They’re finally here: The dates for the long-anticipated run of the Broadway musical “Hamilton” at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts were announced Tuesday, along with the rest of the 2017-18 Broadway series.
The center will premiere the popular Tony Award-winning hip-hop musical about America’s founding father Alexander Hamilton, by Lin-Manuel Miranda, on May 8-27, 2018. The Broadway series will also present a mixture of classic and contemporary musicals, with returning favorite productions such as “Motown,” “Jersey Boys” and “The Book of Mormon.”
The comedic musical “Something Rotten!” will kick off the season in November, with the pop musical “On Your Feet,” based on the life of international superstars Gloria and Emilio Estefan, as the season’s closer in August 2018.
“Our 2017-2018 season features five center premieres as well as the return of the greatest of audience favorites,” Segerstrom Center for the Arts President Terry Dwyer said.
“New shows include the long-awaited sequel to ‘The Phantom of the Opera,’ Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘Love Never Dies,’ the acclaimed Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s ‘The King and I’ and ‘Something Rotten!’ But this is truly the year of ‘Hamilton.’ It’s a Broadway phenomenon, and we’re so pleased to bring it to Orange County.”
Broadway Series
• “Something Rotten!” Nov. 7-19: Set in the late 1500s, two brother playwrights are trying to write a hit play but their rival, the rock star writer Shakespeare, keeps getting all the attention. Thus, the concept of a musical was born.
• Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “King and I,” Feb. 27-March 11, 2018: The Tony Award-winning musical presents some of Broadway’s greatest numbers, including “Getting to Know You,” “I Whistle a Happy Tune,” and “Something Wonderful.”
• “Love Never Dies,” April 24-May 5: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to the iconic “The Phantom of the Opera” tells the story of the Phantom and his new life in New York City.
• “Hamilton,” May 8-27, 2018: Based on Ron Chernow’s biography of founding father Alexander Hamilton, the musical provides insight into the life of the West Indies immigrant who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War. The hip-hop, jazz, and R&B score gives the musical a modern twist.
• “School of Rock,” July 24-Aug. 5, 2018: Featuring 14 songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the rock-and-roll musical tells the story of a wannabe rock star who poses as a substitute teacher and creates a band of his own with the music prodigies in his class.
• “On Your Feet,” Aug. 21-Sept. 2, 2018: From Cuba to America, Gloria and Emilio Estefan broke through barriers in the pop music world with hits songs like “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Conga” and “Don’t Wanna Lose You Now.” The musical tells the story of the groundbreaking couple’s musical sensation journey.
Curtain Call Series
• “Motown,” Dec. 19-24: The true American story about Motown founder Berry Gordy and his journey in the music world as he launched the careers of music sensations Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Smokey Robinson and more. The pop musical features hits like “My Girl,” “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and “Dancing in the Street.”
• “Kinky Boots,” Feb. 6-11, 2018: The multi-Tony Award-winning musical tells the story of Charlie Price, the owner of a small shoe factory, who meets Lola, an extraordinary performer who introduces him to new, creative ideas in the world of fashion and shoes.
• “The Color Purple,” June 19-24, 2018: The Tony Award-winning musical presents a soul, jazz, ragtime and blues score to the story of a young woman’s journey in love and triumph in the American South.
Bonus events
• “Jersey Boys,” Jan. 19-21, 2018: The Tony, Grammy and Olivier Award-winning musical about rock and roll hall of famers The Four Seasons and their rise in pop music history. The show presents hits like “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You.”
• “The Book of Mormon,” March 20-25, 2018: South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy tells the story about two mismatched missionaries sent across the seas to share their scriptures with a Ugandan village.
Contact the writer: jmoe@ocregister.com
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