Three popular movie titles and the story behind a music icon will come to life on stage this season, as Playhouse Square brings four new shows to E.J. Thomas Hall as part of the 2023-2024 Broadway in Akron Series. The series is a collaboration between Playhouse Square and the University of Akron, with shows performed at E.J. Thomas Hall at the University of Akron.
The 2023-2024 season includes: Pretty Woman: The Musical (October 17-18, 2023), Mean Girls (November 13-14, 2023), The Cher Show (January 30-31, 2024), and CLUE (April 23-25, 2024).
“We’re very excited to bring these shows to Akron,” said David Greene, Senior Vice President of Programming at Playhouse Square. “Whether you’re familiar with these stories or are experiencing them for the first time, there’s always something thrilling about seeing them performed live on stage.”
New season ticket packages are currently on sale by calling Playhouse Square at 216-640-8800 (Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) or online by visiting playhousesquare.org/akron.
Current season ticket holders are also invited to begin renewing their packages for the 2023-24 season now. Renewal information will arrive by mail, though tickets can also be renewed online (playhousesquare.org/akron) or by calling 216-640-8800.
Season tickets range from $60-$325 each. Payment plans are available for packages priced at $180 and above, and complimentary parking is available with select price levels. The only way to guarantee your seats for all four shows at the absolute lowest price is to become a season ticket holder. For more information, visit playhousesquare.org/akron.
The 2023-2024 Broadway in Akron lineup Includes:
PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL
October 17 - 18, 2023
Pretty Woman: The Musical, based on one of Hollywood’s most beloved romantic stories of all time, springs to life with a powerhouse creative team led by two-time Tony Award®-winning director and choreographer Jerry Mitchell (Hairspray, Kinky Boots, Legally Blonde).
Pretty Woman: The Musical features an original score by Grammy® winner Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance (“Summer of ’69”, “Heaven”), and a book by the movie’s legendary director Garry Marshall and screenwriter J. F. Lawton. Pretty Woman: The Musical will lift your spirits and light up your heart. “If you love the movie, you’ll love the musical!” (BuzzFeed News).
Featured in the musical is Roy Orbison and Bill Dee’s international smash hit song “Oh, Pretty Woman,” which inspired one of the most beloved romantic comedy films of all time. Pretty Woman the film was an international smash hit when it was released in 1990. Now, 30 years later, Pretty Woman: The Musical is “Big romance and big fun!” (Broadway.com). “Irresistible! A romantic fantasy. A contemporary fairy tale,” says The Hollywood Reporter. Pretty Woman: The Musical delivers on all the iconic moments you remember. Get ready to experience this dazzling theatrical take on a love story for the ages.
Are you ready to fall in love all over again?
MEAN GIRLS
November 13 – 14, 2023
MeanGirlsOnBroadway.com
Direct from Broadway, Mean Girls is the hilarious hit musical from an award-winning creative team, including book writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), composer Jeff Richmond (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), lyricist Nell Benjamin (Legally Blonde) and director Casey Nicholaw (The Book of Mormon).
Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. Soon, this naïve newbie falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung.
New York Magazine cheers, “Mean Girls delivers with immense energy, a wicked sense of humor and joyful inside-jokery.” USA Today says, “We’ll let you in on a little secret, because we’re such good friends: GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!”
THE CHER SHOW
January 30 - 31, 2024
TheCherShowBroadway.com
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!
CLUE
April 23 – 25, 2024
ClueLiveOnStage.com
Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist. “Finds just the right balance of slapstick and drama.” - The Plain Dealer