“Kimberly Akimbo,” “Some Like it Hot” a “Back to the Future” musical and a show about the life and music of legendary hit-maker Neil Diamond are all headed to the Bay Area as part of the BroadwaySF 2024-25 season announced Tuesday, Feb. 13.
Also included in the new season are a return of “Hamilton” and “Wicked,” as well as the acclaimed revival of “Parade” and a new Bard-spoofing musical comedy, “& Juliet.”
Subscription packages for the new season are on sale now, starting at $429.50: 888-746-1799, or broadwaysf.com. Single tickets will go on sale at a later date.
BroadwaySF Managing Director Rainier Koeners described the upcoming season as “filled with vibrant productions that promise to engage, inspire, and provoke thought among audiences throughout the entire San Francisco Bay Area.”
BroadwaySF, part of the Ambassador Theatre Group, will also serve up additional shows, touring music and comedy performances, lectures and Q&As and other events during the season — details on those are TBA.
Here’s a quick look at the season.
“Wicked.” Aug. 28-Oct. 13, Orpheum Theatre: The legendary show about the doings in pre-Dorothy Oz got its world premiere in San Francisco 20 years. Now it will be back to launch the BroadwaySF season.
“Kimberly Akimbo,” Nov. 5-Dec. 1, Curran Theatre: The surprise Broadway smash hit and Tony Award winner by David Lindsay-Abaire (book and lyrics) and Jeanine Tesori (music) centers on a girl who’s about to turn 16 but suffers from a rare genetic condition that forces premature aging, and is dealing with family dysfunction. But she’s determined to find joy and meaning in life. The New Yorker called it a “howlingly funny heartbreaker of a show.”
“Hamilton,” Nov. 27-Jan. 5, Orpheum Theatre: This special season add-on brings the game-changing musical about Alexander Hamilton and the rest of America’s Founding Fathers back to the Bay Are for a limited run.
“Some Like it Hot,” Jan. 7-26, Orpheum Theatre: Adapted from the classic 1959 film starring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon and Marilyn Monroe, the musical comedy by Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman, Matthew López and Amber Ruffin is set in Chicago during Prohibition and follows two musicians on the run after witnessing a mob murder. The show won more theater awards than any other Broadway production in 2023.
“Back to the Future, The Musical,” Feb. 12-March 9 2025, Orpheum Theatre: The hit musical is adapted from the original 1985 film starring Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd (and a time machine built out of a DeLorean) by Alan Silvestri and Glen Ballard (music and lyrics) and Bob Gale (book). The show, featuring original tunes as well as some songs that appeared in the film, won the 2022 Olivier Award for best new musical before debuting on Broadway in June 2023.
“Parade,” May 13-June 8, Curran Theatre: The powerful production won the 2023 Tony Award for best musical revival and was dubbed “as commanding as any musical revival to hit Broadway in years” by Deadline. The show is a dramatization of the 1913 trial, imprisonment and eventual hanging of Jewish American Leo Frank in Georgia after he was accused — falsely, most historians agree — of a brutal crime. Tony Award-winner Michael Arden directs this show by Alfred Uhry, Jason Robert Brown Harold Prince.
“A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical, June 3-22, Golden Gate Theatre: Created in collaboration with Diamond himself, “A Beautiful Noise” tells his life story as a kid from Brooklyn who became one of the biggest pop music stars in American history. And of course it will feature such iconic Diamond tunes as “America,” “Forever in Blue Jeans,” “Sweet Caroline” and many more.
“& Juliet,” July 1-27, Orpheum Theatre: Created by the Emmy-winning writer David West Read (“Schitt’s Creek”) and featuring the music of pop songwriting legend Max Martin, this musical comedy borrowing from the “Romeo & Juliet” story line ponders: “What would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo?” The jukebox-style musical includes such Martin-penned hits as “Since U Been Gone‚” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time,” “Larger Than Life‚” “That’s The Way It Is,“ and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”
