42ND STREET, CINDERELLA, NEWSIES, SOUND OF MUSIC, CABARET and More Set for Segerstrom Center's 2015-16 Season

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is rolling out plans for its 30th Season, beginning with the 2015 - 2016 Broadway line-up. It will be a year of extraordinary artists, blockbuster shows and world renowned companies: great dance and Broadway hits, jazz, cabaret and classical music, family entertainment plus many special guests and events.

The Center's 2015 - 2016 Broadway and Curtain Call series is start to finish one legendary show after another. Each has made an indelible mark on Broadway history. Coming to the Center for the first time are Disney's Newsies, If/Then and The Illusionists. In all new productions not seen at the Center before are 42nd Street, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella and The Sound of Music. Back by popular demand are Roundabout Theatre Company's Cabaret and Broadway superpowers Disney's The Lion King and The Book of Mormon. Two bonus shows include the dance blast Riverdance and, returning to the land of Orange County, Wicked.

The Center will continue its popular pre-show activities for most shows. Fun and informative Talk Backs with the artists will follow each Thursday evening performance. One Saturday matinee performance of each Center Broadway musical will be Open Captioned, Audio Described and ASL interpreted.

Information for renewing season ticket holders for the 2015 - 2016 Season is being sent to current subscribers, with priority orders for new season tickets available soon. Single tickets will go on sale approximately six weeks prior to individual engagements. Visit the Center's newly designed website, www.SCFTA.org for more information about both the current season and the 2015 - 2016 Season. For inquiries about group ticket discounts, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746.

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BROADWAY SERIES:

DISNEY'S THE LION KING
October 6 - November 1, 2015
Segerstrom Hall

Giraffes strut. Birds swoop. Gazelles leap. The entire Serengeti comes to life. And as the music soars, Pride Rock slowly emerges from the mist. More than 70 million people

around the world have experienced the phenomenon of Disney's THE LION KING. Winner of six Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, this landmark musical event brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway. Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor brings to life a story filled with hope and adventure set against an amazing backdrop of stunning visuals. THE LION KING also features some of Broadway's most recognizable music, crafted by Tony Award-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice. There is simply nothing else like THE LION KING.

42nd STREET | NEW PRODUCTION
November 10 - 22, 2015
Segerstrom Hall

The quintessential backstage musical comedy classic, 42nd Street is the song and dance fable of Broadway with an American Dream story and includes some of the greatest songs ever written, such as "We're in the Money," "Lullaby of Broadway," "Shuffle off to Buffalo," "Dames," "I Only Have Eyes For You" and, of course, "42nd Street." Based on a novel by Bradford Ropes and Busby Berkeley's 1933 movie, 42nd Street tells the story of a starry-eyed young dancer named Peggy Sawyer who comes to New York to audition for the new Broadway musical Pretty Lady. When the star breaks her ankle, Peggy takes over and becomes a star. With a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, this sparkling new production will be directed by co-author Mark Bramble and choreographed by Randy Skinner, the team who staged the 2001 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Revival.

RODGER'S AND HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA | NEW PRODUCTION
April 19 - May 1, 2016
Segerstrom Hall

Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA is the Tony Award- winning Broadway musical from the creators of The King & I and South Pacific that's delighting audiences with its contemporary take on the classic tale. This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love - the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more -- plus some surprising new twists! Be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers + Hammerstein's most beloved songs, including "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible/It's Possible" and "Ten Minutes Ago," in this hilarious and romantic Broadway experience for anyone who's ever had a wish, a dream... or a really great pair of shoes.

DISNEY'S NEWSIES | CENTER PREMIERE
May 17 - 29, 2016
Segerstrom Hall

They delivered the papers, until they made the headlines.... Direct from Broadway comes NEWSIES, the smash-hit, crowd-pleasing new musical from Disney. Winner of the 2012 Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Choreography, NEWSIES has audiences and critics alike calling it "A MUSICAL WORTH SINGING ABOUT!" (The New York Times). Filled with one heart-pounding number after another, it's a high-energy explosion of song and dance. It features a score by Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast) and Jack Feldman (The Lion King II: Simba's Pride) and a book by Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), with choreography by Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific) and direction by Jeff Calhoun (Big River).

THE SOUND OF MUSIC | NEW PRODUCTION
July 19 - 31, 2016
Segerstrom Hall

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE! The spirited, romantic and beloved musical story of Maria and the von Trapp family will once again thrill audiences with its Tony, Grammy® and Academy Award® winning Best Score,

including "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "Edelweiss" and the title song. "We plan to look more closely at this remarkable work - to tear off the varnish of the past and reveal one of the great, fresh glories of musical theater," says three-time Tony Award-winning director Jack O'Brien. THE SOUND OF MUSIC features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by "The Trapp Family Singers" by Maria Augusta Trapp.

