Virginia Rep’s 70th Anniversary Offers 7 Exciting Performances

July 15th, 2022

A robust roster of dramatic and comedic plays and musicals


Virginia Rep's 70th Anniversary graphic

Can you believe it? It’s Virginia Rep’s 70th anniversary!

Virginia Repertory Theatre has announced its 70th Anniversary Season with a robust roster of dramatic and comedic plays and musicals. This includes plays at the November Theatre in Richmond and the Barksdale Season at Hanover Tavern in Hanover – two of Richmond’s favorite entertainment venues.

The 2022-2023 season presents reimagined classics, a world premiere, a seasonal cabaret and titles that help Richmond celebrate community through the arts.

Virginia Rep, a non-profit professional theatre company, was founded in Hanover County in 1953. It has become one of Central Virginia’s largest professional performing arts organizations. To honor this milestone, the Hanover Season will return to its original name – the Barksdale Season at Hanover Tavern.

Virginia Rep’s 70th Anniversary Presents:

Signature Season

Chicken & Biscuits

Sept. 29 – Oct. 30, 2022
By Douglas Lyons

The funniest sitcom that you will ever see on stage, Chicken and Biscuits is hot off its Broadway run. Virginia Rep is the first theatre in the region to produce this runaway hit. Rival sisters prepare to bury their father, and a family secret is revealed at the church altar. This laugh-out-loud play will feed your soul as family drama spills out onto the Sunday dinner table.

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley

Nov. 25, 2022 – Jan. 1, 2023
By Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon

Two years after the end of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, the Bennet sisters and their spouses are celebrating the holidays with family at the Darcy estate. Mary Bennet, the bookish middle sister, isn’t in a festive mood. She is tired of missing out on romantic escapades. Will an unexpected guest give Mary the ultimate gift of love? Don’t miss this charming sequel.

One of the most produced plays in the United States in 2018.

After December

World Premiere: March 2 – 26, 2023
By Bo Wilson

When a particle collider deep beneath the earth’s surface malfunctions, a mysterious woman appears. She cannot say where she’s from or how she got here; she only knows that she is a poet. But when she gives voice to her strange and beautiful poems, reality itself begins to ripple and shift, becoming eerily unreliable. To the physicists, she’s an intriguing mystery; to the authorities, she’s a threat. Could both be right? Discover whether science can unravel the riddle of the poet in this exciting new play.

The Will Rogers Follies

Jun. 22 – Aug. 6, 2023
Book: Peter Stone
Music: Cy Coleman
Lyrics: Betty Comden; Adolph Green

Snappy tunes, elaborate production numbers, rope tricks and comic sketches abound in this classic Broadway musical about the great American cowboy entertainer Will Rogers. Set against the backdrop of the Ziegfeld Follies, Rogers is an extraordinary host as he leads you through his life, from the family cattle ranch to his stunning rise to fame.

  • Winner Six 1991 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score
  • Winner Three 1991 Drama Desk Awards, for Musical, Music and Choreography
  • Winner 1991 New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Musical

Virginia Rep’s 70th Anniversary Presents:

BARKSDALE SEASON

Steel Magnolias

Oct. 14 – Nov.13, 2022
Book: Robert Harling

Join us at Truvy’s beauty parlor, and meet the six hilarious and heartwarming women of Steel Magnolias, whose antics in the salon will have you laughing through the tears. The ladies gossip and spar, but ultimately the strength of their bond is revealed as they stand by one another to face both the good times and bad.

A Broadway Christmas

Dec. 2, 2022 – Jan. 1, 2023

Just in time for the holidays, our ensemble of musical theatre all-stars has put together lively entertainment that celebrates the timeless Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa songs that were initially composed for and performed in Broadway, Hollywood and Virginia Rep musicals. Each song tells a story. Together, they will warm your heart and set your toes to tapping, while fascinating you with the backstage holiday stories of some of the most memorable theatre composers and practitioners of all time. You won’t want to miss this rousing celebration.

Oil City Symphony

Mar. 24 – Apr. 30, 2023
Book: Mike Craver, Mark Hardwick, Debra Monk, Mary Murfitt
Music: Various
Lyrics: Various

From the creators of Pump Boys and Dinettes comes the knee-slapping and award-winning revue, Oil City Symphony, the story of four graduates who return to their alma mater to honor their beloved music teacher. Performing an eclectic program – ranging from the “1812 Overture” to “The Stars and Stripes Forever” to rock standards, sentimental favorites, and off-beat original songs – the four fill their tribute concert with good old-fashioned fun.

For Subscription Information:
Box Office: 804-282-2620 or www.virginiarep.org