COACHELLA VALLEY REPERTORY EXECUTIVE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR ADAM KARSTEN has officially announced CVRep’s 2024-2025 Season: five sensational productions of award-winning plays and musicals never before produced by CVRep, as well as the World Premiere of a new and timely work selected from the 2023 ORIGINS NEW WORKS PROGRAM.
The season starts with a musical masterpiece, Pulitzer Prize-winning, 11 Tony Award nominated NEXT TO NORMAL; followed by the hilarious “Alfred Hitchcock meets Monty Python” inspired comedy, THE 39 STEPS; Broadway’s endearing and beautifully tuneful musical, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA; Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s powerful and provocative JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR; and a gripping family drama that was a Pulitzer Prize nominee, OTHER DESERT CITIES.
The season’s World Premiere production, selected from more than 300 submissions to the Origins New Works Program, will be announced at a later date, with single tickets going on sale at that time. Karsten said, “This season’s plays and musicals are brilliant achievements, worthy of their every accolade and award. They draw us into very personal, private, and even intimate relationships that are, at times hysterically funny and, at others, emotionally wrenching. These works promise experiences that will entertain while also requiring us to invest our humanity and vulnerability. I remain so grateful to CVRep’s board and our family of donors and sponsors who make seasons such as this possible. And a very special ‘thank you’ from all of us at CVRep to our loyal ticket buyers who encourage us to be a dynamic theatre company respects and honors the diverse preferences of theatergoers throughout our Coachella Valley.”
Subscription renewals, new subscriptions, and single tickets are available now.
Subscription prices begin at $305. Single tickets are $115 and $125 for Opening Nights, $55 and #65 for Preview Performances, and $70 & $80 for all other performances. They can be purchased online at www.cvrep.org, by calling (760) 296-2966, ext. 0, or at the CVRep box office located at 68510 East Palm Canyon Dr., Cathedral City. Summer box office hours are Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and one hour prior to performances. In order to better serve audiences, patrons requesting accessibility assistance are encouraged to speak to a ticket representative while purchasing their season subscriptions.
NEXT TO NORMAL – “Next to Normal covers a challenging subject, no question. That it’s hopeful and uplifting, not depressing, is more than a triumph – it’s next to wondrous” – Michael Kuchward, Associated Press.
Nominated for eleven Tony® Awards, NEXT TO NORMAL became the eighth musical in history to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Heartbreaking and moving, NEXT TO NORMAL depicts a family’s struggle with depression and mental health through powerful songs, comedic and chaotic settings. Over the course of the show, the family ultimately learns how to see each other for who they truly are and finds a sense of ‘normal.’
THE 39 STEPS – “The 39 Steps is a most original and truly hilariously entertaining comedy that plays out unlike anything you’ve ever experienced.” –Tom Wilson, Chicago Critic.
Mix a Hitchcock movie masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, then add a dash of Monty Python craziness, and you have THE 39 STEPS. It’s a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre! This two-time Tony® and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, more than 150 madcap characters (played by an absurdly talented cast of four), an onstage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers, and some good old-fashioned romance will keep audiences laughing right out of their seats.
THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA – “… the most soul-satisfying score written for Broadway so far this century.” – Chicago Tribune, Chris Jones Winner of six Tony® Awards, five Drama Desk Awards.
THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA takes us to the Tuscan countryside where a beautiful, endearing yet surprisingly childish young woman loses her hat in a sudden gust, and lands at the feet of a handsome young Florentine man. As events take place and secrets are revealed, a love story unlike any other unfolds. Filled with a beautiful blend of classical and Broadway melodies, this award-winning musical will remind you of how art and love can transcend all challenges.
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR – “Improbably, his message of peace and tolerance feels newly controversial in light of distant wars and domestic divisions, as painfully relevant now as in the ’70s.” – Denver Post, John Wenzel.
A rock phenomenon that has dazzled audiences for decades, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR tells of the struggles between Jesus, Judas Iscariot, Mary Magdalene, his disciples, his followers, and the Roman Empire entirely through song. CVRep will present a semi-immersive version of this masterpiece in a way that has never been seen before. Join CVRep for this new staging of the iconic 1970s rock musical and such well-known songs as “Superstar,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “Gethsemane.”
OTHER DESERT CITIES “… the most richly enjoyable new play for grown-ups that New York has known in many a season.” – Ben Brantley, The New York Times
When a young lady arrives at her parents’ Palm Springs manor on Christmas Eve with a copy of her ‘tell-all’ memoir in tow, she uncovers a devastating family secret—launching her parents into a panic that threatens to rip the clan apart. With stinging wit and razor-sharp insight, OTHER DESERT CITIES “has the appeal of a Broadway hit from another age” (The New York Times). This scintillating Pulitzer Prize finalist hits close to home and will grip audiences from start to finish. COACHELLA VALLEY REPERTORY is a non-profit, professional regional theater. It is the only theater in California’s Coachella Valley that has Small Professional Theatre (SPT) status with Actor’s Equity. CVRep produces professional theater and educational programs that present thought provoking theatre of substance. It also offers professional level theatre training for young people and adults in its Conservatory, Writing Competition, and other meaningful, socially, and culturally relevant children’s outreach programs. As a member of the Coachella Valley community, CVRep is committed to enriching the quality of life for all residents and to providing memorable experiences for the Valley’s many visitors.
2024-2025 SEASON
NEXT TO NORMAL Music by Tom Kitt – Lyrics and Book by Brian Yorkey. November 6–24, 2024
THE 39 STEPS By Patrick Barlow. December 11–22, 2024
THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA Music & Lyrics by Adam Guetiel – Book by Craig Lucas. January 22 – February 9, 2025
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber – Lyrics by Tim Rice. March 5 – 23, 2025
OTHER DESERT CITIES By Jon Robin Baitz. April 16 – 27, 2025
SUBSCRIPTION RENEWALS, NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS, AND SINGLE TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW. Performances times: Wed – 2 & 7 p.m. Thurs & Fri – 7 p.m. Sat – 2 & 7 p.m. Sun – 2 p.m.
To purchase: Online – www.cvrep.org
Phone – (760)296-2966, ext. 0. Groups – (760)296-2966, ext. 115
Box office – 68510 East Palm Canyon Dr., Cathedral City, CA
