Las Vegas Review-Journal

No repeats

’My Fair Lady,’ ‘Cats’ part of new schedule

- By Christophe­r Lawrence

The six shows that make up the Broadway Las Vegas series all are making their debut at The Smith Center

The six shows that make up the Broadway Las Vegas series at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts will have a familiar feel.

“Tootsie” and “An Officer and a Gentleman” were based on popular, Oscar-nominated films from 1982. “My Fair Lady” and “Cats” were made into movies — albeit one more successful­ly than the other. “A Christmas Carol” is one of the best-known stories on the planet. Even “The Band’s Visit” is based on an Israeli film.

That familiarit­y, though, is offset by new takes on several of the titles and the fact that none of them are repeats.

“We’re happy that we’ve got a nice six-show package that are all titles that have never been here before,” says Myron Martin, The Smith Center’s president and CEO.

Patrons who renew their season tickets now will get dibs on tickets to “Hamilton.” The musical sensation was the cornerston­e of what would have been the 2020-21 season. It has been reschedule­d for 2022-23.

As for the other shows from that unseen season — “The Cher Show,” “Frozen,” “To Kill a Mockingbir­d,” “A Christmas Story,” “Ain’t Too Proud” and “Hadestown” — Martin can’t get into specifics.

“I think it’s fair to assume that there may be other shows that we expected to see during COVID that will find their way back to The Smith Center,” he allows.

Current season ticket holders may renew now, and anyone interested in a new subscripti­on is asked to register, at Thesmithce­nter.com/broadway.

The Smith Center plans to open at 100 percent occupancy. To accommodat­e that, masks will be required.

Here’s a look at the 2021-22 Broadway Las Vegas series:

■ “Cats” (Oct. 12-17): Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jellicle Ball is back, with new choreograp­hy, lighting design and sound design.

■ “An Officer and a Gentleman” (Oct. 26-31): When a Navy drill sergeant takes a special interest in knocking the arrogance out of him, Zack Mayo finds comfort in the arms of a local factory girl in this musical based on the film starring Richard Gere, Debra Winger and Louis Gossett Jr.

■ “A Christmas Carol” (Nov. 2328): This interpreta­tion of Charles Dickens’ classic tale by playwright

Jack Thorne (“Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”) and director Matthew Warchus (“Matilda”) was nominated for five Tony Awards in 2020.

■ “My Fair Lady” (Jan. 25-30, 2022): Cockney flower seller Eliza Doolittle meets linguistic­s professor Henry Higgins in this Lincoln Center Theater staging of the Lerner & Loewe musical featuring “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly.”

■ “The Band’s Visit” (Feb. 15-20, 2022): The winner of 10 Tony Awards in 2018, the musical follows a group of musicians who mistakenly arrive in the wrong town, way off the beaten path, and breathe new life into the residents.

■ “Tootsie” (May 24-29, 2022): Michael Dorsey, a talented but difficult actor, struggles to find work until he becomes a star as Dorothy Michaels in this musical based on the comedy starring Dustin Hoffman and Jessica Lange.

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