Broadway Across America‘s Cincinnati season was recently announced. I had hoped for a few productions that are touring (or soon will be), but Tony Award winners Billy Elliott the Musical and August Osage County are missing. Straight plays like the latter by Tracy Letts, even when they’ve done well in New York City (and a Pulitzer Prize winner in this case), are seldom as attractive to presenters as musical productions. The only show that breaks that mold for next season is Burn the Floor (Jan. 18-30, 2011), a piece that converts the current popularity of televised ballroom dancing shows to an onstage piece.—-
Among the remaining five shows are two tuneful old chestnuts: Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific (Sept. 21-Oct. 3) from 1949 (although what’s touring is the 2008 Tony Award-winning revival) and Harnick and Bock’s Fiddler on the Roof (Feb. 15-27, 2011) from 1964. Newer works in the lineup are Rock of Ages (Oct. 26-Nov. 7), Young Frankenstein (Nov. 16-28) and Shrek the Musical (April 12-24, 2011).
Rock of Ages is described as an “arena-rock love story about a small town girl and a big city rocker.” It uses tunes from the 1980s by the likes of Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Poison, Whitesnake and more. It was a Tony nominee (but not a winner) for best musical in 2009. Young Frankenstein, another show from the fevered brain of comic genius Mel Brooks (who struck gold with The Producers), did not do especially well on Broadway during its 2008 run, not even earning a Tony nomination for best musical. Shrek likewise wasn’t a big winner, but it did receive eight Tony nominations in 2008, including one for best musical; its single win was for costumes, including bringing to life the big green goofy title character.
Season tickets go on sale on March 29. More information: BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com or 800-294-1816.
This article appears in Mar 10-16, 2010.