New Line Theatre


New Line Theatre is an alternative musical theatre company in St. Louis, Missouri, producing challenging, adult, politically and socially relevant works of musical theatre. The company was created in 1991 and produces world premieres such as Love Kills, Johnny Appleweed, Woman with Pocketbook, She's Hideous, In the Blood, Attempting the Absurd, and The AmberKlavier; lesser known Broadway and off Broadway shows such as High Fidelity, Passing Strange, bare, The Wild Party, Floyd Collins, A New Brain, March of the Falsettos, Passion, The Robber Bridegroom, The Nervous Set, and Bat Boy; abstract musicals such as Hair, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, and Songs for a New World; absurdist musicals such as Reefer Madness, Attempting the Absurd, The Cradle Will Rock, and Anyone Can Whistle; concept musicals such as Company, Assassins, Urinetown, Chicago, Sunday in the Park with George, and Cabaret; and reinterpretations of more mainstream works, such as Evita, Man of La Mancha, Camelot, Pippin, Sweeney Todd, Grease, and Into the Woods.
New Line claims to take philosophical and practical inspiration from theatre models of the 1960s, including Caffé Cino, Cafe LaMaMa ETC, Judson Poets Theatre, Joan Littlewood's People's Theatre Workshop in London, and to a lesser extent from the Living Theatre, the Open Theatre, and various theatre collectives in the US and Europe.
New Line has produced the first productions after Broadway of the musicals High Fidelity, Cry-Baby, and Hands on a Hardbody, to enthusiastic reviews, redeeming them after their brief New York runs, giving them new lives in regional theatre.
New Line Theatre has been honored by the St. Louis Theater Circle with a special award for the company's body of work over the years, and feature stories in American Theatre (magazine) and The Riverfront Times.

Past shows

1991–1992A Tribute to the Rock Musicals *Attempting the Absurd *
1992–1993Smokin' Santa *A Tribute to Stephen Sondheim *
1993–1994A Tribute to the Dark Side *Breaking Out in Harmony *Assassins **
1994–1995PippinIn the Blood *
1995–1996CompanyOut on Broadway *Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
1996–1997Passion **Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in ParisThe Ballad of Little Mikey **
1997–1998Extreme Sondheim *March of the FalsettosWoman with Pocketbook *Assassins
1998–1999Songs for a New World **CamelotInto the Woods
1999–2000Floyd Collins **Out on Broadway 2000 *Hair
2000–2001CabaretAnyone Can WhistleHair
2001–2002The Cradle Will RockA New Brain **Chicago
2002–2003The Rocky Horror ShowBat Boy: The Musical **The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
2003–2004Sunday in the Park with GeorgeThe Nervous SetReefer Madness **Hedwig and the Angry Inch
2004–2005Man of La ManchaShe's Hideous *The Robber BridegroomKiss of the Spider Woman
2005–2006The FantasticksThe AmberKlavier *Bat Boy: The MusicalJesus Christ Superstar
2006–2007Johnny Appleweed *GreaseUrinetown
2007–2008Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll *AssassinsHigh Fidelity **
2008–2009HairReturn to the Forbidden Planet **The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
2009–2010Love Kills *The Wild Party **Evita
2010–2011I Love My Wife **Two Gentlemen of VeronaBare: A Pop Opera **
2011–2012Passing Strange **Cry-Baby **High Fidelity
2012–2013Bloody Bloody Andrew JacksonNext to NormalBukowsical **
2013–2014Night of the Living Dead: A Musical Thriller **RentHands on a Hardbody **
2014–2015Bonnie & Clyde **Jerry Springer: The OperaThe Threepenny Opera
2015–2016Heathers: The Musical **American IdiotAtomic **Tell Me on a Sunday **
2016–2017Celebration ZorbaSweet Smell of Success **Out on Broadway: The Third Coming *
2017–2018Lizzie **Anything GoesYeast Nation
2018–2019The Zombies of Penzance*La Cage aux FollesBe More Chill
2019-2020Cry-BabyHead Over Heels **Urinetown
An asterisk denotes world premiere; a double-asterisk denotes regional premiere