For Immediate Release

Media Contact: 
Laurie Colton                                              
Director of Marketing and Public Relations 
941-484-4033 ext. 221
Venice Theatre makes two changes to 2016-2017 season schedule
Six Women with Brain Death and Once on this Island are added to the mix
VENICE, FL, MAY 23, 2016 -  Due to licensing issues, Venice Theatre is announcing two show changes for its 2016-2017 season. The new shows - Once On This Island and Six Women With Brain Death or Expiring Minds Want to Know - will replace its two “princess” musicals, Disenchanted and Cinderella.  Six Women ... takes the place of Disenchanted in December in the Cabaret season. Once On This Island replaces the Generations end-of-school musical in May.

Both of the previous shows were listed as “license pending” when the theatre announced its season in January.  A Florida tour for each show has since been announced for next year, restricting the rights. Venice Theatre is planning to produce both shows in a future season.

Murray Chase, Venice Theatre's Executive/Artistic Director, is confident that the new selections will be as appealing and even more exciting for audiences.

Six Women With Brain Death or Expiring Minds Want to Know features music and lyrics by Mark Houston and a hilarious script by Cheryl Benge, Christy Brandt, Rosanna E. Coppedge, Valerie Fagan, Ross Freese, Mark Houston, Sandee Johnson and Peggy Parr Wilson. It is a fast-paced, take-no-prisoners feminist satire of life at the end of the millennium. In a series of bizarre but hysterical songs and sketches, the authors explore soap operas, “genuine press-on nails,” Barbie and Ken’s secret fantasy life, divas, a unique and new way of recycling, and what “is” and “is not” feminine. Definitely not for the faint-hearted, Six Women With Brain Death is a hard rockin’, harder talkin’ cult classic. Kelly Wynn Woodland is set to direct the show which will run on the Pinkerton Stage Dec.2 through Dec. 18, 2016.

Once On This Island, A Musical is a Caribbean adaptation of another popular fairy tale, The Little Mermaid. It boasts a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, the  award winning team that brought audiences Seussical and Ragtime. Once On This Island garnered eight Tony nominations for its Broadway run, including Best Musical, Book and Score. It will be presented on MainStage May 16 through May 21, 2017. 

Subscriptions for Venice Theatre's 2016-2017 season are on sale now by calling 941-488-1115. There are six plans from which to choose ranging from $101 for a Stage II subscription to $339 for a Golden Ticket. Single tickets for summer shows will go on sale June 6. All single tickets will go on sale July 1. 
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    About Venice Theatre                                                  
    Venice Theatre ’s mission is making a dramatic impact on all stages of life. The second-largest out of 10,000 community theatres in the United States, its MainStage offers seating for 432 patrons and features musicals, plays, concerts and special events.  Its Yvonne Pinkerton Theatre seats 90 patrons and is home to the theatre’s “Generations”, Stage II and Cabaret Series. In addition to providing entertainment to the community, Venice Theatre has a wide range of education and outreach programs for children and adults. Venice Theatre is a non-profit, 501 (c) 3 organization.