After an uncertain future and a pause in production to regroup and fundraise, The Rep is back with its 2019 "Rebuild The Rep" season, featuring five shows throughout 2019.

And while four of those five shows will feature professional casts, The Rep is also introducing a new type of performance: Education at The Rep on the Mainstage, with its debut show, "Willy Wonka Jr."

The show, based on Roald Dahl's clasic story and featuring many of the songs from the 1971 film, will be brought to life by a company of young artists

"We’re thrilled to showcase the amazing talent of our local young artists and offer both performance and training opportunities for generations to come here at The Rep," Anna Kimmell, The Rep’s Director of Education, said in a press release.

"Willy Wonka Jr." will hit the stage from June 21-30, 2019

The Rep's 2019 holiday show is also a family favorite and Christmas classic: "It’s a Wonderful Life: A LIVE Radio Play." Set in a 1940s radio station on Christmas Eve, watch a live radio version of Frank Capra’s classic 1946 film as the actors on stage transform into dozens of characters from Bedford Falls. Catch performances from Dec. 4-22, 2019.

Other shows in the 2019 comeback season perfect for a parents' night out include:

  • "Chicago" Feb. 20-March 24, 2019
  • "Native Gardens" April 14-May 5, 2019
  • "Million Dollar Quartet" Sept. 4-Oct. 6, 2019

Season subscriptions are on sale online or by calling the Box Office starting Nov. 14. Subscriptions are $88 for students or $155 for adults and include a single ticket to each of the productions in the 2019 season except for Willy Wonka Jr. There is also a pay-your-age subscription option for young adults ages 22-40. Single ticket sales begin in January 2019.

Productions were suspended at The Rep in April because of funding shortages, but since then, the theater has received more than $875,000 in donations, which the John & Robyn Horn Foundation and the Windgate Charitable Foundation have matched, according to Ruth Shepherd, 2018-2019 board chair. There are plans to "Rebuild The Rep" and this 2019 season is a step in that direction.