Kinky Boots, Beautiful — The Carole King Musical and If/Then lead the 10-show lineup coming to Atlanta’s Fox Theatre in the 2015-16 season, the 35th for the Fifth Third Bank’s Broadway in Atlanta series.
The season begins in October with the return of Jersey Boys, the Four Seasons bio that has sold well here in the past. It ends in August 2016 with the first national tour of If/Then, the Idina Menzel musical that will not star her when it comes to town.
Also in the lineup are Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Elf the Musical, a return of The Book of Mormon, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, a new version of The Sound of Music, and The Wizard of Oz.
Jersey Boys, The Book of Mormon and Beauty and the Beast are optional shows, if you’re a season-ticket subscriber.
Together, these musicals have collected a total of 24 Tony awards, including best musical honors for Kinky Boots (2013), The Book of Mormon (2011) and Jersey Boys (2006). Four are still running on Broadway.
A closer look, in chronological order:
JERSEY BOYS. Oct. 6-11. The true story of four blue-collar kids from Jersey and how they became one of the biggest acts in pop music history. The score is packed with their hit songs, from “Sherry” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” to “Rag Doll” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” Jersey Boys, making its third stop at the Fox, is in its 11th year on Broadway.
RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S CINDERELLA. Nov. 3-8. A contemporary take on the classic tale with 10 new songs from the R+H catalog along with the well-known “My Own Little Corner,” “Impossible/It’s Possible,” “Ten Minutes Ago” and others. The show had a nearly two-year Broadway run.
ELF THE MUSICAL. Dec. 2-6. Based on the 2003 Will Ferrell feature film. It’s the story of Buddy, a young orphan who crawls into Santa’s bag, finds himself at the North Pole and makes his way back to New York City. Variety called it “endearingly goofy.” The show has had two limited holiday runs on Broadway.
THE BOOK OF MORMON. Jan. 12-24, 2016. The missionaries return after a record-breaking two-week sit-down this season. See what happens when a mismatched pair of Mormon do-gooders are dispatched to Africa. Created by “South Park”’s Trey Parker and Matt Stone and composer Bobby Lopez (Avenue Q, Frozen). Note: Contains explicit language. In its fifth year on Broadway.
DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Feb. 2-7, 2016. Romance and enchantment fill the stage in this musical based on the popular 1991 animated film. Its Broadway run lasted 13 years.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC. March 1-6, 2016. A new production directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray, The Coast of Utopia, Henry IV). It promises to be livelier than the DOA Carrie Underwood TV version on NBC in 2013.
KINKY BOOTS. March 29-April 3, 2016. Winner of six 2013 Tony awards including best musical. The story follows a struggling shoe factory owner who tries to turn his business around with the help of Lola, a fabulous entertainer in need of sturdy stilettos. Based on the 2005 feature film. Cyndi Lauper won a Tony for her first Broadway score. In its third year on the Great White Way.
BEAUTIFUL — THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL. May 24-29, 2016. Hear the soundtrack of a generation in this show, a biography that tracks King’s rise to fame, her romance with writing partner Gerry Goffin and her solo career. The score include such hits as “I Feel the Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “You’ve Got a Friend” and more. Just celebrated its first year on Broadway.
THE WIZARD OF OZ. June 21-26, 2015. Click your heels three times for this reimagined journey with Dorothy, Toto, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion. This adaptation is based on the MGM movie screenplay, with all of its Oscar-winning songs, plus new contributions from Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber (Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar).
IF/THEN. Aug. 9-14, 2016. A contemporary Broadway musical about living in New York today and all the possibilities of tomorrow. It simultaneously follows one woman’s two possible life paths. The score is by the Tony-winning team of Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey (Next to Normal). Since it was written for Idina Menzel, who starred on Broadway, casting of the main role will be particularly critical for this first national tour. Menzel plans to reprise her Tony-nominated performance in the first seven cities on the tour. Atlanta is not one of them.
Season ticket packages go on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday. They begin at $222 for seven shows; six-show packages also are available. Current subscribers will get a renewal packet from Broadway Across Atlanta. Get new subscriptions HERE or at 800.278.4447 weekdays.
Single tickets generally go on sale eight to 12 weeks before a particular show’s opening night. Performances are 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday, but are subject to change.
