PPAC Announces 2019-2020 Broadway Season - SPONGEBOB, DEAR EVAN HANSEN, and More!

J.L. Lynn Singleton, President of the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC), is pleased to announce PPAC's 2019/2020 Broadway Season, featuring the Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series and the Encore Series. WPRI 12 is the proud media sponsor of PPAC's Broadway Season.

The 2019/2020 Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series opens with the National Tour Launch of Jimmy Buffett'S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE, followed by a two-week engagement of Disney's hit musical ALADDIN, the critically-acclaimed COME FROM AWAY, THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL, which Variety calls Boldly Theatrical! , and the six-time Tony and Grammy-Award winning musical, DEAR EVAN HANSEN. The Series also includes three award-winning revivals: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, HELLO, DOLLY!, and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.

The 2019/2020 Encore Series hosts the return of the holiday classic, Dr. Seuss' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL. The musical, A BRONX TALE, based on Chazz Palminteri's critically-acclaimed play and beloved film, will perform at PPAC for the first time. The one-man play version of A BRONX TALE has been an audience favorite in Providence. The high-energy and always colorful BLUE MAN GROUP also returns to PPAC for the Encore Series.

Please note that Family Night performances for the 2019/2020 Season will be announced at a later date.

Many of the productions in our 2019/2020 Season share a similar theme of travel, so with that in mind, we believe that this Season is 'your ticket to a world of Broadway!' Singleton said. 'See it from your seat,' and become a NEW subscriber! Current subscribers should expect to receive their renewal packages in early April. The subscription renewal deadline is Sunday, June 2, 2019.

Broadway offers audiences an opportunity to travel and broaden their horizons, said Joseph W. Walsh, Esq., Chairman of PPAC's Board of Directors. We are pleased to continue bringing top flight Broadway productions to the state of Rhode Island, so that people can experience the very 'Best of Broadway,' right here in Providence!


Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series

Jimmy Buffett'S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE
National Tour Launches at PPAC
September 29 October 5, 2019

Jimmy Buffett'S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE will be the nineteenth National Tour to launch at PPAC since 2008! Welcome to Margaritaville, where people come to get away from it all and stay to find something they never expected. With a book by Emmy Award winner Greg Garcia ( My Name is Earl, Raising Hope ) and Emmy Award nominee Mike O'Malley ( Survivors Remorse, Shameless ) ESCAPE TO
MARGARITAVILLE is the musical comedy featuring both original songs and your most-loved Jimmy Buffett classics, including Fins, Volcano, Cheeseburger in Paradise, and many more. USA Today calls it "A little slice of paradise!" and Entertainment Weekly raves, "It will knock your flip-flops off!" So don't let the party start without you.

Disney's ALADDIN
October 29 November 10, 2019

Discover a whole new world at 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. Hailed by USA Today as Pure Genie-Us, 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), this Fabulous and Extravagant (The New York Times) 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). See why audiences and critics agree, ALADDIN is Exactly What You Wish For!" (NBC-TV).

COME FROM AWAY
December 3 8, 2019

COME FROM AWAY, a New York Times Critics' Pick, takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night, and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.

Don't miss this breathtaking new musical written by Tony nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein and helmed by Tony-winning Best Director, Christopher Ashley. Newsweek cheers, It takes you to a place you never want to leave!

On 9/11, the world stopped. On 9/12, their stories moved us all.


FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
February 11 16, 2020

An entirely fresh, funny, and gorgeous new production.
A REASON FOR CELEBRATION!
New York Magazine

Tony -winning director Bartlett Sher and the team behind South Pacific, The King and I, and 2017 Tony-winning Best Play Oslo, bring a fresh and authentic vision to FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, the beloved theatrical masterpiece from Tony winner Joseph Stein and Pulitzer Prize winners Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick. Featuring a talented cast, lavish orchestra, and stunning movement and dance from Israeli choreographer Hofesh Shechter, based on the original staging by Jerome Robbins, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF will introduce a new generation to the uplifting celebration that raises its cup to joy! To love! To life!


HELLO, DOLLY!
March 3 8, 2020

Winner of four Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, HELLO, DOLLY! is the universally acclaimed smash that NPR calls the best show of the year! and the Los Angeles Times says, distills the mood-elevating properties of the American musical at its giddy best. Director Jerry Zaks' gorgeous new production (Vogue) is making people crazy happy! (The Washington Post). After breaking box office records week after week and receiving unanimous raves on Broadway, HELLO, DOLLY! is now touring America, paying tribute to the original work of legendary director/choreographer Gower Champion hailed both then and now as one of the greatest productions in musical theater history.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
March 31 April 5, 2020

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is an iconic musical phenomenon with a world-wide fan base. In celebration of its 50th Anniversary, a new mesmerizing production comes to North America. Originally staged by London's Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and helmed by the acclaimed director Timothy Sheader (Crazy for You) and award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie (King Kong), this production won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival garnering unprecedented reviews and accolades.

