Broadway in Fort Lauderdale is proud to announce its 26th season of showcasing Broadway’s greatest hits with a six-show subscription package that is power-packed with musical blockbusters.
(Photo: Wicked / Joan Marcus)
The season will commence with the new production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Oct 10 – 22, 2017), followed by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s LOVE NEVER DIES – The Phantom Returns (Nov 7 – 19, 2017), the sequel to THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. A second Andrew Lloyd Webber show, SCHOOL OF ROCK (Dec 12 – 24, 2017), rings in the Holiday Season with high energy, high-octane fun. The New Year kicks off with 2014 Tony ® Award-winning Best Musical A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER (Jan 9 – 21, 2018). WAITRESS (Apr 11 – 22, 2018) the irresistible new hit features original music and lyrics by 6-time Grammy® nominee Sara Bareilles. The season closes with JERSEY BOYS (May 8 – 20, 2018) the Tony®, Grammy® and Olivier Award-winning musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons boasting their legendary hits.
The two season options for the 2017/18 Broadway in Fort Lauderdale series are the Irish Dance phenomenon RIVERDANCE (Jan 5 – 7, 2018) and back by “Popular” demand, WICKED (Feb 14 – March 4, 2018).
The national tour of HAMILTON will play the Broward Center for the Performing Arts as part of the 2018/19 season. The best way to guarantee tickets to HAMILTON is to purchase a season subscription for the 2017/18 season. Subscribers who renew for the 2018/19 season will be able to guarantee their tickets for the premier Fort Lauderdale engagement of HAMILTON before tickets become available to the general public. Information regarding HAMILTON dates and how to purchase groups and single tickets will be announced at a later time.
The Broadway in Fort Lauderdale 2017/2018 subscription season is made possible with the generous support of Bank of America and is presented by Florida Theatrical Association in partnership with Broadway Across America and The Broward Center for the Performing Arts.
Broadway Across America Season Ticket Holders receive exclusive benefits including:
-SEAT LOCATIONS – Same seat locations for all six season shows
-SPECIALIZED SERVICES – Flexibility on ticket exchanges and Lost Ticket Replacement
-PRIORITY PURCHASE OPTIONS – including additional tickets for all season shows and season “add-ons” prior to the general public
-ON-LINE UPGRADES
Season tickets for the 2017/2018 Bank of America Broadway in Fort Lauderdale six-show package are currently available and range from $209 – $791. For faster service, those interested in renewing or purchasing new season tickets can visit BroadwayInFortLauderdale.com. Subscribers may also call the Season Ticket Hotline at 800.764.0700. Phone lines are open Monday through Friday, 9 AM – 5 PM. When renewing over the phone or online, Season Ticket Holders must have their account number and credit card. Visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com for the most up-to-date information about touring Broadway.
“The 2017/18 Broadway in Fort Lauderdale season is poised to be one of the most exciting seasons on record at the Broward Center,” said Kelley Shanley, Broward Center President & CEO. “South Florida audiences remember the Phantom from the Broward Center’s opening in 1991 and its many return engagements, and we’re all looking forward to bringing the next chapter of this classic story to our audiences with LOVE NEVER DIES – The Phantom Returns. There’s a great mix of nostalgia with some of Broadway’s most beloved titles coming our way, and some fantastic music to look forward to as several of the latest hits from the Great White Way come to Broward in their South Florida premieres.”
Announcing the 2017/2018 season of Broadway in Fort Lauderdale, at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts is genuine cause for excitement,” exclaimed Susie Krajsa, Executive Vice President for Broadway Across America. “Illustrated by the forthcoming season’s extraordinary parade of Award-winning musical showstoppers, we continue to be enthusiastic with the loyalty and support of our ever-growing number of season subscribers, our steadfast partners at the Broward Center, and especially all of our Broadway patrons who continue to embrace our efforts to bring the very best of Broadway to the front steps of their community.” “And the future looks very bright as we are excited to announce that HAMILTON will make its south Florida premiere at the Broward Center in the 2018/19 season!”
THE SOUND OF MUSIC
October 10 – 22, 2017
“Sparkling, fresh and lively.” – Los Angeles Times
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE! A brand new production of THE SOUND OF MUSIC is coming to The Broward Center for the Performing Arts. 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.
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.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC enjoyed extraordinary success as the first live television production of a musical in over 50 years when “The Sound of Music Live!” aired on NBC in December, 2013 and was seen by over 44 million people. 2015 marked the 50th anniversary of the film version, which continues to be the most successful movie musical in history.
LOVE NEVER DIES
November 7 – 19, 2017
This story of boundless love, full of passion and drama, follows Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, one of the most successful musicals of all time, which has now been seen by more than 130 million people worldwide and is the winner of over 50 international awards.
