BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL & More Set For 2010-11 At PlayhouseSquare

PlayhouseSquare announces today its entire seven-show line-up for the thrilling 2010 - 2011 KeyBank Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare. The series entertains hundreds of thousands each season and is largely responsible for making the not-for-profit PlayhouseSquare a thriving destination and economic engine for downtown Cleveland.

News of one of the most significant annual performing arts announcements in Northeast Ohio was delivered by PlayhouseSquare's Vice President of Theatricals, Gina Vernaci. "Our most effective tool when competing for shows to come to PlayhouseSquare is our subscription base," affirms Vernaci. "The KeyBank Broadway Series is a knock-out of a line-up with attractive pricing. Where else can you see seven Broadway shows for as little as $85? This season offers an exciting mix of award-winning productions, beloved classics and fresh, new works that combine together to give audiences a broad, exciting experience of live theater."

Subscriptions to the KeyBank Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare are now available by calling 216-830-7221 or online at www.PlayhouseSquare.org. The seven-show KeyBank Broadway Series subscription package ranges from $85 to $520 per seat. Additionally, Donor Circle seating is available, for information visit www.PlayhouseSquare.org/DonorCircle or call 216-348-5268.

The seven-show 2010-2011 KeyBank Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare includes:

Blue Man Group
October 5-17, 2010; Palace Theatre
www.BlueMan.com

Blue Man Group is best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows and concerts which combine comedy, music, and technology to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. The New York Times Heralds describes the show as "One of the most delightful performance pieces ever staged." E! Entertainment News exclaims, "Blue Man Group is what every live performance aspires to be." 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. Now the Blue Man Group takes to the road on its first U.S. theatrical tour. This unique experience is a form of entertainment like nothing else; guaranteed to be an outing you will never forget!

BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL
November 19 - December 12, 2010; State Theatre
www.BillyElliotTour.com

Thrilling audiences worldwide and winning ten 2009 Tony Awards® including Best Musical, ""The best show of the decade" (Time Magazine) is coming to Cleveland! Billy Elliot The Musical is a joyous celebration of oNe Young boy's journey to make his dreams come true. Ben Brantley of The New York Times calls Billy Elliot "the most inspiring show I've seen in years." Set in a small town, the story follows Billy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, discovering a surprising passion that inspires his family and his whole community.

Based on the international smash-hit film, Billy Elliot is brought to life by a phenomenal cast of 45 and the Tony Award-winning creative team -- director Stephen Daldry, choreographer Peter Darling and writer Lee Hall -- along with music legend Elton John, who has written what the New York Post calls "his best score yet!" A big musical with an even bigger heart, Billy Elliot will enchant the dreamer in all of us.

SOUTH PACIFIC
February 1-13, 2011; Palace Theatre
www.SouthPacificOnTour.com

"Simply Wonderful! Beguiling Theatrical Magic!" hails the New York Post for Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific. A stunning reinvention produced by Lincoln Center Theater, South Pacific swept the 2008 Tony Awards®, winning seven honors including Best Musical Revival and Best Director for Bartlett Sher. The breathtaking new production features a cast of 34 and a full orchestra of 26 members - the largest orchestra of any touring Broadway production. Set on a tropical island during World War II, the musical tells the sweeping romantic story of two couples and how their happiness is threatened by the realities of war and by their own prejudices. The beloved score's songs include "Some Enchanted Evening," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," "This Nearly Was Mine" and "There is Nothin' Like a Dame." USA Today cheers, "????! Gorgeous! South Pacific doesn't just float; it soars!"
SHREK THE MUSICAL
March 1-13, 2011; Palace Theatre
www.ShrekTheMusical.com

Based on the Oscar®-winning DreamWorks film that started it all, Shrek The Musical is part romance, part twisted fairy tale and all irreverent fun for everyone! In a faraway kingdom turned upside down, things get ugly when an unseemly ogre - not a handsome prince - shows up to rescue a feisty princess. Throw in a donkey who won't shut up, a bad guy with a short temper, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand... and his name is Shrek.

Featuring a terrific score of 19 all-new songs, big laughs, great dancing and breathtaking scenery, USA Today proclaims Shrek The Musical, "Altogether irresistible. A big fat hit!" Shrek The Musical is part romance, part twisted fairy tale and all irreverent fun for everyone!

LES MISÉRABLES
April 5-17, 2011; Palace Theatre
www.LesMis.com

Cameron Mackintosh presents a wildly successful new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg's legendary musical, Les Miserables, with glorious new staging and spectacular re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. This new production has already been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes. The London Times hails the new show "a five star hit, astonishingly powerful and as good as the original." The Western Mail says "an outstanding success - the best version yet."

WEST SIDE STORY
May 3-15, 2011; Palace Theatre
www.WestSideOnTour.com

More than fifty years ago one musical changed theater forever. Now it's back on Broadway mesmerizing audiences once again. From the first note to the final breath, West Side Story soars as the greatest love story of all time. Directed by its two-time Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents, West Side Story remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. The new Broadway cast album of West Side Story recently won the 2010 Grammy Award for Best Musical Show Album. The Bernstein and Sondheim score is considered to be one of Broadway's finest and features such classics of the American musical theatre as "Something's Coming," "Tonight," "America," "I Feel Pretty" and "Somewhere." "So exciting it makes you ache with pleasure." -John Lahr, The New Yorker

NEXT TO NORMAL
June 7-19, 2011; Palace Theatre
www.NextToNormal.com

From the director of Rent comes Next to Normal, an emotional powerhouse of a musical with a thrilling contemporary score about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other. Winner of three 2009 Tony Awards® including Best Score, Next to Normal is the most talked about new show on Broadway having recently been chosen as "one of the year's ten best" by major critics around the country. The New York Times calls Next to Normal "a brave, breathtaking musical. A work of muscular grace and power. It is much more than a feel-good musical; it is a feel-everything musical." Rolling Stone raves, "It is the best musical of the season - by a mile. It'll pin you to your seat."

Subscriptions to the KeyBank Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare are now available by calling 216-830-7221 or online at www.PlayhouseSquare.org. The seven-show KeyBank Broadway Series subscription package ranges from $85 to $520 per seat. Additionally, Donor Circle seating is available, for information visit www.PlayhouseSquare.org/DonorCircle or call 216-348-5268.

The title sponsor of the Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare is KeyBank. Visit www.key.com for more information.

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