Natalie Macmaster and Donnell Leahy Performing Arts Center Appleton Wi Feb 11

APPLETON - A mix of new attractions and a few returning favorites are headed to the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center phase in the months alee as function of its merely-announced 2017-eighteen season.

The 20th-anniversary tour of "Rent" and the fresh-from-Broadway tour of "Les Miserables" are among those coming back around, while three titles will brand their Wisconsin debut with runs at the PAC — Disney's "The Little Mermaid," "Waitress" and "Schoolhouse of Rock."

Likewise on the mode to Appleton are the Lincoln Center Theater productions of Rodgers & Hammerstein'south "The King and I" and "An American in Paris," the most awarded new musical of 2015, which simply hit the road in the fall of 2016.

The slate of seven Broadway musicals and xiv other performances that brand up the new season — the 15th for the PAC — were unveiled Mon at a gathering of about 1,000 season ticket holders, donors, community leaders and other guests.

RELATED: 17 can't-miss Fox Valley shows in '17

RELATED: Alice Cooper to play PAC in June

While the declaration of the full PAC season brings much excitement, there is picayune doubt the unveiling of the Kimberly-Clark Broadway Beyond America-Play a joke on Cities Series season takes eye stage. That's over again the case this year for a Broadway touring flavor that will open with the return of "Wicked." That booking was announced a twelvemonth ago, every bit the tape-breaking show — information technology'southward won 35 major awards — volition exist split up between the current season and the 2017-18 season. It runs Aug. xxx to Sept. ten.

Maria Van Laanen, president of the Fox Cities PAC, said landing three Wisconsin premieres this time around was a point of pride for a venue that, since its doors first opened in 2002, has welcomed thirty premieres for the state.

She's also excited about the way the upcoming shows tin can engage different generations — a theme she said started to develop as the calendar for the side by side fifteen months came together.

"I think these are very fresh, new titles that our standard audiences are going to be very excited about because they're very high quality, but I recall it also gives usa an opportunity to appoint our younger audiences," Van Laanen said. "People who fell in honey with Jack Black in 'School of Rock,' and the 'Waitress' score includes a completely original score past Sara Bareilles and it's just fantastic music."

"Les Miserables" is the earth'southward longest-running musical and has more than than 100 major awards to its credit since 1985. It's played in 319 cities in 44 countries and 22 languages — including a visit to the Play a joke on Cities PAC in 2011. The North American bout coming to Appleton March 20-25, 2018 begins in September and follows a two-and-a-half-year Broadway run.

The rock musical "Rent" also is a returnee, having visited the PAC in 2006 and 2009. A winner of iv Tony Awards, the "Rent" production set for a May 11-xiii date is a new production celebrating the show'south 20th anniversary.

"The King and I," set for Jan. 23-28, is part of a national bout that began in the autumn and is a revival that won 4 Tony Awards in 2015 (including All-time Musical Revival).

"Rodgers & Hammerstein and (director) Bartlett Sher and Lincoln Center, that'south a trifecta that has been so successful. Our audiences were able to experience 'S Pacific' and 'War Horse' and they were blown abroad by how lavish and beautiful those productions were," Van Laanen said. "And to have the opportunity to bring 'Male monarch and I' to the Performing Arts Middle, I recollect people are simply going to exist blown away past what they see on the phase."

Disney's "The Little Mermaid," based on the 1989 animated moving picture, dips into the PAC Oct. 31-Nov. v. "Waitress," based on the 2007 flick of the aforementioned proper noun, opened on Broadway less than a year ago and its first national bout will be here Nov. 28-Dec. 3. "An American in Paris," based on the 1951 Academy Award-winning film, runs Feb. 20-25. And "School of Stone," a musical take on the 2003 film with xiv new songs from Andrew Lloyd Webber, runs April 24-29.

Bob Bucci, president of the marketing department for Broadway Across America, helped Van Laanen introduce the lineup at the annual consequence.

"Broadway shows beloved coming to the Flim-flam Cities," he told the crowd. "And here is why: This amazing sense of community. ... Everybody just comes here and feels at home."

Beyond Broadway

Forth with the large-ticket Broadway offerings, a lineup of 10 shows making up the 2017-eighteen Boldt Arts Alive! Series and 4 Spotlight Serial performances were revealed Monday.

"The variety is really important," Van Laanen said. "This time we're really exploring the various cultures of the earth through a lot of musical offerings."

Amongst the Arts Alive! shows are performances from the Steep Canyon Rangers (Oct. 9), Mannheim Steamroller (Nov. 26), Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy (February. 6) and Celtic Woman (June 9, 2018). The PAC as well volition welcome the "Take Me to the River" tour, which features a group of Memphis R&B and soul musicians featured in the 2015 documentary of the same name, on Nov. 8. Included in the group is William Bell, who won the Grammy Honour for Best Americana Album in Feb.

Violinist Joshua Bell will be back for a collaborative show with the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra on May 2, 2018 and Montana Repertory Theatre's "On Golden Pond" will be on the stage Feb. 16.

The Spotlight Series, which launched this year with the goal of bringing a diverseness of entertainment styles to the cozier confines of the PAC'southward Kimberly-Clark Theater, includes a one-man "Star Wars" comedy show on Nov. 25, a performance from Tony Award winner Dee Dee Bridgewater ("The Wiz") on Feb. viii-9, a night of musical improv with "Broadway'due south Side by side H!T Musical" April 6-7 and an interactive family unit-friendly trip the light fantastic and multimedia experience in Compagnia TPO'south Farfalle (Collywobbles) May 9-10.

2 entertainers from the "Broadway'south Side by side H!T Musical" performed at the Mon night consequence, treating the crowd to performances of songs with titles called out from the audience — "Snowflake" and "Cheddar or Gouda?" They as well performed a finale singing the praises of the just-appear season.

Flavor tickets on sale

Broadway season ticket packages are on auction at present, with the five-testify packs including "The Little Mermaid," "Waitress," "The King and I," "An American in Paris" and "School of Stone." "Les Miserables," "Hire" and "Wicked" are available every bit add-ons. Season ticket packages outset at $199.

Season ticket packages for the other series became available Monday, offering buyers the option of selecting four or more than shows from the Arts Alive! or Spotlight Series. Payment program options are available for both Broadway and Arts Alive!/Spotlight season packages.

Single show ticket on-sale dates vary show to show and volition be appear in weeks and months alee.

The PAC is currently in the midst of its 2016-17 flavor. Roundabout Theatre Company's "Cabaret" finished its stay last calendar week and marked the 100th Broadway show for the venue. Next up is "Finding Neverland" April 17-22, "Mamma Mia!" May 12-fourteen and "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" May 30-June 4.

Shane Nyman: 920-996-7223, snyman@postcrescent.com or on Twitter @shanenyman

2017-18 Flavour

2017-18 Kimberly-Clark Broadway Beyond America-Fox Cities Serial

Aug. thirty-Sept. x: "Wicked"

Oct. 31-Nov. v: Disney'due south "The Piffling Mermaid"

Nov. 28-Dec. 3: "Waitress"

Jan. 23-28: Rodgers & Hammerstein's "The King and I"

Feb. 20-25: "An American in Paris"

March 20-25, 2018: "Les Miserables"

April 24-29, 2018: "School of Rock"

May xi-xiii, 2018: "Rent"

2017-18 Boldt Arts Live! Serial

Oct. 9: Steep Canyon Rangers

Oct. 17: 14th almanac Trick Cities Choral Music Festival

Oct. 20: DIAVOLO 25th Anniversary Tour: "Fifty.O.S.T."

November. 8: Have Me to the River: Memphis Soul and Rhythm & Blues Revue (starring Charlie Musselwhite, Bobby Rush, William Bong, Frayser Boy, Al Kapone, the Hi Rhythm Section and the Stax Academy Alumni Band)

November. 26: Mannheim Steamroller Christmas past Chip Davis

Dec. 16-17: Makaroff Youth Ballet's "The Nutcracker," featuring the Appleton Boychoir and the Play a trick on Valley Symphony Orchestra

Feb. 6: Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy: Visions from Cape Breton and Beyond

Feb. 16: Montana Repertory Theatre's "On Golden Pond"

May 2, 2018: Joshua Bong with the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra

June ix, 2018: Celtic Adult female

2017-eighteen Spotlight Series

November. 25: "One-Man Star Wars Trilogy"

Feb. viii-nine: Dee Dee Bridgewater

April 6-7, 2018: "Broadway'due south Next H!T Musical"

May nine-10, 2018: Compagnia TPO's Farfalle (Butterflies)

Flavour ticket packages

Season ticket packages are available both for the Broadway serial and the Arts Alive! and Spotlight series. Packages tin exist purchased at foxcitiespac.com, by phone at 920-730-3760 or past visiting the Fox Cities PAC ticket function.

janissuccur.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.postcrescent.com/story/entertainment/2017/03/13/les-mis-rent-part-new-pac-season/99007052/