Blumenthal announces 2014-15 Broadway Lights season
Broadway shows aren’t like eggs: They don’t have to be fresh to be satisfying. But a city that gets first national tours of big musicals does have bragging rights, and Blumenthal Performing Arts has given Charlotte some reasons to boast.
The 2014-15 Broadway Lights season will bring seven musicals that are running in New York, including two 2013 Tony-winners: “Kinky Boots” (best new musical) and “Pippin” (best musical revival). The only one not running on Broadway now is “Dirty Dancing.”
Blumenthal put its season on sale earlier than ever so buyers can save sales tax that goes into effect this year on entertainment tickets. Its First On Board sale runs through Jan. 31 and offers incentives: the right to swap two shows for anything on the 2014-15 schedule, free parking for all seven shows at Belk Theater and a $50 restaurant voucher.
Season tickets range from $192 to $764 for the seven-show package. If you want to add “A Night With Janis Joplin,” the lone show at Knight Theater, packages range from $218 to $869.50.
You can pay $25 and be billed in installments for the rest from March through January 2015.
Details: 704-335-1010 or blumenthalarts.org.
Here’s the lineup:
“Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” Nov. 4-9: This adaptation of the 1957 TV musical has new characters, a new subplot about a rebel and a villainous prime minister, and four extra songs from the R&H catalog, including one cut from “South Pacific.”
“A Night With Janis Joplin,” Dec. 2-7: We meet the overpowering rock singer, who died at 27 in 1970, in a setting where she gives a concert, discusses her influences and reminisces about her life.
“Newsies,” Jan. 6-11: In 1992, Alan Menken and Jack Feldman wrote score and lyrics for a movie musical about a New York newsboys’ strike from 1899. A live revamping with a book by Harvey Fierstein opened on Broadway in 2012.
“The Phantom of the Opera,” Feb. 4-15: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s show about a deformed composer and an opera singer celebrates its 26th New York anniversary this month. (It’s the longest-running Broadway show ever.)
“Kinky Boots,” March 17-22: Cyndi Lauper’s songs won a Tony for this musical adaptation of a 2005 film, in which a traditional British shoemaker tries to save the failing family business by making fetish footware.
“Pippin,” May 19-24: Stephen Schwartz’ musical about the dreamy son of a pragmatic medieval king originally ran from 1972 to 1977; the new version’s circus-style staging won director Diane Paulus a Tony.
“Dirty Dancing,” June 16-21: Jukebox musical No. 1: The 1987 film about romance at a summer resort brings with it a soundtrack from the 1960s, plus the Oscar-winning song “I’ve Had the Time of My Life.”
“Motown: The Musical,” Aug. 25-Sept. 6: Jukebox musical No. 2: A sanitized account of the life of Motown founder Berry Gordy provides an excuse to perform more than 60 Motown numbers, most in truncated versions.
Toppman: 704-358-5232
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Read moreRead lessThe Charlotte region is vast and diverse. The more voices engaged in conversation, the better for us all. The Charlotte Observer welcomes your comments on news of the day, but we ask that you keep the discourse civil.
- Do not use profanity or obscenities. And don't try to camouflage profanity with asterisks, abbreviations or other symbols or foreign phrases.
- Do not use threatening language. Talk of violence won't be tolerated.
- No racial, gender or sexual-orientation name-calling.
- Do not attack other commenters for their views. Do not libel or defame anyone or violate their privacy.
- Keep your comments succinct and stay on topic. Comments that bear no relation to the story may be deleted.
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And finally, as Mark Twain said: "Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."
Enjoy the discussion.