‘The Nerd,’ ‘Toys’ to open Colony season

Colony Theatre in Burbank will launch its 2003-04 season with French Stewart (“Third Rock From the Sun”) in David Rose’s staging of Larry Shue’s “The Nerd” (June 7-July 6), followed by Jessica Kubzansky’s staging of Lillian Hellman’s “Toys in the Attic” (Aug. 16-Sept. 14).

The Los Angeles premiere of the noir-spoof musical “Gunmetal Blues,” opening Oct. 18, will be staged by Laguna Playhouse artistic director Andrew Barnicle. He played a private eye in his own theater’s 1999 Southern California premiere of the show, which has a score by Craig Bohmler and Marion Adler and a book by Scott Wentworth.

The Colony will introduce Mark Saltzman’s “Clutter” (Feb. 7-March 7), directed by Nick DeGruccio. It’s a play about the Collyer brothers, the notorious packrats who also were the subject of Richard Greenberg’s “The Dazzle,” seen last year at South Coast Repertory.

A fifth play, yet to be announced, will open in April.

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-- Don Shirley