'Dear Evan Hansen' and 'Hello, Dolly!' headline ASU Gammage 2018–2019 Broadway season
ASU Gammage will bring the best of Broadway to Tempe again in the 2018–2019 ASU Gammage Desert Financial Broadway Across America — Arizona season.
The new season features everything you’d wish for, including the winner of six 2017 Tony Awards and 2018 Grammy Award winner "Dear Evan Hansen;" beloved Broadway hit "Disney’s Aladdin;" and the Tony Award-winning Best Musical Revival "Hello, Dolly!", starring Broadway legend Betty Buckley. The season will also include Broadway hits "Waitress" and "On Your Feet!", family favorite "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and the smash-hit comedy "The Play That Goes Wrong."
In addition, ASU Gammage will welcome back three Valley favorites as season options including "Rent," "The Book of Mormon," and Arizona’s most "Popular" musical, "Wicked."
“This season is packed with Broadway’s biggest hits, and I can’t wait for the Valley to experience these amazing productions," said Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, executive director of ASU Gammage and ASU vice president for cultural affairs. “We have great family shows, fun date nights, Broadway classics and fan favorites. There is really something in this season for everyone.”
The best way to guarantee tickets to the best of Broadway is to purchase a season subscription.
Current season ticket holders can renew their subscriptions now. New season subscriptions go on sale Monday, May 7. Subscriptions start at $190 for seven shows and are available at asugammage.com.
The 2018–2019 season includes:
'Waitress'
Oct. 2-7, 2018
Brought to life by a groundbreaking all-female creative team, this irresistible new hit features original music and lyrics by 6-time Grammy nominee Sara Bareilles ("Brave," "Love Song"), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson ("I Am Sam"), choreography by Lorin Latarro ("Les Dangereuse Liaisons," "Waiting for Godot") and direction by Tony Award winner Diane Paulus ("Hair," "Pippin," "Finding Neverland").
Inspired by Adrienne Shelly's beloved film, "Waitress" tells the story of Jenna — a waitress and expert pie maker, Jenna dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town's new doctor may offer her a chance at a fresh start, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes for happiness. But Jenna must summon the strength and courage to rebuild her own life.
'On Your Feet!'
Nov. 6-11, 2018
From their humble beginnings in Cuba, Emilio and Gloria Estefan came to America and broke through all barriers to become a crossover sensation at the very top of the pop music world. But just when they thought they had it all, they almost lost everything.
"On Your Feet!" takes you behind the music and inside the real story of this record-making and groundbreaking couple who, in the face of adversity, found a way to end up on their feet.
Directed by two-time Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell ("Kinky Boots"), with choreography by Olivier Award winner Sergio Trujillo ("Jersey Boys") and an original book by Academy Award winner Alexander Dinelaris ("Birdman"), "On Your Feet!" features some of the most iconic songs of the past quarter-century — and one of the most inspiring stories in music history.
'Dear Evan Hansen'
Nov. 27-Dec. 2, 2018
The winner of six 2017 Tony Awards including Best Musical tells the story of a letter that was never meant to be seen, a lie that was never meant to be told, a life he never dreamed he could have. Evan Hansen is about to get the one thing he’s always wanted: a chance to finally fit in. "Dear Evan Hansen" is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it.
"Dear Evan Hansen" features a book by Tony Award winner Steven Levenson, a score by Academy Award and Tony Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and direction by four-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif.
'Hello, Dolly!'
Jan. 8-13, 2019
Tony Award-winning Broadway legend Betty Buckley stars in "Hello, Dolly!" — the winner of four Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival by director Jerry Zaks. Breaking box office records week after week and receiving thunderous raves on Broadway, this "Hello, Dolly!" pays tribute to the original work of legendary director/choreographer Gower Champion — hailed both then and now as one of the greatest stagings in musical theater history.
'Aladdin'
Jan. 31-Feb. 17, 2019
Discover a whole new world at "Disney’s Aladdin," the hit Broadway musical.
