'Lost In Yonkers' Opens FPAC’s 25th Season

The Franklin Performing Arts Company (FPAC) kicks off a milestone 25th anniversary season with Neil Simon’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Lost in Yonkers, on Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26 at 7:30 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 27. Directed by Nick Paone, FPAC’s production will be staged at THE BLACK BOX, the company’s new home and performance venue, located at 15 West Central Street in downtown Franklin.

Winner of the 1991 Tony and Drama Desk awards, Lost in Yonkers is a deeply moving and beautifully crafted coming-of-age story. Striking a balance between pain and humor, drama and comedy, Simon’s poignant tale draws from his own experiences growing up in New York City. It’s 1942 and financially strapped Eddie has just left his teenage sons, Jay and Arty, in the care of their mentally challenged and childlike Aunt Bella and her stern and embittered mother, Grandma Kurnitz. 

THE BLACK BOX

Eddie takes to the road as a traveling salesman to pay back his debt to a loan shark, having borrowed to cover his late wife’s hospital care. Soon Uncle Louie, a small-time hoodlum hiding from the mob, moves in. Reeling from the loss of their mom and left to contend with this strange new world in Yonkers, the boys embark on a scheme to make some quick cash and get their dad back. As told through the eyes of the brothers, Lost in Yonkers is a masterful work that’s full of heart.

Following Lost in Yonkers, FPAC presents the devilishly delightful musical comedy, The Addams Family, on October 24, 25, 30 and 31. Serving up an original story based on the iconic characters of legendary cartoonist Charles Addams, the musical features Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Uncle Fester, Grandma and Lurch – his famously motley group with a taste for everything macabre. Celebrate a bewitching holiday at THE BLACK BOX, with performances before and after Trick or Treating on Halloween; audiences are invited to come dressed in costume for the 2:00 and 8:30 shows.

FPAC’s holiday season features Tchaikovsky’s world-famous ballet, The Nutcracker, and two original musicals, Snow White and the Seven Elves and ’Tis the Season! Presented with live professional orchestra, FPAC’s magical journey of The Nutcracker showcases more than 100 area dancers and special guest artists. The production remains a highly anticipated and treasured part of the FPAC season – a popular holiday tradition for more than 20 years. FPAC presents The Nutcracker on December 5 and 6 at the Franklin High School auditorium.

FPAC’s original, family-friendly musical, Snow White and the Seven Elves, debuts at THE BLACK BOX on December 11-13. The production follows in the tradition of a British “panto,” a type of show that retells a well-known fairy tale in an exaggerated style filled with audience participation, popular songs, slapstick comedy, jokes, dances and more. ’Tis the Season! is an original large cast musical first presented by FPAC in 1995. The upbeat, jazzy holiday extravaganza features members of the Kenny Hadley Big Band and contemporary arrangements of favorite holiday classics in musical styles including R&B, jazz, rock, Motown, gospel and Broadway. FPAC presents ’Tis the Season! at the Franklin High School auditorium on December 19 and 20.

The remainder of FPAC’s 2015-2016 season, to be announced shortly, will present wide-ranging entertainment, from mainstage musicals and small-cast plays to live music events for audiences of all ages. Founded in 1991, the nonprofit FPAC supports educational arts experiences, quality entertainment and outstanding performance opportunities for professional artists, community performers and students of the arts. With a focus on youth development and a commitment to live music, FPAC productions draw performers and audiences from more than 100 communities throughout the region. For more information and tickets, call (508) 528-3370 or visit online at www.FPAConline.com or www.THEBLACKBOXonline.com.