delves into the mystifying tangle of desire, obsession, lust and madness that comprise love.
Those who have already purchased tickets can reschedule their tickets using the online calendar provided at the theatre’s website: bostoncourtpasadena.org. Those who can’t attend the new dates are asked to consider donating their tickets.
For more information about each theatre or to relay questions, visit anoisewithin.org or bostoncourtpasadena.org.
