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La Jolla Playhouse

Coordinates: 32°52′15.18″N 117°14′28.77″W / 32.8708833°N 117.2413250°W / 32.8708833; -117.2413250
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La Jolla Playhouse
Formation1947
TypeTheatre group
Location
  • San Diego, California
Artistic director(s)
Christopher Ashley
Notable members
Founders: Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, Mel Ferrer
Websitelajollaplayhouse.org

La Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre on the campus of the University of California, San Diego.

History

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La Jolla Playhouse was founded in 1947 by Gregory Peck, Dorothy McGuire, and Mel Ferrer.[1][2][3] In 1983, it was revived under the leadership of Des McAnuff. Since then, the Playhouse's repertoire has included 108 world premieres, thirty-two West Coast premieres, and eight American premieres, and has won more than three hundred honors, including the 1993 Tony Award as America's Outstanding Regional Theatre. It is supported, in part, by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, the City of San Diego, and the County of San Diego. It was announced on April 10, 2007, that Christopher Ashley would succeed McAnuff as artistic director.

Among the 36 productions that originated at the Playhouse before finding success on Broadway are The Who's Tommy, Come from Away, Thoroughly Modern Millie, The Outsiders, Big River, Matthew Broderick's revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Freaky Friday, Bonnie and Clyde, the Pulitzer Prize-winning I Am My Own Wife, 700 Sundays, Jersey Boys, Memphis, Peter and the Starcatcher, SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical, and Redwood with Idina Menzel which is set to open on Broadway in 2025.[4]

Programs

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La Jolla Playhouse provides a number of Learning & Engagement opportunities for children, teens, and adults interested in theatre arts, both as performers and behind-the-scenes. In addition, the Performance Outreach Program (POP Tour) annually brings a professional, world-premiere production to schools, libraries, and community centers throughout San Diego. There are additional summer theater opportunities through the La Jolla Playhouse Conservatory, student matinees, teen council, and many other in-school workshops and classes.

Page to Stage

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La Jolla Playhouse began the Page to Stage Play Development Program in 2001 to facilitate the development of new plays and musicals, offering audiences the rare opportunity to experience the "birth" of a play and take part in its evolution. As a Page to Stage workshop, a production will feature minimal sets and costumes, and will be revised throughout its entire process, including performances. After the performance, audience feedback sessions will provide insight and suggestion for both the creative team and the actors. In the 22 years since the program began, two Page to Stage Productions have gone on to win Tony Awards. Doug Wright's I Am My Own Wife won the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and Tony Awards for Best Play and Best Leading Actor in a Play (Jefferson Mays); and Billy Crystal's 700 Sundays, a 2004 Page to Stage Production, won the 2005 Tony Award for Special Theatrical Event.

Management

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Managing directors

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  • 1981–1991: Alan Levey
  • 1992–2004: Terry Dwyer
  • 2005–2008: Steven Libman
  • 2009–2018: Michael S. Rosenberg
  • 2018–current: Debby Buchholz

Artists

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Artistic directors

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Notable actors

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Productions

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La Jolla Playhouse to Broadway

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Production La Jolla Playhouse Broadway Tony Awards
Big River 1984 1985
  • Best Musical
  • Best Book of a Musical
  • Best Original Score
  • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
  • Best Direction of a Musical
  • Best Scenic Design
  • Best Lighting Design
A Walk in the Woods 1987 1988
Dangerous Games 1989 1989
The Grapes of Wrath 1989 1991
  • Best Play
The Who's Tommy 1992 1993
  • Best Direction of a Musical
  • Best Choreography
  • Best Original Score
  • Best Scenic Design
  • Best Lighting Design
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying 1994 1995 (revival)
  • Best Actor in a Musical
An Almost Holy Picture 1995 2002
The Green Bird 1996 2000
Harmony 1997 2023
Jane Eyre 1999 2000
Thoroughly Modern Millie 2000 2002
  • Best Musical
  • Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
  • Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
  • Best Choreography
  • Best Orchestrations
  • Best Costume Design
Dracula, the Musical 2001 2004
I Am My Own Wife 2001 2004
  • Best Play
  • Best Actor in a Play
700 Sundays 2004 2004
Jersey Boys 2004 2005
  • Best Musical
  • Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
  • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
  • Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Doctor Zhivago (premiered as Zhivago) 2006 2015
The Farnsworth Invention 2007 2007
Cry Baby 2007 2008
33 Variations 2008 2009
  • Best Scenic Design of a Play
Memphis 2008 2009
  • Best Musical
  • Best Book of a Musical
  • Best Original Score
  • Best Orchestrations
Bonnie and Clyde 2009 2011
Peter and the Starcatcher 2009 2012
  • Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
  • Best Sound Design of a Play
  • Best Lighting Design of a Play
  • Best Costume Design of a Play
  • Best Scenic Design of a Play
Ghetto Klown (premiered as John Leguizamo: Diary of a Madman) 2010 2011
Chaplin 2010 2012
Jesus Christ Superstar 2011 2012 (revival)
Hands on a Hardbody 2012 2013
Side Show 2013 2014
Indecent 2015 2017
  • Best Direction of a Play
  • Best Lighting Design of a Play
Come from Away 2015 2017
  • Best Direction of a Musical
John Leguizamo: Latin History for Morons 2016 2017
  • Special Tony Award
Junk: The Golden Age of Debt 2016 2017
SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical 2017 2018
Escape to Margaritaville 2017 2018
Diana 2019 2020
Lempicka 2022 2024
The Outsiders 2023 2024
  • Best Musical
  • Best Direction of a Musical
  • Best Lighting Design of a Musical
  • Best Sound Design in a Musical
Redwood 2024 2025[4]

References

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  1. ^ "Playhouse Highlights". La Jolla Playhouse. Archived from the original on November 15, 2011. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
  2. ^ Epstein, Robert (1991-06-20). "A Plan Comes Together at La Jolla Playhouse". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2023-05-16.
  3. ^ Monteagudo, Marie (2022-07-08). "From the Archives: La Jolla Playhouse launched 75 years ago". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  4. ^ a b "Idina Menzel to Return to Broadway in New Musical 'Redwood'". The Hollywood Reporter. 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
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32°52′15.18″N 117°14′28.77″W / 32.8708833°N 117.2413250°W / 32.8708833; -117.2413250