The President of the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) J.L. "Lynn" Singleton is pleased to announce PPAC's 38th Broadway Season, featuring the Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series and the Encore Series.
The Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series opens with Disney's NEWSIES in October 2015 and continues with the National Tour opening of Roundabout Theatre Company's Tony-winning production of CABARET, the 2013 Tony Award Winner for Best Revival of a Musical PIPPIN, an all-new production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS, and IF/THEN.
The Encore Series features return engagements of ANNIE and RAGTIME THE MUSICAL, and the Providence Premiere of BULLETS OVER BROADWAY.
Two popular shows will be Broadway Specials this season.
Back by Popular Demand, THE BOOK OF MORMON, which played a two-week run in 2014, returns to Providence for a one-week engagement November 17 - 22, 2015. JERSEY BOYS will also return to Providence for a limited one-week engagement April 26 - May 1, 2016.
WPRI 12 presented a live stream of PPAC's 2015/2016 Season Announcement Special "Surround Yourself with Broadway Sounds;" the stream is now available as video on demand on
wpri.com.
Singleton said, "For our 38th Season, we hope that you will "surround yourself with Broadway sounds," and experience all of the beautiful music that will fill our theatre, starting in the fall. We thank the Taco/ White Family Foundation for their partnership and continued support of our Broadway Series. We also thank our Broadway Season media sponsor WPRI 12 and our Encore Series media sponsor Cox."
Joseph W. Walsh, Esq., Chairman of PPAC's Board of Directors, said, "We have been honored to be the theatre of choice for launching a number of National Tours over the past seven years. We are pleased to continue this tradition as we open the national tour of Roundabout Theatre Company's CABARET next Season."
PPAC Director Cindy Laughlin, who co-emceed the season announcement event, said, "PPAC will also present a number of Broadway productions that will make their Providence Premieres at the Theatre, including MOTOWN THE MUSICAL and IF/THEN. Each season, PPAC strives to bring the Best of Broadway to the Theatre so Rhode Islanders can experience the wonder of Broadway, right here at home!"
John Hazen White, Jr., President & CEO of Taco, Inc., said, "PPAC has
a fantastic and exciting line-up for next season. Taco and The White Family Foundation are proud to be supporting the shows in PPAC's Broadway Series."
"We at the Taco/White Family Foundation are pleased to be entering our seventh year of working with PPAC. This has been a phenomenal partnership," said Thomas Farrell, President of the Taco/White Family Foundation. "Each year, PPAC presents wonderful productions that enliven and enrich the lives of theatregoers, and host a variety of Community Outreach programs. We are pleased to support this Theatre that gives so much back to the Community."
The 2015/2016 Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series launches with NEWSIES, October 20 - 25, 2015. Direct from Broadway, NEWSIES is the smash-hit, crowd-pleasing new musical from Disney. Winner of the 2012 Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Choreography and based on true events, NEWSIES tells the captivating story of a band of underdogs who become unlikely heroes when they stand up to the most powerful men in New York. Variety describes NEWSIES as "Exuberant! It's a vigorous David-and-Goliath tale rendered with old-school skill" and The New York Times calls it "A stirring crowd pleaser...a musical worth singing about!"
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL premieres in Providence November 3 - 8, 2015. MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is the true American dream story of Motown founder
Berry Gordy's journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of
Diana Ross,
Michael Jackson,
Smokey Robinson and many more. CBS Sunday Morning says MOTOWN is "more than a Broadway show. [It is] a celebration of music that transformed America!" Featuring more than 50 classic hits such as "My Girl" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough," experience the story behind the music in the record-breaking smash hit MOTOWN THE MUSICAL!
IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS, coming to PPAC December 8 - 13, 2015, tells the story of a song-and-dance team putting on a show in a magical Vermont inn and falling for a stunning sister act in the process. Full of dancing, romance, laughter and some of the greatest songs ever written, including the unforgettable title song, IRVING BERLIN'S WHITE CHRISTMAS is "as enchanting as a first snow" (San Francisco Examiner) and an "instant classic" (Boston Herald).
Direct from Broadway, the acclaimed masterpiece CABARET launches its National Tour in Providence, January 26 - 31, 2016! As part of their 50th Anniversary Season, the critically acclaimed and award-winning Roundabout Theatre Company is proud to present SAM MENDES (Skyfall, American Beauty) and ROB MARSHALL's (Into the Woods and Chicago, the films) Tony Award-winning production of CABARET. Come hear some of the most memorable songs in theatre history, including "Cabaret," "Willkommen," and "Maybe This Time." Leave your troubles outside - life is beautiful at CABARET,
John Kander,
Fred Ebb, and
Joe Masteroff's Tony-winning musical about following your heart while the world loses its way.
Hailed as an "eye-popping, jaw-dropping extravaganza" (NYI), PIPPIN "sets up the big top" at PPAC February 16 - 21, 2016! Full of extraordinary acrobatics, wondrous magical feats, and soaring songs from the composer of Wicked, PIPPIN is the winner of four 2013 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival. Direct from an acclaimed run at Boston's American Repertory Theater, this captivating new production is directed by Tony winner
Diane Paulus (Hair and The Gershwins' Porgy & Bess). It features sizzling choreography in the style of
Bob Fosse and breathtaking acrobatics by Les 7 Doigts de la Main, the creative force behind the nationwide sensation Traces.
A brand new production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC, directed by three-time Tony Award-winning Director Jack O'Brien, is coming to PPAC March 9 - 13, 2016. The beloved musical story of Maria and the Von Trapp Family will once again thrill audiences with its Tony, Grammy and Academy Award- winning Best Score, including "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re- Mi," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "Edelweiss," and more. "THE SOUND OF MUSIC Live!" was seen by over 44 million people on NBC in December, 2013; 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the film version, which continues to be the most successful movie musical in history.
