JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, IN THE HEIGHTS and More Set for the Ordway in 2017-18

The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts today unveiled its 2017-2018 Musical Theater Series, sponsored by Bremer Bank. The series consists of four musicals, including three Ordway-produced shows and one Broadway tour.

Subscription packages for the series start at $130 and are available online at www.ordway.org, by phone at 651-224-4222 or in person at the Ordway ticket office. Single tickets will go on sale on March 15, 2017.

"Our Musical Theater Series reflects what audiences love about the Ordway: a collection that includes both a top-notch Broadway tour with Ordway-produced, Broadway-caliber productions featuring local, Twin Cities talent," said James A. Rocco, Ordway's vice president of programming and producing artistic director. "This series includes both reinvigorated classics and fresh productions, each illuminating diverse musical styles and perspectives while also telling universal stories of hope, community and finding one's place in the world. There truly is something for everyone in this series."

The 2017-2018 Musical Theater Series kicks off in July with the Ordway production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Propelled by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's stirring score, this rock opera follows Jesus' meteor-like rise that provides, as the title suggests, a parallel to contemporary celebrity worship. Christ's final days are dramatized with emotional intensity in a story that illuminates the transcendent power of the human spirit with a passion that goes straight to the heart.

The national tour of Kinky Boots makes a stop in St. Paul in August. With songs by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, this joyous musical is about friendships and the belief that you can change the world when you change your mind. Charlie Price is trying to save his family's struggling shoe business when help arrives in the unlikely form of Lola, a fabulous performer looking for sturdy new stilettos. With direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray) and a book by Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), Kinky Boots is the winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

In September, the Ordway will produce In The Heights. Featuring music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this musical tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York's Washington Heights neighborhood. It's a community on the brink of change, full of hopes, dreams and pressures, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions to take with you and which ones to leave behind. In The Heights won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography and Best Orchestrations.

In time for the holidays in December, the Ordway will produce one of the world's most beloved musicals-Annie. Called "one of the best family musicals ever penned," Annie tells the story of a young orphan girl who is taken in by one of the wealthiest men in America and teaches him the real meaning of love. This Ordway production includes such unforgettable songs as "It's the Hard Knock Life," "Easy Street," "I Don't Need Anything But You" and the eternal anthem of optimism, "Tomorrow."

"We're shaking things up this year by announcing our upcoming Musical Theater Series earlier than ever before," said Jamie Grant, Ordway president and CEO. "We want to give our patrons more options-to subscribe earlier than ever before, be offered flexible payment plans, and have more holiday gift options for loved ones. Whether you subscribe to the full series or just a few shows, visit the Ordway with family or a group of friends, we want you to experience the Ordway Your Way whenever you step through our front lobby doors."

Subscription packages are currently on sale for the Ordway's 2017-2018 Musical Theater Series. Subscription packages start at $130 and can be purchased online at www.ordway.org, by phone at 651-224-4222 or in person at the Ordway ticket office at 345 Washington Street, Saint Paul, MN, 55102. Flexible payment plans are available. For details, call the ticket office at 651-224-4222.

---

2017-2018 Ordway Musical Theater Series, Sponsored by Bremer Bank:

An Ordway Production

Jesus Christ Superstar

July 18-23, 2017

Propelled by Andrew Lloyd Webber's stirring score, this first rock opera documents Jesus' meteor-like rise and final days with emotional intensity and passion that goes straight to the heart.

Kinky Boots

Aug. 8-13, 2017

Kinky Boots is Broadway's huge-hearted, high-heeled hit, with songs by pop icon Cyndi Lauper, direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell and a book by Broadway legend Harvey Fierstein.

An Ordway Production

In the Heights

Sept. 12-17, 2017

Featuring music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, this musical tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York's Washington Heights neighborhood.

An Ordway Production for the Holidays

Annie

Dec. 7- 31, 2017

One of the world's most beloved musicals, this timeless show centers on an orphan's adventures as she seeks a family during the holidays.

---

Subscription packages are currently on sale for the Ordway's 2017-2018 Musical Theater Series. Subscription packages start at $130 and can be purchased online at www.ordway.org, by phone at 651-224-4222 or in person at the Ordway ticket office at 345 Washington Street, Saint Paul, MN, 55102.

Group ticket reservations are currently available and can be made by calling the Group Sales line at 651-282-3111.

Individual tickets will go on sale to the public on March 15, 2017.

The Ordway is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading nonprofit performing arts centers and Saint Paul's most elegant and inviting performance space. The Ordway's Music Theater and Concert Hall attract diverse audiences with an array of productions showcasing the finest in American musical theater, world music, dance and vocal performance. Education and community engagement are integral to the Ordway's mission, with major initiatives including the annual Flint Hills International Children's Festival and Ordway Education programs that serve more than 50,000 students annually. Together with Minnesota Opera, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and The Schubert Club, the Ordway is a member of the Arts Partnership and serves as the principal venue for their performances. For more information, visit www.ordway.org.