Gammage packs 2016-17 theater season with hits: 'Cabaret,' 'An American in Paris' and more

Sports fans and theater aficionados are usually seen as two polar opposite groups, but they do have one thing in common: The preseason fervor is wild.

The palpable excitement of the theater audience during Gammage's 2016-17 season announcement on Monday night was eerily similar to that of a sports bar during the preseason draft. With rancorous applause, audible gasps and attendees jumping out of their seats for season tickets, it wouldn't have been all that surprising if audience members had emerged from the bathroom sporting face paint and foam fingers.

Gammage's executive director, Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, said the 2016-17 season is worthy of the hype. She hosted the event to announce seven shows as part of the normal season, plus three special engagement performances and two shows from the 2017-18 season.

"Every year we bring the best of Broadway to Arizona and the brightest talent to our stage," she said. "For the last two years, nearly every performance has been sold out."

Judging by the audience's reaction to the lineup, the 2016-17 season sales aren't likely to buck that trend.

Without further ado, here's the roster of upcoming shows at Gammage:

2016-17 Season

"Cabaret" : September 13-18, 2016

Set in the 1930s, "Cabaret" uses a flashy burlesque show to tell the dark, sensual story of two lovers trying to find their place in Berlin during the Nazi rise to power.

It originally premiered on Broadway in 1966, and it has since been revived multiple times in both New York and London. The Roundabout Theatre Company's new production of the classic musical is fresh off the Broadway stage; it ran in New York from April 2014 to March 2015, then the national tour began in January 2016.

"The Sound of Music" : October 18-23, 2016

As a brand new production of the show that premiered in 1959, the national tour of "The Sound of Music" will be a fresh take on the quintessential musical. It follows the governess Maria as she joins a large family dealing with the effects of the Nazi regime in Austria.

Actress Elisabeth Evans is traveling with the national tour as Sister Sophia and an understudy for Maria. She performed the show's titular song at the Gammage event and spoke briefly on how the tour has been updated from the original production.

"(We) want the audience to remember that this is a story that happened to real people," Evans said. "We went back to the original Broadway script and score, and ... gave it a brand new look, from the costumes to the scenery, beautiful transitions to the choreography. It all tells the story in an authentic way."

Evans said the only structural change was that the producers removed the song "An Ordinary Couple" and replaced it with "Something Good," which originated in the movie production.

"Beautiful" : The Carole King Musical - November 22-27, 2016

"Beautiful" opened on Broadway in 2014 as a bio-musical on the life of American composer and singer-songwriter Carole King and her rise to fame in the 1960s. As a jukebox musical, it combines original songs with some of King's most popular works, including "It's Too Late," "You've Got a Friend" and "Beautiful."

Rebecca LaChance, the actress who plays Betty and understudy for the role of King, performed the songs "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" and "Beautiful" for the Gammage audience.

She said the musical is great because it allows the audience a unique perspective on King's ageless music.

"The wonderful thing about 'Beautiful' is you not only get the songs, but you're seeing it through (the writers') eyes," LaChance said. "The wonderful gift of writing a musical about songwriters is that they're writing the music too, so you're watching it happen as they grow up, and you get to see their journey through the music."

"Matilda the Musical" : February 7-12, 2017

Based on a children's novel by Roald Dahl, "Matilda" features a five-year-old with the power of telekinesis as she rises up against problems in the classroom and her family. The musical opened on Broadway in 2013 and has won four Tony Awards according to its website. 

In attendance at the announcement was young actress Tori Feinstein, who has played Matilda on Broadway and in the national tour. Over the course of the evening she performed several songs from the musical.

Scene from Matilda the Musical #gammage1617 pic.twitter.com/7qQlQjsYsw

— Skylar Mason (@skylarmason42) March 22, 2016

"Finding Neverland" : March 14-19, 2017

By putting a new spin on the classic tale of Peter Pan, "Finding Neverland" took Broadway.com's Audience Choice Award for Best Musical and became one of the most popular shows on Broadway in 2015. 

