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Matthew Murphy
As Beetlejuice would say, "It's showtime!"
Do you know you can visit New York City, the Greek isles, an ogre's swamp, and hell without ever leaving downtown Spokane? (No snide comments about the last one already being the case!)
Well it's true... if you visit the First Interstate Center for the Arts and take in the shows that comprise the freshly announced 2024-25 STCU Best of Broadway season.
The five-show core season kicks off in September with a staging of the classic Stephen Sondheim staple
Company (Sept. 11-15), which follows the a mid-30s New York City bachelor interacting with his married friends in a series of non-linear vignettes. It's followed by another theater-lover favorite, the musical biography of early 1900s comedian Fanny Brice,
Funny Girl (Oct 1-6).
Things get much more modern to ring in 2025 with the first Spokane visit for
Beetlejuice (Dec. 31-Jan. 5). The adaptation of Tim Burton's comedically macabre cinematic classic has been a hit on Broadway and should be timely considering the long-awaited sequel,
Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which arrives in theaters this fall. (Fun fact: Spokane's own Sophia Anne Caruso originated the role of Lydia Deetz on Broadway!)
The final two shows of the main slate tap heavily into pop music. The fan favorite ABBA jukebox musical
Mamma Mia! and it's Greek isles romanticism return for a run June 17-22, 2025. And rounding things out next summer will be the debut of the new Michael Jackson musical
MJ (July 8-13, 2025).
While that covers the basic shows included in season ticket packages, there will also be
eight other shows brought in for brief special engagements.
The musicals in the special engagement lot are all returning favorites:
Come from Away (Nov 1-3)
, Shrek - The Musical (Nov. 15 & 16),
Hadestown (Dec 21 & 22),
Hamilton (April 8-20, 2025) and
The Book of Mormon (June 3-7, 2025).
Additional shows will include a special screening of
The Rocky Horror Picture Show on Oct. 27 with a live shadow cast, props and costumes from the cult classic, and star Barry Bostwick will be in attendance. To get in the holiday spirit early,
Mannheim Steamroller will return with its famed neoclassical Christmas concert on Nov. 21. And the Irish dance spectacular that is
Riverdance will swing into town May 28 and 29, 2025.
Season tickets for the STCU Best of Broadway season go on sale tomorrow (April 11) at 10 am via
BroadwaySpokane.com. Season ticket holders will also be able to purchase tickets for the special engagements starting tomorrow. Single tickets for most shows — excluding
Rocky Horror Picture Show,
Hamilton,
The Book of Mormon, and
MJ — go on sale for everyone else on July 10.