Lorenzo Pisoni’s Humor Abuse, Terrence McNally’s Golden Age, Second City’s City of Nutterly Love, et al. Set for Philadelphia Theatre Company

Philadelphia Theatre Company has announced its full 2009-2010 mainstage season, which will kick off with a co-production with The Second City, City of Nutterly Love: Funny as Bell!, to run July 8-26. This world premiere revue will spoof of all things “Philadelphia.”

Next up will be Lorenzo Pisoni’s solo show Humor Abuse (September 25-October 25), which won OBIE, Drama Desk, Lucille Lortel, and Outer Critics Circle awards for solo performance. Co-written by director Erica Schmidt, the piece is based on Pisoni’s vagabond life as the youngest member of his father’s famed Pickle Family Circus. The Craig Lucas-Adam Guettel musical, The Light in the Piazza, will run November 13-December 13. Directed by Joe Calarco, this six-time Tony Award-winner combines the romance of Italy with a passionate love story.

As previously announced, PTC will present the world premiere of Terrence McNally’s Golden Age (January 22-February 21), to be directed by Austin Pendleton. The play takes place backstage at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris on the evening of the premiere of Vincenzo Bellini’s opera, I Puritani. Assembled are the composer and his faithful friend, Francesco Florimo, and the four singers for whom the opera was expressly composed, known the world over as The Puritani Quartet.

Theresa Rebeck’s dark comedy thriller, Mauritius (March 19-April 18) is a caper filled with scams, con-artists and double-crosses, as two half-sisters vie for the rights to a recently inherited stamp collection. The season will conclude with August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (May 21-June 20), set in a 1920s Chicago recording studio where real-life blues legend Ma Rainey and her band have assembled along with Rainey’s white agent and producer. E. Faye Butler will star in the title role.

For more information, call 215-985-0420 or visit PhiladelphiaTheatreCompany.org.