(RAHWAY, NJ) -- American Theater Group (ATG), a professional regional theater company in Central NJ, will present the endearing My Italy Story by NJ playwright Joseph Gallo as its 2024-25 Season Opener, followed by the exhilarating and Tony Award-winning musical Purlie written by Ossie Davis, Philip Rose and Peter Udell with music by Gary Geld.

My Italy Story is a nostalgic exploration of family, heritage and the ties that bind us. Spurred by pleas from his cousin to help reunite his fractured family, a young man quits his job and travels to Vallata -- the tiny Italian town of his ancestors. Not until he comes home, however, does he discover a secret that unlocks his past. The one-man show will run October 24-27, 2024 at Hamilton Stage in Rahway, and November 1-3, 2024 at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge.  Information about casting and the creative team will be announced shortly.

Purlie is the 1970 musical adaptation of Ossie Davis's comedic play Purlie Victorious about a traveling preacher who returns to his hometown in Georgia and concocts a scheme to reclaim his church.  Nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Direction and Best Choreography, the original Broadway production received Tony Awards for Best Performance by a Leading Actor (Cleavon Little as Purlie) and Best Performance by a Featured Actress (Melba Moore as Lutiebelle). ATG performances will run March 6-23, 2025. Purlie is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals.

Along with these main stage productions, ATG’s season will include additional events including free play readings and a special spring performance event; details will be forthcoming.

“We are thrilled to present these outstanding theatrical works this season as we explore the theme of homecoming,” noted Producing Artistic Director Jim Vagias. “I was first introduced to My Italy Story 25 years ago when I was involved in a very early reading and am so pleased to be able to finally produce a full theatrical production. It feels like we’ve come full circle. And Purlie is a seldom-done, undeservedly neglected show that we are delighted to re-introduce to new audiences. It is truly a great American musical that we are honored to produce.”

Union County Performing Arts Center (UCPAC) is a non-profit organization offering quality programming and performances that strive to be educational, affordable, and enrich the arts within our diverse communities. UCPAC features two venues, the Main Stage, built in 1928 and currently celebrating its 95th anniversary, and the Hamilton Stage, a recently renovated intimate 199-seat theater built by the City of Rahway Redevelopment Agency, and located at 360 Hamilton Street.  My Italy Story preview performances will be Thurs, October 24 at 7:00pm and Friday, October 25 at 7:00pm, with an Official Opening Night on Saturday, October 26 at 7:00pm and a performance on Sunday, October 27 at 2:00pm. Visit ucpac.org for tickets and information.

The Sieminski Theater is located on the scenic campus of Fellowship Village at 8000 Fellowship Road in Basking Ridge, NJ. This beautiful, 257-seat state-of-the-art theater boasts an innovative design that exudes professionalism while maintaining an intimate ambiance. Performances of My Italy Story will be Friday, November 1 at 7:30pm, Saturday, November 2 at 2:30pm & 7:30pm and Sunday, November 3 at 2:30pm. Tickets are available at www.sieminskitheater.org.

American Theater Group (ATG), founded in 2012, produces new and classic works primarily by American playwrights with an emphasis on the development of new works and the rediscovery of undeservedly neglected older ones. It also provides quality arts-in-education initiatives, including its annual DramaFest for students and its PlayLab program for BIPOC and queer playwrights. ATG programming is made possible in part by an American Rescue Plan Act grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to support general operating expenses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Made possible by the Somerset County Cultural & Heritage Commission, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.