Looking Ahead

Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati presented by TriHealth announced their highly-anticipated season lineup this week. Along with the including previously announced Six, the new season includes the musicals Beetlejuice, MJ: The Musical, From the North Country, Mrs. Doubtfire, and Peter Pan. These shows will be joined by one-week engagements of Disney’s Aladdin and Clue.

Season tickets for the 23/24 Fifth Third Bank Broadway in Cincinnati Season presented by TriHealth are available now at BroadwayinCincinnati.com.

MJ: The Musical (Sept. 5 – 17)

The music. The moves. The icon. Now, the unparalleled artistry of the greatest entertainer of all time comes to Cincinnati as MJ, the Tony Award®-winning new musical centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour, begins a tour of its own.

Girl from the North Country (Oct. 17 – 29)

Girl from the North Country is the Tony Award-winning new musical sritten and directed by celebrated playwright Conor McPherson and featuring Tony Award-winning orchestrations by Simon Hale, that reimagines 20 legendary songs of Bob Dylan as they’ve never been heard before, including “Forever Young,” “All Along The Watchtower,” “Hurricane,” “Slow Train Coming,” and “Like A Rolling Stone.”

Disney’s Aladdin ( Nov. 14 – 19)

Discover a whole new world at Disney’s Aladdin, the hit Broadway musical. From the producer of The Lion King comes the timeless story of Aladdin, a thrilling new production filled with unforgettable beauty, magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle.

Mrs. Doubtfire (Dec. 5–17)

Based on the beloved film and directed by four-time Tony Award-winner Jerry Zaks, Mrs. Doubtfire tells the hysterical and heartfelt story of an out-of-work actor who will do anything for his kids.

Beetljuice (Jan. 16–18, 2024)

He earned his stripes on Broadway…Now the ghost-with-the-most is coming to Cincinnati. It’s showtime! Based on Tim Burton’s dearly-beloved film, this hilarious musical tells the story of Lydia Deetz, a strange and unusual teenager whose whole life changes when she meets a recently deceased couple and a demon with a thing for stripes. With an irreverent book, an astonishing set, and a score that’s out of this Netherworld, Beetlejuice is a remarkably touching show about family, love, and making the most of every Day-O!

Peter Pan (March 12–24, 2024)

Join the Darling Family as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell take them on a soaring adventure all the way to Never Never Land. All you have to do is believe. Featuring a timeless score that includes “I’m Flying,” “I’ve Got To Crow,” “Never Never Land,” “I Won’t Grow Up,” and so many more, Peter Pan is now updated for a new generation of thrill-seekers—and more spectacular than ever. Come witness the new definitive version of a story that never grows old. Your whole family will be hooked!

SIX (April 23–May 5, 2024)

From Tudor Queens to pop icons, the SIX wives of Henry VIII take the microphone to remix five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of 21st century girl power. This new original musical is the global sensation that everyone is losing their head over. SIX has won 23 awards in the 2021/2022 Broadway season, including the Tony Award for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.

Clue (May 14 – 19, 2024)

Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget. Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, Clue is the ultimate whodunit that will leave you dying of laughter and keep you guessing until the final twist.

Paris may hold the key to her heart, but Veronica Stern holds the key to Cincinnati’s. The 2021 graduate of the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music dazzles as the titular character in Anastasia: The New Broadway Musical on tour now, which made a recent stop at the Aronoff Center.

Stern’s incredible talent and range shines brightest during “In My Dreams,” the very first song she sings. Her voice and the score come together to tell a beautiful and haunting tale of how our heroine “Anya” came to be a street sweeper in St. Petersburg with no memory of her past or her identity.

If you were expecting to see a fun onstage re-make of the 1997 film that starred Meg Ryan and John Cusack, you could leave ever-so-slightly disappointed. While classic songs like ”Once Upon a December” and “A Rumor in St. Petersburg” remain, “In the Dark of the Night,” sung by Christopher Lloyd in the film (and one of my absolute favorites) does not make an appearance in the Broadway show.

Rasputin and his magic-laced storyline is replaced completely, in favor of a much more realistic plot about the Russian Revolution and the Socialist Regime that came to power in 1917. Bolshevik officer Gleb becomes the new antagonist–a man conflicted by his loyalty to the revolution and what they stand for and his desire to do the right thing. Christian McQueen brings Gleb to life on stage with his gravely, deep voice and massive presence. Yet he shows a restraint and vulnerability that makes this character interesting and dynamic.

This new story direction gives us one of the most poignant moments in the musical – “Stay, I Pray You,” a ballad sung by minor character Count Ipolitov and the ensemble – as Anya and her companions are about to board a train to leave their homeland. This song is a doleful ode to home and a prayer for that which they leave behind. The following scene demonstrates in harsh contrast the often brutal realities of the revolution and the true reason Anya must flee.

But the show is not all sad storylines and somber songs. “Journey to the Past” closes out Act I with the promise of hope and happiness as Anya and her friends head toward a brighter future in Paris.

In Paris, the costumes are brighter and everything is more fun and energetic. I particularly love when the LED screen background gives us an elevator ride to the top of the Eiffel Tower during “Paris Holds the Key.” Act II also brings comic relief with “Land of Yesterday” and “The Countess and the Common Man,” as well as more romance with “In a Crowd of Thousands.” We get glimpses of what exiled Russian aristocrats get up to and sweet moments shared by long-lost relatives. All of this leads up to the final show-down between Gleb and Anya where we find out in a very intense moment if our antagonist really is “his father’s son.”

I’m eternally grateful that Cincinnati can get such fantastic Broadway musicals in our very own Aronoff Center. A night at the theater is the perfect way to switch up a date night/girls night/family activity. Want to make plans? Check out Broadway in Cincinnati’s full list of shows at cincinnati.broadway.com.

– Shae Combs

A Grand Passion