Courtesy photos
Broadway fans, get ready for another season of Tony Award-winning musicals and theatre at the Walton Arts Center.
Officials recently announced their upcoming 2015-16 Broadway season, set to include hits Pippin, Kinky Boots, Mamma Mia, Cinderella, and The Bridges of Madison County.
“This lineup represents a good revival, something for the family, winners of multiple awards and a first national tour,” said Jenni Taylor Swain, vice president of programming.
In addition to the Broadway season, the arts center also announced other shows coming next year, including musicals Annie and Beauty & the Beast, plus appearances by radio personality Ira Glass, and a night of music by Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn.
The full schedule of shows released to date are included below.
Subscriptions are already on sale. To purchase, call the box office at 479-443-5600, or visit waltonartscenter.org.
Walton Arts Center 2015-16 Broadway Season
Descriptions courtesy of Walton Arts Center
Pippin
Nov 10-15, 2015
Pippin is Broadway’s high-flying, death-defying hit musical! Full of extraordinary acrobatics, wondrous magical feats and soaring songs from the composer of Wicked, Pippin will lift you up and leave you smiling. This unforgettable new production is the winner of four Tony Awards® including Best Musical. Direct from an acclaimed run at Boston’s American Repertory Theater, this captivating new production is directed by Tony winner Diane Paulus; it features sizzling choreography in the style of Bob Fosse and breathtaking acrobatics by Les 7 Doigts de la Main. Pippin is noted for many Broadway standards including “Corner of the Sky,” “Magic To Do,” “Glory” and “Love Song.”
Kinky Boots
Jan 19-24, 2016
Kinky Boots is the exhilarating Broadway musical that will lift your spirits to new high-heeled heights! Winner of six Tony Awards® including Best Musical, this inspirational story follows a struggling shoe factory owner who works to turn his business around with help from Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of some sturdy stilettos. Together, this unlikely pair finds that they have more in common than they ever dreamed possible, proving that when you change your mind about someone, you can change your whole world. Inspired by a true story, Kinky Boots features a joyous, Tony-winning score by Cyndi Lauper, direction and Tony-winning choreography by Jerry Mitchell and a hilarious, uplifting book by four-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein.
Mamma Mia!
Feb. 9-14, 2016
A mother, a daughter and three possible dads will make for a trip down the aisle that you’ll never forget! Over 50 million people around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story and the music that make Mamma Mia! the ultimate feel good show. Writer Catherine Johnson’s sunny, funny tale unfolds on a Greek Island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings 3 men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship.
Cinderella
March 1-6, 2016
Rogers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella is the Tony Award® -winning Broadway musical from the creators of household names The Sound of Music and South Pacific that’s delighting audiences with its contemporary take on the classic fairytale. This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love, the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more – plus some surprising new twists! Be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s most beloved songs including “In My Own Little Corner” and “Ten Minutes Ago,” in this hilarious and romantic Broadway experience for anyone who’s ever had a wish, a dream or a really great pair of shoes.
The Bridges of Madison County
Tuesday, April 19, 2016- Sunday, April 24, 2016
The Bridges of Madison County is one of the most romantic stories ever written. It first captured the nation’s attention as a best-selling novel by Robert James Waller, and is now an irresistible, two-time Tony Award® winning Broadway musical. The Bridges of Madison County tells the story of Iowa housewife Francesca and her life-changing, four-day whirlwind romance with traveling photographer Robert. It’s an unforgettable story of two people caught between decision and desire, as a chance encounter becomes a second chance at being so much more. The stunning stage production features gorgeous, soulful music by Tony Award® winning composer Jason Robert Brown that draws upon the rich textures of Americana and folk and the expressive balladry of classic Broadway.
Additional Shows
Annie
Nov. 24-29, 2015
The world’s most beloved musical is back! Directed by original lyricist and director Martin Charnin and choreographed by Liza Gennaro, this production of Annie is a brand new incarnation of the iconic original that debuts during Thanksgiving week.
National Circus and Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China
Dec.11-12, 2015
Families will be astonished by the unique acts in their program, such as Great Teeterboard, Grand Flying Trapeze, Group Contortion, Straw Hats Juggling, Girls’ Balance With Bowls and many other awe-inspiring acts.
Home Free: Full of Cheer
Dec. 15, 2015
The vocal sensation and Season 4 champion of NBC’s “The Sing-Off” are back again – this time with their first holiday tour, Full of Cheer.
Ira Glass
Jan. 16, 2016
Ira Glass, creator of the public radio show “This American Life,” talks about his creative inspiration behind the show: what makes a compelling story, where they find the show’s amazing stories and how the show nudges broadcast journalism to do things it hasn’t traditional done.
L.A. Theatre Works: Bram Stoker’s Dracula
Jan. 28, 2016
In Charles Morey’s acclaimed adaptation, Count Dracula slips quietly into Victorian London with a cargo of his native Transylvanian soil, necessary for rest between his victims. The city seems helpless against his frightful power and only one man, the smart and resourceful Dr. Van Helsing, can stop the carnage.
Bela Fleck and Abigail Washburn
Feb. 19, 2016
Banjo greats, Abigail Washburn and Bela Fleck, team up for a rare concert experience where the sophistication of an old-time singer-songwriter meets the jazz-to-classical ingenuity of an iconic instrumentalist and composer with bluegrass roots.
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
May 6-8, 2016
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.
