LES MIS, WICKED, WAR HORSE & More Set for Fifth Third Bank Broadway Series 2012-13

The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) and Broadway in Columbus (BIC) today announced the 2012-13 Fifth Third Bank Broadway Series season. Four of the productions on the five-show subscription series have never before been seen in Columbus, including Irving Berlin's White Christmas, Million Dollar Quartet, Green Day's American Idiot, and War Horse, winner of five 2011 Tony Awards including Best Play. Disney's Beauty and the Beast, presented by NETworks, will also return to Columbus to kick off the new season. In addition to the five-show season package, season specials will include the return of Les Misérables and Wicked.

Subscriptions for the Fifth Third Bank Broadway Series go on sale today and include:

NETworks presents Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
October 9-14, 2012
Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.)
Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature film, this spectacle has been viewed by more than 35 million people worldwide. Disney's Beauty and the Beast is the classic story of Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, who is really a young prince trapped in a spell placed on him by an enchantress. If the Beast can learn to love and be loved, the curse will end and he will be transformed to his former self. But time is running out. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for all eternity. This timeless musical love story is filled with unforgettable characters, lavish sets and costumes, and dazzling production numbers including "Be Our Guest" and the beloved title song. www.BeautyAndTheBeastOnTour.com

Irving Berlin's WHITE CHRISTMAS
November 20-25, 2012
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
The classic holiday movie White Christmas comes to the stage at last! This brand new musical shines with classic Berlin hits like "Blue Skies," "How Deep is the Ocean?" and of course, the unforgettable title song. Irving Berlin's White Christmas tells the story of two buddies putting on a show in a magical Vermont inn and finding their perfect mates in the process. Full of dancing, laughter, and some of the greatest songs ever written, Irving Berlin's White Christmas promises a merry and bright theatrical experience for the whole family!
www.WhiteChristmastheMusical.com

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET
February 5-10, 2013
Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.)
Million Dollar Quartet is the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical inspired by the electrifying true story of the famed recording session that brought together rock 'n' roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. On December 4, 1956, these four young musicians were gathered together by Sam Phillips, the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll," at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions of all time. Million Dollar Quartet brings that legendary night to life with an irresistible tale of broken promises, secrets, betrayal and celebrations featuring timeless hits including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Fever," "That's All Right," "Sixteen Tons," "Great Balls of Fire," "I Walk the Line," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Who Do You Love?," "Matchbox," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Hound Dog," and more. www.MillionDollarQuartetLive.com

Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT
March 19-24, 2013
Palace Theatre (34 W. Broad St.)
Direct from Broadway, the smash-hit musical American Idiot tells the story of three lifelong friends forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia. Based on Green Day's Grammy® Award-winning, multi-platinum album and featuring the hits "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," "21 Guns," "Wake Me Up When September Ends," "Holiday," and the blockbuster title track, American Idiot boldly takes the American musical where it's never gone before. With direction by Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening), choreography by Steven Hoggett (Black Watch), and orchestrations and arrangements by Tom Kitt (Next to Normal), the result is an experience Charles Isherwood of The New York Times declares, "thrilling, emotionally charged, and as moving as any Broadway musical I've seen this year!" www.AmericanIdiotTheMusical.com

War Horse
April 23-28, 2013
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
A remarkable tale of courage, loyalty and friendship.

England, 1914. As World War One begins, Joey, young Albert's beloved horse, is sold to the cavalry and shipped from England to France. He's soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary journey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man's land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home. This powerfully moving and imaginative drama, filled with stirring music and songs, is a show of phenomenal inventiveness that is currently playing to packed houses in London and New York. At its heart are astonishing life-sized puppets created by South Africa's Handspring Puppet Company, that bring to life breathing, galloping, charging horses strong enough for men to ride. www.WarHorseOnStage.com

Special add-ons for the 2012-13 season include:

LES MISERABLES
May 14-19, 2013
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
Cameron Mackintosh presents a brand new 25th anniversary production of Boublil & Schönberg's legendary musical, LES MISÉRABLES, with glorious new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo. This new production has been acclaimed by critics, fans and new audiences and is breaking box office records wherever it goes.

Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, LES MISÉRABLES is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of LES MISÉRABLES includes the classic songs "I Dreamed a Dream," "On My Own," "Stars," "Bring Him Home," "Do You Hear the People Sing?," "One Day More," "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables," "Master Of The House" and many more.

WICKED
June 5-23, 2013
Ohio Theatre (39 E. State St.)
When WICKED last played Columbus in 2010, it broke box office records for attendance and sales. The show is the winner of 35 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards. Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald green skin, is smart, fiery, and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious, and very popular. How do these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good? www.WickedTheMusical.com

Tickets for Les Miserables and Wicked will be sold separately, with season subscribers being given the opportunity to purchase tickets prior to the general public.

Subscriptions range from $134-$464 per person and go on sale today. They can be purchased by phone at (800) 294-1892, online at www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com, or in person at the Ohio Theatre Ticket Office (39 E. State St.).

Photo credit: Brinkhoff/Mögenburg.