2014-2015 National Tours Seasons

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 4:20pm

Looks like the Pantages in Los Angeles is the first to announce their new season.

Jersey Boys--Oct. 1-19
Pippin'--Oct. 21-Nov. 9
Kinky Boots--Nov. 11-30
Wicked--Dec. 10-Feb. 1
Newsies--March 24-April 19
Motown: the Musical--April 28-June 7
Phantom of the Opera--June 10-July 26

http://www.hollywoodpantages.com/spackages.php

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 4:24pm

How many times has Wicked played the Pantages now? Looks like the Ahmanson will be getting Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 4:38pm

"How many times has Wicked played the Pantages now?"

It had the original sitdown production which closed on Januray 11, 2009 5 years ago this past Saturday. The 2nd and first return visit was with Tour 1 in December 2011. This will be the 3rd visit. Actually San Diego and Costa Mesa have had more Wicked tour visits than the Pantages.

Best part of the new Pantages season is that all the productions are having fairly long runs and there's very little room to add any non-equity productions of which for me they had way too many the past two seasons.

Updated On: 1/13/14 at 04:38 PM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 4:48pm

Houston
Anything Goes
Dirty Dancing
Radio City Christmas Spectacular
The Book of Mormon (Season Option)
Once
Mamma Mia! (Season Option)
Newsies
Motown

[californiasnow]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 4:49pm

It would actually be the 4th visit. The Pantages was one of the first cities to host the tour, in the summer of 2005.

[Wicked Fanatic]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 4:54pm

californiasnow
THANKS! How could I foget that as it was the 1st time that I saw it on July 6, 2005, the beginning of my Wicked love affair.

[Mike Barrett]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 5:30pm

Wow I didn't know cities announced their schedules this early. Is that typical? Also is the Anything Goes tour going to be equity or non equity? I didn't even know it was touring again.

[OperaBwayLover]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 5:37pm

New Orleans is supposed to announce their new season some time this month, which is normal. Last year they didn't announce until March, but I'd be willing to bet that was due to checking if the Saenger would be open and ready or not.

[ravnquest1]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 5:51pm

Updated On: 6/17/17 at 05:51 PM

[RW3]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 5:59pm

I just hope that the Kennedy's center season is much better. The revival of SideShow and The Lion King are the only saving graces for this season. However, the National Theatre has definitely been resurrected from its previous state.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 6:06pm

Really looking forward to Portlands announcement. We've been big on the map lately.

[bdboston]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 6:12pm

It wasn't just Houston. Most of the "Broadway Across America" houses/cities passed on "Anything Goes." A friend of mine on the equity tour said there's bad blood between BAA and Roundabout. From what I understand, there was initially talk of a Japan production, which would have used the sets from the tour. That's not happening, so the non-equity tour will use some elements.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 6:15pm

Anything Goes did not tour very well, and stuggled in most cities, even early on during the 2012-2013 touring season.
Also, Nice Work If You Can Get It is playing Dallas this summer. I am guessing that means it will be touring.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 6:29pm

Anything Goes played well in Portland, but it only had a 7 performance run. It seemed to play at most regional and other non profit houses.

[theatregeek6]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 7:05pm

Will the tiering issue for Kinky Boots and Newsies have any impact on quality? Really just curious since I am don't have any point of reference

[bdn223]

Posted: 1/13/14 at 11:50pm

Newsies set was designed to tour so..probably not. The only changes i could see them making is having less Newsies and an extra swing or two.

[justincharacter]

Posted: 1/14/14 at 12:14am

I'm wondering why Pippin is doing such short runs on tour. I would have guessed that it would be playing houses to a minimum of three or four weeks in smaller cities.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 1/14/14 at 2:37am

Pippin will be a tough sell on tour.

I'm sure Anything Goes will be non-union and probably play those smaller venues better.

I'm curious to know what else is going non-union. I can't really think of any off the top of my head. Maybe "Nice Work?"

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 1/14/14 at 2:49am

I'm sure Evita will transition to non-equity after this year,

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/14/14 at 4:05am

Re: Newsies.
Disney has stated that the tour will have 30+ cast members, so it will not have a notably smaller cast.
As far as quality goes, actor tiered salary doesnt reflect a visible difference it what the audience will see and with sucha. Young cast, it probably wont affect who is willing to tour in the company much.
As far as the set design, that was not designed to tour. It was designed for a rqional house and with an eye toward being adapted for tour, but no, it wasnt designed "to tour". ANYONE conceiving that set to tour from day one would not have made those three towers so larger or complex.

Re: Pippin.
With shorter runs, the Weasles.. I mean WEISSLERS.. can apply for SETA status. Longer runs instantly disqualifies them for even considering that... and the Weisslerswould sell their own mothers for a buck and not think twice. They will do everything to keep that tier or SETA option wide open as long as possible.

Re: Anything Goes.
Dont EXPECT it to look smaller, but realize it may. NETworks knows how to be very efficient and the previous set doesnt fit with their model to do that, but they know how to hired esigners who can walk that line, maintaining the look but streamlining it for their tour models. Refer to their Shrek tour set which was different, streamlined and no less impressive than the first national.

[trpguyy]

Posted: 1/14/14 at 10:23am

"I'm sure Evita will transition to non-equity after this year,"

I doubt it. Year three, yes.

[JohnyBroadway]

Posted: 1/14/14 at 10:55am

Newsies director, Jeff Calhoun, has stated many times that the set designed and built was a tour set design. It was by Disneys request, as they weren't sure if it would tour or go to Broadway first. No, they aren't packing up the set at the Nederlander, but they won't be making any big modifications to the new replicated set.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 1/14/14 at 12:40pm

It was conceived to tour, but the set, as you see it at the Nederlander, will require modifications to be tourable. The structure isn't tourable. The visual is. Very big difference.
Design is part visual. Part technical. I am addressing the technical aspect.

[bdn223]

Posted: 1/14/14 at 1:22pm

Newsies's tour will most certainly not turn into Mary Poppin's tour where they had to completely redesign the set. The there towers are built like a giant erected set, which is probably how they will be built for the tour production, so that they can collapse and be moved from venue to venue. The only other possible change set wise is that they will not be automated and will be moved by the cast which makes total sense.

[vtalum05]

Posted: 1/14/14 at 2:04pm

I agree about the KC though I saw Flashdance and Elf and enjoyed both of them thoroughly! I'm hoping that between the KC and The National Theater we will get Kinky Boots, Motown and Dirty Dancing. I do know that The National Theater is getting Newsies! Do you know when either venue will be announcing? Or The Hippodrome in Baltimore?