The ultimate love story continues in LOVE NEVER DIES, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s spellbinding sequel to The Phantom of the Opera.
The year is 1907. It is 10 years after his disappearance from the Paris Opera House and the Phantom has escaped to a new life in New York where he lives amongst the screaming joy rides and freak shows of Coney Island. In this new, electrically charged world, he has finally found a place for his music to soar, but he has never stopped yearning for his one true love and musical protégée, Christine Daaé.
Now one of the world’s finest sopranos, Christine accepts an invitation to travel from Paris to New York to perform at a renowned opera house. Christine’s marriage to Raoul is suffering at the hands of his drinking and gambling and they desperately need the financial rewards that America can give them.
In a final bid to win back Christine’s love, the Phantom lures her, Raoul, and their young son Gustave, from Manhattan to the glittering and glorious world of Coney Island… not knowing what is in store for them….
LOVE NEVER DIES is a dazzling new production, which takes audiences on a thrilling rollercoaster ride of intrigue, obsession and romance. Be seduced by the beautiful; sometimes magical and poetic; sometimes joyful; and occasionally melancholic score. Don’t miss this magnificent continuation of one of the world’s greatest love stories as it makes its premiere in Fort Lauderdale
This production played to critical acclaim throughout Australia and New Zealand and is described by Chris Boyd in The Australian as “The best thing Lloyd Webber has written in the quarter century since The Phantom of the Opera.” Andrew Lloyd Webber describes the production as, “Probably the finest one I could ever, ever hope for.”
SCHOOL OF ROCK
December 12 – 24, 2017
SCHOOL OF ROCK is a New York Times Critics’ Pick and “AN INSPIRING JOLT OF ENERGY, JOY AND MAD SKILLZ!” (Entertainment Weekly). Based on the hit film, this hilarious new musical follows Dewey Finn, a wannabe rock star posing as a substitute teacher who turns a class of straight-A students into a guitar-shredding, bass-slapping, mind-blowing rock band. This high-octane smash features 14 new songs from ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER, all the original songs from the movie and musical theater’s first-ever kids rock band playing their instruments live on stage. Vanity Fair raves, “FISTS OF ALL AGES SHALL BE PUMPING!”
A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER
January 9 – 21, 2018
Getting away with murder can be so much fun… and there’s no better proof than the knock-‘em-dead hit show that’s earned unanimous raves and won the 2014 Tony Award® for BEST MUSICAL – A GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER!
Coming direct from New York, where a most gentlemanly NPR critic said he’d “NEVER LAUGHED SO HARD AT A BROADWAY MUSICAL,” GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE tells the uproarious story of Monty Navarro, a distant heir to a family fortune who sets out to jump the line of succession by – you guessed it – eliminating the eight pesky relatives (all played by one fearless man) who stand in his way. All the while, Monty has to juggle his mistress (she’s after more than just love), his fiancée (she’s his cousin but who’s keeping track?), and the constant threat of landing behind bars! Of course, it will all be worth it if he can slay his way to his inheritance… and be done in time for tea.
The Hollywood Reporter raves, “GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE RESTORES OUR FAITH IN MUSICAL COMEDY” and The New York Times cheers, “IT WILL LIFT THE HEARTS OF ALL THOSE WHO’VE BEEN PINING FOR WHAT SOMETIMES SEEMS A LOST ART FORM.”
WAITRESS
April 11 – 22, 2018
“THE WOMEN OF WAITRESS ARE CHANGING BROADWAY!” (Time Magazine).
Brought to life by a groundbreaking all-female creative team, this irresistible new hit features original music and lyrics by 6-time Grammy® nominee Sara Bareilles (“Brave,” “Love Song”), a book by acclaimed screenwriter Jessie Nelson (I Am Sam) and direction by Tony Award® winner Diane Paulus (Pippin, Finding Neverland). “It’s an empowering musical of the highest order!” raves the Chicago Tribune.
Inspired by Adrienne Shelly’s beloved film, WAITRESS tells the story of Jenna – a waitress and expert pie maker. Jenna dreams of a way out of her small town and loveless marriage. A baking contest in a nearby county and the town’s new doctor may offer her a chance at a fresh start, while her fellow waitresses offer their own recipes for happiness. But Jenna must summon the strength and courage to rebuild her own life.
“WAITRESS is a little slice of heaven!” says Entertainment Weekly and “a monumental contribution to Broadway!” according to Marie Claire. Don’t miss this uplifting musical celebrating friendship, motherhood, and the magic of a well-made pie.
JERSEY BOYS
May 8 – 20, 2018
“THE MOST EXCITING MUSICAL BROADWAY HAS SEEN IN YEARS.”
