Northern Kentucky University's School of the Arts Announces 2022-2023 Theatre & Dance Season

Northern Kentucky University's School of the Arts has announced the productions slated for the 2022-2023 Theatre & Dance Season. Tickets for Fall productions will go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022. Spring productions will go on sale Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2023. For more information, visit nku.edu/tickets or call the SOTA Box Office at (859) 572-5464.

Violet | Sept. 23-Oct. 2, 2022

As a girl, Violet was struck by a wayward axe blade when her father was chopping wood, leaving her with a visible scar across her face. With enough money finally saved she's traveling across the Deep South in 1964 towards a miracle - the healing touch of a TV evangelist who will make her beautiful. Although she may not succeed in having the scar on her face healed, Violet is able to repair those scars that are lying deeper than her skin. Winner of the Drama Critics' Circle Award and Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical, Violet is a moving musical featuring show-stopping anthems, ranging from American-roots to folk to gospel.

Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde | Oct. 27-Nov. 6, 2022

Dr. Jekyll is a kind, well-respected and intelligent scientist who explores the darker side of science, as he wants to bring out his 'second' nature. His experiments transform himself into Mr. Hyde - his evil alter ego who doesn't repent or accept responsibility for his evil crimes and ways. Jekyll tries to control his alter ego, Hyde, and for a while, Jekyll has the power. The struggle to keep his alternate nature contained leads Dr. Jekyll down a path of death and destruction in this Gothic thriller. This exciting stage adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson is a narrative about the complexities of science and the duplicity of human nature.

Peter & The Starcatcher | Dec. 2-11, 2022

A young orphan and his mates are shipped off from Victorian England to a distant island ruled by the evil King Zarboff. At sea, the boys are discovered by a precocious young girl named Molly, a Starcatcher-in-training. They discover a mysterious trunk in the captain's cabin containing starstuff, a powerful, celestial substance. When the ship is taken over by pirates determined to claim the trunk and its treasure, the journey quickly becomes a thrilling adventure. Tony-winning Peter and the Starcatcher is a coming-of-age adventure story about how a nameless orphan became the strange and celebrated hero that is the Boy Who Would Not Grow Up.

Twelfth Night | Feb. 16-26, 2023

Shipwrecked on the shores of the strange land, Illyria, Viola believes herself alone in the world and her twin brother drowned. Disguising herself as a boy to work in the court of Illyria's Count Orsino, Viola discovers her male disguise has proven all too effective: Orsino sends her as a go-between in his persistent love-suit to the unresponsive Countess Olivia. Even as Viola solicits for Olivia's love on Orsino's behalf, Viola falls in love with Orsino herself. What ensues is a cross-dressing comedy rife with pain and triumph, humor and madness, transformation and redemption. Twelfth Night or, What You Will, is one of the most structurally perfect comedies ever written and beloved by audiences.

The Princess Plays | March 24-April 2, 2023

Featuring the musicals Snow White and the Dancing Dwarfs and Sleeping Beauty: Rise and Shine.

Did you know that Snow White's Dwarfs are amazing dancers? Come see for yourselves as the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale of Snow White, her evil stepmother, the all-knowing mirror and the handsome (but not-too-brainy) prince, sing and dance their way back into your hearts and imagination.

Princess Aurora, a bold, unconventional young heroine princess defies the age-old tradition of attending 'Princess School.' As her eighteenth birthday nears, she encounters an evil witch and a cursed spinning wheel. Aurora is tested when she fails, for the first time, to believe in her authentic self. Then with help from her sweet Prince Phillip, she awakens, ready to rock, and begins a whirlwind musical quest to defeat the witch and to restore order to the Kingdom.

A Grand Night for Singing | April 14-23, 2023

Taste and imagination, the two key ingredients for a first-rate revue, abound in this fresh take on the Rodgers & Hammerstein canon, conceived by Tony Award winner Walter Bobbie. Featuring songs from lesser-known works as Allegro, Me and Juliet, and Pipe Dream, to big hits like Oklahoma!, South Pacific, and The Sound of Music, this Tony-nominated musical revue showcases the work of Rodgers & Hammerstein with flair and distinction.

Dance '23 | April 28-30, 2023

Featuring a company of our best young dance artists, along with new and innovative works created by faculty, guest artists, and nationally renowned choreographers, Dance '23 has something for everyone - contemporary dance forms that include modern, jazz, and African/Afro-Fusion.

Finally, after much discussion and consideration, NKU SOTA has made the difficult decision to permanently end its Summer Dinner Theatre programming. During the past few years, the Commonwealth Theatre Company was unable to produce the summer dinner theatre productions due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other related challenges. For over 35 years, CTC produced over 80 productions for the NKU community, performing around the country and the world. NKU SOTA extends its heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the wonderful and loyal guests, staff, and performers that have created so many memories over the years. Thank you for the music, laughter, and joy!

About NKU: Founded in 1968, we are a growing metropolitan university of more than 15,000 students served by more than 2,000 faculty and staff on a thriving suburban campus near Cincinnati. Located in the quiet suburb of Highland Heights, Kentucky-just seven miles southeast of Cincinnati-we have become a leader in Greater Cincinnati and Kentucky by providing a private school education for a fraction of the cost. While we are one of the fastest growing universities in Kentucky, our professors still know our students' names. For more information, visit nku.edu.

About SOTA: The Theatre and Dance, Art and Design, and Music programs make up the School of the Arts that sit in the College of Arts and Sciences at Northern Kentucky University. Theatre and Dance relies on intensive student involvement both inside and outside the classroom. Our staff, resources and facilities serve the developing artist. At the program's center is a vital balance of process and production, giving each student opportunities to stretch boundaries and discover new possibilities. Graduates are working in professional theatres in every major city in the United States and on five continents, having successful careers on Broadway and in regional theatre, on cruise ships, in theme parks and film and television. For more information, visit theatre.nku.edu.

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