Smooth Sounds … 2 “Wicked” Divas … a Buddy Holly bash highlight February at the Playhouse

Wednesday, February 5, 2025.

Pictured Above: Yacht Rock. Photo Credit: Contributed.

NEWSROOM POST: NEW HOPE, PENNSYLVANIA

New Hope, PA – Yacht Rock favorites, a “wickedly” good concert and a return to one of the most famous Winter Dance parties ever are the highlights of Bucks County Playhouse’s Visiting Artists Series events this February. Tickets are on sale now at www.buckscountyplayhouse.org or by contacting the box office at 215.862.2121.

 

The shows include — “Yacht Rock Gold Experience,” celebrating the smooth sounds of the Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, Little River Band, Ambrosia, Boz Scaggs and more for matinees on February. “Good Witch Bad Witch,” featuring Nicole Parker and Alli Mauzey, who both played lead roles in “Wicked” on Broadway takes place Saturday, February 8 at 1:30 pm and 7:30 pm. And on February 14 (7:30 p.m.) and 15 1:30 and 7:30 p.m.), John Mueller’s “Winter Dance Party”®, which is the official live and authentic re-creation of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper’s final tour.

Bucks County Playhouse’s brings a variety of entertainment to its historic stage through the Visiting Artist Series. Renowned and unique performers from across the country — and around the globe — join local favorites for a lineup of crowd-pleasing fare. The Visiting Artists Series complements the Playhouse’s year-round Mainstage series, which officially kicks off on February 28 with the new musical, “Hard Road to Heaven.”

 

Here is the overview of the series with details below:

 

“Yacht Rock Gold Experience,” February 1 and 2 at 1:30 pm

 

“Yacht Rock Gold Experience” brings favorite hits from the late 1970s and early 1980s to new generations of music fans. “Yacht Rock Gold Experience,” features four lead singers, delivering incredible harmonies, accompanied by a five piece rhythm section with the killer iconic sax and flute lines that bring audiences to their feet, show after show. Celebrating the smooth sounds of the Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, Little River Band, Ambrosia, Boz Scaggs and so many more, “Yacht Rock Gold Experience” engages fans with amazing harmonies and musicianship that brings audiences back to a time when music made you feel good and soothed the soul. Put on your captain’s hat and let’s party “All Night Long.”

Tickets to “Yacht Rock Gold Experience” are limited, but best seating is available for February 2 at 1:30 p.m. Prices start at $55.

Pictured Above: Alli Mauzey. Photo Credit: Contributed.

“Good Witch Bad Witch, ” Saturday, February 8 at 1:30 pm and 7:30 pm

Audiences are in for a wickedly entertaining concert of Diva Showstoppers featuring Alli Mauzey and Nicole Parker, a former Glinda and Elphaba from the Broadway company of “Wicked,” when the Playhouse welcomes “Good Witch Bad Witch.” The show has been thrilling audiences coast to coast with stunning vocals and playful banter and is fun for the whole family.

 

Mauzey, most recently starred on Broadway in the Tony Award Winning Best Musical “Kimberly Akimbo” as Pattie. Other Broadway credits include Glinda in “Wicked,” Ernestina in the Tony Award winning revival of “Hello, Dolly!,” Lenora in the musical “Cry-Baby,” for which she won a Theatre World Award and was nominated for a Drama League Award, Brenda in “Hairspray” and as a Special Guest Artist in “Kristin Chenoweth: For the Girls.” Other New York Credits include New York City Center Encores in the role of Minerva in “The Golden Apple” as well as Sydney in “It’s a Bird…It’s a Plane…It’s Superman,” and the Off-Broadway production of “Red Eye of Love.” Regionally, she has appeared as Mallory in “City of Angels” for Reprise! in Los Angeles, Snookie in “110 in the Shade” at the Pasadena Playhouse, and Audrey in “Little Shop of Horrors” at The Muny, for which she was nominated for a Kevin Kline Award.