Macy's Family Night at THE SOUND OF MUSIC is Thursday, March 10 at 7:30P. Buy one regularly-priced ticket and receive one FREE ticket of equal value for a child aged 18 or younger. Please note that Golden Circle seating is excluded - this offer is available for selected seating locations only. Macy's Family Night at THE SOUND OF MUSIC is sponsored by Macy's, with media sponsors ABC 6 and Coast 93.3.
IF/THEN, premiering in Providence June 14 - 19, 2016, is a contemporary Broadway musical about living in New York today - and all the possibilities of tomorrow. With unforgettable songs and a deeply moving story by the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning creators of Next to Normal, this "fascinating, ambitious, and original new musical (New York Post)" simultaneously follows one woman's two possible life paths, painting a deeply moving portrait of the lives we lead, as well as the lives we might have led.
The 2015/2016 Encore Series opens with ANNIE, December 29, 2015 - January 3, 2016. Directed by original lyricist and director
Martin Charnin and choreographed by
Liza Gennaro, this production of ANNIE will be a brand new incarnation of the iconic original. Featuring book and score by Tony Award winners
Thomas Meehan,
Charles Strouse, and
Martin Charnin, ANNIE includes such unforgettable songs as "It's the Hard Knock Life," "Easy Street," "I Don't Need Anything But You," plus the eternal anthem of optimism, "Tomorrow."
Family Night pricing is available for the Wednesday, December 30 at 7P and Thursday, December 31 at 5P performances of ANNIE. Buy one regularly-priced ticket and receive one FREE ticket of equal value for a child aged 18 or younger. Please note that Golden Circle seating is excluded - this offer is available for selected seating locations only.
RAGTIME returns to PPAC April 8 - 10, 2016 in an all-new touring production directed & choreographed by
Marcia Milgrom Dodge and produced by the team that most recently brought you The Addams Family, Spamalot, Rock of Ages and The Color Purple. The stories of an upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a daring young Harlem musician unfold - set in turn-of-the-century New York - all three united by their desire and belief in a brighter tomorrow. Their compelling stories are set to theatre's richest and most glorious Tony Award-winning score by
Stephen Flaherty and
Lynn Ahrens. Winning Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Musical Score, this 13-time Tony Award nominated musical is a timeless celebration of life - what it could and should be!
Hailed by Time Magazine as, "Musical Theatre Gold!", BULLETS OVER BROADWAY is the hilarious musical comedy about the making of a Broadway show, coming to PPAC May 31 - June 5, 2016. Written by
Woody Allen, with original direction and choreography by
Susan Stroman and based upon the screenplay of the acclaimed film by
Woody Allen and
Douglas McGrath, BULLETS OVER BROADWAY is the story of a young playwright who, in desperate need of financial backing for his next show, accepts an offer he can't refuse from a mobster looking to please his showgirl girlfriend.
THE BOOK OF MORMON and JERSEY BOYS will return to Providence as Broadway Specials in the 2015/2016 season.
Hailed by The New York Times as "the best musical of this century" and the winner of nine Tony Awards, THE BOOK OF MORMON is the blockbuster Broadway smash from South Park creators
Trey Parker and
Matt Stone, and the Oscar-winning composer of Disney's Frozen and Avenue Q,
Bobby Lopez. This outrageous musical comedy follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. Now with standing room only productions in London, on Broadway, and across North America, THE BOOK OF MORMON has truly become an international sensation. Contains explicit language.
JERSEY BOYS is the 2006 Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons:
Frankie Valli,
Bob Gaudio,
Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi. This is the true story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds, and sold 175 million records worldwide - all before they were 30! JERSEY BOYS features their hit songs "Sherry," "Big Girls Don't Cry," "Rag Doll," "Oh What a Night," and "Can't Take My Eyes Off You."
WPRI 12 is the Broadway Season media sponsor and Cox is the media sponsor of the 2015/2016 Encore Series.
Subscribers receive first choice in seating, advance order options, and a host of other subscription benefits. For more information on how to subscribe to the 2015/2016 Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series and the 2015/2016 Encore Series, please contact the PPAC Box Office at (401) 421-ARTS (2787) or Sharon Corcoran in Direct Response at
(401) 574-3136. NEW Subscribers to the Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series may receive a FREE ticket to one of the following shows: ANNIE, RAGTIME, or BULLETS OVER BROADWAY. Please note that some restrictions apply. FREE ticket may be for selected performances and locations only.
Current subscribers should watch the mail in the coming weeks for renewal packages, and visit
www.ppacri.org for our season brochure. The renewal deadline for current subscribers is Monday, May 11, 2015.
Direct Response Hours are Monday through Friday, 9A to 5P. Regular Box Office Hours are Monday through Friday, 10A to 5P; Saturday, 10A to 2P and two hours prior to all curtain times on performance days. The PPAC Box Office is located at 220 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence. Patrons can also purchase tickets online at
www.ppacri.org and by phone at (401) 421-ARTS (2787).
Discounted admission is available for groups of 20 or more to the majority of Broadway shows and for groups of 10 or more to the majority of Family Shows in PPAC's 2015/2016 Season. For complete information and to order, please contact Group Sales Representative Paul Hiatt at
phiatt@ppacri.org or
(401) 574-3162. In addition, PPAC offers military discounts and student/senior citizen discounts; please call the PPAC Box Office at (401) 421-ARTS (2787) for complete information and to order.
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