MJ, SOME LIKE IT HOT, and More Set For Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

The Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall has announced the Broadway Series lineup for the 2025-2026 season. The season will include seven Sarasota Premieres and ten Broadway hits, including MJ, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, and Some Like It Hot.

Mary Bensel, Executive Director of the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, shared her excitement for the upcoming season stating, “Bringing Broadway shows to Sarasota is one of my favorite things. This year we’ll have plenty of shows for audience members of all ages to enjoy from ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ to “Book of Mormon and ‘The Music Man’ to ‘Mrs. Doubtfire.’ We will also get to see television, Broadway, and film star Richard Thomas star in Hal Holbrook’s ‘Mark Twain Tonight.’ The show I’m thrilled to highlight is ‘MJ,’ based on the legendary pop sensation, Michael Jackson. This season will be diverse in its offerings and all our patrons will find something they enjoy.”

The season kicks off with a show for the whole family, the heartwarming classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas (November 14-16), followed by the critically acclaimed Book of Mormon (December 9-14), which continues to delight theater enthusiasts year after year. 

Some Like It Hot

In 2026, the Tony and GRAMMY Award-winning production Some Like It Hot (January 20-25) hits the Van Wezel stage. Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, Some Like it Hot is the  story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime.

MJ

One of the most eagerly awaited productions is MJ (February 3-8), a spectacular showcase celebrating the life and music of the legendary Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry comes to Sarasota in MJ, the multiple Tony Award®-winning musical centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour. MJ goes beyond the star's singular moves and Signature Sound, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status.

A Beautiful Noise

Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond himself, A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical (March 31-April 4) is the uplifting true story of how a kid from Brooklyn became a chart-topping, show-stopping American rock icon. With 120 million albums sold and a catalogue of classics hits, Neil Diamond’s story was made to shine on Broadway and across America.

The Music Man

Audiences will also experience a Broadway classic, The Music Man (April 10-11, 2026). Meredith Willson’s six-time, Tony Award-winning musical comedy The Music Man follows the fast-talking traveling salesman, Harold Hill, as he cons the people of River City, Iowa, into buying instruments and uniforms for a boys’ band that he vows to organize – this, even though he doesn't know a trombone from a treble clef. His plans to skip town with the cash are foiled when he falls for Marian, the librarian, who transforms him into a respectable citizen by curtain’s fall.  

Mrs. Doubtfire

Then, everyone’s favorite nanny is headed to Sarasota in Mrs. Doubtfire (April 14-15, 2026). Based on the beloved film, this production tells the hysterical and heartfelt story of an out-of-work actor who will do anything for his kids.

Tina

Also included in this season’s lineup is the rescheduled performance of TINA – The Tina Turner Musical (February 20-22), the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the “Queen of  Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Audiences will also be treated to the returning favorite, Riverdance (January 27-29). This spectacular production rejuvenates the much-loved original show with new innovative choreography and costumes and state-of-the-art lighting, projection, and motion graphics. 

Mark Twain Tonight

The season will conclude with Richard Thomas in Mark Twain Tonight (April 21-22, 2026), originally written and performed by Hal Holbrook. Join the millions who have cheered for the legendary one-man show. Most recently seen on Broadway in Our Town, on tour as Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird, on Netflix’s Ozark, and beloved to generations as John-Boy Walton, Richard Thomas is the first and only actor authorized to perform the play since the original.

Tickets

Subscriptions are now available for reservation at VanWezel.org, by calling the box office at 941-263-6799, or by visiting the box office Monday through Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are three Broadway subscription packages available: the “Full Subscription,” featuring all nine Broadway shows with up to a 20% discount off single ticket prices; the “Make Your Own 6+ Series Subscription,” featuring six or more shows of one’s choosing for up to a 15% discount; and the “Make Your Own 4+ Series Subscription,” featuring four or more shows of one’s choosing for up to a 10% discount.