Parker made her Broadway debut alongside Martin Short in “Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me.”  She played Elphaba in “Wicked” on Broadway as well as the First National Tour. Also on Broadway, she was seen in “The People in the Picture”  with Donna Murphy. She won an Ovation Award for Best Actress playing Fanny Brice in “Funny Girl” at 3-D Theatricals. Most recently, she played Celine Dion in the off-Broadway hit “Titanique”, Ursula in “The Little Mermaid” at the MUNY, and Mae in “Reefer Madness” in Los Angeles. In December she appeared alongside Cheyenne Jackson and Kevin Cahoon in “La Cage Aux Folles” at the Pasadena Playhouse. Parker co-hosts the improvised comedy podcast with Paul F. Tompkins called “The Neighborhood Listen,” and appears as a guest vocalist with symphonies around the country including the National Symphony, The Philly Pops and The Cincinnati Pops.

 

Tickets begin at $60. Patrons may opt for a special VIP Upgrade Ticket that includes an afternoon VIP reception (between the performances) with a chance to meet the cast, take photos and enjoy the fun. The upgrade includes one signature cocktail.

“John Mueller’s Winter Dance Party”

Friday, February 14 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, February 15 at 1:30 pm and 7:30 pm

John Mueller’s “Winter Dance Party”® is the official live and authentic re-creation of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper’s final tour and the only show endorsed by the Holly, Valens and Richardson estates. Each live concert performance includes over two hours of unbridled, high voltage entertainment featuring all the hit songs of the 50’s era: “That’ll Be The Day,” “Peggy Sue,” “Oh, Boy,” “Rave On,” “La Bamba,” “Chantilly Lace,” and many, many more.

 

John Mueller, the critically acclaimed former star of the U.S. touring version of the London/Broadway hit musical “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” performs as Buddy Holly with Linwood Sasser as the Big Bopper and Ray Anthony as Ritchie Valens. The very authentic and energetic four piece band (guitar, drums, standup bass and sax) includes Grammy award winning Mike Acosta on saxophone.

The Winter Dance Party show has performed in front of over 2 million people on national TV for the Jerry Lewis Telethon, has toured extensively throughout the United States and Canada at theatres, performing arts centers, ballrooms, corporate events, casinos and even for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with John Mellencamp, Marshall Crenshaw and others.

 

Tickets for “John Muelle’s Winter Dance Party” start at $65.

 

All three of these Visiting Artists Shows are currently on sale at BucksCountyPlayhouse.org or by calling the box office at 215-862-2121.

ABOUT BUCKS COUNTY PLAYHOUSE

Steeped in a theatrical history that stems back to its founding in 1939 by a roster of theatrical royalty, Bucks County Playhouse is celebrating the twelfth anniversary of its 2012 re-opening and restoration. With more than 75,000 patrons walking through its doors every year, the Playhouse is leading the economic resurgence of New Hope and the surrounding community. In 2014, Tony Award-winning producers Alexander Fraser and Robyn Goodman took the helm of the Playhouse, and it has reclaimed its reputation of attracting Broadway and Hollywood artists.  Playhouse productions of “Company” starring Justin Guarini, and William Finn’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” were named by Wall Street Journal to its “Best of Theatre” list for 2015. In 2018, the Wall Street Journal again hailed the Playhouse and Artistic Associate Hunter Foster in its Best of the Year listings for its production of “42nd Street” and in 2019 labeled the Playhouse “one of the best regional theaters on the East coast.”  Box office records have been repeatedly broken by signature productions of “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” “Steel Magnolias” directed by Marsha Mason, “Million Dollar Quartet,” “42nd Street,” and “Guys & Dolls” (all directed by Hunter Foster) and “Mamma Mia!” directed by John Tartaglia and choreographed by Shannon Lewis. The 2023 season was the brightest yet, featuring hit productions of Jonathan Larsen’s


“Tick, Tick Boom” directed by Eric Rosen, “Bridges of Madison County” directed by Hunter Foster, who also led “The Rocky Horror Show” starring Frankie Grande.  “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” became the top-selling show in Playhouse history. The creative teams who come to create new productions at the Playhouse are among the most talented artists working in the professional theatre today and relish the opportunity to work on the historic stage where Grace Kelly, Robert Redford, and Jessica Walter began their careers.