Austin Theatre Project is five years old and and is celebrating by giving a special gift to theatre lovers in Austin... three musicals that have never been performed on any stage in Central Texas! After several months of watching, reading, and listening to musicals, ATP Artistic Director David Blackburn whittled his list down to four and presented it to his co-founder, Producing Director Barbara Schuler.

"I was so excited about the slate of shows, knowing that they would be perfect for our audiences as well as the hundreds of local actors who audition for us every season," says Blackburn. "Needless to say I was thrilled when Barbara was just as excited about the line-up of shows." Blackburn and Schuler presented the season to the board of directors and received 100% support and approval. "As the only total musical theatre company in Austin, we have spent the last few years creating our identity. When you look at our 2016 season, you see a collection of musicals that are perfectly suited for our company," adds Blackburn.

Kicking off the season is the new Broadway musical First Date. "One of things I love about this show is that pretty much everyone has been on a first date and they will relate to just about everything they see onstage," says Schuler, who will also be directing this Austin Premiere. "We all experience those inner voices telling us what to say, what not to say, and how to act." And there we have the premise of First Date. When blind date newbie Aaron is set up with serial-dater Casey, a casual drink at a busy New York restaurant turns into a hilarious high-stakes dinner. As the date unfolds in real time, the couple quickly finds that they are not alone on this unpredictable evening. In a delightful and unexpected twist, Casey and Aaron’s inner voices take on a life of their own when other restaurant patrons transform into supportive best friends, manipulative exes, and protective parents, who sing and dance them through ice-breakers, appetizers, and potential conversational land mines. First Date will be directed by Barbara Schuler and open February 19. Online Auditions will begin in mid-December.

The second new musical on ATP's schedule is the critically-acclaimed and award-winning Off-Broadway hit Dogfight. Set in San Francisco on November 21, 1963 (the day before President Kennedy's assassination), Dogfight is the story of three Marine buddies fresh out of boot camp. They have one last night of freed before they are shipped off to a small conflict in a then unknown country called Vietnam. set out for one final boys' night of debauchery, partying and maybe a little trouble. But when Corporal Eddie Birdlace meets Rose, an awkward and idealistic waitress he enlists to win a cruel bet with his fellow recruits, she rewrites the rules of the game and teaches him the power of love and compassion. The hauntingly beautiful musical Dogfight won the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical. Based on the 1991 Warner Brothers film, Dogfight takes audiences on a romantic and heartbreaking theatrical journey that will stay with you long after the performance. "When we did Edges a couple of years ago, I fell in love with the music of Benj Pasek and Justin Paul," says Blackburn. "Their intricate melodies, popping harmonies, and unique rhythmic sensibilities make for a night of theatre one will remember for a long, long time." Dogfight opens June 10 and will be directed by Joshua Denning.

While researching shows for the 2016 season, David had a Facebook message pop up from former ATP actor Joey Banks (Baby, Edges). The message was simple... "Check this out." It came with a link to the soundtrack to yet another new musical, Glory Days. "About an hour later I sent a message back to Joey telling him that I instantly fell in love with the music," recalled Blackburn. "I sent the link to Barbara and her reaction was just as enthusiastic... and we had our third show picked for the season. The icing on the cake is that Joey will be returning to Austin with a new Masters Degree in directing and will make his Austin directing debut with ATP." Glory Days tells the story of four young men who get together a year after their high school graduation to plot their revenge against the football jocks who made their high school years a living hell. But even the best-laid plans can go awry as the boys learn how lives can drastically change in just a year. The powerful and driving score takes us on a journey of discovery and growth as the four young men learn to look deep within their own hearts where they learn the power of love and acceptance… or not. Glory Days opens August 19.

Two years ago, ATP produced Carrie: the Musical which wowed the critics, thrilled the audiences, and won some well-deserved acting awards for its leading ladies Audrey Johnson and Cathie Sheridan. (Incidentally, it is still receiving nominations and is currently up for quite a few awards). "We wanted to recreate some of that magic with a different show. It took David and I just a few seconds to come up with the idea of bringing back Cathie and director Jeff Hinkle for Sweeney Todd," said Barbara Schuler. "As we looked into the show, we realized that the traditional full production was probably more than our venue and budget limitations could handle. David told me about a production he worked on in Florida about twenty years ago that took place in an intimate, 99-seat theatre. The more we talked about it the more our vision of the show took shape. We also decided to reach out to Austin theatre legend Joe Penrod and see if he might be interested in returning to Texas for a run as the title character. He accepted the offer and we were good to go with a fantastic finale to the 2016 season." Sweeney Todd is an infamous tale set in 19th century London, and centers around its title character, an unjustly exiled barber who is seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London lining up, and the carnage has only just begun! Sweeney Todd opens November 4.

SEASON TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE: Austin Theatre Project has restructured its Season Ticket packaging for the 2016 season. Packages are now available in four and eight ticket amounts for both Premium reserved seating and General Admission seating. Discounted tickets for Seniors, Students and groups can still be purchased through the online box office prior to each production. The ATP season ticket packages are still the most flexible in town. You can use your tickets for any show, in any combination.

SPECIAL OFFER! Now through Black Friday, November 27, 2015you can save up to $99.00 over regular box office prices! This sale will end at midnight on Black Friday!

Just click the link below and get your Season Tickets today... and save more than ever before!