LYRIC STAGE PRESENTS
THE 1979 NEIL SIMON/MARVIN HAMLISCH BROADWAY HIT
THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG
FEBRUARY 15-MARCH 1, 2008

Lyric Stage, Dallas County's only locally produced professional musical theater company, continues its 15th season with THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG, February 15-March 1, 2008, in the Irving Arts Center's Dupree Theatre.

America’s greatest writer of comedies teamed with the Tony Award winning composer of A CHORUS LINE to write this hysterical musical comedy about an Academy Award winning composer and his relationship with a quirky, aspiring young female lyricist.

THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG is a musical comedy with a book by Neil Simon, lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager, and music by Marvin Hamlisch. In a story based on the real-life relationship of Hamlisch and Sager, a wisecracking composer finds a new, offbeat lyricist, but initially the match is not one made in heaven. The two undergo a series of trials and overcome a number of hurdles before finding true love by the final curtain. The original Broadway production, starring Robert Klein and Lucy Arnaz, opened at the Imperial Theatre February 11, 1979. It was nominated for 4 Tony Awards and ran for 1,082 performances.

SYNOPSIS
Act I

Top pop music composer Vernon Gersch, hoping to find a new collaborator, meets offbeat Sonia Walsk, who has already had some success writing lyrics and is in awe of his accomplishments, at his luxury Manhattan apartment. She is surprised that his Oscar is so light, and Vernon quips, "They're chocolate inside." He is aloof and focused, while she is disorganized and distracted, but Vernon has already written music to one of Sonia's lyrics, and they decide to forge ahead. Sonia, frazzled by her break up with lover Leon, arrives a day late for their first work session. When they begin, she tells Vernon they should get to know each other on a personal level in order for their work to gel, and they decide to have dinner at "Le Club."

Sonia, who has been trying to ease Leon's anguish, is late yet again, and the evening begins badly. She and Vernon argue, then dance in an effort to calm down. The two settle down to enjoy the evening, and they hear their own songs being played over the sound system. Another work session, in which the two really don't listen to each other, follows, but Vernon convinces Sonia to join him for a romantic weekend at a Long Island beach house. The trip to the island in Vernon's small sports car is fraught with engine trouble, calls to Leon, and arguments. They finally arrive at the house, but a phone call from Leon threatens the romantic mood. Determined to concentrate on Vernon, Sonia tells Leon that she can't help him and hangs up.

Act II

It's a week later and Vernon is suffering from insomnia. Sonia manipulates her way into his apartment by telling him she has no place to stay since Leon is back living at her place. Sonia and Vernon's romance and collaboration seems successful for awhile, but the relationship begins to crumble because of her inability to send her ex-boyfriend away. Also, away from his piano, Vernon is a bundle of neuroses and unable to express his deepest feelings. After some psychologizing about the schizophrenic difficulties of living and working together, the pair split up at a recording session.

A few months later, while Vernon is in a Los Angeles hospital, Sonia arrives unexpectedly with a tiny red child's piano as a get-well gift. Months later, both have separately come to the realization that, despite their differences, they are better together. Vernon arrives at Sonia's apartment in New York to tell her that he wants to try again. She agrees, and they reconcile with a kiss.

Single tickets to THEY'RE PLAYING OUR SONG are priced from $15 to $29 and are available by calling the box office @ 972-252-2787 or CLICK HERE TO ORDER TICKETS ONLINE.