Atlantans want to watch Tony Award-winning musicals, Broadway Across America believes, so for the theatrical presenter's 2011-12 season that's exactly what they'll get.
Broadway Across America's lineup at the Fox Theatre, The Atlanta Journal-Constitutions has learned, includes four Tony winners for best musical: "Memphis" (2010), "Billy Elliot: The Musical" (2009), a 25th anniversary production of "Les Misérables" (1987) and "Jersey Boys" (2006).
"Memphis" and "Billy Elliot: The Musical" will be making their Atlanta premieres, as will the season-opening "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical." Beyond the five-show subscription season, Broadway Across America is also presenting a "season special," an encore staging of "Wicked," the 2004 Tony nominee for best musical.
"We do several surveys every year to kind of get a sense of what people are interested in seeing here in Atlanta," Stephanie Parker, the Atlanta-based Broadway Across America vice president, said in an exclusive interview with the AJC, "and the feedback we get is that they would really like to see the musicals."
What's different this year is that Broadway Across America is running three of the musicals for multiple weeks instead of the usual one, partly a show of faith in its lineup and partly a display of belief that the economy is starting to recover and that Atlantans will spend on shows that interest them.
"Wicked" will run for four weeks, "Jersey Boys" for three and "Billy Elliot" for two.
"We feel the market can sustain the extra weeks," Parker said. "Both ‘Wicked' and ‘Jersey Boys' have proven that in the past. And ‘Billy Elliot' has been doing well on the road."
A story about a Northern England coal miner's son who dreams of dancing, "Billy Elliot" won 10 Tonys, with part-time Atlantan Elton John, a nominee for best score, accepting the best musical trophy. The other new Tony winner receiving its Atlanta premiere, "Memphis," a Southern-set interracial romance with a 1950s rhythm ‘n' blues backdrop, scored four Tonys last year.
The season schedule: "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical," Nov. 29-Dec. 4; "Memphis," Jan. 31-Feb. 5; "Billy Elliot," March 14-25, 2012; "Les Misérables," April 24-29, 2012; "Jersey Boys," May 22-June 10, 2012. "Wicked's" special run kicks things off Sept. 14-Oct. 9.
Subscription packages, $137-$400, are on sale via www.BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com or 1-800-278-4447. Single tickets are typically available six to eight weeks before each show.
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