logo
'The Outsiders,' 'Hamilton' and more top the 2025-26 PNC Broadway in Louisville season

'The Outsiders,' 'Hamilton' and more top the 2025-26 PNC Broadway in Louisville season

Yahoo25-02-2025

A spectacular new season of PNC Broadway in Louisville is headed to the Kentucky Center, including the 2024 Tony Award winning Best Musical "The Outsiders."
Straight from Broadway, the 2025-26 season will be packed with additional Tony Award winning premieres including, "Kimberly Akimbo," "MJ The Musical," "Water for Elephants" and "The Great Gatsby," based on the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Not only that, the new season's other exciting touring shows bring to town the breathtaking "Disney's Beauty and the Beast," the box office smash hit "Hamilton," and Broadway's outrageous musical comedy "Book of Mormon." And for a limited engagement, "Riverdance" will return to the Kentucky Center stage as a season special.
Held at the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, 501 W. Main St., the new season, announced Tuesday, kicks off in the fall of 2025 with "MJ The Musical," centered around the making of Michael Jackson's 1992 "Dangerous World Tour." In October, the dazzling "Water For Elephants" will premiere followed by the 2023 Tony Award winning Best Musical "Kimberly Akimbo" in December.
"This is one of the biggest, most current seasons we've ever had," Leslie Broecker, president of Broadway Across America Midwest, told the Courier Journal. "It's quite a feather in Louisville's cap to have the first national tour of the 2024 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, and the 2023 Tony Award-winning Best Musical. Couple that with three returning blockbusters and of course we're thrilled for new audiences to experience the 30th anniversary tour of 'Disney's Beauty and the Beast.'"
Currently, 2025-26 season tickets are only available to active subscribers for renewal. New subscription tickets will go on sale on April 2. A waitlist and more information is available at BroadwayinLouisville.com.
Here is everything you need to know about the 2025-26 PNC Broadway in Louisville schedule, including how to buy tickets.
All productions take place at the Kentucky Performing Arts building, 501 W. Main St. Performances typically run for one week, though 'Hamilton' runs for two weeks. Date/time options are Tuesday-Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 1 and 6:30 p.m.
WHAT: He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson's unique and unparalleled artistry comes to Louisville in "MJ," the multiple Tony Award winning musical centered around the making of the 1992 "Dangerous World Tour." Created by Tony Award-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, the jukebox musical goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status.
WHEN: Sept. 9-14
WHAT: The New Yorker calls "Water For Elephants 'stunning, emotional, heart-filled and gorgeously imaginative.' The Tony nominated show based on Sara Gruen's novel tells the spell-binding story of a young man who jumps a moving train unsure of where the road will take him and finds a new home with the remarkable crew of a travelingcircus where he discovers a life and love beyond his wildest dreams.
"This musical is based on a book in which an older gentleman is telling a story based on his youth," Broecker explained. "It's about how a great loss propels him into a life of magic and circus. 'Water For Elephants' is a beautiful story with the ups and downs of a great show."
WHEN: Oct. 14-19
WHAT: Winner of five Tony Awards, including the 2023 Tony Award for Best Musical, "Kimberly Akimbo" is a "very sweet show about a teenager with a rare genetic condition," said Broecker. The musical follows a teenage girl about to turn 16 who recently moved with her family to a new town in suburban New Jersey. In this funny, yet heartbreaking show, Kimberly is forced to navigate family dysfunction, her rare genetic condition, her first crush and possible felony charges. Ever the optimist, she is determined to find happiness against all odds and embark on a great adventure.
