(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- Broadway’s Andréa Burns (On Your Feet; In the Heights) kicks off George Street Playhouse’s streaming 2021 season with the premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s Bad Dates. A one-woman comedy about a single mom in search of cute shoes, the perfect dress, and a romantic table for two at a great restaurant, Bad Dates is a charming, funny and hopeful tale of dates gone wrong and looking for Mr. Right. The show is available to stream February 23 thru March 14.
The full-length, filmed production features direction by the acclaimed Peter Flynn (Curvy Widow; On the 20th Century; Funny Girl) husband of Ms. Burns, and Cinematography and Editing by their son, Hudson Flynn.
“Creating this production was a true family affair,” said Artistic Director David Saint. “Thanks to a generous GSP Board Member granting us use of her home as a filming location, our star, director, and cinematographer were able to form a safe familial ‘bubble’ and film this one-of-a-kind production from the ground up. We hope patrons will join us as subscribers this year as we work to create high-quality theatre in exciting new ways.”
George Street Playhouse oversaw and maintained strict testing protocols and safety procedures.
Andréa Burns received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination for her portrayal of Gloria Fajardo in Broadway’s On Your Feet. She also received a Drama Desk Award for her creation of the role of the hairdresser Daniela in In the Heights and will appear in Steven Spielberg's upcoming film West Side Story.
The creative team includes Costume Designer Lisa Zinni, Lighting Designer Alan C. Edwards, Original Music & Sound Design by Ryan Rummery, Hair and Make up Design by Dorothy Petersen, Prop Master and Set Dressing by Helen Tewksbury, Casting by McCorkle Casting, Ltd., and Production Manager Christopher J. Bailey. The Production Stage Manager is Samantha Flint.
Sharon Karmazin is Executive Producer.
Bad Dates is sponsored by The Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation. The filming of Bad Dates is sponsored by The Merrill G. and Emita E. Hastings Foundation
Starting March 23, the George Street Playhouse season continues with the hit comedy Fully Committed by Becky Mode starring Maulik Pancholy (30 Rock; Weeds; Phineas and Ferb).
Tickets for each show can be purchased for $33 per household at GeorgeStreetPlayhouse.org. Patrons can also subscribe to all four shows this season for $132.
George Street Playhouse thanks the Jon Ben Snow Memorial Trust for their support of their streaming platform.
Under the leadership of Artistic Director David Saint since 1997, and Kelly Ryman -- Managing Director since 2013, the Playhouse produces groundbreaking new works, inspiring productions of the classics, and hit Broadway plays and musicals that speak to the heart and mind, with an unwavering commitment to producing new work. As New Brunswick’s first producing theatre, George Street Playhouse became the cornerstone of the revitalization of the City’s arts and cultural landscape. With its 45-year history of producing nationally renowned theatre, the Playhouse continues to fill a unique theatre and arts education role in the city, state and greater metropolitan region.
Beginning with the 2019-20 Season, George Street Playhouse moved to the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center in downtown New Brunswick. Featuring two state-of-the-art theatres -- The Arthur Laurents Theater with 253 seats and The Elizabeth Ross Johnson Theater which seats 465-- and myriad amenities, the New Brunswick Performing Arts Center marks a new era in the esteemed history of George Street Playhouse.
Founded by Eric Krebs, George Street Playhouse, originally located in an abandoned supermarket on the corner of George and Albany Streets, was the first professional theatre in New Brunswick. In 1984, the Playhouse moved to a renovated YMCA on Livingston Avenue, and in 2017 took temporary residence in the former Agricultural Museum at Rutgers University during construction of its new home.
The Playhouse has been well represented by numerous productions both on and off-Broadway. In 2018, George Street Playhouse was represented on Broadway with Gettin’ the Band Back Together which premiered on the Playhouse mainstage in 2013. American Son, produced by George Street Playhouse in 2017, opened on Broadway in 2018 starring Kerry Washington and Stephen Pasqual, and will appear on Netflix. Other productions include the Outer Critics’ Circle Best Musical Award-winner The Toxic Avenger. In 2015, It Shoulda Been You opened on Broadway and Joe DiPietro’s Clever Little Lies opened off-Broadway. Both shows received their premieres at the Playhouse. Others include the Outer Critics Circle, Drama Desk and Drama League nominated production of The Spitfire Grill; and the Broadway hit and Tony and Pulitzer Prize winning play Proof by David Auburn, which was developed at the Playhouse during the 1999 Next Stage Series of new plays.
In addition to the mainstage season, the Playhouse’s education department provides extensive programming for children, youth and adults. Partnering with administrators and educators throughout New Jersey, the Playhouse provides unique education experiences that both reinforce classroom curriculum and investigate issues such as bullying, diversity, immigration, health and wellness, and the rising epidemic of opioid addiction.
George Street Playhouse programming is made possible in part by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of Chosen Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.
