Dust off your turbans and any rhinestone gee-gaws left from your own Hollywood heyday, and get to the Armory theater. On September 14, Norma Desmond will lead the sweep down the stairs as Sunset Boulevard opens the 2010/2011 Season at Portland Center Stage.

The musical, about the fading silent film star whose obsession with the revitalization of her career and a young man named Joe might succeed, or fail in spectacular tragedy, gets the full star treatment with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The guy practically defined the enormous, earnest musical dramatics of Broadway in the 8’s (see: Phantom of the Opera. Cats. My tape collection from Junior High, et al). It’ll be a rafter shaker.

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More epic tales find footing onstage in the downstairs studio: also opening in September, An Iliad, a one-man telling of the ancient tale. The script was created by the wry, Tony-award-winning, character actor Denis O’Hare. Love him, so I’m curious to find out who is performing in Portland.

February 2011 brings a staging of a homegrown classic, Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Nurse Ratchet terrorizes the gang at an Oregon mental hospital, and a destructive, inspirational rebellion begins in what some call the greatest anti-authority protest novel of the 20th century.

The season ends with rock ‘n’ roll legend Janis Joplin. Love, Janis includes full renderings of her hits "Piece of My Heart," "Ball & Chain," "Mercedes Benz," "Me and Bobby McGee," and "Get It While You Can." Three actresses will tackle the role- one to play young Janis and two to alternate performance nights embodying the on-stage legend.

(Is one of these actresses Storm Large, do you think?)

Of course, there’s more: Christmas shows, a Moliere comedy, a world premiere of Futura, a script that got its start as a JAW Festival reading—read the full descriptions of all the shows here.

Season subscriptions are on sale today.

Season tickets start at $52.50 (for the 3 show Studio Preview Series) and include special pricing for EVERYONE under 30 years old. If you’re under 30, PCS is giving you the student discount. Call the box office for details and tickets: 503.445.3700. It’ll be another few weeks before the new season is available for online purchase, and I’ll post that link as soon as its up.

Go get yourself some theater tickets! It’ll do you good.