Riverside, Ca – Known for their unique and intimate interpretations of Broadway’s finest musicals, Riverside Repertory Theater returns with an immersive and site specific production of GREY GARDENS on June 9th. Riverside Rep follows up the smashing success of last year’s Man of La Mancha and Spring Awakening with the hilarious and heartbreaking story of Big and Little Edie, the eccentric relatives of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and their once gorgeous home called Grey Gardens. The beloved musical will be recreated in and around an actual Victorian mansion in downtown Riverside for two weekends, June 9th to June 18th.
GREY GARDENS is a musical based on the 1975 documentary of the same title about the lives of Edith Bouvier Beale (“Big Edie”) and her daughter of the same name (“Little Edie”), Jackie O’s aunt and cousin, respectively. Set at Grey Gardens, the Bouviers’ mansion in East Hampton, New York, the musical tracks the intriguing progression of the two women’s lives from their original status as rich and socially polished aristocrats to their eventual largely isolated existence in a home overrun by cats and cited for repeated health code violations.
“Many people remember the documentary or the more recent HBO film about these fascinating women but the music and lyrics add a whole layer of emotion and understanding to these characters, and at the same time it makes us look at our own relationships and habits in a new way”, says director Matt Neves, who is also the Rep’s Artistic Director. “As we often do, we wanted to do something different with this production but not just to be different. We want to illuminate the piece and bring a fresh perspective to the telling of this incredibly intimate story. So we decided to set it in a mansion here in Riverside where the audience can sit in the living room and be a part of the family discussions and hear this entrancing music right in front of them. It will be a dynamic, immersive and highly personal experience which will hopefully will make us feel even more for the plight of the Beales.”
The talented cast is entirely new to Riverside Rep and is lead by Los Angeles native Karen Macarah and Riverside’s own Diane L. David. They are supported by Palm Springs residents Mark Ziemann and J. Stegar Thompson, as well as Sallie Griffin, Timothy Hearl, Desmond Clark, Katia Peel and Joelle McConnell.
GREY GARDENS performs weekends June 9th to June 18th, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 7pm. The show’s music director is Michael Antaramian and William Hart stage manages. It is produced by Rep Managing Director David St. Pierre and Matt Neves. Tickets range from $25 to $75 and can be purchased by calling 951-300-8515. Due to the location of the show, seating is very limited.
Riverside Repertory Theater Returns With An Immersive and Site Specific Production of GREY GARDENS
