Updated 4 p.m. June 30

Good Company Players has landed the biggest prize of all to help celebrate its 50th season. Audra McDonald will perform June 25, 2023, in a special concert. (Audra fans, you can set up your countdown app timers right now: That’s almost exactly a year from now.)

[perfectpullquote align=”left” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=”18″]Pictured above: Audra McDonald performs in Fresno in June 2023.  Photo: Good Company Players[/perfectpullquote]

GCP had an inside connection, of course. Audra got her start at the theater in the Junior Company, of course. The six-time Tony Award winner has always been publicly thankful for the theater training she received while at GCP and at Roosevelt High School for the Performing Arts.

Dan Pessano, GCP’s managing director, says the conversation with the Broadway superstar was simple.

“Audra’s answer wasn’t just ‘yes,’ it was ‘of course,’ ” Pessano says. ” ‘Of course’ says so much about her and her continuing love and wish to support us. Not a lot of words needed.”

Oh, yes, there’s a season to announce, too!

I know that the GCP staff took special care coming up with the titles for the 50th anniversary season. The idea was to provide a nod to the company’s vaunted history. Here’s the lineup at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater:

“Singin’ in the Rain
“Rumors”
“All Shook Up”
“Disney’s The Little Mermaid”
“The Pirates of Penzance”
“Sugar”

And at the 2nd Space Theatre:

“Shakespeare in Love”
“Kalamazoo”
“Bad Seed”
“Pride & Prejudice”
“Arsenic & Old Lace”
“A Christmas Carol”

The Roger Rocka’s lineup is all titles that GCP has performed before, in an homage to 50 years. At the 2nd Space, these titles are new: “Shakespeare in Love,” “Kalamazoo,” “Pride and Prejudice” (a new adaptation by Kate Hamill) and an original “Christmas Carol.” Old and new. A nice balance, yes?

Audra’s concert, GCP peeps tell me, is currently only available to season ticket holders (or new season subscribers) at a very discounted rate. It will eventually go on sale to the general public at $150/ticket subject to availability. New subscribers can also get a season ticket at a discounted rate now until Aug. 1. The venue has not yet been officially announced.

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