THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG & More Set for Theatre Calgary's 24-25 Season

Theatre Calgary has revealed its 2024-25 season of  plays. The lineup includes seven shows, with titles ranging from recent Broadway hits to celebrated classic works.  The season also includes a world premiere by local playwright Sable Sweetgrass that will take place in the Big Secret  Theatre, with the other six shows taking place on our Max Bell Theatre stage. 

"Our 2024-25 season features plays that are filled with laughs, humanity, heart, and of course, music," says Arima. "This  season not only reflects the audience response to our shows from this current season but allows us to, once again, give theatre  lovers a delicious menu of great plays, powerful writing, and pure enjoyment. We will continue to showcase the wonderful local  talent in our community, along with bringing new work from a local playwright to life." 

In addition to our season lineup, we are thrilled to announce that with the support of a group of generous donors,  all tickets on our main floor (orchestra seating) will be priced at $44 for every show. This is made possible by the  support of over 1,900 donors, who have donated a combined $6.2 million to this three-year initiative, with a final  goal of $10 million. 

"This past year, we saw an incredible response to our new Theatre for All initiative. Welcoming so many new faces, along  with patrons who had been part of our family in the past, was uplifting,” says Theatre Calgary Executive Director Maya  Choldin. “We are thrilled to continue this program again next season to help make theatre accessible and affordable for all our  patrons. The generosity of those who donated to our Theatre For All campaign have made this possible.” 

Our 2024-25 season kicks off September 3rd in the Max Bell Theatre with the runaway hit The Play That Goes Wrong  by Henry Lewis, Henry Shields, and Jonathan Sayer. In The Play That Goes Wrong, we welcome you to The Cornley  Drama Society’s production of The Murder at Haversham Manor, where the actors are unprepared, the set is falling  apart, and the leading lady is unconscious. The Play That Goes Wrong is Noises Off meets The Mousetrap, a comedic  play-within-a-play that celebrates the old adage: despite the hilarious consequences, the show must go on! The  show will be directed by former artistic director, Dennis Garnhum, and is presented in partnership with the Citadel  Theatre and the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. "I love starting the season with a comedy that allows the audience to liter ally laugh-out-loud. The Play That Goes Wrong tickles all the right funny bones," says Arima. 

Next, we bring an incredible three-person performance to the stage on October 15th with The Lehman Trilogy,  written by Stefano Massini, and adapted by Ben Power. Winner of five Tony Awards including Best Play, this  American epic tells the story of the dramatic rise and fall of Lehman Brothers, from its immigrant origins in pre-Civil  War Alabama to its Wall Street peak and the crash that followed. The Lehman Trilogy is performed by three actors,  playing the Lehman brothers, their sons, and their grandsons, tracing the 163-year history of a dream destined for  collapse. The show will be directed by Sarah Garton Stanley and associate directed by Tracey Erin Smith, and is  presented in association with Arts Commons Presents. "This riveting play is an epic experience that takes place over 163  years of history and family, placed in the mysterious world of finance. 'Lehman' is a theatrical feast for the mind and senses," says Arima. 

Beginning November 29th, our holiday classic returns with Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol. On Christmas Eve,  Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three spirits, who take him on a journey into his past, present, and future to show him  the errors of his ways. Dickens’ classic holiday tale comes alive on the Theatre Calgary stage, with stunning sets and  costumes and the return of Doug McKeag as Scrooge. See why A Christmas Carol has become a holiday tradition for  so many Calgarians. This adaptation by Geoffrey Simon Brown will be directed by Stafford Arima and associate  directed by Jane MacFarlane. "Returning to the classic 'Carol' with all of its bells and whistles (and spectacular ghosts)  brings a smile to my soul. Let us celebrate the holidays with a little Scrooge, and a little Tiny Tim," says Arima. 

On January 28th, we bring a classic of the stage and screen to the Max Bell with A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. This is the story of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle, whose unexpected arrival in New  Orleans sets in motion a dangerous power struggle between herself and her sister’s husband, Stanley. Tension builds  as secrets about Stanley and Blanche are revealed and desires crescendo in this smoldering Pulitzer Prize-winning  play. The show will be directed by Daryl Cloran, and is presented in partnership with the Citadel Theatre. "Tennessee  Williams is one of the most prolific American Playwrights whose work continues to reverberate today. 'Streetcar' continues to  electrify me, and I can’t wait to see it on our stage," says Arima. 

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Starting March 18th, farce and frights collide as Noël Coward's humour casts a spell on our stage in Blithe Spirit. Charles Condomine tries to keep his past from ruining his present after inadvertently summoning the spirit of his  first wife at a dinner-party-turned-séance. Only he can see or hear her, but that won’t stop her attempts to destroy  his new marriage, in this supernatural comedy from one of theatre’s most beloved British wits. Directing the show  will be Nikki Loach. "A comedy that brings together husbands and wives, wit, and the world of the supernatural can be none  other than Mr. Noël Coward. This classic comedy is Coward at his best," says Arima. 

On April 22nd, we are thrilled to present a living room comedy of errors about the world premiere of Awowakii by local playwright Sable Sweetgrass. Awowakii tells the story of Chrissy Two-Guns, a Blackfoot transgender  woman whose estranged father, Joseph, shows up in her life again. Joseph mistakes Chrissy’s friend Toni for  Chrissy herself, and confusion ensues. This new work by Sweetgrass is an immersive theatre experience, where  the audience is enveloped within the world of the play in the intimate Big Secret Theatre (in Arts Commons). The  play will be directed by Alanis King. "I am very excited about this new play written by a local playwright. This story  possesses the perfect balance of ingredients that make for an entertaining and heartfelt dramedy," says Arima. 

We close our season starting May 20th, with a whole lot of music and a whole lot of pink, as we present Legally  Blonde, with music and lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin, book by Heather Hach, based on the novel  by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture. A feel-good musical based on the novel and hit  film, Legally Blonde is the story of Elle Woods, whose perfect life is turned upside down when her boyfriend dumps  her to attend Harvard Law. Determined to win him back, Elle joins him at the prestigious school, defying stereotypes  and proving herself in the process, with a little help from her Delta Nu Sorority friends and her dog Bruiser. Legally  Blonde will be directed and chorepgraphed by Stephanie Graham, and is presented in partnership with the Citadel  Theatre. "Elle Woods + Bruiser + Singing + Dancing = a rip-roaring, dazzling musical based on the hit film of the same name," says Arima. 

Casting for all productions will be announced at a later date. 

Online renewal and season subscriptions are available now at theatrecalgary.com. Single tickets will go on sale April 29, 2024. 

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