The 2017–18 season at the Eccles Theatre was rolled out this week during a live television event and a swanky private soiree on the theater’s stage. KSL’s Carol Mikita rolled out the six main season productions and the five add on shows.
The big news, of course, is Hamilton, Hamilton. Hamilton. Oh yeah, Hamilton, which will play a surprisingly long run on the Eccles stage nearly one year from now (April 11–May 6 2018). The Hamilton fever is driving season ticket sales, which are selling like, well, season ticket packages that include a play that folks in NYC are shelling out $1,000+ a ticket for. With those economics, buying the whole season is a relative bargain to consider. But. Um. Awkward. New season ticket packages are on a waitlist, so if you are not an existing season ticket holder be sure to go and get on the list here. Also, get on the Broadway at the Eccles mailing list (here) to get updates on individual ticket sale dates.
But looking past the Hamilton juggernaut, there are two productions to really get excited about: The season opener An American in Paris (Oct. 10–15, 2017) and the mid-season send up of Shakespeare/musical theater Something Rotten (Jan. 9–14, 2018). Both are relatively new Broadway shows and it’s pretty swell to see them in SLC so soon and it’s another proof-of-concept success for theater boosters.
The other three plays: The Bodyguard (Dec. 5–10), The Sound of Music (Feb. 27–March 4, 2018) and The Phantom of the Opera (July 11–22, 2018) are oh gosh, I don’t know, a bit dull, like safety schools, for the rest of the season. My schadenfreude aside, I have heard good things about this Phantom revival, which has been dusted off and given a face-lift (mask lift?) for the tour. We’ll see in 2018.
The add-on shows that dovetail with the main season are Elf the Musical (Nov 24–26), A Kurt Bestor Christmas (Dec. 14–16, 2017), Mannheim Steamroller Christmas (Dec. 22–23, 2017), Riverdance (April 3–8, 2018) and Jersey Boys (June 15–17, 2018).
