Goodspeed Musicals Unveils 2024 Season Featuring Darko Tresnjak's ASK FOR THE MOON! & More

Two-time Tony Award-winning Goodspeed Musicals will present its return to a full season of three new musicals at The Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn. Opened in 1984 for the development of new musicals, Goodspeed’s Terris Theatre will celebrate 40 years and welcome audiences with a new musical with a golden age score, a diabolical musical comedy abounding with madness and hilarity, and a third exciting musical to be announced soon.
 
The season will open with the intriguing new musical A Complicated Woman which will run May 10- June 2.  

John Kenley was a theatre impresario who brought Hollywood stars like Gene Kelly and Ann Miller to Ohio’s summer stock stages. But when summer ended, he wintered in Florida where John disappeared… and Jean came to life. A Complicated Woman is a new musical that features a Golden Age score and a gender-diverse cast.  Join us for the intriguing story of a theatre legend who had to navigate the joy, pain and pitfalls of leading a double life.
 
A Complicated Woman features a book by Ianne Fields Stewart, music by Jonathan Brielle (Broadway: Foxfire, Off-Broadway: Himself and Nora), and lyrics by Sam Salmond and Jonathan Brielle. It will be directed by Tony Award-nominee Jeff Calhoun (Broadway: Newsies, Bonnie & Clyde, Jekyll & Hyde, Grey Gardens, Deaf West’s Big River, Grease).
 
The summer production will be the zany and madcap new musical Ask for the Moon! running July 19 – August 11.  Set sail on the Jewel of the Sea ocean liner with a scheming widow, a vengeful lawyer, and a volatile nurse. Enjoy the vocal stylings of Misha and Grisha, the squabbling Carpathian twins. Get the latest fashion tips from Persimmon De Vol, stylist par excellence. But only venture into the Poseidon Suite at your own peril… Madness and hilarity abound in a diabolical new musical comedy that is sure to make waves. Bon voyage!
 
Ask for the Moon! features book and lyrics by Tony Award winner Darko Tresnjak, who will also direct the production (Goodspeed: City of Angels, Carnival!, A Little Night Music; The Terris: Amour; Broadway: Anastasia, A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder) and music by Oran Eldor.
 
The season will conclude with an exciting new musical that will run September 27- October 27. The title and creative team will be announced at a later date.
 
Now in her fourth season as Goodspeed’s Artistic Director, Donna Lynn Hilton shared, “2024 will mark the first full season of new work development at our Terris Theatre since 2019. I am glad to highlight this inspiring and entertaining lineup of new musicals from some of the most acclaimed creators of our time. It’s sure to be a memorable season as we welcome friends, old and new, to our creative campus.”
 
For the past 40 years, The Terris Theatre has been Goodspeed’s home for developing fresh, innovative and original new musicals. Many new and reimagined musicals have been developed in Chester, Conn., before moving on to Broadway, Off-Broadway, National Tours and other Regional Theatres. Because this is a developmental theatre, the show can change on a day-to-day basis. New scenes are added, songs are moved, costumes are changed, dialogue is tweaked ― all based on audience response and feedback.
 
Season tickets for shows at The Terris Theatre are available beginning January 30 and start at $117. Single tickets will go on sale March 19th. Goodspeed Memberships for 2024 are available now and provide many benefits to donors at both The Terris Theatre and at The Goodspeed. For more information, call the Goodspeed Box Office (860.873.8668), open weekdays at 10 a.m., or visit goodspeed.org.
 

Goodspeed Musicals has achieved international acclaim and is the first theatre in the nation to receive two Tony Awards for outstanding achievement in musical theatre. Under the leadership of Donna Lynn Hilton, Artistic Director and David B. Byrd, Managing Director, Goodspeed Musicals is dedicated to the celebration, development and advancement of musical theatre. Goodspeed creates powerful, world-class productions of enlightening new and established works to delight, inspire and challenge audiences on its two stages – The Goodspeed in East Haddam, Conn., and The Terris Theatre in Chester, Conn. From Goodspeed, 21 musicals have gone to Broadway (including Man of La Mancha, Annie, Shenandoah and Holiday Inn) and 85 new musicals have been launched. Goodspeed’s Festival of New Musicals, GoodWorks commissioning program and the Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Grove at Goodspeed are distinguished cornerstones of the organization that highlight its commitment to nurture creators and the creative process. Goodspeed also maintains The Scherer Library of Musical Theatre and The Max Showalter Center for Education in Musical Theatre. The organization is supported in part by the Burry Fredrik Foundation; Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development, Office of the Arts; CT Humanities; The Hoffman Auto Group; Masonicare; The Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving; The Shubert Foundation; and WSHU Public Radio. Additional support is provided by Sennheiser, the official audio sponsor; and United Airlines, the official airline of Goodspeed Musicals. For more information, visit www.goodspeed.org.

A Complicated Woman

A New Musical
May 10 – June 2
Book by Ianne Fields Stewart
Music by Jonathan Brielle
Lyrics by Sam Salmond and Jonathan Brielle
Directed by Jeff Calhoun
John Kenley was a theatre impresario who brought Hollywood stars like Gene Kelly and Ann Miller to Ohio’s summer stock stages. But when summer ended, he wintered in Florida where John disappeared… and Jean came to life. A Complicated Woman is a new musical that features a Golden Age score and a gender-diverse cast.  Join us for the intriguing story of a theatre legend who had to navigate the joy, pain and pitfalls of leading a double life.
Age Rating:  15+
 

Ask for the Moon!

A New Musical Comedy
July 19 – Aug 11
Book and Lyrics by Darko Tresnjak
Music by Oran Eldor
Directed by Darko Tresnjak
Set sail on the Jewel of the Sea ocean liner with a scheming widow, a vengeful lawyer, and a volatile nurse. Enjoy the vocal stylings of Misha and Grisha, the squabbling Carpathian twins. Get the latest fashion tips from Persimmon De Vol, stylist par excellence. But only venture into the Poseidon Suite at your own peril… Madness and hilarity abound in a diabolical new musical comedy that is sure to make waves. Bon voyage!
Age Rating:  PG-13
 

New Musical To Be Announced

September 27 – October 27