2008 - 2009 Stanford Broadway Lights Season Schedule

TRACES  Oct. 7 – Nov. 16, 2008  McGlohon Theatre
Featuring high-energy urban acrobatics, TRACES chronicles five characters attempting to live to the fullest what they believe could be their last moments. Poetic and explosive, humorous and thoughtful, TRACES combines acrobatics, theatre and contemporary dance to create an experience that surprises, awes and delights at every turn.
CHICAGO Nov. 11 – 16, 2008 Belk Theater
Back by popular demand, this razzle dazzle tale of sin and celebrity is set to a jazz score and features the never-to-be-forgotten Roxie Hart and her sisters in crime, the sexy, sinful ladies of “Murderess Row.” Six Tony® Awards, a Grammy® and thousands of standing ovations later, CHICAGO is one hot hit! “CHICAGO has no peer on Broadway in matters of wit, style and sheer musical riches,” says Charles Isherwood of Variety.
FROST/NIXON Feb. 10 – 15, 2009 Belk Theater
Starring Stacy Keach as former President Richard Nixon, FROST/NIXON, written by Peter Morgan (the writer of the award-winning The Queen and The Last King of Scotland), tackles the question: How did David Frost, a famous British talk-show host with a playboy reputation, elicit the apology that the rest of the world was waiting to hear from Nixon? This fast-paced play recounts one of the most monumental television interviews of all time. “A prize fight you watch with a kind of fascinated delight,” writes Clive Barnes of the New York Post. “FROST/NIXON has the momentum of a thriller and the zing of a comedy,” says The New York Times.
BURN THE FLOOR March 24 – 29, 2009 Belk Theater
Fans of “Dancing with the Stars” are certain to fall in love with BURN THE FLOOR, an incredible dance spectacular featuring world class ballroom dancers performing to live music. Sizzling, sexy and sensationally entertaining, the show will light up the Belk Theater with eye-popping production numbers that often feature the entire company.
LEGALLY BLONDE April 21 – 26, 2009 Ovens Auditorium
In the delightful LEGALLY BLONDE, Broadway’s brightest new heroine Elle Woods (and of course, her chihuahua, Bruiser), will take you from the sorority house to the halls of justice. When Elle’s boyfriend dumps her for someone “serious,” Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style.
OPRAH WINFREY PRESENTS THE COLOR PURPLE May 19 – 24, 2009 Belk Theater
This soul-stirring musical is based on the classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker and the Oscar-nominated film by Steven Spielberg. An unforgettable and inspiring story of a woman named Celie, who triumphs over tremendous odds to find joy in life and her true inner beauty. Nominated for eleven Tony® Awards, THE COLOR PURPLE is a landmark theatrical event. With a joyous GRAMMY®-nominated score featuring jazz, gospel and blues, THE COLOR PURPLE is capturing the hearts of young and old, and uniting audiences in a celebration of love. “A ROOF-RAISING STORY OF TRIUMPH!” writes Michael Kuchwara of the Associated Press.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA June 10 – July 5, 2009 Belk Theater
Not seen in Charlotte since 2001, THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA returns for a four-week engagement next summer. With some of the most lavish sets, costumes and special effects ever to have been created for the stage, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA directed by Harold Prince traces the tragic love story of a beautiful opera singer and a young composer shamed by his physical appearance into a shadowy existence beneath the majestic Paris Opera House. Adapted from Gaston Leroux’s classic novel of mystery and suspense, this award-winning musical has woven its magical spell over standing room audiences in more than 100 cities worldwide and is now the longest running show in Broadway history.
2008 – 2009 EXTRAS
(Additional Broadway titles not included on the Stanford Broadway Lights Series. Subscribers may purchase tickets to any or all of these three shows when they subscribe, giving them access to tickets prior to public sales. Subscribers also will have the right to swap tickets for one of their subscription titles to one of these after they receive their subscription tickets in late summer.)
RENT Jan. 27 – Feb. 1, 2009 Ovens Auditorium
Charlotte will be one of a limited number of cities nationwide to host the Farewell Tour of RENT which is closing on Broadway after a dozen years and leaving the road market for the foreseeable future. Star-ring original Broadway cast members Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, this will be the last chance for the show’s legions of fans to experience this ground breaking, rock musical live on stage for many years to come.
RIVERDANCE – Farewell Engagement March 3 – 8, 2009 Ovens Auditorium
Few shows have touched audiences like RIVERDANCE. This thunderous celebration of joyful music, song and dance has thrilled millions of people around the world. Don’t miss this opportunity to see this legendary show as it makes its farewell visit to Charlotte. Of all the performances to emerge from Ireland in recent years, nothing can compare to the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of RIVERDANCE. An innovative and exciting blend of dance, music and song, RIVERDANCE draws on Irish traditions and the combined talents of the performers propel Irish dancing and music to the present day capturing the imagination of audiences across all ages and cultures.
MAMMA MIA! July 28 – August 2, 2009 Belk Theater
The smash hit musical based on the songs of ABBA returns to Charlotte. This sunny, funny tale of family and friendship unfolds on a Greek island. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter’s quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother’s past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. Songs including “Dancing Queen”; “The Winner Takes It All”; “Money, Money, Money” and “Take A Chance on Me” are all featured in this feel-good night of fun and laughter. With more productions playing simultaneously around the world than any other new musical, MAMMA MIA! is now THE WORLD’S # 1 SHOW.