Theater fans can pick from polar opposites over the next few weeks, with the musical “Frozen” in Swoyersville and a collection of short plays in Scranton.
“Let It Go,” the anthem of the Disney animated movie and Broadway musical, has been streamed over 1 billion times on Spotify, and will be belted out at the Music Box Dinner Playhouse the weekends of July 17-19, July 24-26 and July 31-Aug. 2.
The cast of 23 is led by Jadyn Culp as Anna and Raegan Czyzycki as Elsa, the sisters and princesses.
“The Music Box wanted something upbeat and fun for the summer,” said director Rachel Kislin. She was on the older side of the “Frozen” phenomenon in 2013 but enjoyed the music. It is still a draw, she said.
Curtain is 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. on Sundays. There is an option for a dinner buffet prior to Saturday and Sunday shows and a cash bar at all performances. Show-only tickets, available for all shows, are $25 for adults and $15 for children and students. With dinner, adults pay $60; there are two menu options for children, with the total price either $45 or $32.
The theater address is 196 Hughes St., Swoyersville. Call 570-283-2195 or go to Musicbox.org for advance tickets.
In Scranton, Actors Circle is producing its fourth annual “Shorts for the Summer,” which stages eight brief works in one performance on Aug. 6-9 at Providence Playhouse, 1256 Providence Road.
The plots include prejudice in post-9/11 New York City, an obnoxious couple who is sent to hell, a mother and daughter shopping for a wedding gown, a hospital chaplain facing the end of his life and a comedy about old friends determined to break out of their nursing home.
Audiences will find both humor and poignancy, said board secretary Cathy Strauch, who plays one of the nursing home residents. “It’s a nice combination,” she said.
The format gives performers a bit of a break from long scripts and also makes room for a big cast, she said.
There are usually at least some regional writers among the “Shorts for the Summer” playwrights. This year, Actors Circle was flooded with more than 170 submissions and ended up with writers from outside the area, Strauch said.
The directors are locals: Jason Belak, Chloe Conway, Nanziba Kahn and Amanda Rudnick.
Showtime is 7 p.m. on Aug. 6-8 and 2 p.m. on Aug. 9. Tickets are $15 for general admission, $12 for seniors and $10 for students. Reservations can be made at 570-342-9707. Sales at the door are cash only, but tickets are also sold at Actorscirclescranton.com.