Tumblers, jugglers, newsies and dirty dancing will fill the Fox Theatre stage in 2014-15, according to the lineup announced recently by Broadway in Atlanta. Newsies, The Little Mermaid, Pippin, Motown the Musical and Dirty Dancing are Atlanta premieres. The schedule includes a new production of The Phantom of the Opera and the return of Blue Man Group. Subscribers will also have the option of seeing Wicked and/or Mamma Mia! Details:
THE LITTLE MERMAID. July 8-13. You can never keep a good mermaid down. This show, with a score by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, was torpedoed last season when Theater of Stars went out of business. It ran for seven months on Broadway in 2008-09.
MAMMA MIA! Sept. 23-28. A treat for devotees of 1970s and ‘80s pop-rockers ABBA. The musical comedy, set on a tiny Greek island, continues to pack them in on Broadway, where it’s been running for more than a dozen years.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. Oct. 22-Nov. 2. You can’t keep a determined Phantom down it seems. This new staging, from British impresario Cameron Mackintosh, promises that everything — sets, costumes, lights, even that chandelier — is bigger and better than ever before. The new version includes the talents of renowned choreographer and playmaker Matthew Bourne, who “oversees” the production along with Mackintosh. Still one of the top sellers on Broadway, even after 26 years. Winner of seven 1988 Tony awards including best musical and many for design.
DIRTY DANCING. Nov. 25-30. It’s the summer of 1963, and 17-year-old Frances “Baby” Houseman is about to learn some major life lessons as well as a thing or two about dancing. She’ll have the time of her life. The show, based on the 1987 feature film with Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze, has toured the world but has never played Broadway.
NEWSIES. Jan. 10-25, 2015. New from Disney Theatricals. Based on true events, it tells the story of newsboys in 1899 New York and their fight with the all-powerful publishers of the day. The score is by Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, with a book by Harvey Fierstein (La Cage aux Folles). Newsies opened on Broadway in March 2012 and is still running. It won 2012 Tony awards for best score and best choreography (by Christopher Gattelli). Its original leading man was Jeremy Jordan (TV’s “Smash”).
WICKED. Feb. 18-March 8, 2015. Look, here comes Glinda in her bubble! The last time this musical about friends and their Oz-ian odyssey played Atlanta, it broke North American sales records. Find out what happened before The Wizard of Oz tale began, with Glinda and her green best friend, Elphaba. Based on the popular novel by Gregory Maguire. The score is by Steven Schwartz (Pippin, Godspell). Winner of three 2004 Tony awards and now in its 11th Broadway season.
BLUE MAN GROUP. April 7-12. The Blue Men do stuff — with music, comedy and multimedia theatrics — that keep audiences coming back. The non-speaking threesome last played the Fox in January 2013.
PIPPIN. May 5-10, 2015. Returned to Broadway in a stunning, Cirque du Soleil-like revival 40 years after its original opening. Pippin tells the story of the title character, a son of Charlemagne, who’s searching for his place in the world. The score, by the aforementioned Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) includes such gems as “Magic to Do,” “Corner of the Sky” and the audience sing-along “No Time At All.” The 1997 original ran almost five years and won five Tony awards, including two for director-choreographer Bob Fosse. The revival, which opened in March 2013 and is still running, won four Tony awards, including best musical revival. It’s directed by Diane Paulus (Hair, The Gershwins Porgy and Bess).
MOTOWN THE MUSICAL. Aug. 18-23, 2015. Tells the story of Motown founder Berry Gordy and his journey from featherweight boxer to heavyweight music mogul, featuring more than 60 Motown classics including “ABC,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “Come See About Me,” “I Hear a Symphony,” “I Heard It Through the Grapevine,” “My Girl,” “Stop in the Name of Love” and “Tears of a Clown.” Nearing its first Broadway anniversary and almost always among the weekly box-office champs.
Broadway in Atlanta subscription packages begin at $209 for all seven shows; six-show packages also are available. Single-show tickets will go on sale eight to 12 weeks before opening night. For more, visit the Broadway in Atlanta website.