Based on an Academy Award-winning movie, the musical follows a struggling playwright who befriends a family and is transported to Neverland in what its website calls "a timeless story about the power of imagination … and spectacular proof that you never really have to grow up."

"An American in Paris" : April 18-23, 2017

Inspired by a 1951 movie with the same title, "An American in Paris" opened on Broadway in 2015, winning four Tony Awards. It paints the picture of a complicated love triangle in Paris between a ballerina, a veteran and a wealthy artist as they struggle to rebuild their lives after World War II.

The musical combines timeless songs from George and Ira Gershwin with a new book and orchestration to create a unique musical focused on hope, romance and obligation.

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" : June 20-25, 2017

As the only non-musical play in the Gammage season lineup, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" is unique — but that's not the only thing that sets it apart. The play won five Tony Awards in 2015 for its depiction of 15-year-old Christopher, a math genius with a neurodevelopmental disorder. When he's accused of killing his neighbor's dog, he embarks on a Sherlock Holmes-esque investigation and uncovers much more than he bargained for.

2016-17 Special Engagements:

Shows listed as special engagements aren't a part of the season package — tickets must be purchased separately.

"Mamma Mia!" : December 6-11, 2016

The classic musical about a mother, a daughter and their suitors returns to the Gammage stage in December. It combines many of ABBA's greatest hits, including "Dancing Queen," "Take A Chance on Me," and "The Winner Takes It All."

After its recent closure on Broadway in September 2015, the stop in Tempe will be part of the musical's national farewell tour.

"The Illusionists" : Live from Broadway - January 17-21, 2017

Unlike anything else coming to town, "The Illusionists" will display magic acts including "grand illusion, levitation, mind-reading, disappearance and a full view water torture escape" to the stage, according to the tour's website. 

What started as a New York spectacle is now touring the country to showcase its feats of deception and showmanship. Gammage audiences will be able to enjoy the mystery and excitement of the nonstop thrill ride in person during its run in Tempe.

"The Book of Mormon" : May 18-28, 2017

Due to popular demand, "The Book of Mormon" will make its second stop in Tempe in May as part of its national tour. The hilarious story about two Mormon missionaries who travel to a violent African village, and their attempt to convert the locals, is what The New York Times called "the best musical of the century."

Tickets for the Tony Award-winning musical are already on sale and can be purchased on Ticketmaster.

2017-18 Season

"Hamilton" :  TBA

The fact that "Hamilton" will be making a stop in Tempe on its first national tour was announced last month, but Gammage organizers raised the hype even higher with a promotional video showcasing the brand-new hit musical about American founding father Alexander Hamilton and his rise from poverty to the right hand of George Washington. The musical utilizes a wide range of styles ranging from rap to R&B to classic jazzy show-tunes. 

"Fun Home" : TBA

In between show announcements, Tony Award-winning actor Michael Cerveris ("Assassins," "Fun Home") made an appearance onstage to accept the 2016 Grammy award alongside his father Michael E. Cerveris, brother Todd Cerveris and sister Marisa Cerveris. The award recognized their family's numerous contributions to the arts community.

In his acceptance speech, Michael Cerveris announced that "Fun Home," which he starred in on Broadway and which won the 2015 Tony award for Best Musical, will be coming to Gammage as part of the 2017-18 season.

The show is based on a 2006 graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel and follows the young Alison through her childhood and adolescence as she sorts through family troubles and her own ever-changing sense of self. 

Season tickets for the 2016-17 season are already available for purchase on Gammage's website. Individual show tickets will be available at a later date. 

Related links:

ASU celebrates 50 years of cultural excellence, community involvement at Gammage Auditorium

An abridged history of Mill Avenue: The grandiose and worldly ASU Gammage

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Reach the reporter at skylar.mason@asu.edu or follow @skylarmason42 on Twitter.

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