MAMMA MIA!, RAGTIME, NEXT TO NORMAL Highlight Croswell's 2018 Broadway Season

A mix of recent Broadway hits and musical theater classics will make up the Croswell Opera House's 2018 Broadway Season, which was announced Wednesday.

The Croswell is the oldest theater in Michigan, in continuous operation since 1866. The theater's Broadway season begins in May and runs through December, and includes seven shows:

"West Side Story in Concert" (May): This one-weekend event pays tribute to a significant moment in the Croswell's history. In 1968, shortly after the theater was saved from likely demolition, an Adrian High School production of "West Side Story" became the first piece of live theater to grace the Croswell's stage after many years as a movie theater. This concert-style performance, which will include a 30-piece orchestra playing Leonard Bernstein's classic score, will mark the 50th anniversary of that milestone.

"Mamma Mia" (June): Based on the music of Swedish pop group Abba, this musical is one of the longest-running shows in Broadway history.

"She Loves Me" (July): This 1963 musical comedy by the creators of "Fiddler on the Roof" was the inspiration for the Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan movie "You've Got Mail." It was last performed at the Croswell in 2007.

"Barnum" (August): Based on the life of legendary showman P.T. Barnum, this show combines traditional musical theater with circus elements for two hours of toe-tapping music and scenic spectacle.

"Ragtime" (September): Set in the early 20th century, this musical presents a snapshot of American life through the eyes of three groups of people: an upper middle-class family in the suburbs of New York, a group of recent Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, and a young African-American musician in Harlem.

"Next to Normal" (October): This rock musical, which won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for drama, centers around a mother dealing with bipolar disorder. It was nominated for 11 Tony Awards, winning three.

"The Wizard of Oz" (November and December): L. Frank Baum's classic tale comes to life in this stage musical based on the 1934 film.

Season tickets will go on sale Dec. 8. Tickets to individual shows will go on sale Feb. 1. The Croswell Opera House is at 129 E. Maumee St., Adrian. More information is available at croswell.org or 517-264-7469.