The New Victory Theater will kick off the second half of its 2011-12 Season with Zoem! New Dutch Theater. The series, which includes four U.S. premieres all performed in English, runs from January 6 through January 29, 2012 and launches with Rumplestiltskin by Stella Den Haag, followed by Miss Ophelia by Het Filiaal, then Hands Up! by Lejo, a regular puppeteer on “Sesamstraat,” and finally, a stage adaptation of Wuthering Heights by Theater Artemis.
“The companies chosen to participate represent some of the best of what the Dutch have to offer in the world of performing arts for youth and family audiences today. We are delighted to bring these highly original works to The New Victory, Duke on 42nd Street and the New 42nd Street® Studios, as they reflect the high artistic standards that our programming embraces,” said Cora Cahan, President of The New 42nd Street.
As widely reported over the summer, the Dutch government is significantly cutting its arts funding, with the performing arts evidently taking a dramatically hard hit. “As a result of the budget cuts, some of the companies performing at The New Victory may cease to exist after 2013,” said Anja Krans of the Theater Instituut Nederland, an organization funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science that documents, supports and promotes Dutch theater in the Netherlands and abroad.
General Ticket Information
Theater-goers who buy tickets for three or more New Vic shows qualify for free Membership benefits, including up to 35-percent savings with tickets as low as $9. Full-price tickets for individual productions are as low as $14 each. To purchase tickets online, visit NewVictory.org, and to purchase by phone, call 646-223-3010. The New Victory Theater box office (209 West 42nd Street) is open Sunday and Monday from 11am-5pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm-7pm.
Zoem! New Dutch Theater Offerings:
Rumplestiltskin- U.S. Premiere
Stella Den Haag
Den Haag, Netherlands
January 6 - 8
The Duke on 42nd Street- Theater
In this artful and eerie rendition of the fairy tale known to Dutch children as Niemand Weet, Niemand Weet… (Nobody Knows, Nobody Knows…), live music, storytelling and drama intertwine to turn this classic story into an enthralling, contemporary play.
Recommended for ages 8 to adult
Friday at 7pm, Saturday at 2pm and 7pm, Sunday at 12pm and 5pm
Miss Ophelia- U.S. Premiere
Het Filiaal
Utrecht, Netherlands
January 13 - 15
The Duke on 42nd Street- Theater/Puppetry
In this charming stage adaptation of Ophelia’s Shadow Theatre by Michael Ende (The Neverending Story), two performers use storytelling, puppetry and music to dramatize the tale of Ophelia, an ordinary person, who upon discovering a shadow that “belongs to no one,” experiences something extraordinary. Het Filiaal last visited The New Victory in 2006 with its comedy concert, The Baron Rabinowitz.
This year, Miss Ophelia received the Zilveren Krekel Award (Silver Cricket) for ‘most impressive production’. This honor, as well as the Gouden Krekel Award (Golden Cricket), is provided annually by the Dutch Association of Theatres and Concert Halls VSCD to pay tribute to the creators of youth theater and to express its appreciation for the genre.
Recommended for ages 6 to adult
Friday at 7pm, Saturday and Sunday at 12pm and 5pm
Hands Up!- U.S. PREMIERE
Lejo
Amersfoort, Netherlands
January 18 - 22
Studio 3A/B at the New 42nd Street Studios- Puppetry
Using just his hands, an animated soundtrack and simple props, Lejo (l?h?)—a regular on “Sesamstraat” (the Dutch cousin of “Sesame Street”)—conjures a vast collection of kooky, quirky and clever characters in this wordless puppetry production.
Recommended for ages 3 to 6
Wednesday at 12:30pm, Thursday at 12:30pm, Saturday and Sunday at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm
Wuthering Heights Restless Souls- U.S. Premiere
Theater Artemis
Co-produced by Theater Antigone
?s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands and Kortrijk, Belgium
January 27 - 29
The New Victory Theater- Theater
Performed on a spare set that evokes the tempestuous nature of the moors, this Contemporary Stage adaptation exposes the timeless nature and inescapable power of the Emily Brontë classic love story.
