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The Lion in Winter, produced by Austin Playhouse
  The Lion in Winter

When:

November 18 - December 18, 2011

Where:

Mueller Temporary Facility, 1800 1/2 Simond Avenue, Austin, Texas 78722

Dates:

Thursday-Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 5pm (no performance November 24 due to the Thanksgiving holiday)

Prices:

$35 opening night, $26 Thursday and Friday, $28 Saturday and Sunday, all student tickets are half-price. ($5 discount for season ticket holder guests)

Tickets/Information:

Season ticket holders: Please call (512) 476-0084 or email austinplayhouse@aol.com to make your reservations.

Non-season ticket holders: Please call (512) 476-0084 or purchase your tickets online using the button below

Be sure to check out the reviews!


As the estranged royal progenitors, George and Huckaby have great chemistry on stage, gliding smoothly between affectionate marital bickering and the desperate outrage of stalemate.
   -Austin American-Statesman

An infectious sense of achievement emanated from beaming Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Don Toner as they watched the well-seasoned and excellently directed cast, led by dream team Huck Huckaby and Babs George as estranged royal couple Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine.
   -The Austin Chronicle


King Henry II has imprisoned his wife, Eleanor of Aquitaine and taken a nubile French mistress. All hell breaks loose when Eleanor is temporarily freed for the holidays their three sons vie to inherit the throne. The Lion in Winter tells the story of Henry II; the great-grandson of William the Conqueror and the first King of England, his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, and their sons Richard, John, and Geoffrey, in their battles for the crown of England.

It’s Christmas, 1183. Henry wants John to be king, and Eleanor wants Richard. The fate of France hangs in the balance under its new king, Philip, who must make an alliance by the marriage of his sister, Alais; who is desperately in love with Henry. While ambition and war provide a backdrop to the drama, at its heart, The Lion in Winter is the compelling story of scheming, feuding, backstabbing, and political wrangling among family members of one fascinating medieval monarchy.

 

The artistic team:

Huck Huckaby (Laughter on the 23rd Floor) plays King Henry II and Babs George (Dancing at Lughnasa) plays Eleanor of Aquitaine. Their sons are portrayed by Ben Wolfe (A Flea in her Ear) as Richard, Jason Newman (The Importance of Being Earnest) as Geoffrey, and Brock England (Misalliance) as John. Kimberly Barrow (Picasso at the Lapin Agile) plays Henry’s mistress Alais and Dan Kerrigan portrays King Philip II of France.

Austin Playhouse’s Producing Artistic Director Don Toner directs. Costume design by Diana Huckaby (Amadeus), sound design by The Gunn Brothers (The 39 Steps), and lighting design by Don Day (The 39 Steps).

 

History of the production:

James Goldman’s The Lion in Winter debuted on Broadway at the Ambassador Theatre on March 3, 1966. It had a Broadway revival in 1999 starring Stockard Channing and Laurence Fishburne. The popular 1968 film version of the play starred Katharine Hepburn, Peter O’Toole, Anthony Hopkins, and Timothy Dalton and won three Academy Awards. The play is currently being revived in London at the Theatre Royal Haymarket under the direction of Trevor Nunn.

 

Location and parking:

The temporary facility will be located at 1800 ½ Simond Avenue at the Mueller Austin Redevelopment, just across from the Lake Park. The Aldrich Street entrance off Airport Blvd. leads directly to the temporary facility. Free patron parking is available along Simond Avenue and Mueller Blvd. as well as in the SEDL parking lot located two blocks north of the facility on Mueller Blvd. For more detailed information, check out the details.

 

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