The Kimmel Center has announced its 2015–2016 Broadway season.
The lineup features Tony Award-winning Broadway hits.
Six shows will appeal to family audiences: Matilda The Musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Sound of Music, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Riverdance.
By popular demand, The Book of Mormon, which played a record-breaking seven-week run in 2014, returns to Philadelphia in late November.
Broadway Philadelphia offers productions at the Academy of Music, Forrest Theatre and Merriam Theater.
“We are thrilled to announce our exciting new 2015–16 Broadway Philadelphia season,” said Kimmel Center President and CEO Anne Ewers. “Each season, we seek compelling theater productions with story lines that resonate with our diverse audiences. We are delighted to present five new family productions, part of an outstanding slate of subscription shows that will be premiering in Philadelphia.
“It is rewarding to know that our Broadway series continues to offer new experiences for Philadelphians and contributes greatly to the cultural and economic vitality of the city. We are extremely grateful for the support of our subscribers and the entire musical theatre community.”
Broadway Philadelphia subscribers save up to 25 percent off single ticket prices and are offered a variety of exclusive privileges, including the first opportunity to select the best seats in the house and the option to renew their seats each year. Subscribers also enjoy benefits such as free exchanges, priority ticket access and payment plan options.
“We are delighted to team with the Kimmel Center to present another fantastic season of Broadway Philadelphia.” said Philip J. Smith, chairman of The Shubert Organization Inc. “We’re proud of this year’s terrific lineup of exciting productions, all of them representing the best of Broadway.”
Here is a synopsis of the upcoming shows:
• Bullets Over Broadway, Oct. 27 to Nov. 1, Academy of Music. Written by Woody Allen, Bullets Over Broadway is the story of a young playwright who, in desperate need of financial backing for his next show, accepts an offer he can’t refuse from a mobster looking to please his showgirl girlfriend.
• Matilda The Musical, Nov. 17–29, Academy of Music. Matilda The Musical is the story of an extraordinary girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny.
• Pippin, Feb. 23–28, 2016, Academy of Music. Pippin is Broadway’s high-flying, death-defying hit musical that is full of acrobatics, magical feats and songs.
• The Sound Of Music, March 15–20, 2016, Academy of Music. The spirited, romantic and beloved musical story of Maria and the Von Trapp Family will entertain audiences with its Tony, Grammy and Academy Award-winning Best Score, including My Favorite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, Edelweiss and the title song.
• Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, March 22 to April 3, 2016, Academy of Music.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical tells the true story of King’s rise to stardom, from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history.
• If/Then, June 21–26, 2016, Academy of Music. If/Then is a contemporary Broadway musical about living in New York today and follows one woman’s two possible life paths, painting a portrait of the lives people lead, as well as the lives people might have led.
• The Book Of Mormon, Nov. 24 to Dec. 27, Forrest Theatre. The Book of Mormon is the Broadway smash from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, and the Oscar-winning composer of Disney’s Frozen and Avenue Q, Bobby Lopez. This musical comedy follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the “good word.”
• Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical, Dec. 15–20, Merriam Theater. The beloved TV classic Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer comes to the stage. It will feature Santa and Mrs. Claus, Hermey the Elf, the Abominable Snow Monster, Clarice, Yukon Cornelius and Rudolph.
• Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Dec. 29, 2015 to Jan. 3, 2016, Merriam Theater. Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is the family musical about the trials and triumphs of Joseph, Israel’s favorite son. This new production is a reimagining of the Biblical story of Joseph, his 11 brothers and the coat of many colors.
• Disney’s Beauty and The Beast, Feb. 16–21, 2016, Academy of Music. 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 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. If the Beast does not learn his lesson soon, he and his household will be doomed for eternity.
• Riverdance — The 20th Anniversary World Tour, June 14–19, 2016, Merriam Theater.
Riverdance blends dance, music and song.
Subscription packages range from $109 to $626 and are available online at kimmelcenter.org/bwy1516 or by calling 215–893–1955.
Groups of 20 or more may call 215–790–5883 or toll-free 866–276–2947. Visit online at kimmelcenter.org/groupsales or telecharge.com/groups
Single tickets for individual productions will go on sale at a later date. ••