WHEN: Dec. 2-7
WHAT: "The Great Gatsby" arrives on the heels of the 100th anniversary of the Louisville celebration of author F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel. Several references about Louisville, where the author briefly lived, are sprinkled throughout the classic tale. As a Broadway musical, "The Great Gatsby" offers the audience an extravagant journey of love, wealth and tragedy that brings the roaring '20s to life on stage including a jazz and pop-influenced original score.
WHEN: Feb. 10-15, 2026
WHAT: Last seen in Louisville in 2015, Disney's 30th Anniversary production of "Beauty and the Beast" is a breathtaking musical filled with romance and grandeur. This enchanting and timeless tale has been brought to life like never before, with spectacular new sets and dazzling costumes. The show boasts the Oscar winning and Tony Award-nominated score, including the classic songs 'Be Our Guest' and 'Beauty and the Beast.' WHEN: March 10-15, 2026
WHAT: The New York Times calls the nine time Tony Award winning "Book of Mormon" the best musical of this century.' The Washington Post says, 'It is the kind of evening that restores your faith in musicals.' And Entertainment Weekly says, 'Grade A: the funniest musical of all time.' This outrageous musical comedy follows the adventures of a mismatched pair of missionaries, sent halfway across the world to spread the "Good Word." Contains explicit language.
WHEN: May 5-10, 2026
WHAT: "Hamilton" is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation. Based on Ron Chernow's acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, "Hamilton" has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. The musical features book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. In addition to its 11 Tony Awards, "Hamilton" has won multiple awards including Grammy, Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.
"This will be the third time the musical has come to Louisville and each time people fall in love with 'Hamilton' because you learn something more each time you see it on stage," said Broecker. "It's layered like an onion and you find something new each time you see the show."
WHEN: June 30 to July 17, 2026
WHAT: Adapted from S.E. Hinton's seminal novel and Francis Ford Coppola's iconic film, "The Outsiders" is the winner of the 2024 Tony for Best Musical. Set in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1967, Ponyboy Curtis, his best friend Johnny Cade and their Greaser family of "outsiders" battle with their affluent rivals, the Socs. The story navigates the complexities of self-discovery as the Greasers dream about who they want to become in a world that may never accept them. With a dynamic original score, "The Outsiders" is a story of friendship, family, belonging and the realization that there is still 'lots of good in the world.'
"The rumble scene is amazing and I believe will become a classic piece of choreography," Broecker told the Courier Journal. "The dancers perform on gravel in the rain and its just amazing. The story is the story but the way it's delivered on stage is something audiences don't want to miss."
WHEN: Aug. 18-23, 2026
WHAT: "Riverdance" is a globally renowned theatrical show primarily focused on traditional Irish music and dance, featuring intricate choreography, powerful rhythms and a captivating score. The show is a PNC Broadway in Louisville 2024-25 season option and not included in the regular season package.
WHEN: March 24-26, 2026
For more information, visit BroadwayinLouisville.com.
Reach features reporter Kirby Adams at kadams@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: PNC Broadway in Louisville 2025-26 season: The Outsiders, Great Gatsby

