ELF, ONCE, LOVE LETTERS, WIZARD OF OZ and More Set for Citi Center's 2015-16 Lineup

The Boston debut of ELF THE BROADWAY MUSICAL, the return of last season's holiday hit Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical, the Tony Award-winning musical ONCE, the perennially popular RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES; Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal, stars of the 1970 classic romantic movie Love Story, reunited on stage in LOVE LETTERS, a new production of THE WIZARD OF OZ, and the international Irish dance phenomenon RIVERDANCE - The 20th Anniversary World Tour are coming in the 2015-16 season to the Citi Performing Arts Center.

Josiah A. Spaulding, the president & CEO of the Citi Center, remarked "What a season! We have a great lineup coming to the Citi Wang and Shubert Theatres: two outstanding holiday shows; the return of an award-winning musical; a legendary couple reunited on stage in a celebrated play about love; the return of an acclaimed concert about the greatest rock and roll band ever; a new production of a beloved all-time classic; and the triumphant return of an international dance sensation. This is one of the most varied and full seasons that we have seen in the area in years."

SEASON DETAILS:

ELF The BROADWAY Musical is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy's enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa's permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. This modern day Christmas classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner ELF. Based on the beloved 2003 New Line Cinema hit, ELF features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone). ELF The BROADWAY Musical makes its Boston debut November 17-December 6, 2015 at the Citi Wang Theatre. Tickets are $35.00 - $125.00.

Returning to Boston after a sell-out engagement last season, an original television Christmas classic comes to life! First airing in 1964, RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER has become a beloved Christmas tradition - capturing the hearts and wonder of generations of fans. Something magical will happen this holiday season as the beloved story soars off the screen and onto the Citi Shubert Theatre stage. Join Citi Center in celebrating Rudolph and all of your favorite characters including, Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, Bumble the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius, and the Misfit Toys in RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER: THE MUSICAL, playing December 1-6, 2015. Tickets are priced at $38.00 - $58.00.

ONCE, winner of eight Tony Awards including Best Musical and winner of the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album, will return to Boston by popular demand to play a three-week engagement at the Citi Shubert Theatre, December 8-27, 2015. Also named Best Musical by the New York Drama Critics' Circle, Drama Desk, Drama League, Outer Critics Circle and Lucille Lortel Awards, ONCE is the celebrated new musical based on the Academy Award-winning film. It tells the story of an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant drawn together by their shared love of music. Over the course of one fateful week, their unexpected friendship and collaboration evolves into a powerful but complicated romance, heightened by the raw emotion of the songs they create together. Brought to the stage by an award-winning team of visionary artists and featuring an ensemble cast of gifted actor/musicians, ONCE is a musical celebration of life and love: thrilling in its originality, daring in its honesty... and unforgettable in every way. Tickets are priced at $48.00 - $98.00.

Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal, stars of the 1970 classic romantic movie Love Story, will reunite on stage in "LOVE LETTERS," coming to Boston's Citi Shubert Theatre, February 2-7, 2016. Playwright A.R. Gurney's enduring romance about first loves and second chances, is directed by Gregory Mosher. In the production, Andrew Makepeace Ladd III wrote his first letter to Melissa Gardner to tell her she looked like a lost princess. They were both seven years old. For the next 50 years, through personal triumphs and despair, through wars and marriages and children and careers, they poured out the secrets of their hearts to each other. They defied a fate that schemed to keep them apart, and lived -- through letters -- for the one most meaningful thing, their undying love for each other. Tickets are priced at $34.00 - $89.00.

Experience an all new show when the internationally-acclaimed Beatles concert, RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles, makes its return to the Citi Wang Theatre, on February 26-27, 2016. As "the next best thing to seeing The Beatles!" (Associated Press), RAIN performs the full range of the band's discography live onstage, including the most complex and challenging songs that The Beatles themselves recorded in the studio but never performed for an audience. In addition to the updated sets that include brand new LED, High-Definition screens and multimedia content, new songs have also been included with the launch of the 2015 Tour. Together longer than The Beatles, RAIN has mastered every song, gesture and nuance of the legendary foursome, delivering a totally live, note-for-note performance that's as infectious as it is transporting. From the early hits to later classics ("I Want To Hold Your Hand," "Hard Day's Night," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "Let It Be," "Come Together," "Hey Jude" and more), this adoring tribute will take you back to a time when all you needed was love, and a little help from your friends! Tickets are $38.75 - $93.75

"We're off to see"....the most magical adventure of them all, as THE WIZARD OF OZ takes the stage at the Citi Wang Theatre April 12-24, 2016. This new production is an enchanting adaptation of the all-time classic, totally reconceived for the stage. Developed from the ever popular MGM screenplay, this production contains the beloved songs from the Oscar-winning movie score, all the favorite characters and iconic moments, plus a few surprises along the way, including new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Click your heels together and join Scarecrow, Tin Man, the cowardly Lion, Dorothy and her little dog Toto, as they journey through the magical land of Oz to meet the Wizard and obtain their hearts' desires. Watch out for the Wicked Witch of the West and her winged monkeys as you rediscover the real story of Oz in this fantastic musical treat for the whole family. Tickets are $35.00 - 125.00.

The international Irish dance phenomenon is back by popular demand in Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World TouR, playing May 10-15, 2016 at the Citi Wang Theatre. Drawing on Irish traditions, the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures in an innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song. Of all the performances to emerge from Ireland - in rock, music, theatre and film - nothing has carried the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of Riverdance. Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour is composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan, and comes directly to North America from a sold out run across Europe and Asia. Tickets are $35.00 - $109.00.

Tickets for all shows are now on sale at the Citi Center Box Office and through www.citicenter.org. Tickets for ELF THE BROADWAY MUSICAL, RAIN, THE WIZARD OF OZ, and RIVERDAncE- The 20th Anniversary World Tour are also available by calling 800-982-ARTS (2787), or through Ticketmaster. Tickets for Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical, ONCE, and LOVE LETTERS are also available by calling (866) 348-9738. Groups of 10 or more may reserve tickets now by contacting Citi Performing Arts Center Group Sales at (617) 532-1116 or groups@citicenter.org.

Citi Performing Arts Center, which includes the Wang, Shubert, and Emerson Colonial Theatres, is one of the nation's foremost nonprofit performing arts institutions. As New England's largest cultural venue, it honors all aspects of the performing arts offering theatre, opera, classical and popular music, comedy, dance, and Broadway musicals. Its education/public programming initiatives present the City Spotlights Leadership Program and ArtWeek Boston.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Boston's historic Theatre District, Citi Performing Arts Center offers a diverse mix of educational workshops and community activities; collaborates with artists and local performing arts organizations; and, acts as a champion for the arts in the Greater Boston community by aggressively helping to make the arts an integral part of the community's collective, daily experience. For more information, visit www.citicenter.org.

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