NEXT TO NORMAL, THE LION KING, IN THE HEIGHTS & More Announced for PPAC's New Season

J.L. "Lynn" Singleton, President of the Providence Performing Arts Center, is pleased to announce PPAC's 33rd Anniversary Broadway season. The 2010/2011 Broadway Series will kick off with the SPECTACULAR Rhode Island Premiere of the RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR® STARRING The Rockettes®, and will follow with the return of DISNEY'S THE LION KING, the groundbreaking NEXT TO NORMAL, and the highly-regarded Lincoln Center Theater production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC. The INSKIP LEXUS Touring Selections of the 2010/2011 Broadway Series are the inspiring IN THE HEIGHTS and the enthralling new production of WEST SIDE STORY.

PPAC is also pleased to welcome TACO/The White Family Foundation as the new sponsor of the Contemporary Classics Series for 2010/2011. The Series features the Providence Premiere of Blue Man Group and the return of MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT; a third show will be announced at a later date for this Series.

By popular demand, PPAC has also added a special return engagement of MAMMA MIA!

Singleton said, "Our 33rd Broadway season features an outstanding offering of top-notch, Tony® Award-winning shows for Rhode Island. We are very pleased to be hosting the Rhode Island Premiere of the RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR® for an unprecedented 34 performances in November and the return of DISNEY'S THE LION KING for 24 performances next February. New subscribers can reserve now with just a $99 deposit!"

John Hazen White, Jr., President and CEO of TACO, Inc., said, "The White Family Foundation and all of TACO's employees are pleased to help support the 2010/2011 Contemporary Classic Series. By so doing, it is our hope that we are contributing to the enhancement of both the cultural and economic life of our capital city."

NEXT TO NORMAL, playing at PPAC March 22 - 27, 2011, is 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®, 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. It is much more than a feel-good musical; it is a feel-everything musical."

PPAC's 2010/2011 Broadway Series concludes with WEST SIDE STORY, an INSKIP LEXUS Touring Selection, performing April 25 to May 1, 2011. 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." John Lahr of The New Yorker says, "So exciting IT MAKES YOU ACHE WITH PLEASURE."

The TACO/The White Family Foundation Contemporary Classics Series launches with Blue Man Group, March 4 - 6, 2011. The 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 says, "One of the most delightful performance pieces ever staged" and E! Entertainment News exclaims, "Blue Man Group is what every live performance aspires to be."

MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT will return to taunt Providence a second time April 15 - 17, 2011. Winner of the 2005 Tony Award® for Best Musical, MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT is the musical comedy sensation lovingly ripped off from the film classic Monty Python and The Holy Grail. MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT tells the tale of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table as they embark on their quest for the Holy Grail.

Channel 12 is the proud media sponsor of the 2010/2011 Broadway Series and Cox Communications is the proud media sponsor of the 2010/2011 TACO/The White Family Foundation Contemporary Classics Series.

New subscribers can reserve a subscription with just a $99 deposit now. Subscribers receive first choice in seating, advance order options, and a host of other subscription benefits. For more information on how to subscribe to the 2010/2011 Broadway Series and the 2010/2011 TACO/The White Family Foundation Contemporary Classics Series, please contact the PPAC Box Office at (401) 421-ARTS (2787). Regular Box Office Hours are Monday through Friday, 10A to 5P; Saturday 10A to 2P and through curtain time(s) on show days. Patrons may also speak to Sharon Corcoran at (401) 574-3136.

For more information, visit http://www.ppacri.org/