From the producer of "The Lion King" comes the timeless story of "Aladdin," a thrilling new production filled with unforgettable beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle. It’s an extraordinary theatrical event where one lamp and three wishes make the possibilities infinite.
"Aladdin" features all your favorite songs from the film as well as new music written by Tony and Academy Award winner Alan Menken ("Newsies") with lyrics penned by the legendary Howard Ashman ("Beauty and the Beast"), Tony Award winner Tim Rice ("The Lion King," "Aida"), and book writer Chad Beguelin ("The Wedding Singer").
Directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw ("The Book of Mormon," "Something Rotten!") this new musical boasts an incomparable design team, with sets, costumes and lighting from Tony Award winners Bob Crowley ("Mary Poppins"), Gregg Barnes ("Kinky Boots"), and Natasha Katz ("An American in Paris").
'The Play That Goes Wrong'
March 19-24, 2019
What would happen if Sherlock Holmes and Monty Python had an illegitimate Broadway baby? You’d get "The Play That Goes Wrong," Broadway and London’s award-winning smash comedy. This classic murder mystery is chock-full of mishaps and madcap mania. Welcome to opening night of "The Murder at Haversham Manor" where things are quickly going from bad to utterly disastrous. With an unconscious leading lady, a corpse that can’t play dead, and actors who trip over everything (including their lines), it’s sure to bring down the house.
'Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'
June 11-16, 2019
Roald Dahl's amazing tale is now Tempe’s golden ticket. It's the perfect recipe for a delectable treat: songs from the original film, including "Pure Imagination," "The Candy Man," and "I've Got a Golden Ticket," alongside a toe-tapping and ear-tickling new score from the songwriters of "Hairspray."
Willy Wonka is opening his marvelous and mysterious chocolate factory .. .to a lucky few. That includes Charlie Bucket, whose bland life is about to burst with color and confection beyond his wildest dreams. He and four other golden ticket winners will embark on a mesmerizing joyride through a world of pure imagination. Now's your chance to experience the wonders of Wonka like never before — get ready for Oompa-Loompas, incredible inventions, the great glass elevator and more at this everlasting showstopper.
Season options include:
'Wicked'
April 3-May 5, 2019
"Wicked," the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz … but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin — smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships … until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”
From the first electrifying note to the final breathtaking moment, "Wicked" — the untold true story of the Witches of Oz — transfixes audiences with its wildly inventive story.
'Rent'
May 28-June 2, 2019
In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway … and forever changed the landscape of American theater. Two decades later, Jonathan Larson’s "Rent" continues to speak loudly and defiantly to audiences across generations and all over the world. And now, this Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning masterpiece returns to the stage in a vibrant 20th-anniversary touring production. A re-imagining of Puccini's "La Bohème," "Rent" follows an unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. With its inspiring message of joy and hope in the face of fear, this timeless celebration of friendship and creativity reminds us to measure our lives with the only thing that truly matters — love.
'The Book of Mormon'
Aug. 6-11, 2019
The New York Times called it “the best musical of this century.” The Washington Post said, “It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals.” And Entertainment Weekly says, “Grade A: the funniest musical of all time.” Jimmy Fallon of "The Tonight Show" called it “Genius. Brilliant. Phenomenal.” It’s "The Book of Mormon," the nine-time Tony Award winner, including Best Musical.
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.
More Arts, humanities and education
Petroglyph preserve celebrates 30th anniversary with ancient, modern tales
The Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve provides a beautiful walk through a pristine desert where chuckwalla lizards are as plentiful…
Kaleidoscope short film contest inspires powerful binational filmmaking in its second year
“We come to this country not to steal anybody’s jobs but to take advantage of the opportunities that the rest ignore. We’ve been…
ASU's Neal Lester reflects on life, death of poet Nikki Giovanni
When Neal Lester heard on Monday that poet and activist Nikki Giovanni had died, the news hit hard.Lester, the founding director…