& JULIET, BACK TO THE FUTURE & More Set For Providence Performing Arts Center's 2024/2025 Broadway Season

The 2024/2025 Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) Broadway touring season has been announced! Shows coming to Rhode Island include & Juliet, Hamilton, Back to the Future and more.

Joseph W. Walsh, Esq., Chairman of PPAC’s Board of Directors, said “PPAC’s Gala Celebration on Saturday, September 21st will kick off the Season in style with the first performance of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE Neil Diamond MUSICAL! The Gala Celebration is an annual fundraiser which helps support our community outreach and engagement programming. These programs, which include Disney Musicals in Schools, ARTS Showcase, From Books to Broadway, Next Stop BROADWAY®, Ocean State Star Awards and many more, offer unique opportunities for students in grades K – 12 and for adults to experience and engage in live theatre. I am pleased to announce that we will be offering a sensory-friendly performance of THE VANISHING ELEPHANT on Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 2P. This critically-acclaimed production tells the story of a resilient elephant with the use of large-scale puppetry, illusion and magic.”

J.L. “Lynn” Singleton, President and CEO,  said “The Taco and The White Family Foundation Broadway Series features national tours direct from Broadway, starting with the national tour launches of A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE Neil Diamond MUSICAL and SHUCKED. These are the 23rd and 24th national tours to launch at PPAC since 2008.  The Broadway Series includes the Providence premieres of MJ THE MUSICAL, LIFE OF PI, & JULIET, SOME LIKE IT HOT and BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL. The Encore Series includes a one-week engagement of MAMMA MIA!, RIVERDANCE 30 – THE NEW GENERATION and CHICAGO. HAMILTON returns to PPAC as a Broadway Special for two weeks in December. THE CHER SHOW plays for two performances in February 2025.

“We are looking forward to this incredible season,” Singleton continued. “I’d like to take a moment to thank Taco and The White Family Foundation, our Broadway Series title sponsor and WPRI CBS 12, our Broadway Season media sponsor. Thank you, Cox Media , for being the media sponsor of our Encore Series, and Navigant Credit Union for sponsoring our engagement of MAMMA MIA!. I’d also like to thank title sponsor BankNewport and media sponsors ABC 6 and NOW 93.3 for supporting our popular Family Night performances; this season, we will have a BankNewport Family Night at & JULIET on February 26, 2025 at 7P and a BankNewport Family Night at RIVERDANCE 30 – THE NEW GENERATION on April 4, 2025 at 7:30P.”

John Hazen White, Jr., Executive Chairman/CEO of Taco Comfort Solutions and Taco and The White Family Foundation, the flagship sponsor of the Broadway Series, said in a recorded message that was part of the Theatre’s season announcement video, “This is the 16th year that Taco and The White Family Foundation have sponsored the Broadway Series, and we are looking forward to the amazing line-up of shows that will be coming to PPAC. As a Rhode Island business owner and lover of the arts, I feel blessed to be able to give back to the community and uplift them through the arts.  A vibrant arts community, including live performances at PPAC, provides families with the opportunity to enrich their lives.”

Along with Broadway national touring productions, the Providence Performing Arts Center presents some of the biggest names in concerts. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas will usher in the holidays on Friday, December 6 at 7:30P. Previously announced concerts include Gregory Alan Isakov on Friday, June 21 at 7:30P; Jason Mraz on Sunday, June 30 at 7:30P and Nas with the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday, July 20 at 8P.  PPAC’s Cool Summer Nights series features Bruce in the USA on Saturday, June 22 at 8P; John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band on Saturday, July 13 at 8P and Yachtley Crew on Saturday, July 27 at 8P; tickets for Cool Summer Nights concerts start at just $10!   

Subscription packages for the Taco and The White Family Foundation Broadway Series and the Encore Series are on sale now for renewing and new subscribers. Current subscribers will receive their subscription renewal packets in the mail within the next 10 days; the subscription renewal deadline is Friday, April 26 .   

New subscribers can contact the PPAC Box Office at 401.421.ARTS (2787) or New Subs/CenterStage Sales Rep Sharon Corcoran at 401.574.3136. Box Office window and phone hours are Monday – Friday, 10A – 5P; Saturday, 10A – 2P and two hours prior to curtain time(s) on performance days. Sharon Corcoran’s hours are Monday – Friday, 9A – 5P. 

