CONTACT Scalla Jakso (714) 556-2122 x4710, SJakso@SCFTA.org Tim Dunn (714) 556-2122 x4209, TDunn@SCFTA.org Images: SCFTA.org/media RELEASE UPDATED Segerstrom Center for the Arts Packs Blockbuster Broadway Power into its 2015 2016 Thirtieth Season Broadway Series: Disney s The Lion King 42 nd Street Rodgers + Hammerstein s Cinderella Disney s Newsies The Sound of Music Roundabout Theatre Company s Cabaret Curtain Call Series: If/Then The Illusionists The Book of Mormon Bonus Options: Riverdance Wicked COSTA MESA, CA Segerstrom Center for the Arts is rolling out plans for its 30 th Season, beginning with the 2015 2016 Broadway line-up. It will be a year of extraordinary artists, blockbuster shows and world renowned companies: great dance and Broadway hits, jazz, cabaret and classical music, family entertainment plus many special guests and events. The Center s 2015 2016 Broadway and Curtain Call series is start to finish one legendary show after another. Each has made an indelible mark on Broadway history. Coming to the Center for the first time are Disney s Newsies, If/Then and The Illusionists. In all new productions not seen at the Center before are 42 nd Street, Rodgers + Hammerstein s Cinderella and The Sound of Music. Back by popular demand are Roundabout Theatre Company s Cabaret and Broadway superpowers Disney s The Lion King and The Book of Mormon. Two bonus shows include the dance blast Riverdance and, returning to the land of Orange County, Wicked. The Center will continue its popular pre-show activities for most shows. Fun and informative Talk Backs with the artists will follow each Thursday evening performance. One Saturday matinee performance of each Center Broadway musical will be Open Captioned, Audio Described and ASL interpreted. Information for renewing season ticket holders for the 2015 2016 Season is being sent to current subscribers, with priority orders for new season tickets available soon. Single tickets will go on sale approximately six weeks prior to individual engagements. Visit the Center s newly designed website, www.scfta.org for more information about both the current season and the 2015 2016 Season. For inquiries about group ticket discounts, call the Group Services office at (714) 755-0236. The TTY number is (714) 556-2746. Segerstrom Center for the Arts applauds Kia, the Official Automotive Partner of the Center. United Airlines is the Official Airline of the Center.
2015 2016 Season Announcement NEWS 2/6 BROADWAY SERIES Disney s The Lion King 42 nd Street Rodgers + Hammerstein s Cinderella Disney s Newsies The Sound of Music Cabaret DISNEY S THE LION KING October 6 November 1, 2015 AWE-INSPIRING! A GORGEOUS, GASP-INDUCING SPECTACLE. TIME Magazine Giraffes strut. Birds swoop. Gazelles leap. The entire Serengeti comes to life. And as the music soars, Pride Rock slowly emerges from the mist. More than 70 million people around the world have experienced the phenomenon of Disney s THE LION KING. Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, this landmark musical event 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 some of Broadway s most recognizable music, crafted by Tony Award-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice. There is simply nothing else like THE LION KING. 42 nd STREET NEW PRODUCTION November 10 22, 2015 A STAGE EXTRAVAGANZA. The New York Times The quintessential backstage musical comedy classic, 42nd Street is the song and dance fable of Broadway with an American Dream story and includes some of the greatest songs ever written, such as We re in the Money, Lullaby of Broadway, Shuffle off to Buffalo, Dames, I Only Have Eyes For You and, of course, 42 nd Street. Based on a novel by Bradford Ropes and Busby Berkeley s 1933 movie, 42 nd Street tells the story of a starry-eyed young dancer named Peggy Sawyer who comes to New York to audition for the new Broadway musical Pretty Lady. When the star breaks her ankle, Peggy takes over and becomes a star. With a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble, music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Al Dubin, this sparkling new production will be directed by co-author Mark Bramble and choreographed by Randy Skinner, the team who staged the 2001 Tony Award-winning Best Musical Revival. RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN S CINDERELLA NEW PRODUCTION April 19 May 1, 2016 A DAZZLING DELIGHT FOR ALL AGES! CINDERELLA CASTS A NEW SPELL ON BROADWAY! USA Today Rodgers + Hammerstein s CINDERELLA is the Tony Award- winning Broadway musical from the creators of The King & I and South Pacific that s delighting audiences with its contemporary take on the classic tale. This lush production features an incredible orchestra, jaw-dropping transformations and all the moments you love the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball and more plus some surprising new twists! Be transported back to your childhood as you rediscover some of Rodgers + Hammerstein s most beloved songs, including In My Own Little Corner, Impossible/It s
