WICKED, LES MISERABLES, THE BODYGUARD and More Part of Broadway Grand Rapids this Season

Broadway Grand Rapids next season begins with Broadway's biggest blockbuster WICKED, the untold story of the Witches of Oz on stage for an unprecedented 3 weeks at DeVos Performance Hall. One of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history, LES MISERABLES returns in November. Next is BEAUTIFUL - THE Carole King MUSICAL, which tells the inspiring true story of King's rise to stardom. The BODYGUARD, based on the smash hit film, featuring some of the biggest selling songs of all time will heat up the stage in March. And finally, completing the season is the Tony Award-winning Lincoln Center Theater production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's THE KING AND I.

The Broadway Grand Rapids subscription series is sponsored by Fifth Third Bank.

In addition, Broadway Grand Rapids will present two special events next season. The perfect kick-off to holiday season, MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS by Chip Davis, will be here for one performance in December. The return of the percussive hit, STOMP will bring some new surprises to the stage for 3 nights in January, 2018.

All performances, subscription shows and special events alike will be presented at DeVos Performance Hall in downtown Grand Rapids.

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

WICKED

October 18- November 5, 2017

Week 1: Wednesday at 7:30pm; Thursday at 2pm & 7:30pm; Friday at 8:00pm; Saturday at 2pm & 8:00pm; Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm

Week 2: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7:30pm; Friday at 8:00pm; Saturday at 2pm & 8pm;

Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm.

Week 3: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 7:30pm; Friday at 8:00pm; Saturday at 2pm & 8pm;

Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm.

WICKED, the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz...but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin-smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships...until the world decides to call one "good," and the other one "wicked." From the first electrifying note to the final breathtaking moment, WICKED-the untold true story of the Witches of Oz-transfixes audiences with its wildly inventive story that USA Today cheers is "a complete triumph! An original musical that will make you laugh, cry, and think."

LES MISERABLES

November 21-26, 2017

Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday 7:30pm; Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 2pm & 8pm; Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm

Cameron Mackintosh presents the new production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg's Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, LES MISERABLES, direct from an acclaimed two-and-a-half-year return to Broadway. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, LES MISERABLES tells an unforgettable story of heartbreak, passion, and the resilience of the human spirit. Featuring the beloved songs "I Dreamed A Dream," "On My Own," "Stars," "Bring Him Home," "One Day More," and many more, this epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history. With its glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, this breathtaking new production has left both audiences and critics awestruck. "Les Miz is born again!" (NY1).

BEAUTIFUL - THE Carole King MUSICAL

February 13-18, 2018

Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday 7:30pm; Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 2pm & 8pm; Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm

BEAUTIFUL - THE Carole King MUSICAL tells the inspiring true story of King' s remarkable rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Along the way, she made more than beautiful music, she wrote the soundtrack to a generation. Featuring a stunning array of beloved songs written by Gerry Goffin/Carole King and Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil, including "I Feel The Earth Move," "One Fine Day," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "You've Got A Friend" and the title song, BEAUTIFUL has a book by and Tony Award-nominee and Academy Award-nominated writer Douglas McGrath, direction by Marc Bruni, choreography by Josh Prince, and took home two 2014 Tony Awards and a 2015 Grammy Award.

THE BODYGUARD

March 6-11, 2018

Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday 7:30pm; Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 2pm & 8pm; Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm

Based on the smash hit film, the award-winning musical will star Grammy Award-nominee and R&B superstar Deborah Cox! Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge; what they don't expect is to fall in love. A breathtakingly romantic thriller, The Bodyguard features a host of irresistible classics including "Queen of the Night," "So Emotional," "One Moment in Time," "Saving All My Love," "Run to You," "I Have Nothing," "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" and one of the biggest selling songs of all time - "I Will Always Love You." Based on Lawrence Kasdan's Oscar-nominatEd Warner Bros. film and adapted by Academy Award winner (Birdman) Alexander Dinelaris, The Bodyguard had its world premiere in London's West End where it was nominated for four Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Musical and won Best New Musical at the Whatsonstage Awards.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's THE KING AND I

June 5-10, 2018

Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday 7:30pm; Friday at 8pm; Saturday at 2pm & 8pm; Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm

Two worlds collide in the Lincoln Center Theater production of this "breathtaking and exquisite" (The New York Times) musical, directed by Bartlett Sher. One of Rodgers & Hammerstein's finest works, THE KING AND I boasts a score that features such beloved classics as "Getting To Know You," "I Whistle a Happy Tune," "Hello Young Lovers," "Shall We Dance" and "Something Wonderful." Set in 1860's Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children. Winner of the 2015 Tony Award for Best Musical Revival, THE KING AND I is "too beautiful to miss" (New York Magazine).

SPECIAL EVENTS

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS

BY Chip Davis

December 12, 2017

Tuesday at 7:30pm

MANNHEIM STEAMROLLER CHRISTMAS by Chip Davis has been America's favorite holiday tradition for over 30 years! Grammy Award winner Chip Davis has created a show that features Mannheim Steamroller Christmas classics along with a selection of compositions from his groundbreaking Fresh Aire series which introduced the distinctive Mannheim sound to all of America. The program celebrates the group's recent anniversary of 30 years since the first Christmas album and 40 years since the first Fresh Aire album and includes dazzling multimedia effects performed in an intimate setting. Experience the magic as the spirit of the season comes alive with the Signature Sound of Mannheim Steamroller. Their holiday CDs have become synonymous with Christmas and continue to occupy top spots on Billboard's Seasonal Charts every year!

STOMP

JANUARY 18-20, 2018

Thursday at 7:30pm; Friday, Saturday at 8pm

STOMP is explosive, inventive, provocative, witty, and utterly unique-an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages. The international percussion sensation has garnered armfuls of awards and rave reviews and has appeared on numerous national television shows. The eight-member troupe uses everything but conventional percussion instruments - matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps - to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms. Year after year, audiences worldwide keep coming back for more of this pulse-pounding electrifying show. As the Boston Globe says, "If you haven't seen STOMP, GO! If you have seen it, take someone and share the pleasure!" STOMP. See what all the noise is about.

SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW

The five-show subscription package includes: Wicked, LES MISERABLES, Beautiful-The Carole King Musical, The Bodyguard, & The King and I. Season packages offer the biggest savings off individual ticket prices and advance ticket purchasing before the general public for all presentations. Broadway GR offers easy payment plans, free lost-ticket replacement, no-fee ticket exchanges, personalized service, exclusive privileges, and the same reserved seats for each show. The 5-show Subscription Series package price ranges from $207 to $466, depending on seating section and performance day and time. Tickets to Mannheim Steamroller Christmas and STOMP are not included in the season package, but subscribers will have the first opportunity to purchase and receive discounts where applicable. The 2017-2018 Subscription Series may be renewed or purchased from Broadway Grand Rapids by calling 616-235-6285, in person at 122 Lyon Street NW in downtown Grand Rapids, by mail using the order form which can be downloaded from the BGR website or using the ONLINE ordering system at www.broadwaygrandrapids.com . BGR office hours are 9 to 5 Monday through Thursday, and 9 to 4 on Fridays. The subscription renewal deadline is Thursday, April 20, 2017.

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