The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
THE BIG SHOWS
Playhouse Square unveils another slate of heavy-hitter productions for its 2020-21 Broadway Series
“To Kill a Mockingbird.” “Pretty Woman: The Musical.” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.” “Hadestown.” Those four high-profile shows and three others — “The Cher Show,” “The Prom” and “Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations” — comprise the just-announced 20202021 KeyBank Broadway Series. Playhouse Square unveiled the season March 3 at an event that was streamed online and boasted a few musical performances. (Watch it at playhousesquare.org/launch.) At the event, Gina Vernaci, president and CEO of the nonprofit Playhouse Square organization, touted recent capital improvements made to the largest performing arts center in the country outside of New York. They include a new HVAC system and a more open box-office area in the KeyBank State Theatre. “It’s welcoming, it’s accessible, it’s friendly, it’s flexible,” said. “And then as you walk into the main lobby, you’ll be able to smell the new carpeting.” A follow-up news release states that shows in the series will continue to make three-week stints in Cleveland and it does a little bragging about the current season. ‘Playhouse Square, with a record-breaking season of nearly 49,000 season ticket holders, leads the nation’s Broadway tour markets,’ it states. Season tickets to the 2020-2021 series are on sale. Call 216-640-8800 or visit playhousesquare.org/ broadway. Season ticket packages range from $100 to $700, with monthly payment plans available. The season:
‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ | Nov. 3 to 22
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“All rise for Academy Award winner Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterwork. The New York Times Critic’s Pick ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is ‘the most successful American play in Broadway history. It has not played to a single empty seat’ (‘60 Minutes’). Rolling Stone gives it 5 stars, calling it ‘an emotionally shattering landmark production of an American classic,’ and New York Magazine calls it ‘a real phenomenon. Majestic and incandescent, it’s filled with breath and nuance and soul.’ With direction by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher, ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ — ‘the greatest novel of all time’ (Chicago Tribune) — has quickly become ‘one of the greatest plays in history’ (NPR).”
‘Pretty Woman: The Musical’ | Jan. 5 to 24
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» “After an incredible run on Broadway, Audience Choice Award-winner ‘Pretty Woman: The Musical’ is now on tour! One of Hollywood’s most beloved stories of all time, ‘Pretty Woman: The Musical’ is brought to life by a powerhouse creative team representing the best of music, Hollywood, and Broadway. Featuring direction and choreography by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell (‘Hairspray,’ ‘Kinky Boots,’ ‘Legally Blonde’), an original score by Grammy winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (‘Summer of ‘69,’ ‘Heaven’), and a book by the movie’s legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J.F. Lawton, ‘Pretty Woman: The Musical’ will lift your spirits and light up your heart. ‘If you love the movie, you’ll love the musical!’ (BuzzFeed News).”
‘The Cher Show’ | Feb. 2 to 21
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» “Superstars come and go. Cher is forever. For six straight decades, only one unstoppable force has flatout dominated popular culture — breaking down barriers, pushing boundaries, and letting nothing and no one stand in her way. ‘The Cher Show’ is the Tony Award-winning musical of her story, and it’s packed with so much Cher that it takes three women to play her: the kid starting out, the glam pop star, and the icon. This hit Broadway musical features a book by Tony Award winner Rick Elice, direction by Tony Award nominee Jason Moore and choreography by Tony Award winner Christopher Gattelli. ‘The Cher Show’ is 35 smash hits, six decades of stardom, two rockstar husbands, a Grammy, an Oscar, an Emmy, and enough Tony Award-winning Bob Mackie gowns to cause a sequin shortage in New York City, all in one unabashedly fabulous new musical that will have you dancing in the aisles!”
‘The Prom’ | March 9 to 28, 2021
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“Everyone’s invited to the joyous Broadway hit that New York Magazine hails as ‘smart and big-hearted’ while The New York Times declares it ‘makes you believe in musical comedy again!’ ‘The Prom’ is a new musical comedy about big Broadway stars on a mission to change the world and the love they discover that unites them all. ‘The Prom’ features direction and choreography by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw (‘Mean Girls,’ ‘The Book of Mormon’), a book by Tony Award winner Bob Martin (‘The Drowsy Chaperone’) and Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin (‘Aladdin’), music by Tony Award nominee Matthew Sklar (‘Elf’) and lyrics by Tony Award nominee Chad Beguelin.”
‘Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations’ | April 6 to 25, 2021
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“‘Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations’ is the electrifying, new smash-hit Broadway musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and silky-smooth harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number one. Nominated for 12 Tony Awards, ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ tells the thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal, as the group’s personal and political conflicts threatened to tear them apart during a decade of civil unrest in America. The unforgettable story of this legendary quintet is set to the beat of the group’s treasured hits, including ‘My Girl,’ ‘Just My Imagination,’ ‘Get Ready,’ ‘Papa Was a Rolling Stone’ and so many more. Written by three-time Obie Award winner Dominique Morisseau, directed by two-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff (Jersey Boys) and featuring the Tony-winning choreography of Sergio Trujillo (‘Jersey Boys,’ ‘On Your Feet!’), ‘Ain’t Too Proud’ launches their first national tour to over 50 cities across America.”
‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ | May 5 to June 6, 2021
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“Enter a world of splendor and romance, of eye-popping excess, of glitz, grandeur and glory! A world where Bohemians and aristocrats rub elbows and revel in electrifying enchantment. Pop the champagne and prepare for the spectacular...Welcome to MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL. Baz Luhrmann’s revolutionary film comes to life onstage, remixed in a new musical mash-up extravaganza. Directed by Tony Award nominee Alex Timbers, ‘Moulin Rouge! The Musical’ is a theatrical celebration of truth, beauty, freedom and — above all — love. With a book by Tony winner John Logan, music supervision, orchestrations and arrangements by Justin Levine, and choreography by Emmy nominee Sonya Tayeh, ‘Moulin Rouge!’ is more than a musical; it is a state of mind.”
‘Hadestown’ | July 6 to 25, 2021
SAYS PLAYHOUSE SQUARE » Welcome to ‘Hadestown,’ where a song can change your fate. Winner of eight 2019 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and the 2020 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, this acclaimed new show by celebrated singersongwriter Anaïs Mitchell and innovative director Rachel Chavkin (‘Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812’) is a love story for today... and always. ‘Hadestown’ intertwines two mythic tales — that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of King Hades and his wife Persephone — as it invites you on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love. Performed by a vibrant ensemble of actors, dancers and singers, ‘Hadestown’ is a haunting and hopeful theatrical experience that grabs you and never lets go.”