2015 2016 Season Announcement NEWS 3/6 Possible and Ten Minutes Ago, in this hilarious and romantic Broadway experience for anyone who s ever had a wish, a dream... or a really great pair of shoes. DISNEY S NEWSIES CENTER PREMIERE May 17 29, 2016 ONE TERRIFIC MUSICAL NUMBER AFTER ANOTHER NY Post They delivered the papers, until they made the headlines. Direct from Broadway comes NEWSIES, the smash-hit, crowd-pleasing new musical from Disney. Winner of the 2012 Tony Awards for Best Score and Best Choreography, NEWSIES has audiences and critics alike calling it A MUSICAL WORTH SINGING ABOUT! (The New York Times). Filled with one heart-pounding number after another, it s a high-energy explosion of song and dance. It features a score by Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast) and Jack Feldman (The Lion King II: Simba s Pride) and a book by Harvey Fierstein (La Cage Aux Folles), with choreography by Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific) and direction by Jeff Calhoun (Big River). THE SOUND OF MUSIC NEW PRODUCTION July 19 31, 2016 A SURE-FIRE HIT! The London Evening Standard THE HILLS ARE ALIVE! The spirited, romantic and beloved musical story of Maria and the von Trapp family will once again thrill audiences with its Tony, Grammy and Academy Award winning Best Score, including My Favorite Things, Do-Re-Mi, Climb Ev ry Mountain, Edelweiss and the title song. We plan to look more closely at this remarkable work to tear off the varnish of the past and reveal one of the great, fresh glories of musical theater, says three-time Tony Award-winning director Jack O Brien. THE SOUND OF MUSIC features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp. CABARET August 9 21, 2016 AS THRILLING AS EVER! A MARVEL OF STAGING THAT STILL SHOCKS. THE ONLY APPROPRIATE SALUTATION IS: WILLKOMMEN! Associated Press Direct from Broadway, the acclaimed masterpiece returns to Costa Mesa! As part of their 50 th Anniversary Season, the critically acclaimed and award-winning Roundabout Theatre Company is proud to present SAM MENDES (Skyfall, American Beauty) and ROB MARSHALL s (Into the Woods and Chicago, the films) Tony Award-winning production of CABARET. Come hear some of the most memorable songs in theatre history, including Cabaret, Willkommen and Maybe This Time. Leave your troubles outside life is beautiful at CABARET, JOHN KANDER, FRED EBB and JOE MASTEROFF s Tony-winning musical about following your heart while the world loses its way. Season ticket prices for the Broadway Series start at $115. CURTAIN CALL SERIES If/Then The Illusionists The Book of Mormon
2015 2016 Season Announcement NEWS 4/6 IF/THEN CENTER PREMIERE January 19 24, 2016 A THOROUGHLY FASCINATING, INTELLECTUALLY AND MUSICALLY RICH NEW MUSICAL. IT IS A ZESTY, SAVVY AND AMBITIOUS ORIGINAL. Chicago Tribune If/Then is a contemporary Broadway musical about living in New York today and all the possibilities of tomorrow. With unforgettable songs and a deeply moving story by the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning creators of Next to Normal, this fascinating, ambitious and original new musical (New York Post) simultaneously follows one woman s two possible life paths, painting a deeply moving portrait of the lives we lead, as well as the lives we might have led. Thrilling! The best musical of the year, according to New York Magazine. THE ILLUSIONISTS CENTER PREMIERE February 2 7, 2016 "IT'S DELICIOUSLY, SELF-KNOWINGLY OVER THE TOP AND BRAIN-BENDINGLY SPECTACULAR. GENUINELY SATISFYING FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT THAT SHOULD NOT BE MISSED." - Daily Telegraph Having shattered box office records around the world, THE ILLUSIONISTS WITNESS THE IMPOSSIBLE is now coming to captivate Orange County. This mind-blowing spectacular showcases the jaw-dropping talents of five of the