Broadway in Tucson’s 2015-16 season will bring back a slew of musicals seen on Tucson stages — and one that hasn’t and is most welcome.
The highlight of the organization’s season is sure to be the Tony-winning “The Book of Mormon” (Feb. 16-21), an irreverent and very funny musical by the creators of “South Park.” Critics went gaga over it — the New York Times called it “the best musical of this century.” That’s high praise, especially considering this century was just 11 years old when it made its debut.
Opening the season is “Annie” (Sept. 29-Oct. 4), a revamped version of the 1977 musical. Broadway in Tucson last staged a revamped version here in 2005. Much to our surprise, we liked it.
“Phantom of the Opera” (Oct. 21-Nov. 1) has made just one stop in Tucson — in 2002, courtesy of UA Presents. The massive musical demanded some serious accommodations at Centennial Hall — including cutting through the roof to help handle such moments as the falling chandelier at the end of the first act. The popular play is likely to pull in big audiences, just as it did in 2002.
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Stepping up again on the stage here is “Riverdance” (Jan. 5-10), which is very familiar with the Centennial Hall boards — UA Presents brought it here in 1999 and 2001. Broadway in Tucson brought the Irish dance troupe here in 2006. The question is: will audiences here step up to see it again? It’s an exuberant production and if the performers aren’t bored, we likely won’t be either.
The feel-good musical “42nd Street” (March 29-April 3, 2016), chock-full of dancing and classic show tunes, returns to the Old Pueblo after a long break — it hasn’t been seen here since UA Presents brought it to Centennial Hall in 2003. This one won a Tony in 2001.
And a special (which means it’s not part of the regular season subscription) is “Chicago” (April 22-24, 2015), which Broadway in Tucson brought here in 2005 and again in 2010. The musical is still on Broadway and drawing in crowds; a return visit makes sense. And, frankly, we can never get enough of the Kander and Ebb musical. Keep this in mind: season ticket holders will get the first crack at tickets to “Chicago.”
Season ticket packages range from $65 to $410, depending on the number of shows and days they are seen. If you are a current subscriber, you can renew now; for everyone else, the season subscriptions go on sale March 30. You can get them at broadwayintucson.com or 1-866-821-2929. Single tickets for “Annie” and “Phantom of the Opera” go on sale in August and September. Single tickets for the remainder of the season will be available in November.
