Sul Ross State University’s Theatre of the Big Bend is celebrating its 60th anniversary this summer with two musical productions, including “Next to Normal,” a contemporary rock musical by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” based on the classic fairytale.
The winner of three Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama, “Next to Normal” runs June 20 -22 in the Francois Fine Arts Building Studio Theatre. Cinderella opens July 5 and runs Thursday to Sunday through July 20 at the Kokernot Outdoor Theatre.
Theatre of the Big Bend (ToBB) opened in 1965 as a collaboration between Sul Ross faculty and students and volunteer members from the Alpine community. Over the last three years, ToBB has transitioned into a professional summer repertory and training ground for Sul Ross theatre students. This year, in honor of ToBB’s history of community involvement, “Cinderella” includes community members, SRSU students and alumni, and professionals.
“Cinderella is about making the impossible possible,” said Director and Associate Professor of Cinematic Arts Bret Scott. “We have so many alumni working in the cast and backstage that in some ways, this 60th anniversary production feels like a reunion. I think audiences will love the music and humor of the show. It’s sweet, it’s funny, it’s magical and you’ll go home humming the tunes.”
Theatre of the Big Bend will continue its tradition of family-friendly productions but is also expanding to include more mature offerings. This year’s “Next to Normal” centers around a suburban wife and mother diagnosed with bipolar disorder and its effects on her family. The play explores the complexities of mental illness, the effects of grief, and what it means to be “normal,” along with hope and finding light in the darkness.
“This musical isn’t all gloom and doom, despite its heavy topics,” said Director and Chair of the Department of Visual and Performing Arts Marjie Scott. “There’s still a lot of tiptoeing around the subject of mental illness. This show dives in and explores the unpredictability and pain, and even humor, of it. And the music is powerful, both in terms of lyrics and composition. I hope everyone sees it.”
“Next to Normal” runs June 20 and 21 at 7:30 p.m. and June 22 at 2 p.m. “Cinderella” runs Thursday through Sunday, July 5-20, at the Kokernot Outdoor Theatre in Alpine. All performances begin at 8 p.m.
Tickets for Next to Normal are $15 for general admission and $10 for seniors age 65 and up and children 12 and under. Tickets for Cinderella are $20 for general admission and $15 for seniors age 65 and up and children 12 and under.
Admission to all performances is free for U.S. veterans, active-duty military and SRSU faculty, staff and students with valid ID.
To purchase tickets, visit www.theatrebigbend.org
Photo: “Next to Normal” starts this Friday, June 20, while “Cinderella” starts Sunday, July 5.