After more than two months of work, inspections and paperwork, City Rep's newly renovated space at 638 S. State St. has finally reopened to the public.
The first new production is the much-delayed adaptation of "Flash Gordon Conquers the Planet of Evil." (Presumably the action on stage will move considerably faster than the time it took for City Rep to jump all of the necessary bureaucratic hurdles in order to reopen its doors.)Permanent seats have now been installed in the theater, and other required facilities are in place. The only thing missing is the lobby carpet, which will not be installed until the interior has been painted.
City Rep's own version of the science-fiction classic, adapted especially for the company by Orval Fox Jr., pits Ming the Merciless against futuristic space hero Flash Gordon. The show is based on Alex Raymond's immensely popular 1930s comic strip, which later became a movie serial starring Olympic swimmer Buster Crabbe, and was also a popular prime-time action series on TV during the 1950s - which is when writer Fox remembers seeing the sci-fi adventures.
Directed by City Rep Artistic Director Joanne M. Parker, the cast includes Michael Hohl in the title role, Owen Richardson as Ming, Amy Richardson as Dale Arden, Collyn Kreuzer as Prince Barin, Nathan Wright as Dr. Zarkov and Charlie English as Vultan.
Others in the cast include Mary Bishop, Jacob Bruner, David Dean, Ethan Millard, Ryan Jensen, Shaela Swallow, Thad Goodman, Elisa Brewerton and Laura Smith.
Regular performances are tonight (March 12) and March 13, 15, 20, 22 and 26 and April 3 and 5 at 7:30 p.m., with one matinee scheduled for March 13 at 2 p.m. There will also be an 11:30 a.m. performance on March 31 for school field trips. (This performance may be reserved at discount rates.)
Regular admission is $7.50 for adults and $4.75 for children. All seats are reserved. For reservations or further information, contact the box office at 532-6000.
City Rep will soon announce a revised calendar for the remainder of its 1992-93 season, including new dates for "To Kill a Mockingbird," "Jungle Book" and "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" along with arrangements to accommodate patrons who were unable to see "Child of Bethlehem," due to the theater being closed for remodeling.