Must See Musical Theatre Coming to Philadelphia
By Lauren Lau ’19
Broadway may be just a train ride away, but local theaters and touring productions make it even easier to see your favorite (or your soon-to-be favorite) musical. This year, Philadelphia’s theatre scene is introducing its new repertoire of Big Apple favorites during the 2018–2019 season. This year, the theater will be presenting a generous list of Tony winners, timeless showstoppers, and offbeat comedies ready for the next generation of theatre lovers.
Anastasia (April 9, 2019 to April 14, 2019)
Academy of Music 240 S. Broad St.
Animation’s forgotten princess will be settling in the Academy of Music next month. The musical, inspired by the 1997 film of the same title, follows Anya, a street sweeper in Russia who bares an uncanny resemblance to the lost princess Anastasia who escaped her family’s execution 10 years prior. Two local con men searching for their next great scheme, meet Anya and immediately strike up a plan to extort money from Empress Maria Feodorovna, Anastasia’s grandmother. Anya who suffers from amnesia agrees to join the men as an Anastasia imposter.
The show honors the film and adds 16 new songs to the already gratifying soundtrack from the original movie featuring the Golden Globe nominated song “Once Upon a December.” This royal adventure is an ideal choice for family enjoyment and is perfectly nostalgic for anyone who remembers the original film.
Legally Blonde: The Musical (May 14, 2019 to July 14, 2019)
Walnut Street Theatre 825 Walnut St.
As a Philadelphia staple, the Walnut Street Theatre always has something to offer local theatre fans. Legally Blonde: The Musical is smart, exhilitaring, and charming which shows off all the best qualities of the beloved film it is based off of.
Elle Woods, a pink-loving, California sorority girl, is left heartbroken when her boyfriend Warner breaks up with her to pursue Harvard Law School. Elle gets accepted into the school hoping to win Warner over, only to find that he is in a new relationship. This fabulously fun adventure shows just how important it is to live on your own terms. Elle continues law school and challenges the stereotypes surrounding her and the standard Warner held her too. This feel-good musical will make you fall in love with Elle’s ambition and remind you why America cannot get enough of this show.
The Book of Mormon (May 28, 2019 to June 9, 2019)
Academy of Music 240 S. Broad St.
Perhaps, one of Broadway’s most incredible success stories comes from the an unconventional and pretty controversial place. The Book of Mormon is the eccentric concoction written by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone along with EGOT winner Robert Lopez of Avenue Q and Disney’s Frozen fame.
Elder Price and Elder Cunningham are two Mormon missionaries who are sent to Uganda to preach, however the pair land in a village of unwelcoming natives. Following the death of a villager, Price is discouraged from continuing the mission, leaving an anxious Cunningham to get the villagers interested in learning the Book of Mormon. The musical takes a raunchier comedic approach to the traditional Broadway show, but the clever script and humorous musical numbers elevated this show into winning the 2011 Tony Awards’ highest honor of Best Musical.
Cats (June 18, 2019 to June 30, 2019)
Forrest Theatre 1114 Walnut St.
One of Broadway’s longest running shows is ascending onto the Forrest Theatre stage. Legendary composer Andrew Lloyd Webber penned the songs for the show, which includes the classic showtune, “Memory.” The unique conceptual elements of the show have established Cats as a crowd favorite since its West End debut in 1981.
The show follows a group of cats known as the “Jellicles” who must decide which of their own they will send to the Heaviside Layer to be rebirthed. Based off of a book of poems by T. S. Eliot, this whimsical musical is unlike any other. The characters are all given unorthodox names and the methodology is explained in the song “The Naming of the Cats.” Characters include Bombalurina, Grizabella, Rum Tum Tugger, Bustopher Jones, and Old Deuteronomy. On the outside, the theatrical storyline and outlandish costuming goes against the grain of rationality, but the show manages to take the audience on a captivating journey, solidifying Cats as one of the most iconic Broadway shows of all time.
Hamilton (August 27, 2019 to November 17, 2019)
Forrest Theatre 1114 Walnut St.
The multi-Tony Award winning phenomenon arrives in Philadelphia towards the end of this summer. Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda fuses American history and hip-hop into this transformative show following the rise and fall of former Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. The lack of dialogue in the show is balanced by the impressive lyrical set that carries the audience through wartime, the signing of the Constitution, and Hamilton’s lifelong rivalry with Aaron Burr.
Standout songs such as “My Shot,” “The Schuyler Sisters,” and “The Room Where it Happens” were recognized by critics when the show’s cast recording won a Grammy Award in 2016. Although the show is known for its quick-witted raps and swiftly choreographed battle sequences, perhaps the show’s most complex character dynamic occurs in the romantic plot between Alexander and his wife Eliza Schuyler. Audiences are guaranteed to leave the theater with an unforgettable history lesson and songs that will be stuck in their heads for weeks.