– Chicago Tribune
More than 83,000 theatergoers cheered when JERSEY BOYS made its sell-out premiere in Fort Lauderdale in April 2009. Worldwide, more than 24 million people have seen JERSEY BOYS. And now, the show that made critics and audiences cheer will return to Fort Lauderdale.
JERSEY BOYS is the Tony®, Grammy® and Olivier Award-winning Best Musical about Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Four Seasons: Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito and Nick Massi. This is the true story of how four blue-collar kids became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs, invented their own sounds and sold 175 million records worldwide – all before they were 30! JERSEY BOYS features their hit songs “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Rag Doll,” “Oh What a Night” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You.” “THE CROWD GOES WILD!” proclaims The New York Times
The JERSEY BOYS creative team comprises two-time Tony Award®-winning director Des McAnuff, book writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, composer Bob Gaudio, lyricist Bob Crewe and choreography by Sergio Trujillo.
2017/18 SEASON OPTIONS
RIVERDANCE
January 5 – 7, 2018
“The show is quite simply incredible. A phenomenon of historic proportions”
-THE WASHINGTON TIMES
“As for the flaws? Well, there simply aren’t any. Here’s to another 20 years!” THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS
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 20th 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 14 – March 4, 2018
So much happened before Dorothy dropped in.
WICKED, the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships…until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”
From the first electrifying note to the final breathtaking moment, WICKED — the untold true story of the Witches of Oz—transfixes audiences with its wildly inventive story that USA Today cheers is “a complete triumph! An original musical that will make you laugh, cry, and think.”
Broadway fans can enjoy unique hospitality experiences at the Broward Center this coming season including dinner and weekend brunch at the onsite restaurant, Marti’s New River Bistro. Marti’s offers modern American cuisine with spectacular views of the New River. For theater guests, the prix fixe dinner menu starts 2½ hours before curtain for evening performances; a prix fixe brunch menu is offered starting at 11 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays prior to matinee performances in the Au-Rene Theater. Marti’s is also open for brunch the first Sunday of every month from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For reservations, call 954.660.6663 or reserve at www.BrowardCenter.org/dining. While reservations are encouraged, walk-ups are welcome.
By purchasing LATAM AIRLINES CLUB LEVEL tickets, theatergoers enjoy an all-inclusive experience with complimentary valet parking, fine food, premium open bar (which includes mixed drinks, beer, wine, coffee, tea and soft drinks), access to an exclusive lounge, extra-roomy theater seats and attentive service throughout the evening. The LATAM AIRLINES CLUB LEVEL lounge is open one hour prior to curtain and remains open throughout the performance and for 45 minutes after the show. A full season subscription is also available, which will guarantee the same luxurious LATAM AIRLINES CLUB LEVEL theater seat for each show in the Au-Rene Theater.
Theater patrons can enhance their theater experience with drinks, appetizers and desserts one hour before the performance and during intermission at the Intermezzo Lounge. A separate ticket for the Intermezzo Lounge allows patrons to enjoy a selection of delicious hot and cold hors d’oeuvres and desserts and complimentary beverages (soft drinks, seasonal craft and premium beer, wine, champagne, coffee and tea) in a spacious lounge offering ample indoor seating and a private outdoor veranda. To purchase tickets for the Intermezzo Lounge for any Broadway performance, visit www.BrowardCenter.org/dining.
THE BROWARD CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is one of America’s premier performing arts venues, consistently ranked among the top ten in the country. Presenting more than 700 performances each year to more than 700,000 patrons, the Center showcases a wide range of exciting cultural programming and events, and offers one of the largest arts-in-education programs in the United States, serving more than 150,000 students annually. In 2007, the Broward Center was named the Cultural Embassy of Broward County in recognition of its success in linking cultural activity with the region’s economic development.
The Broward Performing Arts Foundation, Inc. receives and maintains funds to sustain, develop, and secure the future of the Broward Center. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is located in the Riverwalk Arts & Entertainment District at 201 SW Fifth Ave. in Fort Lauderdale. For more information, visit BrowardCenter.org.
About Broadway Across America
BROADWAY ACROSS AMERICA is part of The John Gore Organization family of companies, which includes Broadway.com and is operated by John Gore (Owner & CEO). BAA is the foremost presenter of first-class touring productions in North America, operating in 41 markets. Current and past productions include Beautiful, Chicago, Fiddler on the Roof, Finding Neverland, Million Dollar Quartet, Hairspray, On Your Feet!, The Producers, and CATS. Broadway.com is the premier theater website for news, exclusive content and ticket sales. For more information please visit BroadwayAcrossAmerica.com and Broadway.com.