CABARET
August 9 - 21, 2016
Segerstrom Hall

Direct from Broadway, the acclaimed masterpiece returns to Costa Mesa! As part of their 50th Anniversary Season, the critically acclaimed and award-winning Roundabout Theatre Company is proud to present SAM MENDES (Skyfall, American Beauty) and ROB MARSHALL's (Into the Woods and Chicago, the films) Tony Award-winning production of CABARET. Come hear some of the most memorable songs in theatre history, including "Cabaret," "Willkommen" and "Maybe This Time." Leave your troubles outside - life is beautiful at CABARET, JOHN KANDER, FRED EBB and JOE MASTEROFF's Tony-winning musical about following your heart while the world loses its way.

Season ticket prices for the Broadway Series start at $115.

CURTAIN CALL SERIES:

IF/THEN | CENTER PREMIERE
January 19 - 24, 2016
Segerstrom Hall

If/Then is a contemporary Broadway musical about living in New York today - and all the possibilities of tomorrow. With unforgettable songs and a deeply moving story by the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning creators of Next to Normal, this "fascinating, ambitious and original new musical" (New York Post) simultaneously follows one woman's two possible life paths, painting a deeply moving portrait of the lives we lead, as well as the lives we might have led. "Thrilling! The best musical of the year," according to New York Magazine.

THE ILLUSIONISTS | CENTER PREMIERE
February 2 - 7, 2016
Segerstrom Hall

Having shattered box office records around the world, THE ILLUSIONISTS - WITNESS THE IMPOSSIBLETM is now coming to captivate Orange County. This mind-blowing spectacular showcases the jaw-dropping talents of five of the most incredible illusionists on earth. Full of hilarious magic tricks, death-defying stunts and acts of breathtaking wonder, THE ILLUSIONISTS has dazzled audiences of all ages. Creative Producer Simon Painter said, "We can't wait to bring this electrifying show to Southern California for a truly entertaining experience for the whole family. THE ILLUSIONISTS is the most non- stop and powerful mix of outrageous and astonishing acts ever to be seen on the live stage."

THE BOOK OF MORMON
March 22 - April 3, 2016
Segerstrom Hall

Back by popular demand! Hailed by The New York Times as "the best musical of this century" and the winner of nine Tony Awards, THE BOOK OF MORMON is the blockbuster Broadway smash from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and the Oscar-winning composer of Disney's Frozen and Avenue Q, Bobby Lopez. This outrageous musical comedy follows the misadventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the Good Word. Now with standing room only productions in London, on Broadway and across North America, THE BOOK OF MORMON has truly become an international sensation. Contains explicit language.

Season ticket prices for the Curtain Call Series start at $95.

SPECIAL BONUS EVENTS:

RIVERDANCE
January 1 - 3, 2016
Segerstrom Hall

The international Irish dance phenomenon is back by popular demand in Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour. Drawing on Irish traditions, the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music into the present day, capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures in an innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song. Of all the performances to emerge from Ireland - in rock, music, theatre and film - nothing has carried the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of Riverdance. Riverdance - The 20th Anniversary World Tour is composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan and comes directly to North America from a sold out run across Europe and Asia.

WICKED
February 16 - March 6, 2016
Segerstrom Hall

Back by "popular" demand. Variety calls WICKED "a cultural phenomenon," and it continues to break box office records across North America. Winner of over 100 international awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards, WICKED is "Broadway's biggest blockbuster" (The New York Times). Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the Land of Oz. One - born with emerald green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for "the most complete - and completely satisfying - musical in a long time" (USA Today).

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About Segerstrom Center for the Arts - Segerstrom Center for the Arts is unique as both an acclaimed arts institution and as a multi-disciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs.

Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center traces its roots back to the late 1960s when a dedicated group of community leaders decided Orange County should have its own world-class performing arts venue.

As Orange County's largest non-profit arts organization, Segerstrom Center for the Arts owns and operates the 3,000-seat Segerstrom Hall and intimate 250-seat Founders Hall, which opened in 1986, and the 2,000-seat Rene?e and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, which opened in 2006 and also houses the 500-seat Samueli Theater, the Lawrence and Kristina Dodge Education Center's studio performance space and Boeing Education Lab. A spacious arts plaza anchors Segerstrom Center for Arts and is home to numerous free performances throughout the year as part of Segerstrom Center for the Arts' ongoing Free for All series.

The Center presents a broad range of programming each season for audiences of all ages from throughout Orange County and beyond, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events. It offers many education programs designed to inspire young people through the arts. These programs reach hundreds of thousands of students of all ages with vital arts-in-education programs, enhancing their studies and enriching their lives well into the future.

In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independent acclaimed organizations: Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region's major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

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