PVCC’S THEATRE AND DANCE DEPARTMENTS PAIR FOR KARATE TANGO
Charlottesville, Va. – Piedmont Virginia Community College’s Theatre and Dance Departments present Karate Tango, a witty musical written and directed by local playwright Peter Ryan, Dec. 5 and 6 at 7:30 p.m., and Dec. 7 at 2:30 p.m. in the Main Stage Theatre of the V. Earl Dickinson Building.
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his first ever collaboration between PVCC Dance and Theatre departments is an energetic, contemporary musical that takes a bittersweet look at the passion and resentment that comes with both romance and show business. The play unfolds around the relationship of Dirk and Heather, two actors who are married to the idea of stardom as much as to each other, and their struggle to keep their marriage alive in the face of complications and distractions – both under the bright lights and in the everyday routine of their life together.
his first ever collaboration between PVCC Dance and Theatre departments is an energetic, contemporary musical that takes a bittersweet look at the passion and resentment that comes with both romance and show business. The play unfolds around the relationship of Dirk and Heather, two actors who are married to the idea of stardom as much as to each other, and their struggle to keep their marriage alive in the face of complications and distractions – both under the bright lights and in the everyday routine of their life together.Karate Tango features music that ranges from Broadway to ballad to jive to rock, with choreography by former PVCC dance students Katherine Hall and Amanda Liscouski and cameo appearances by local dancer Edwin Roa and Phoenix Dance Studio’s Brynne Levy.
The show’s original off-Broadway debut included a cast of five performers. A 2013 show at the Haven included a cast a cast of eight. Ryan says, “Here at PVCC, we have twenty-one performers, two choreographers, an elaborate set and lighting design and amazing costumes. It’s as close to a large Broadway production as we can get, and it’s a pleasure to see the show with an entirely different approach.” A movie version of the play premiered at this year’s Virginia Film Festival.
Ryan (writer, composer and director) graduated from Harvard University and earned a Master of Arts degree in playwriting and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Fiction Writing from the University of Virginia. His theater experience runs the gamut from directing children’s theater to screenwriting to co-authoring Wings, an off-Broadway musical.
General admission tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for seniors and students. Tickets are available for purchase online at www.pvcc.edu/performingarts or by calling the PVCC Box Office and charging them to a VISA, MasterCard or American Express. Tickets may also be purchased at Sidetracks, Greenberry’s Coffee and the PVCC Cashier’s Office during normal business hours or at the PVCC Box Office starting two hours before the performance.
The V. Earl Dickinson Building is located on the Main Campus of PVCC at the south end of College Drive. Ample, free well-lit parking is located in front of the building. The Main Stage Theatre is wheelchair accessible.
For more information, log on to www.pvcc.edu/performingarts or contact the PVCC Box Office at 434.961.5376 or boxoffice@pvcc.edu.