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Tony Awards 2025 recap: Darren Criss, Cole Escola, Sarah Snook and Nicole Scherzinger among first-time winners
Tony Awards 2025 recap: Darren Criss, Cole Escola, Sarah Snook and Nicole Scherzinger among first-time winners

Yahoo

time22 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Tony Awards 2025 recap: Darren Criss, Cole Escola, Sarah Snook and Nicole Scherzinger among first-time winners

The 2025 Tony Awards were presented Sunday at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, with Maybe Happy Ending, a rom-com about a pair of robots who fall in love, winning six, including Best Musical, in a star-studded ceremony that featured a lot of firsts. That included Darren Criss, who won his first Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for Maybe Happy Ending, and Wicked star Cynthia Erivo, who dazzled as a first-time Tony Awards host. Before her opening number, Erivo, who won a Tony Award in 2016 for her role in The Color Purple, received advice backstage from Oprah Winfrey, who told her, 'The only thing you need to do is be yourself.' Onstage, Erivo poked fun at the nominees, including George Clooney, whom she described as 'an up-and-comer that I think you're going to be hearing a lot about.' Clooney was nominated for a Tony Award in his Broadway debut for his portrayal of Edward R. Murrow in Good Night, and Good Luck but did not win. Escola was the first openly nonbinary person to win Best Leading Actor in a Play for their portrayal of Mary Todd Lincoln in Oh Mary!, beating out Clooney, among others, for the award. Escola accepted the award in a silvery-blue gown inspired by Bernadette Peters's look at the 1999 ceremony. Actor Kara Young made history as the first Black person to win two Tonys consecutively for 'Purpose,' which also won Best New Play. 'Theater is a sacred space that we have to honor and treasure,' Young said in her acceptance speech. 'And it makes us united.' Snook, best known for her TV work on HBO's Succession, won the Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Play for The Picture of Dorian Gray, in which she plays all 26 roles. 'I don't feel alone any night that I do this show,' Snook said in her acceptance speech. 'There are so many people onstage making it work and behind the stage making it work.' Snook is the latest Succession actor to star on Broadway, with Jeremy Strong (An Enemy of the People), Kieran Culkin (Glengarry Glen Ross), Juliana Canfield (Stereophonic) and Molly Griggs (John Proctor Is the Villain) taking stage turns. Snook said they all participate in 'a special group chat.' 'It's a really special group of people,' she said. 'We're all theater nerds deep down.' Scherzinger won Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her Broadway debut role in Sunset Blvd., beating out Broadway legend Audra McDonald, who shares the record for most Tony Awards ever for a performer, six. In her acceptance speech, the former Pussycat Dolls singer said Broadway's welcome has made her feel at home. 'Growing up, I always felt like I didn't belong, but you all have made me feel like I belong and I have come home at last,' Scherzinger said. 'So if there's anyone out there who feels like they don't belong or your time hasn't come, don't give up. Just keep on giving and giving because the world needs your love and your light now more than ever.' The original cast of Hamilton also reunited onstage to mark the show's 10-year anniversary. The cast, including Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr. and Daveed Diggs, wore all black while performing a 'mixtape' medley of some of the musical's greatest hits, including 'My Shot,' 'You'll Be Back,' 'The Room Where It Happens' and 'History Has Its Eyes On You.'

2025 Tony Awards: Nicole Scherzinger wins, Cole Escola and Kara Young make history
2025 Tony Awards: Nicole Scherzinger wins, Cole Escola and Kara Young make history

