Timeless classics and new favorites are on tap for the 2015-16 Broadway at the Hobby Center season, which was just revealed. From shows that have been around for decades to relatively new jazz-hands fun, theatergoers can look forward to wicked fun live on stage brimming with beautiful sounds that they will love.
(That last tidbit was full of hints as to what's up ahead.) Read on for the full schedule.
For tortured souls: Pippin (Oct. 20-25)
Though the main protagonist is based on a real-life dude who lived in the Middle Ages, the story of anyone searching for meaning is always in vogue. This revival that won a Tony includes some pretty fabulous acrobatics by Les 7 Doigts de la Main (The Seven Fingers of the Hand), a limber Quebec-based circus-esque company that adds gratuitous fun.
For the hopeless romantic: The Phantom of the Opera (Nov. 18-29)
Even for those that think musicals are uber gay and roll their eyes at typical plots of unrequited love, Phantom hits high notes when it comes to a storyline that leaves viewers with a knot in their throat — unless you're a heartless twerp. Perfect choice for a first date, especially if you want to score a make out session, tongue and all, post performance.
For the nostalgic who yearns for how things used to be: I Love Lucy Live on Stage (Jan. 12-17, 2016)
On first look, the notion of taking one of the most beloved television sitcoms of all time and plopping it on stage seems like a really bad idea. How can you possibly recreate the ginger magic of Lucy as her antics mischievously screw around with the lives of Ricky, Fred and Ethel?
Critics are loving this nostalgic trip down memory lane when television couples slept in separate tiny beds though.
For the yodeler: The Sound of Music (Feb. 16-21, 2016)
If you've ever spun with your arms extended pretending to be Julie Andrews atop a mountain, you know that there's no reason to say more than the title and off you go in a harmonized version of "Do-Re-Mi." While what's fresh in our minds is how Audra McDonald completely upstaged Carrie Underwood in the live television version that aired in 2013, let's relive this favorite thing as 2015 marks the 50th anniversary of the movie.
For the history buff: Cabaret (March 22-27, 2016)
A jazzy musical or a history lesson on pre-World War II Germany? This production presented by Roundabout Theatre Company welcomes Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall in this story that's set in a seedy cabaret, a venue that's really a microcosm for political turmoil in Europe.
For the kid at heart: Disney's Beauty and the Beast (April 27-May 1, 2016)
A lesson that reminds us that love conquers all, this Disney production is based on the beloved 1991 animated film. Here's an interesting bit of history: The musical adaptation was actually premiered in Houston by Theatre Under the Stars in 1993.
For the real music buff: Beautiful (May 31-June 5, 2016)
It may be that some juke box musicals get a bad rep just because. But there's something so deliciously irresistible in this tribute to an iconic artist through her own songs. That iconic singer/songwriter is none other than Carole King. I say feel free to sing along.
For the fair-and-balanced person: Wicked (July 6-Aug. 14, 2016)
Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel were surely reasons why the original 2003 Broadway production won a bunch of Drama Desks and Tonys, making it very difficult for other divas to jump into those fabulous roles that feature demanding vocals. But there's is great talent out there, so give new stars a shot as they embody this lovely tale of friendship between two very different gals.
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Thea Brooks (Lucy Ricardo) and Euriamis Losada (Ricky Ricardo) in I Love Lucy Live on Stage.
