J.L. "Lynn" Singleton, President of the Providence Performing Arts Center, is pleased to announce PPAC's 32nd Broadway season, featuring the 2009/2010 Broadway Series and the 2009/2010 Contemporary Classics Series. The Broadway Series includes the North American Touring debut of THE NEW Mel Brooks MUSICAL Young Frankenstein, followed by AVENUE Q, WICKED, XANADU, 101 DALMATIANS THE MUSICAL, and Jersey Boys. The Contemporary Classics Series includes RAIN - A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES, DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, and A BRONX TALE.
Singleton said, "We are elated to bring this phenomenal roster of shows to Rhode Island for 2009/2010. In addition to the thrill of opening THE NEW Mel Brooks MUSICAL Young Frankenstein here in the fall, we will have four weeks each of WICKED and Jersey Boys - unprecedented at PPAC!"
Family shows and special engagements will be announced at a later date; visit www.ppacri.org for the most current information. Please note that all dates, programs, and artists are subject to change without notice. For more information about becoming a subscriber and to receive a complimentary brochure in early May, call the Box Office at (401) 421-ARTS; patrons may also contact Sharon Corcoran at (401) 574-3136 or visit www.ppacri.org. Schools, organizations, clubs, churches, families, and friends who wish to obtain more information on group sales of 20 or more, please contact Paul Hiatt at (401) 574-3162 or groups@ppacri.org. Details regarding reception rooms and restaurant packages are available for groups upon request.
2009/2010 BROADWAY SERIES
THE NEW Mel Brooks MUSICAL Young Frankenstein will begin the Broadway Series from September 29 - October 4, 2009, and is also opening its National Tour in Providence! The classic Mel Brooks movie is ALIVE...and it's headed here! You'll have a monstrously good time at this spectacular new production, winner of the 2008 Outer Critics Circle Award and the Broadway.com Audience Award for BEST MUSICAL! Don't miss the sensational cast delivering all your favorite moments from the classic film, plus brand-new show-stopping numbers for the stage, including "Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and "Puttin' on the Ritz." This wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Frankenstein legend follows bright young Dr. Frankenstein (that's Fronkensteen) as he attempts to create a monster--but not without scary and hilarious complications. The brains behind the laughter is mad genius and three-time Tony winner Mel Brooks himself--who wrote the music and lyrics and co-wrote the book- along with his record-breaking team from The Producers: five-time Tony-winning director and choreographer Susan Stroman and three-time Tony-winning writer, Thomas Meehan.
AVENUE Q, coming October 20 - 25, 2009, is Broadway's smash-hit 2004 Tony Award® winner for BEST MUSICAL, BEST SCORE and BEST BOOK. A hilarious show full of heart and hummable tunes, AVENUE Q is about trying to make it in NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account. Called "one of the funniest shows you're ever likely to see" by Entertainment Weekly, AVENUE Q features a cast of people and puppets who tell the story in a smart, risqué and downright entertaining way. The New Yorker calls it "SUBVERSIVE and UPROARIOUS!" Recommended for ages 13 and up. Avenue Q has not been authorized or approved by The Jim Henson Company or Sesame Workshop, which have no responsibility for its content.
Back by "Popular" Demand from December 16, 2009 - January 10, 2010! The New York Times calls WICKED "Broadway's biggest blockbuster," and when it first played Providence in 2007, it broke box office records and sold out in record time. Winner of 20 major awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards, WICKED is "a show that's got everything - catchy plot, soaring tunes from Stephen Schwartz, and some spectacular scenic effects from Tony-winning designer, Eugene Lee. But there are also layers of depth and subtlety, as the show takes on issues of diversity, political corruption and the vicissitudes of human nature. It's a show that questions good and evil, right and wrong, and looks at the gray areas in between" (Providence Journal). Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the Land of Oz. One - born with emerald green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch makes for "the most complete and completely satisfying new musical in a long time" (USA Today).
