Royal Players Announce Upcoming Season

The Royal Players of Benton, AR announce the upcoming 2018-2019 season. Filled with musicals, plays, family entertainment, and thought-provoking content, there is something for everyone in the upcoming season.

All shows will be performed at the historic Royal Theatre, 111 South Market, in downtown Benton, AR. Audition announcements will be posted on Facebook (The Royal Players) and the www.theroyalplayers.com.

Director and Music Director submissions and resumes may be sent to theroyalplayers@gmail.com for those shows without a director indicated. Businesses or individuals interested in sponsoring a particular show should make inquiries to theroyalplayers@gmail.com.

Starting off the season is a limited, one-weekend engagement of Night of the Living Dead by Lori Allen Ohm and based off the cult classic film by George Romero and John Russo. Zombies will take center stage at the Royal Theatre from Oct. 25-28, 2018.

A Little Princess will bring the timeless, beloved story to the stage in a musical format. In this story based on the classic Victorian-era novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett, a young girl's resilience and the power of her imagination change the world. A Little Princess is written by Andrew Lippa (The Wild Party) and Andrew Crawley (Violet). Dates for this musical are Nov. 29-Dec. 9, 2018 and will make a wonderful family Holiday outing.

Amid racial tension, religious intolerance, and political injustice, the stirring Tony Award winning Parade explores the endurance of love and hope against all odds. With songs by Jason Robert Brown (Songs for a New World, 13, The Last 5 Years, Bridges of Madison County) and book by Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy), Parade tells the true-life story of Leo Frank who was put on trial for the murder of 13-year old factory worker Mary Phagan. This powerful, moving musical will hit the Royal Theatre Feb. 7-17, 2019 and will be directed by Mark A. Burbank.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will run April 4-14, 2019. Often called Broadway's greatest farce, this musical by Stephen Sondheim is a joyous, musical romp through Rome filled with desperate lovers, scheming neighbors, and secrets behind every toga.

The tragic southern comedy Steel Magnolias will have you laughing, crying, and appreciating those around you even more during the month of June. Concerned with a group of gossipy southern ladies in a small-town beauty parlor, the play is alternately hilarious and touching-and, in the end, deeply revealing of the strength and purposefulness which underlies the antic banter of its characters. Steel Magnolias will run June 6-16, 2019.

At the end of summer earthquakes, tidal waves, infernos, and the unforgettable songs of the '70s take center stage in the side-splitting homage to classic disaster films, Disaster! features some of the most unforgettable songs of the '70s. Knock on Wood, Hooked on a Feeling, I Am Woman and Hot Stuff are just a few of the scintillating hits in this hilarious musical comedy with a book by three-time Emmy Award nominee and SiriusXM Broadway host Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick. Disaster! sets sail Aug. 15-25, 2019 and will be directed by Justin A. Pike.