People get ready. Broadway at the Eccles has announced their 2022-23 season of shows, a roster of favorite returning productions and new hits. These touring productions are musical theater fans’ best chance to see professional productions straight out of New York City, and four of these musicals will be performed in Utah for the first time. (Sadly, the ticket prices are also Broadway-huge.) Here’s what to look forward to next season.
The Lion King
Sept. 29-Oct. 23, 2022
If there’s one thing Utah loves, it’s a family-friendly Disney musical, so The Lion King is returning to the Eccles Theater after a sold-out run in 2017. Any ’90s kid can tell you the entire plot from memory, but the massively successful stage production stands out for its unique staging from director Julie Taymor, which features massive puppets, innovative costumes and a whimsical savanna-inspired set design. This is a season add-on not included for Season Ticket holders.
Moulin Rouge! The Musical
Nov. 30-Dec. 11, 2022
It was inevitable that Moulin Rouge! would get the Broadway treatment, right? The 2001 Baz Luhramm film combined an excess-on-excess, fever dream aesthetic with a sincere love story between a sex worker and an artist and just about every pop song you’ve ever heard, creating a totally ridiculous, totally one-of-a-kind hit. The stage version promises to replicate the film’s over-the-top visuals with an even more expansive jukebox. (Plus, of course, the film’s signature song—a reworked version of “Lady Marmalade.”) Moulin Rouge! was a bright spot in a dismal 2019-20 Broadway season—the musical opened on Broadway in summer 2019; closed, like all other productions, during the pandemic; later reopened and then won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations
Jan. 10-15, 2023
This jukebox musical is based on the true story of the beloved R&B group The Temptations, whose signature hits include “My Girl,” “Get Ready” and “Ain’t Too Proud to Beg.” Portraying the life of band leader Otis Williams and an always-evolving roster of bandmates, Ain’t Too Proud celebrates the tight choreography, retro style and unforgettable music of these signature Motown artists.
Dear Evan Hansen
Feb. 28-March 5, 2023
Dear Evan Hansen returns to the Eccles Theater for just one week after its Utah premiere was cut short due to COVID restrictions. The titular character is a lonely, socially anxious teenager who, after a misunderstanding that turns into an increasingly messy web of lies, connects with a family who lost their teenage son to suicide. Addressing themes of mental health, social media use and class differences, Dear Evan Hansen’s Tony-winning score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul has earned a rabid legion of (mostly young) fans. Bring tissues.
Hairspray
April 11-16, 2023
In 1962 Baltimore, teenage Tracy dreams of performing on The Corny Collins Show, but some of the powers-that-be are wary of letting a “big girl” dance on TV. Meanwhile, Tracy aligns herself with Black performers who are trying to integrate the series, connecting her with a larger civil rights struggle brewing in the city. Based on the 1988 John Waters movie, Hairspray is a big-hearted comedy with a pretty damn irresistible 1960s pop score. The show-stealing role of Tracy’s mother, always performed by a male actor in drag, will be played by RuPaul’s Drag Race alumnus Andrew Levitt (better known as Nina West). This revival tour comes just in time for the musical’s 20th anniversary.
Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
May 30-June 4, 2023
The second biographical jukebox musical to come to SLC this year, Tina depicts the life story of music legend Tina Turner. Turner, the daughter of sharecroppers who became the best-selling live performer ever, has perhaps one of the most remarkable careers in pop music history. She rose to prominence as a duo with her then-husband Ike Turner, releasing hits including “River Deep — Mountain High” and “Proud Mary.” After ending her abusive marriage to Ike, she found renewed success as a pop-rock singer in the ‘80s with songs like “What’s Love Got to Do With It” and “The Best.” Tina tells the singer’s inspiring life story with electrifying performances of her most-loved music.
Les Misérables
June 20-July 2, 2023
Does it really need an introduction? Adapting Victor Hugo’s classic French novel into a bombastic, tear-jerking megamusical, Les Misérables is one of the most successful theater productions ever. In case you need a refresher, the musical follows Jean Valjean, who has just finished a 19-year prison sentence for stealing a loaf of bread; Javert, the parole officer who obsessively chases Valjean; and an array of other “miserables” and revolutionaries in 19th century France. If you still need to get the taste of the disappointing 2012 film adaptation out of your mouth, hearing the iconic score live again—with standards like “I Dreamed a Dream,” “One Day More” and “On My Own”—should do the trick. Even with an extended two-week run, tickets will likely be hard to come by.
Beetlejuice
Aug. 8-13, 2023
Based on the quirky Tim Burton comedy movie of the same name, Beetlejuice follows a couple of ghosts attempting to haunt their former home with the help of a demon-exorcist named Beetlejuice (or, er, Betelgeuse). Things get even more complicated when Beetlejuice meets the sullen teenager Lydia, who now lives in the house with her father. With a score of original songs by Eddie Perfect, this offbeat supernatural comedy’s Broadway production was nominated for eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
Current season ticket holders can renew their subscriptions now. For new subscriptions, Broadway at the Eccles’ waitlist is currently open. Individual tickets will go on sale at a later date.
