SHOW BOAT, HERO, THE GRAPES OF WRATH and More Highlight Asolo Rep's 2013-14 Season

Michael Donald Edwards, Asolo Rep Producing Artistic Director, and Greg Leaming, Asolo Rep Associate Artistic Director and Director of The FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, today announced their selections for the 2013-2014 season.

Opening the 55th season-or what is already being called the hottest season yet-is perhaps the greatest American musical of all time, Show Boat, with unforgettable songs, dazzling choreography and a moving story that has withstood the test of time. The repertory season launches in January 2014 with Tony Award-winning director Frank Galati's production of Philadephia, Here I Come! by Brian Friel, followed by Other Desert Cities by Jon Robin Baitz (creator of television's "Brothers and Sisters"), and Broadway's current smash comedy written by Christopher Durang, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike.

In March the season continues to electrify with Frank Galati's epic adaptation of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath directed by Michael Donald Edwards, the regional premiere of a new musical, Hero, and "the best new play of 2012, hands down" according to TIME Magazine, 4,000 Miles by Amy Herzog. The season will also include a summer musical to be announced at a later date. Asolo Rep's Unplugged new play festival will return for a fifth season in late spring 2014. Also returning is the Asolo Rep/FSU Conservatory for Actor Training New Stages Tour with a production of Shakespeare's romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet in the fall of 2013.

"We are very excited about this new season. It's a brilliant combination of world-class artists, and a mix of rediscovered classics and innovative new works. Each year when we are in the planning stages, we think 'how do we top the last,' and this time, I think we have outdone ourselves," said Michael Donald Edwards, Producing Artistic Director for Asolo Rep. "This is the second of our five-season American Character Project, a concept that has been overwhelmingly embraced by audiences, artists, academics, and critics alike. Each one of the shows this season is about an amazing journey in some way, with characters moving forward to embrace change. I think with this season, people will really get a sense now of what we mean when we say these plays are speaking to each other. Taken as a whole, this season is another step forward for this theatre's own bold artistic journey."

In response to feedback from audiences and subscribers, Asolo Rep also announced some exciting changes to its season format. The fall musical, which in previous seasons closed immediately before Christmas, will be extended for an additional week to run through the December holidays. This extension will enable visiting friends and family the opportunity to attend, and will provide a programming option for people who would like to celebrate the holidays by taking in a show. Also new for this year, Asolo Rep will bring the spring musical on board much earlier, with previews in April, so that more people have the opportunity to see it before departing Sarasota for the summer. This means that a second, full-scale musical is part of the rep season, a concept that is sure to please both subscribers and single-ticket buyers alike.

"This new format greatly increases our artistic flexibility. The spring musical slot is getting a great deal of attention from artists and producers who see it as an ideal time to develop new work with us, a strong part of our mission. It has become apparent that it serves the new work best if it can open earlier and expect a larger audience as part of the subscription base as well as attracting residents before they leave town," said Linda DiGabriele, Managing Director of Asolo Rep.

Subscriptions are available now. Single tickets go on sale in September 2013. For information on purchasing a subscription or individual tickets for Asolo Rep's 2013-2014 season, please contact the box office at 941.351.8000 or toll-free at 800.361.8388, or visit the website at www.AsoloRep.org.