Gala Celebration tickets, which include premium seating to A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE Neil Diamond MUSICAL on September 21st and access to the post-show party, may be ordered now by emailing Stephanie Santos, Director of Ticketing at ssantos@ppacri.org.

Ticket on sale dates for the individual shows in PPAC’s 2024/2025 Broadway Season will be announced at a later time. 

2024/2025 Providence Performing Arts Center Broadway Season

A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE Neil Diamond MUSICAL

National Tour Launches at PPAC September 21 – 28, 2024!

Created in collaboration with Neil Diamond himself, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE is the uplifting true story of how a kid from Brooklyn became a chart-busting, show-stopping American rock icon. With 120 million albums sold, a catalogue of classics like "America," "Forever in Blue Jeans" and "Sweet Caroline," an induction into the Songwriters and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame, a Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award and sold-out concerts around the world that made him bigger than Elvis, Neil Diamond's story was made to shine on Broadway - and head out on the road across America.

Like Jersey Boys and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical before it, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE Neil Diamond MUSICAL is an inspiring, exhilarating, energy-filled musical memoir, that tells the untold true story of how America's greatest hitmaker became a star, set to the songs that defined his career.

SHUCKED

National Tour Launches at PPAC October 20 – 27, 2024! 

SHUCKED is the Tony Award®–winning musical comedy The Wall Street Journal calls “flat out hilarious!” And nobody knows funny like economists. Featuring a book by Tony Award winner Robert Horn (Tootsie ), a score by the Grammy® Award–winning songwriting team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally (Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow”) and directed by Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray ), this corn-fed, corn-bred American musical is sure to satisfy your appetite for great musical theater.

MJ

January 21 – 26, 2025

The four-time Tony Award-winning hit!

He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry comes to PPAC as MJ, the multi–Tony Award®-winning new musical centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour, begins a tour of its own. Created by Tony Award®-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJ goes beyond the singular moves and Signature Sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status. MJ is startin’ somethin’ as it makes its Rhode Island premiere at PPAC in January 2025.

LIFE OF PI

February 11 – 16, 2025

Winner of three Tony Awards® and the Olivier Award for Best Play, the Broadway and West End sensation LIFE OF PI is “an exhilarating evening of theater” (The Wall Street Journal).

Based on the novel that sold more than 15 million copies and became a worldwide phenomenon, LIFE OF PI is an epic story of perseverance and hope that speaks to every generation and “gives new life to Broadway” (The Today Show).

After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi survives on a lifeboat with four companions— a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan and a Royal Bengal tiger.

Told with jaw-dropping visuals, world class puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, LIFE OF PI creates a breathtaking journey that will leave you filled with awe and joy. 

& JULIET

February 25 – March 2, 2025

Created by the Emmy®-winning writer from “Schitt’s Creek,” this hilarious new musical flips the script on the greatest love story ever told. & JULIET asks: what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as she ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love—her way.

Juliet’s new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, including "Since U Been Gone‚" "Roar," "Baby One More Time," "Larger Than Life‚" "That’s The Way It Is“ and "Can't Stop the Feeling!"—all from the genius songwriter/producer behind more #1 hits than any other artist this century. Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there’s life after Romeo. The only thing tragic would be missing it. 

SOME LIKE IT HOT

April 22 – 27, 2025

Winner of 4 Tony Awards®, including Best Choreography and Best Costumes, and the Grammy Award® for Best Musical Theater Album, SOME LIKE IT HOT is “A Super-Sized, All-Out Song-And-Dance Spectacular!” - The New York Times

Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, SOME LIKE IT HOT is the “glorious, big, high-kicking” (Associated Press) story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime.

And what a trip it is! With its irresistible combination of heart and laughs, song and dance, SOME LIKE IT HOT won more theater awards than any show in its season, and was named Best Musical by the Drama Desk, the Drama League, and the Outer Critics Circle. No wonder Deadline calls it “a tap-dancing, razzle-dazzling embrace of everything you love about musical theater.”

BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL

June 10 – 15, 2025

Great Scott! BACK TO THE FUTURE, the beloved, cinematic classic is now a Broadway musical with its destination set for PPAC in 2025.

Winner of the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, four WhatsOnStage Awards, including Best New Musical, and the Broadway World Award for Best New Musical, BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL is adapted for the stage by the iconic film’s creators Bob Gale (Back to the Future trilogy) and Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump ) and directed by the Tony Award®-winner John Rando with original music by multi-Grammy® winners Alan Silvestri (Avengers: Endgame) and Glen Ballard (Michael Jackson’s “Man in the Mirror”), alongside hit songs from the movie including “The Power of Love,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Earth Angel,” and “Back in Time.”

