K and E Theater Group Presents The View UpStairs at Northampton Center for the Arts, June 22-25, 2023 for 5 Performances Only!
NORTHAMPTON, MA – K and E Theater Group presents the Off-Broadway hit The View UpStairs, by Tony Award Nominee Max Vernon, June 22-25, 2023. This show marks a second production in their Coming Out with Pride series, presented annually in June in an, celebrating queer-forward stories.
When Wes, a young fashion designer from 2023, buys an abandoned building in the French Quarter of New Orleans, he finds himself transported to the UpStairs Lounge, a vibrant seventies gay bar. As this forgotten community comes to life, Wes embarks on an exhilarating journey of self-exploration that spans two generations of queer history. This smash hit features a gritty, glam rock score and a tight-knit ensemble of unforgettable characters. The View UpStairs asks what has been gained and lost in the fight for equality, and how the past can help guide all of us through an uncertain future.
The real UpStairs Lounge was a beacon for those living covertly queer in New Orleans. “The bar, like the show, is about community, and that the shared experience that gay people lived in the 1970s brought them together,” said KETG Artistic Director Eddie Zitka, said of the show. Zitka also plays Wes in this production. “With that, also comes joy, and optimism for humanity. However, we also eventually realize that in today’s reality, our community has never been more fractured,” adds Ken Comia, Vice President and Co-Founder of K and E Theater Group.
The K and E Theater production of The View UpStairs is directed and choreographed by K and E Theater Group President and Artistic Director Eddie Zitka, who has also directed and staged the company’s previous productions of Sweeney Todd, Songs for a New World, Assassins, Hello Again, Cabaret, Altar Boyz, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and The Wild Party. His performance credits include the first national tour of The Wedding Singer and numerous regional productions, including Ogunquit Playhouse’s Cinderella and All Shook Up, Thoroughly Modern Millie at Greater Boston Stage Company and Hoop Dee Doo Revue at Walt Disney World. Ken Comia serves as producer. The season’s supporting sponsor is INSIGHT Structures, Inc., based in Houston, Texas, and Heads Up Coaching and Consulting, based in Suffield, CT. This season is also supported in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council and Northampton Arts Council.
K and E Theater Group’s production of The View UpStairs features Zach Bakken as Cop, Michael Garcia as Freddy, Eric Macksoud as Dale, Christopher Morey as Richard, Aileen Merino Terzi as Inez, Raven Turner as Henri, David Wallace as Buddy, David Webber as Patrick, Robert J. Williams as Willie, and Eddie Zitka as Wes. Andre Ruiz serves as Stage Manager. The band is led by musical director Benjamin Maniscalchi.
Performances are:
Thursday, June 22, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Friday, June 23, 2023 at 7:30 PM
Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM
The closing performance is scheduled for Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 2:00 PM.
All performances are at Northampton Center for the Arts, located at 33 Hawley Street in Northampton, Massachusetts. Tickets are $27.00 and seating is general admission.
This production contains mature themes, explicit language, and strong sexual content. Stage effects include strobes and bright moving lights. Parental guidance is suggested.
The health and safety of our audience and all volunteers is our top priority. Face coverings that cover the nose and mouth will be required at the Saturday, June 24, 2023 matinee show. For all other performances, face coverings are strongly recommended, but optional.
Tickets and performance information for The View UpStairs are available at www.KETG.org.
The K and E Theater Group is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization formed in 2017 to promote performance arts, encourage growth of the arts and our local artists, and to entertain our local community, producing thought-provoking theater. Under the direction of Co-Founder, President, and Artistic Director Eddie Zitka and Co-Founder and Vice President Ken Comia, the company aspires to further the education of and provide dramatic art entertainment to the surrounding Western Massachusetts communities, actively recruiting new performers, and enriching the performers’ experiences as they interact with theatrical arts. K and E Theater Group organizational support is currently provided by generous individual and corporate contributions, sponsorships, and supported by Board Members Melissa Dupont, Terri Gidius, Chris Webber, and David Webber.
