PPAC Announces Its 2016/2017 Broadway Season

The President of the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) J.L. "Lynn" Singleton is pleased to announce PPAC's 39th Broadway Season, featuring the Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series and the Encore Series.

The Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series opens with the Broadway sensation WICKED. The National Tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's THE KING AND I will launch at PPAC, followed by the 2014 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER, MATILDA THE MUSICAL, the 2015 Tony Award-winning Best Play, THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, a return engagement of Disney's THE LION KING, and CHICAGO. The Encore Series features return engagements of ONCE, 42nd STEET, and RIVERDANCE - The 20th Anniversary World Tour.

Singleton said, "For our 39th season, we invite you to 'come to PPAC and see how great Broadway can be!' Thank you to the Taco/White Family Foundation and our season media sponsor, WPRI 12, for their continuing support of the Broadway Series. We also extend our gratitude to our Encore Series media sponsor, Cox."

Joseph W. Walsh, Esq., Chairman of PPAC's Board of Directors, said, "We have been honored to be the theatre of choice for launching a number of National Tours over the past eight years. We are pleased to continue this tradition as we open the National Tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's THE KING AND I this fall."

John Hazen White, Jr., President & CEO of Taco, Inc., said, "The Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series sponsorship at PPAC has consistently presented top-notch Broadway touring shows to Rhode Island audiences. We are pleased that our support helps to make this possible."

Marjorie Houston, President of the Taco/White Family Foundation, said, "Each year, PPAC presents wonderful productions that enliven and enrich the lives of theatregoers, and hosts a variety of Community Outreach programs. We are proud to support this Theatre that gives so much back to the Community."

The 2016/2017 Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series launches with WICKED, September 21 - October 8, 2016. WICKED looks at what happened in the land of Oz ... but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another girl, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood, and extraordinarily talented. She befriends a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, and the two become the unlikeliest of best friends ... until the world decides to call one "good" and the other "wicked." Time Magazine cheers, "If every musical had the brain, the heart, and the courage of WICKED, Broadway would really be a magical place."

PPAC will launch the National Tour of Rodgers & Hammerstein's THE KING AND I November 1 - 6, 2016. Lincoln Center Theater's critically acclaimed production directed by Tony Award Winner Bartlett Sher won four 2015 Tony Awards including Best Revival of a Musical. Bartlett Sher is reunited with the award-winning creative team from South Pacific and The Light in the Piazza. THE KING AND I features sets by Michael Yeargan; costumes by Catherine Zuber; lighting by Donald Holder, sound by Scott Lehrer and choreography by Christopher Gattelli based on the original choreography by Jerome Robbins. One of Rodgers & Hammerstein's finest works, THE KING AND I boasts a score which features such beloved classics as "Getting To Know You," "I Whistle a Happy Tune," "Hello Young Lovers," "Shall We Dance," and "Something Wonderful." Set in 1860s Bangkok, the musical tells the story of the unconventional and tempestuous relationship that develops between the King of Siam and Anna Leonowens, a British schoolteacher whom the modernist King, in an imperialistic world, brings to Siam to teach his many wives and children.

Getting away with murder can be so much fun...and there's no better proof than the hilarious hit show that won the 2014 Tony Award for BEST MUSICAL - A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER, at PPAC December 6 - 11, 2016. As one most gentlemanly NPR critic put it, "I've never laughed so hard at a Broadway musical!" GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE tells the uproarious story of Monty Navarro, an heir to a family fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession by eliminating the eight pesky relatives who stand in his way... and be done in time for tea. The Hollywood Reporter raves, "GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE restores our faith in musical comedy!"

MATILDA THE MUSICAL, based on the beloved novel by Roald Dahl, is the story of an extraordinary little girl who, armed with a vivid imagination and a sharp mind, dares to take a stand and change her own destiny. MATILDA will visit Providence January 3 - 8, 2017. The New York Times calls MATILDA, "Even more glorious than promised," and The Wall Street Journal says, "The makers of MATILDA have done the impossible - triumphantly! It is smart, sweet, zany, and stupendous fun." Hailed as TIME Magazine's #1 Show of the Year, MATILDA is the winner of four Tony Awards, and continues to thrill sold-out audiences of all ages on Broadway, in London's West End, and in Sydney, Australia.

THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, winner of five 2015 Tony Awards including Best Play, will come to PPAC February 7 - 12, 2017. Fifteen-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain; he is exceptionally intelligent but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When he falls under suspicion for killing his neighbor's dog, he sets out to identify the true culprit, which leads to an earth-shattering discovery and a journey that will change his life forever. Hailed as "One of the most fully immersive works ever to wallop Broadway" by The New York Times, this "dazzling" (Associated Press) adaptation of Mark Haddon's best-selling novel was written by Simon Stephens and directed by Tony winner Marianne Elliott.

Disney's THE LION KING triumphantly returns to PPAC for a three-week engagement, February 28 - March 19, 2017. More than 85 million people around the world have experienced the awe-inspiring visual artistry, the unforgettable music, and the uniquely theatrical storytelling of this Broadway spectacular - one of the most breathtaking and beloved productions ever to grace the stage. Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, THE LION KING 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 the extraordinary work of Tony Award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and some of Broadway's most recognizable music, crafted by Tony Award-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice.

CHICAGO will be "back in town" and closes the Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series May 2 - 7, 2017. There's never been a better time to experience CHICAGO, Broadway's razzle-dazzle smash. This triumphant hit musical is the recipient of six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, a Grammy, and is now the #1 longest-running American Musical in Broadway history. CHICAGO has everything that makes Broadway great: a universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz; one show-stopping song after another; and the most astonishing dancing you've ever seen. It's no surprise that CHICAGO has wowed audiences from Mexico City to Moscow, from Sao Paulo to South Africa. Whether you're looking for your first Broadway musical, whether you've seen the Academy Award-winning film and want to experience the show live on stage or whether you've seen it before and want to recapture the magic, CHICAGO always delivers!

The 2016/2017 Encore Series opens with the return of ONCE, December 2 - 4, 2016. Winner of eight 2012 Tony Awards including Best Musical, ONCE is a truly original Broadway experience. Featuring an impressive ensemble of actor/musicians who play their own instruments onstage, ONCE tells the enchanting tale of a Dublin street musician who's about to give up on his dream when a young woman takes a sudden interest in his haunting love songs. Emotionally captivating and theatrically breathtaking, ONCE draws you in from the very first note and never lets go. It's an unforgettable story about the power of music to connect all of us.

The quintessential backstage musical comedy classic, 42ND STREET will come to PPAC March 24 - 26, 2017. 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 leaves her Allentown home and comes to New York to audition for the new Broadway musical Pretty Lady. When the leading lady breaks her ankle, Peggy takes over and becomes a star. This sparkling new production is directed by co-author Mark Bramble and choreographed by Randy Skinner, the team who staged the 2001 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Revival.

The international Irish dance phenomenon RIVERDANCE - The 20th Anniversary World Tour will round out the Encore Series, June 2 - 4, 2017. 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.

WPRI 12 is the Broadway Season media sponsor and Cox is the media sponsor of the 2016/2017 Encore Series.

Subscribers receive first choice in seating, advance order options, and a host of other subscription benefits. For more information on how to subscribe to the 2016/2017 Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series and the 2016/2017 Encore Series, please contact the PPAC Box Office at (401) 421-ARTS (2787) or Sharon Corcoran in Direct Response at (401) 574-3136.

Current subscribers should watch the mail in the coming weeks for renewal packages, and visit www.ppacri.org for our season brochure. The renewal deadline for current subscribers is Monday, May 2, 2016.

The PPAC Box Office is located at 220 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence. Patrons can also purchase tickets online at www.ppacri.org and by phone at (401) 421-ARTS (2787). Regular Box Office Hours are Monday through Friday, 10A to 5P; Saturday, 10A to 2P and two hours prior to all curtain times on performance days.

For new subscriptions and CenterStage advertising for the 2016/2017 Season, please contact Sharon Corcoran in Direct Response at (401) 574-3136 or scorcoran@ppacri.org. Direct Response Hours are Monday through Friday, 9A to 5P. You can also learn more about CenterStage advertising at the following link: https://www.ppacri.org/about/marketing-sponsorship

Discounted admission is available for groups of 15 or more for most Broadway shows in PPAC's 2016/2017 Season. For complete information and to order, please contact Group Sales Representative Paul Hiatt at phiatt@ppacri.org or (401) 574-3162. In addition, PPAC offers military discounts and student/senior citizen discounts; please call the PPAC Box Office at (401) 421-ARTS (2787) for complete information and to order.

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