With music and lyrics by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winners Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Jesus Christ Superstar is set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. Reflecting the rock roots that defined a generation, the legendary score includes 'I Don't Know How to Love Him', 'Gethsemane' and 'Superstar'.

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL
May 12 17, 2020

A legendary roster of Grammy Award winners. A visionary director and a Tony Award -winning design team. One of the world's most beloved characters. Turn them loose on stage and what do you get? The musical The New York Times declares, BRILLIANT! Broadway's best creative minds reimagine and bring to life the beloved Nickelodeon series with humor, heart, and pure theatricality in a party for the eyes and ears (Daily Beast). Explore the depths of theatrical innovation in THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL, 2018 Best Musical winner of the Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards, where the power of optimism really can save the world.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN
May 26 31, 2020

WINNER OF SIX 2017 TONY AWARDS INCLUDING BEST MUSICAL
AND THE 2018 GRAMMY AWARD FOR BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM

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 has struck a remarkable chord with audiences and critics everywhere, including The Washington Post who says DEAR EVAN HANSEN is one of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history. The New York Times calls it a gut-punching, breathtaking knockout of a musical.

DEAR EVAN HANSEN features a book by Tony Award winner Steven Levenson, a score by Grammy , Tony and Academy Award winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul (La La Land, The Greatest Showman), and direction by four-time Tony Award nominee Michael Greif (Rent, Next To Normal).

ENCORE SERIES
Dr. Seuss' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS!
THE MUSICAL
December 17 22, 2019


Discover the magic of Dr. Seuss' classic holiday tale as it comes to life on stage. Featuring the hit songs You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch and Welcome Christmas, The Grinch discovers there's more to Christmas than he bargained for in this heart-warming holiday classic. Max the Dog narrates as the mean and scheming Grinch, whose heart is two sizes too small, decides to steal Christmas away from the holiday-loving Whos. Celebrate the holidays with the show The New York Times calls "100 times better than any bedtime story!"


A BRONX TALE
February 21 23, 2020

Three years ago, Academy Award nominee Chazz Palminteri teamed up with Academy Award winner Robert De Niro, Tony Award winner Jerry Zaks and Tony Award nominee Sergio Trujillo to create this streetwise musical - based on Palminteri's true life story.

A BRONX TALE, Broadway's hit crowd-pleaser, takes you to the stoops of the Bronx in the 1960s, where a young man is caught between the father he loves and the mob boss he'd love to be. The New York Times hails A BRONX TALE as A Critics' Pick! The kind of tale that makes you laugh and cry.


BLUE MAN GROUP
March 20 22, 2020

The global smash hit returns to Providence! At BLUE MAN GROUP, you'll rock, laugh, and party. As three bald and blue men explore our world, together we'll discover music, comedy, and surprises at every turn. By the end of this spectacular journey, you'll be saying I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT JUST HAPPENED BUT I LOVED IT. Thirty-five million people of all ages and cultures know what BLUE MAN GROUP is really about. Now it's your turn!

When you become a subscriber to the Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series and/or Encore Series, you experience a world of special benefits! Subscribers can advance order tickets prior to public on-sales, receive priority seating, and can select a subscription payment plan that fits their budget, among many other perks!

To become a new subscriber, please contact Sharon Corcoran in Direct Response at (401) 574-3136 or a Box Office representative at (401) 421-ARTS (2787). Direct Response Hours are Monday through Friday, 9A to 5P.

Current subscriber seats are held through the renewal deadline of Sunday, June 2, 2019; for more information, please contact the PPAC Box Office at (401) 421-ARTS (2787).

The PPAC Box Office is your ONLY OFFICIAL ticketing source for tickets to a PPAC show. The Theatre encourages patrons to be safe; be smart and avoid purchasing tickets from unauthorized secondary ticket providers, which may put you at risk for buying counterfeit tickets. The only secure way to obtain tickets to a PPAC production is via the Box Office window, located at 220 Weybosset Street in downtown Providence; 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.

Discounted admission is available for groups of 15 or more for most Broadway shows in PPAC's 2019/2020 Season. For complete information and to order, please contact Group Sales Representative Paul Hiatt at phiatt@ppacri.org or (401) 574-3162. Group Sales Hours are Monday through Friday, 9A to 5P.