most incredible illusionists on earth. Full of hilarious magic tricks, death-defying stunts and acts of breathtaking wonder, THE ILLUSIONISTS has dazzled audiences of all ages. Creative Producer Simon Painter said, We can t wait to bring this electrifying show to Southern California for a truly entertaining experience for the whole family. THE ILLUSIONISTS is the most nonstop and powerful mix of outrageous and astonishing acts ever to be seen on the live stage. THE BOOK OF MORMON March 22 April 3, 2016 A CLASSIC. ONE OF THE FRESHEST ORIGINAL MUSICALS IN RECENT MEMORY. The Hollywood Reporter Back by popular demand! Hailed by The New York Times as "the best musical of this century" and the winner of nine Tony Awards, THE BOOK OF MORMON is the blockbuster Broadway smash from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone and the Oscar-winning composer of Disney's Frozen and Avenue Q, Bobby Lopez. 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. Season ticket prices for the Curtain Call Series start at $95. SPECIAL BONUS EVENTS Riverdance Wicked
2015 2016 Season Announcement NEWS 5/6 RIVERDANCE January 1 3, 2016 A PHENOMENON OF HISTORIC PROPORATIONS. The Washington Post The international Irish dance phenomenon is back by popular demand in Riverdance The 20th Anniversary World Tour. 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. Riverdance The 20 th Anniversary World Tour is composed by Bill Whelan, produced by Moya Doherty and directed by John McColgan and comes directly to North America from a sold out run across Europe and Asia. WICKED February 17 March 6, 2016 "IF EVERY MUSICAL HAD THE BRAIN, HEART AND COURAGE OF WICKED, BROADWAY REALLY WOULD BE A MAGICAL PLACE." Time Magazine Back by popular demand. Variety calls WICKED "a cultural phenomenon, and it continues to break box office records across North America. Winner of over 100 international awards, including a Grammy and three Tony Awards, WICKED is Broadway s biggest blockbuster (The New York Times). Long before that girl from Kansas arrives in Munchkinland, two girls meet in the Land of Oz. One born with emerald green skin is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. How these two grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good makes for "the most complete and completely satisfying musical in a long time" (USA Today). Segerstrom Center for the Arts is an acclaimed arts institution and as well as a beautiful multidisciplinary cultural campus. It is committed to supporting artistic excellence on all of its stages, offering unsurpassed experiences, and to engaging the entire community in new and exciting ways through the unique power of live performance and a diverse array of inspiring programs. Previously called the Orange County Performing Arts Center, Segerstrom Center is Orange County s largest non-profit arts organization. In addition to its six performance venues, Segerstrom Center is also home to the American Ballet Theatre William J. Gillespie School, where students ages 3 14 are taught by acclaimed teachers utilizing the renowned ABT National Training Curriculum in studios utilized by the world s greatest dancers and choreographers. The Center presents a broad range of programming for audiences of all ages, including international ballet and dance, national tours of top Broadway shows, intimate performances of jazz and cabaret, contemporary artists, classical music performed by renowned chamber
2015 2016 Season Announcement NEWS 6/6 orchestras and ensembles, family-friendly programming, free performances open to the public from outdoor movie screenings to dancing on the plaza and many other special events. The Center s arts-in-education programs are designed to inspire young people through the arts and reach hundreds of thousands of students each year. In addition to the presenting and producing institution Segerstrom Center for the Arts, the 14-acre campus also embraces the facilities of two independent acclaimed organizations: Tony Award -winning South Coast Repertory and a site designated as the future home of the Orange County Museum of Art. Segerstrom Center for the Arts is also proud to serve as the artistic home to three of the region s major performing arts organizations: Pacific Symphony, the Philharmonic Society of Orange County and the Pacific Chorale, who contribute greatly to the artistic life of the region with annual seasons at Segerstrom Center for the Arts. # # #