Broadway In Tucson is bringing a slew of Tony-winning musicals to its stage next season, including Tucson's first-ever production of "The Who's Tommy."
The 2026-27 season also features the return of a trio of popular musicals as special events, including an 11-day run of Disney's "The Lion King" next March.
Gilbert Domally as Simba in “The Lion King.”
Three of the six 2026-27 subscription season shows are based on novels: S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders" Feb. 2-7, 2027; Nicholas Sparks' "The Notebook" April 27-May 2; and F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby" Aug. 17-27.
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"It is a big, splashy Broadway musical. I mean, think of the roaring '20s and it is that on stage," said Broadway In Tucson General Manager Mario Di Vetta about "The Great Gatsby."
Samantha Pauly (center) and cast in the Broadway production of “The Great Gatsby.”
"All of the three book musicals are fantastic. 'The Outsiders': everyone remembers the rumble from the book and the movie. That rumble is in the stage production and brilliantly staged. 'The Notebook' has that rain scene, so there will be rain on stage," he said.
“The Notebook,” directed by Michael Greif, music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson and choreography by Katie Spelman.
Nearly all of the shows in the lineup have won or been nominated for Tony Awards, and several are multiple Tony winners, including the five-time winning "Tommy."
Tucson is second in line to get "Tommy" when the tour launches in the fall. It comes on the heels of a successful 2024 Broadway revival.
"The Who's Tommy" is a rock opera based on the Brit rockers' 1969 double album of the same name. Pete Townsend, the band's founder and lead songwriter, and director Des McAnuff wrote the book about a boy named Tommy Walker, who after witnessing a murder, becomes psychosomatically deaf, dumb and blind but finds healing and fame through pinball ("Pinball Wizard").
The play was up for 10 Tonys in 1993 and won five, including Best Original Score and Best Direction of a Musical.
Ponyboy, Dallas and Sodapop are coming to Centennial Hall next February as part of Broadway In Tucson's 2026-27 "Turn the Page" season. Three of the season's six musicals are based on books.
"Hadestown" Dec. 4-6 is the first of the three special events next season. The show landed eight of the 14 Tonys for which it was nominated in 2019, including Best Musical.
The genre-defying musical — there's New Orleans jazz, American folk, blues and indie folk rock — intertwines the mythic tales of Orpheus and Eurydice, a pair of poverty-stricken lovers who live in the cold world above, and King Hades and Queen Persephone, who come from Hadestown, the warm world below.
Also in the new season: a week-long run of "Elf the Musical" Nov. 10-15. The musical is based on the 2003 Will Ferrell film, which has become a popular family holiday tradition in the vein of "Polar Express" and "It's A Wonderful Life."
"Elf the Musical."
But because of its tight touring window — it only tours during the holidays between November and late December — it's hard to get the show, much less get it for a week.
Before bringing "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" to Tucson last Nov. 11-16, Broadway In Tucson had never had a full-week holiday musical.
"Grinch" turned out to be one of the biggest sellers of the current season.
"And because it did so well, we're able to bring in other holiday shows, like 'Elf The Musical'," Di Vetta said. "There's only so many holiday musicals out on the road — 'The Grinch,' 'Elf.' At times there's been 'White Christmas,' but they can only tour for a short period of time."
Season tickets are on sale now through broadwayintucson.com. Performances are at Centennial Hall, 1020 E. University Blvd. on the University of Arizona campus.
Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Bluesky @Starburch
Cathalena E. Burch
Reporter
