Broadway in Richmond presents “Beetlejuice.” (Photo courtesy Broadway in Richmond)
Performance Destination
Broadway in Richmond brings five area premieres to the region
Since 2009, Broadway in Richmond has been bringing touring hit shows to Central Virginia, and the new season will feature the most area premieres to date. The 2023-24 season kicks off at the Altria Theater with “Disney’s Frozen” from Oct. 11-22. Based on the hit animated film, the musical blends recognizable songs from the movie (including the Academy Award-winning “Let It Go”) with new numbers created for the production. Additional area premieres include “Six,” a modern retelling of the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives, from Nov. 7-12; Aaron Sorkin’s acclaimed dramatic play of Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird,” Feb. 27-March 3; “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” April 2-7; and “Beetlejuice,” based on the 1988 Tim Burton film, June 4-9.
“This is a testament to just how much Richmond is becoming a Broadway city, because producers want to play Richmond as soon as they get out on tour,” says Cindy Creasy, a spokesperson for Broadway in Richmond.
The family classic “Annie” returns to the Altria Theater with eight performances from Jan. 16-21. “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical” will also return to Richmond just in time for the holidays with eight performances running Dec. 12-17. It’s available beyond the six-show main season for individual tickets and as an add-on for season subscribers. Season tickets are available starting at $233 at broadwayinrichmond.com.
“There are shows literally for anybody and everybody and of all ages,” Creasy says. “We try to make sure we have a classic, we have something new, we have something exciting or edgy or fun, and this year certainly delivers.”
Curtain Call
Local theater productions offer a variety of experiences
From dramatic storytelling to comic farces, chances are there’s a theater production available locally that will satisfy any appetite. Fall is an ideal time to start planning your entertainment schedule as the new seasons debut at theaters around the region.
Image courtesy Virginia Repertory Theatre
After vacating their Henrico homebase, the Chamberlayne Actors Theatre is taking a comedic approach to their 2023-24 season, dubbing it “A Season of Comedy” and taking on a playful temporary rebrand to Stray CAT, as the performances are hosted at venues around the area. The lineup kicks off with the Steve Martin play “Meteor Shower” at Brightpoint Community College from Sept. 16-29.
With four locations offering a packed programming roster, Virginia Repertory Theatre’s new season includes musicals, plays, special events and collaborations. The Signature Season at the November Theatre debuts with the regional premiere of the Tony Award-nominated “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive,” which runs Sept. 1-Oct. 1.
Richmond Triangle Players’ new season sticks to its mission of presenting unique, thought-provoking productions. It opens with “One in Two,” billed as “a defiantly embracing call to action,” running Sept. 20-Oct. 14.
Coming Together
The Firehouse Theatre’s 30th season includes evolved programming
With a theater merger, new producing artistic director, original performance projects in the works and four resident arts companies added, big changes are afoot at Firehouse Theatre for its 30th anniversary season.
Nathaniel Shaw (Photo courtesy The Firehouse Theatre)
Firehouse has joined with The New Theatre, creating one company where Mainstage productions and new play development will be produced under the banner of The New Theatre at Firehouse. Former Firehouse producing artistic director Joel Bassin retired in July, and former New Theatre executive artistic director Nathaniel Shaw took the reins.
“Where I think Firehouse serves an absolutely essential role is providing the community an opportunity to discover [the] new: to discover new content, to discover new stories, to discover new voices,” Shaw says.
The 2023-24 Mainstage season opens with the Virginia premiere of “Berta, Berta” from Sept. 27-Oct. 15. Presented in collaboration with The Conciliation Project, the play follows Leroy, who, after committing a reprehensible crime, seeks to make amends with his former lover Berta. Two world-premiere performances follow, including “Memories of Overdevelopment,” running Feb. 7-25, and “Roman à Clef” from May 8-26.
This month, the theater stage is being named in honor of founder Carol Piersol, who died in May from brain cancer. Shaw says a to-be-announced Pulitzer Prize-winning production from Piersol’s early days with Firehouse will close out the season. The 5th Wall Theatre, which Piersol founded in 2013 following a falling out with the Firehouse’s board, will be the first resident company of the 2023-24 season. It will be joined by three other resident arts groups, Yes, And! Theatrical Co., Starr Foster Dance and K Dance.
“It really is a time of great growth and expansion at Firehouse,” Shaw says.
Theater Spotlight
Sept. 15-Oct. 1
The Henrico Theatre Company’s production of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” set during 1967, puts liberal sensibilities to the test when a white couple’s daughter brings her Black fiance home to meet them. The Cultural Arts Center at Glen Allen. $10.
Oct. 20-Nov. 12
Part of the Children’s Season at the Virginia Rep Center for Arts and Education, “The Emperor’s New Clothes” tells the story of an emperor who hires tailors to make him a remarkable set of clothes under the pretense that the garments will be invisible to anyone who is incompetent. $21.
Nov. 15-Dec. 23
One of Richmond Triangle Players’ biggest holiday hits returns with a production of “Scrooge in Rouge,” a reimagining of the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol.” $TBA.
Nov. 16-19
The University of Richmond’s Department of Theatre & Dance presents the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama “Fairview.” The play seemingly starts as a sitcom, following a Black middle-class family as they prepare for a birthday dinner, but evolves into a deeper examination of race and white supremacy. The performances are free, but reservations are required.
Dec. 7-17
The Weinstein JCC’s Jewish Family Theatre presents the Tony Award-winning musical “Cabaret,” which delves into the world of bohemian Berlin as Germany slowly yields to the emerging Third Reich. The production is recommended for ages 12 and up. $30.
