Three Local Theaters Announce 2019/20 Seasons
Theater Review – March 13, 2019
2019/20 SEASONS ANNOUNCED BY THREE LOCAL THEATERS
ASU GAMMAGE BROADWAY SEASON
ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY SEASON
THE PHOENIX THEATRE COMPANY SEASON
The Valley of the Sun’s three professional theaters have announced their 2019/20 seasons. ASU Gammage will present 10 touring musicals, some are recent Broadway hits, others are recent revivals of classic shows and there are three return engagements of popular shows from recent seasons. Arizona Theatre Company will mount six plays. Four are announced but the last two will be selected by ATC’s new artistic director, Sean Daniels. The Phoenix Theatre Company has the longest season lasting a full year. They are presenting 10 shows plus a Festival of New American Theatre that will include several new plays presented in short runs over three weeks.
ASU GAMMAGE
Main Season Shows
“Miss Saigon” September 24-29, 2019
“Anastasia” October 29-November 3, 2019
“Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” January 7-12, 2020
“Fiddler on the Roof” January 28-February 2, 2020
“Once on this Island” March 3-8, 2020
“Mean Girls” April 21-26, 2020
Optional Return Shows
“Blue Man Group On Tour” November 22-24, 2019
“Beautiful The Carole King Musical” February 21-23, 2020
“The Lion King” June 17-July 12, 2020
ASU Gammage’s musical theater season begins with a revival of “Miss Saigon” that tells about an ill-fated romance between an American soldier and an Asian woman. The new Broadway musical “Anastasia” is inspired by the films as it takes audiences back to the Russian Empire and Paris during the 1920s as a young woman hopes to discover her mysterious past. “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical” pays tribute to the great pop singer. The recent Broadway revival of the popular “Fiddler on the Roof” tells of Jewish life struggles in a small Russian village and the show returns even though it has played a myriad of times here. The current Broadway revival of “Once On This Island” by the “Ragtime” authors comes before another current hit “Mean Girls” based on the teen movie. The season closes with “Come From Away,” a huge New York success that reveals the lives of Newfoundlanders who helped when an influx of planes due to an emergency caused more passengers to be in the town than the small community’s population. The popular “Blue Man Group On Tour” returns for another local engagement as does the Carole King musical “Beautiful.” The season’s longest running show is a return engagement of Disney’s popular “The Lion King” which is sure to keep things financially viable. Although the popular ASU Gammage Broadway season has sold out every performance for the past five seasons, the lack of available tickets has yet to stimulate the Tempe theater to add additional weeks to each show’s run. Two shows were also announced for the 2020/21 season including “Frozen,” the latest Disney Broadway musical hit and a return engagement of “Hamilton.”
ARIZONA THEATRE COMPANY
TBA October 3-20, 2019
“Silent Sky” November 14-December 1, 2019
“Cabaret” January 4-26, 2020
“Master Harold…And The Boys” February 13-March 1, 2020
“The Legend of Georgia McBride” April 2-19, 2020
TBA May 14-31, 2020
Arizona Theatre Company opens its season October 3 with a To Be Announced show followed by “”Silent Sky” which the company describes as “a celebration of discovery, originality and curiosity” based on the true story of 19th century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt. Then the annual musical, is scheduled which will be “Cabaret.” Athol Fugard’s “Master Harold” …And The Boys” explores the early years of South African apartheid. Then an Elvis impersonator arrives in “The Legend of Georgia McBride.” Closing the season is another To Be Announced surprise.
THE PHOENIX THEATRE COMPANY
“Spamilton – An American Parody” June 12-August 11, 2019
“Kinky Boots” August 28-October 13, 2019
“The Curious Incident of the Dog…” October 9-November 10
“The Sound of Music” November 13-December 29, 2019
“Million Dollar Quartet” December 18-February 16, 2020
“Americano!” January 29-February 23, 2020
“Sondheim On Sondheim” February 26-April 12, 2020
Festival of New American Theatre February 28-March 15, 2020
“Something Rotten!” March 18-April 19, 2020
“The Rocky Horror Show” April 15-June 7, 2020
“Hair” May 20-June 28, 2020
The Phoenix Theatre Company is presenting a generous dose of musicals opening with the hilarious spoof of the popular musical “Hamilton” called “Spamilton – An American Parody.” Next is the first local production of “Kinky Boots” about the machinations of the shoe business. The poignant play “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” follows and then for an extended holiday run is Rodgers and Hammerstein’s popular “The Sound of Music,” a show that saved this theater several seasons ago. It is about everyone’s favorite nun and seven adorable children. “Million Dollar Quartet” is next up with its feast of popular songs and then “Americano!,” a new play premieres. The Stephen Sondheim musical revue “Sondheim On Sondheim” will bring the composer’s works back to local audiences. Then the Festival of New American Theatre will bring several new scripts as they are fine tuned. Three popular musicals, “Something Rotten!,” “The Rocky Horror Show,” and “Hair” conclude the 100 year-old local theater’s season.
Phoenix’s major professional theaters are bringing diversity to local theatergoers as local audiences will see a wide range of contemporary and classic plays and musicals.
