Camryn Elias and Jerry Lee in ‘Sunday in the Park with George’
Camryn Elias
Sierra Repertory Theatre (SRT) in Sonora will present the Pulitzer Prize winning musical “Sunday in the Park with George” from May 13 through June 11. The shows will be staged at the East Sonora Theatre (13891 Mono Way, Sonora).
SRT’s own Jerry Lee (George), Camryn Elias (Dot & Marie), Cody Gerszewski (Jules & Dennis), Laurie Strawn (Old Woman & Blair Daniels) and Courtney Glass (Yvonne & Naomi) will star in the musical created by Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine. The SRT production will be directed by Scott Viets with musical direction by Sean Paxton.
“Shows like Sunday are why we do what we do,” Viets says. “While we are in the midst of one of the most exciting seasons ever at SRT, Sunday is the heart of the season. The entire company feels immensely honored to work with this material. To live inside this work is what we dream about as artists.”
The Georges Seurat painting, “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte,” is the inspiration for this compelling musical fantasy which celebrates the art of creation and the creation of art. The first half of Sunday in the Park with George, set in 1884, sees the painting and its rich comic tapestry come to life in a world where, for Georges, art comes before love, before everything. In the second half, set in 1980s New York, we see the great grandson of Georges and his search for inspiration amongst the unfolding world of contemporary art.
Sunday in the Park with George premiered at the Booth Theatre on Broadway in 1984 starring Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters, directed by James Lapine. The Tony nominated production won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (one of only 10 musicals in history) and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.
The show previews at the East Sonora Theatre at 6:30 p.m. on May 11 and 12; and 2 p.m. on May 13. The production officially opens at 7 p.m. on May 13.
Regular performance times are Wednesdays at noon, Thursdays at 2 p.m., Fridays at 7 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets range from $35-$48. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more, students, veterans, and first responders. Tickets are available by calling the box office at (209) 532.3120, visiting SierraRep.org, or emailing [email protected].