Yahoo

time33 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

2025 Tony Awards: Nicole Scherzinger wins, Cole Escola and Kara Young make history

NEW YORK — Nicole Scherzinger is ready for her close-up. A radical reimaging of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Sunset Boulevard,' starring the former Pussycat Dolls frontwoman, won big at the Tony Awards on Sunday, earning a trophy for its star as well as the award for Best Revival of a Musical. Through tears, Scherzinger accepted her first-ever Tony for her portrayal of Norma Desmond, a fading film star haunted by her past. 'If there's anyone who feels like they don't belong or your time hasn't come, don't give up,' Scherzinger said. 'Just keep on giving and giving because the world needs your love and your light more than ever. This is a testament that love always wins.' Scherzinger had to beat out theater great Audra McDonald — who holds the record for the most acting wins with six Tony Awards — to take home the trophy for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. 'Boop!' star Jasmine Amy Rogers was also nominated alongside Megan Hilty and Jennifer Simrand, who together lead 'Death Becomes Her,' inspired by the 1998 camp classic starring Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn. The leading ladies were among the many stars of the stage who showed up Sunday for the 78th Annual Tony Awards, which saw nearly three dozen Broadway shows nominated across 26 different categories. Three-time Oscar nominee Cynthia Erivo kicked off her first turn hosting the ceremony in a slinky red dress, crooning 'Sometimes all you need is a song' from the stage of Radio City Music Hall. Also an Emmy and Grammy winner, the 'Wicked' star nabbed her own Tony back in 2016 for her performance as Celie in 'The Color Purple.' 'Maybe Happy Ending,' 'Death Becomes Her' and 'Buena Vista Social Club' went into the night with a whopping 10 nominations each — including Best Musical — with 'Dead Outlaw' and spy satire 'Operation Mincemeat' rounding out the category. In the end, 'Maybe Happy Ending,' the Darren Criss-starring musical about robots, won the award, in addition to Best Original Score and Best Book. The 'Glee' alum also earned Best Actor in a Musical for his performance, marking his first win. 'Oh, Mary!' meanwhile earned five nods, including Best Play, but it ultimately lost the top prize to 'Purpose,' a drawing-room drama written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins about an accomplished Black family exposing hypocrisy during a snowed-in gathering. With the win, Jacobs-Jenkins became the first Black playwright to nab Best New Play since August Wilson took home the trophy in 1987 for 'Fences.' 'Oh, Mary!' — Cole Escola's madcap dark comedy about a miserable Mary Todd Lincoln in the lead-up to Abraham Lincoln's assassination — did, however, earn Sam Pinkleton the award for Best Direction of a Play, while Michael Arden won Best Direction of a Musical for 'Maybe Happy Ending.' Escola also took home the trophy for Best Lead Actor in a Play, making them the first openly nonbinary actor to win the award. Escola bested first-time nominee George Clooney, who earned a nod for his portrayal of Edward R. Murrow in 'Good Night, and Good Luck,' as well as Daniel Dae Kim, who starred as DHH in the revival of 'Yellow Face.' Kim's nomination made him the first-ever Asian actor to be recognized in the category. 'Purpose' star Kara Young — already the first Black woman to be nominated for four consecutive Tonys — also made history after winning Featured Actress in a Play, becoming the first Black person to ever win back-to-back Tonys. 'In this world, we are so divided,' she said while accepting her award. 'Theater is a sacred space. It's a sacred space that we have to honor and treasure.' Emmy winner Sarah Snook — following in the footsteps of her former 'Succession' co-star Jeremy Strong, who nabbed the Tony last year for Best Leading Actor in a Play — won for her debut Broadway performance in the one-man interpretation of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray.' In it, she plays all 26 roles, reprising a performance that won her an Olivier Award. 'Broadway is officially back. Provided we don't run out of cast members from 'Succession,'' Erivo joked, in a nod to Kieran Culkin also appearing onstage this season in 'Glengarry Glen Ross.' Both 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow,' which took home trophies in most of the technical categories, and 'Buena Vista Social Club' were among the night's recurring winners. The latter, a show that follows the journey of a Cuban music group and is sung entirely in Spanish, earned Tonys for Orchestration, Scenic Design and Choreography. Natalie Venetia Belcon also won as Best Featured Actress in a Musical for playing Omara Portuond in the show. Four-time Tony Award winner Harvey Fierstein was also honored with a lifetime achievement award in the theater. 'There is nothing quite like bathing in the applause of a curtain call, but when I bow, I bow to the audience … with gratitude, knowing that without them I might as well be lip-syncing showtunes in my bedroom mirror,' Fierstein said during a heartfelt yet hilarious speech. 'And so I dedicate this award to the people in the dark.' _________________

Tony Awards: Every Best Musical Winner Since 1949
Tony Awards: Every Best Musical Winner Since 1949

Yahoo

time34 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Tony Awards: Every Best Musical Winner Since 1949

Since 1949, the Tony Awards have recognized an array of remarkable shows with the coveted title of Best Musical. Show-stopping classics from Cats, The Phantom of the Opera and Les Misérables to contemporary toe-tappers such as Rent, The Book of Mormon and Hamilton have won the Broadway honor over the years. Most recently, Maybe Happy Ending won the trophy at the 2024 Tony Awards. More from Deadline Deadline's Tony Awards Live Blog 'Hamilton' Reunion Performance Rouses Tony Awards Crowd As Lin-Manuel Miranda Leads Intricate Medley Of Songs - Watch Sarah Snook Doesn't Know How Cate Blanchett Would Turn "Picture Of Dorian Gray" Into A Film, But Would Love To Help Her Try Scroll through the gallery to take a look back at all the Best Musical winners. UPDATE: Tony Awards: Every Best Play Winner Since 1947 Best of Deadline Tony Awards: Every Best Play Winner Since 1947 2025-26 Awards Season Calendar: Dates For Tonys, Emmys, Oscars & More 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store