KINKY BOOTS, CINDERELLA & More Set for PPAC's 2014-15 Broadway Season

President of the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) J.L. "Lynn" Singleton has announce PPAC's 37th Broadway Season, featuring the Taco/The White Family Foundation Broadway Series and the Encore Series (formerly the Contemporary Classics Series).

The 2014/2015 Taco/The White Family Foundation Broadway Series includes the national tour opening of Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA, the 2013 Tony Award Winner for Best Musical KINKY BOOTS, the return of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT and CAMELOT, and the Providence premieres of I LOVE LUCY LIVE ON STAGE and DIRTY DANCING.

The Encore Series features return engagements of CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE and BLUE MAN GROUP.

WPRI 12 is proud to bring PPAC's 2014/2015 Season Announcement Special "Timeless Tales of Hope & Heart" on Monday, March 10 at 10:30A live streaming on WPRI.com, from our mobile app, and available as video on demand after the live presentation.

Singleton said, "Our 37th Season is filled with 'timeless tales of hope and heart' from Broadway. We are pleased to be launching the national tour of Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA and to be bringing the 2013 Tony winner for Best Musical, KINKY BOOTS to Providence. We thank Taco/The 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, "Each season, PPAC consistently brings first-class Broadway productions to the people of Rhode Island, enabling them to experience the magic and wonder of Broadway right here in Rhode Island. Next season is no exception!"

John Hazen White, Jr., President and CEO of Taco, Inc., said, "Taco and The White Family Foundation have had a great partnership with PPAC over the last three years and we are pleased to support the 2014/2015 Broadway Series. Everyone at Taco is looking forward to a fantastic upcoming season!"

Thomas Farrell, President of the Taco/The White Family Foundation, said, "Sponsoring the Broadway Series at PPAC is consistent with one of the major goals of the Taco/The White Family Foundation, that is to support bringing the best in music and theatrical arts to all Rhode Islanders."

The 2014/2015 Taco/The White Family Foundation Broadway Series launches with the national tour opening of Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA October 10 - 18, 2014. Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA is the Tony Award- winning Broadway musical from the creators of The Sound of Music and South Pacific that's delighting audiences with its contemporary take on the classic tale. This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations, and all the moments you love-the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball, and more-plus some surprising new twists! Be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers + Hammerstein's most beloved songs, including "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible/It's Possible," and "Ten Minutes Ago," in this hilarious and romantic Broadway experience for anyone who's ever had a wish, a dream... or a really great pair of shoes.

Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber's JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT returns November 4 - 9, 2014. Directed and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Andy Blankenbuehler, this new production will feature Broadway/television star Diana DeGarmo (Hairspray, Hair) as The Narrator and Broadway star Ace Young (Grease, Hair) as Joseph. Retelling the Biblical story of Joseph, his eleven brothers, and the coat of many colors, this magical musical is full of unforgettable songs including "Those Canaan Days," "Any Dream Will Do," and "Close Every Door."

Lerner & Loewe's CAMELOT comes to PPAC December 9 - 14, 2014. Experience Camelot's "one brief shining moment" as Lerner and Loewe envisioned it in one of theatre's most legendary musicals. Recount the time-honored legend of King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, and the Knights of the Round Table in an enchanting fable of chivalry, majesty, and brotherhood in this four-time Tony Award-winning show. Intimate and fresh, never has this story of passion, pageantry, and betrayal been more captivating. The celebrated score includes the classics "If Ever I Would Leave You," "The Simple Joys of Maidenhood," and the title song, "Camelot."

I LOVE LUCY LIVE ON STAGE, at PPAC February 24 - March 1, 2015, is the brand-new hit stage show adapted from the most beloved program in television history! It's 1952 and you are a member of the Desilu Playhouse studio audience ready to enjoy the filming of two hilarious and oh-so-familiar I LOVE LUCY episodes. A charming host entertains and enlightens you to the behind-the-scenes filming process of this brand new thing called "television," the Crystaltone Singers perform advertising jingles in perfect 50s style harmony and the sidesplitting antics of America's favorite foursome - Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel - are presented live on stage and in color for the very first time! It's a one-of-a-kind theatrical experience TV Guide's William Keck calls "the most entertaining stage production I've seen in years - including Broadway!" The truth is in the title - whether young or old, everybody really does LOVE LUCY!

DIRTY DANCING makes its Providence premiere April 21 - 26, 2015. DIRTY DANCING - THE CLASSIC STORY ON STAGE is an unprecedented live experience, exploding with heart-pounding music, passionate romance, and sensational dancing. Seen by millions across the globe, this smash hit tells the classic story of Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds who come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives. DIRTY DANCING features the hit songs, "Hungry Eyes," "Hey Baby," "Do You Love Me?" and the heart stopping "(I've Had) The Time of My Life." London's Sunday Express says "This crowd-pleasing stage adaptation hits the jackpot!" Don't miss your chance to see this record-breaking live theatre sensation. You'll have the time of your life!

There will be an additional show in the Broadway Series to be announced.

The Taco/The White Family Foundation Broadway Series concludes with KINKY BOOTS
June 9 - 14, 2015. CBS News says, "THERE IS NO HOTTER SHOW THAN KINKY BOOTS." KINKY BOOTS is the exhilarating Broadway musical that will lift your spirits to new high-heeled heights. Winner of six Tony Awards including BEST MUSICAL, this inspirational story follows a struggling shoe factory owner who works to turn his business around with help from Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. Together, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible... proving that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world. Inspired by a true story, KINKY BOOTS features a joyous, Tony-winning score by Cyndi Lauper, direction and Tony-winning choreography by Jerry Mitchell and a hilarious, uplifting book by four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein. Come join the sold-out audiences who've discovered why - sometimes - the best way to fit in is to stand out!

The 2014/2015 Encore Series opens with CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE December 5 - 7, 2014. From the creators of the groundbreaking Broadway hit CIRQUE DREAMS JUNGLE FANTASY, CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE is "the perfect holiday gift," according to Broadway World. In CIRQUE DREAMS HOLIDAZE, Broadway director Neil Goldberg re-imagines the holiday season with over 300 costumes, 20 acts, and 30 performers from 12 countries showcasing an endless variety of imaginative, heart-pounding, and gravity- defying feats. Performers twirl, bounce, and soar through the air to original music and seasonal favorites brought to life within a stage setting of gigantic gifts, colossal candy canes, and 30-foot towering trees and soldiers, creating a wonderland of amazement. Don't miss this international sensation that "dazzled...at The Kennedy Center" (Washington Post).

BLUE MAN GROUP returns to PPAC March 6 - 8, 2015. Although it is impossible to describe, people of all ages agree that BLUE MAN GROUP is an intensely exciting and wildly outrageous show that leaves the entire audience in a blissful, euphoric state. With no spoken language, BLUE MAN GROUP is perfect for people of all ages, languages, and cultures. The Baltimore Sun raves, "BLUE MAN GROUP packs a wallop. It's a big, loud, funny, silly, visually arresting production!" and The San Antonio Express-News proclaims it's "an exhilarating, thought-provoking, laugh-yourself-silly evening of percussion-heavy rock music, comedy, and playful commentary."

WPRI 12 is the Broadway Season media sponsor and Cox is the media sponsor of the 2014/2015 Encore Series.

Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy