PPAC announces performances for upcoming season

PROVIDENCE — J.L. “Lynn” Singleton, president and CEO of the Providence Performing Arts Center, unveiled a new performance schedule for PPAC’s upcoming 2020/2021 Broadway Season.

The Taco/The White Family Foundation Broadway Series will open with the national tour launch of the Broadway comedy musical "The Prom" on Jan. 23, 2021. Jonathan Larson’s Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning masterpiece, the "Rent 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour will headline the Encore Series on Feb 12 to 14, 2021.

The Taco/White Family Foundation Broadway Series is as follows:

The Prom, Jan. 23 – 29, 2021

Everyone’s invited to the joyous Broadway hit that New York Magazine calls “smart and big-hearted” and The New York Times declares it “makes you believe in musical comedy again!” The Prom is a new musical comedy about big Broadway stars on a mission to change the world and the love they discover that unites them all.

Variety raves, “It’s so full of happiness that you think your heart is about to burst.” And The Hollywood Reporter cheers, “It’s comic gold!”

Oklahoma! March 2 – 7, 2021

“How is it that the coolest new show on Broadway is a 1943 musical?” says The New York Times. This is Oklahoma! as you’ve never seen or heard it before—reimagined for the 21st century, and now the Tony Award Winner for Best Revival of a Musical. Funny and sexy, dark and jolting, “this production shocked me and moved me. This is the Oklahoma! that was there all along.” raves New York Magazine. Direct from an acclaimed run on Broadway, Oklahoma! “lets us experience Rodgers and Hammerstein’s greatness anew.” (The New Yorker).

Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations,  March 30 – April 4, 2021

"Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations" is the electrifying new smash-hit Broadway musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

The winner of the 2019 Tony Award for Best Choreography, it’s a thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal during a decade of civil unrest in America. Set to the beat of the group’s treasured hits, including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” Ain’t Too Proud tells the unforgettable story of the legendary quintet that Billboard Magazine named the greatest R&B group of all time.

Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, April 6 – 11, 2021

She was a girl from Boston with a voice from heaven, who shot through the stars from gospel choir to dance floor diva. But what the world didn’t know was how Donna Summer risked it all to break through barriers, becoming the icon of an era and the inspiration for every music diva who followed. With a score featuring more than 20 of Summer’s classic hits including “Love to Love You Baby,” “Bad Girls” and “Hot Stuff,” this electric experience is a moving tribute to the voice of a generation.

My Fair Lady, April 20 – 25, 2021

From Lincoln Center Theater and director Bartlett Sher comes “a sumptuous new production of the most perfect musical of all time” (Entertainment Weekly), Lerner & Loewe’s "My Fair Lady." Boasting such classic songs as “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “The Rain in Spain,” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” "My Fair Lady" tells the story of Eliza Doolittle, a young Cockney flower seller, and Henry Higgins, a linguistics professor who is determined to transform her into his idea of a “proper lady.” But who is really being transformed?

Mean Girls, June 15 – 20, 2021

Direct from Broadway, "Mean Girls" is the hilarious hit musical from book writer Tina Fey (“30 Rock"), composer Jeff Richmond (“Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”), lyricist Nell Benjamin B ("Legally Blonde") and director Casey Nicholaw ("The Book of Mormon"). The story of a naïve newbie who falls prey to a trio of lionized frenemies, "Mean Girls" “delivers with immense energy, a wicked sense of humor and joyful inside-jokery.” ”

The Encore Series is as follows:

Rent 25th Anniversary Farewell Tour, Feb. 12 – 14, 2021

For a quarter of a century, Jonathan Larson’s "Rent" has inspired us to choose love over fear and to live without regret. This Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning phenomenon follows a year in the lives of a diverse group of artists and friends struggling to follow their dreams without selling out. It has become more than a musical – it’s a cultural touchstone, a rite of passage and a source of joy and strength for millions. RENT has become a part of us forever.

Whether you’ve never seen "Rent" or have completely lost count, you can’t miss it this time around – the 25th Anniversary “Farewell Season of Love” is your final chance to experience this celebrated touring production.

An Officer and a Gentleman, April 16 – 18, 2021

An "Officer and a Gentleman," based on the Oscar-winning film starring Richard Gere, is a breathtaking production that celebrates triumph over adversity and includes one of the most iconic and romantic endings ever portrayed on screen. Featuring the Grammy Award winning, #1 hit single ‘Up Where We Belong’, and a score based on the 1980’s catalogue of music that gave voice to a generation, the live stage production is a new adaptation by multiple Tony Award nominee Dick Scanlan ("Thoroughly Modern Millie," "Everyday Rapture"), based on the original screenplay by Douglas Day Stewart. The musical is directed by Scanlan with choreography by Patricia Wilcox ("Motown," "A Night with Janis Joplin").

Broadway Specials

Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show Spring 2021; dates TBA

"Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show" is Riverdance, as you've never seen it before! A powerful and stirring reinvention of this beloved favorite, celebrated the world over for its Grammy Award-winning score and the thrilling energy and passion of its Irish and international dance. Twenty-five years on, composer Bill Whelan has rerecorded his mesmerizing soundtrack while producer Moya Doherty and director John McColgan have completely reimagined the ground-breaking show with innovative and spectacular lighting, projection, stage and costume designs. 

Immerse yourself in the extraordinary power and grace of its music and dance - beloved by fans of all ages. Fall in love with the magic of Riverdance all over again.

Jersey Boys Spring 2021; dates TBA

They were just four guys from Jersey, until they sang their very first note. They had a sound nobody had ever heard… and the radio just couldn’t get enough of. But while their harmonies were perfect on stage, off stage it was a very different story – a story that has made them an international sensation all over again.

Go behind the music and inside the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons in the Tony Award-winning true-life musical phenomenon, Jersey Boys From the streets of New Jersey to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, this is the musical that’s just too good to be true.

Featuring the legendary Top Ten hits: “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,”  “Walk Like A Man,”  “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,”  “December, 1963" (Oh What A Night).

Dear Evan Hansen, Oct. 19 – 24, 2021

Winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical and the 2018 Grammy Award, "Dear Evan Hansen" is the deeply personal and profoundly contemporary musical about life and the way we live it. The Washington Post calls Dear Evan Hansen “one of the most remarkable shows in musical theater history.” Tickets for the October 2021 engagement of the show are on sale now.  

PPAC Subscription Information

Subscribers to the Taco/The White Family Foundation Broadway Series and/or the Encore Series receive a host of special benefits. For this season, a new benefit has just been added exclusively for subscribers offering a specially priced parking option at the Clifford Street Garage, located just one block behind the theatre. Subscribers receive guaranteed priority seating and have the option to advance order tickets prior to public on-sales, and may choose a subscription payment plan that fits their budget.

The PPAC Box Office window is temporarily closed; however, current and new subscribers can call the box office at 401-421-ARTS (2787) Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., or email box_office_questions@ppacri.org at any time to learn more about subscribing and payment plans.

Anyone interested in placing a new subscription order may contact Sharon Corcoran in Direct Response at 401-574-3136 Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.