 When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself... back to the future. When Back to the Future hits 88mph, it’ll change musical theatre history forever.
Encore Series – Show Information
Series Media Sponsor: Cox Media

MAMMA MIA!

November 12 – 17, 2024

Set on a Greek island paradise where the sun always shines, a tale of love, friendship, and identity is beautifully told through the timeless hits of ABBA. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the father she’s never known brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited decades ago.

For nearly 25 years, people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story, and the music that make MAMMA MIA! the ultimate feel-good show.

 
RIVERDANCE 30 – THE NEW GENERATION

April 4 – 6, 2025

Since RIVERDANCE first emerged onto the world stage, its fusion of Irish and international dance and music has captured the hearts of millions worldwide. The Grammy award-winning music and the infectious energy of its mesmerizing choreography has established RIVERDANCE as a global cultural sensation. 

To celebrate this incredible 30th year milestone, RIVERDANCE will embark on a special anniversary tour.  This spectacular production rejuvenates the much-loved original show with new innovative choreography and costumes and state of the art lighting, projection and motion graphics. For the first time RIVERDANCE welcomes “The New Generation” of performers, all of whom were not born when the show began 30 years ago.

Composed by Bill Whelan. Produced by Moya Doherty. Directed by John McColgan.

CHICAGO

May 2 – 4, 2025

CHICAGO is still the one musical with everything that makes Broadway shimmy-shake: a universal tale of fame, fortune, and all that jazz, with one showstopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen.

In the whirlwind of Chicago’s Jazz Age, two of the Cook County Jail’s most notorious murderesses—vaudeville star Velma Kelly and chorus girl Roxie Hart—become fierce rivals as they compete for headlines amidst a media frenzy.

Broadway’s longest-running musical has been razzle dazzling audiences for 27 years, and after more than 10,000 performances, 6 Tony Awards®, 2 Olivier Awards, and a Grammy®, we’re just getting started. 

Broadway Specials – Show Information 

HAMILTON

December 11 – 22, 2024

A revolutionary story of passion, unstoppable ambition and the dawn of a new nation.

HAMILTON is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation. Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B and Broadway, HAMILTON has had a profound impact on culture, politics and education.

HAMILTON features book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. In addition to its 11 Tony Awards, it has won Grammy®, Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.

THE CHER SHOW 

Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 7P & Thursday, February 6, 2025 at 7:30P

Superstars come and go. Cher is forever. For six straight decades, only one unstoppable force has flat-out dominated popular culture – breaking down barriers, pushing boundaries and letting nothing and no one stand in her way. THE CHER SHOW is the Tony Award®-winning musical of her story, and it’s packed with so much Cher that it takes three women to play her: the kid starting out, the glam pop star and the icon.

THE CHER SHOW is 35 smash hits, six decades of stardom, two rock-star husbands, a Grammy®, an Oscar®, an Emmy® and enough Tony Award-winning Bob Mackie gowns to cause a sequin shortage in New York City, all in one unabashedly fabulous new musical that will have audiences dancing in the aisles!

Sensory-Friendly Performance – THE VANISHING ELEPHANT

Saturday, March 15, 2025 at 2P

This incredible story of resilience and friendship, inspired by true events, comes to life through large-scale puppetry, illusion, and magic.

Jenny, a young elephant, is born in the 1900s in Bengal, India and full of curiosity about the world around her. But one day her life changes dramatically when she is captured and separated from her family. She must learn the ways of humans, which is sometimes cruel and hard, but her friendship with a young boy called Opu carries her through this time.

When Jenny is sold to a circus in America, she must make the strange journey across the sea to a new world filled with many adventures, but she never stops thinking of home. She eventually meets the great Harry Houdini who plans to make her disappear from the stage of the Hippodrome, New York. Meanwhile, far away in India, her old friend Opu is now an old man and he recognizes his dear friend in a newspaper story. Despite ill health, he makes the same difficult journey to New York that Jenny once made. There on the stage, they meet again one last time, and together they are part of an amazing and moving magical vanishing. 

This large-scale production premiered in NYC on October 14 2023, presented by the New Victory, and was declared a Critic's Pick by the New York Times - "This alluring spectacle..., which aims to dazzle audiences 8 and older, makes powerful statements about the rights of both animals and human beings." 

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