2023-2024 Season
Since its beginnings in 1929, the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre has been a cornerstone in the arts community of Kalamazoo. For our 95th Season we are excited to present 12 productions between September 2023 and May 2024 including a very special Penguin Project production of Cats: Young Actors Edition. If you enjoy big, splashy musicals, outrageous comedies or thought-provoking dramas - there is something for everyone this season at the Civic.
September 15-October 1, 2023
Civic Auditorium - MUSICAL
Music and Lyrics: Andrew Lippa
Book: John August
Based on the celebrated novel by Daniel Wallace and the acclaimed film directed by Tim Burton, BIG FISH tells the story of Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who lives life to its fullest and then some! Edward's incredible, larger-than-life stories thrill everyone around him, most of all, his devoted wife Sandra. But their son Will, about to have a child of his own, is determined to find the truth behind his father's epic tales.
BIG FISH is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide www.theatricalrights.com
Kalamazoo Civic Youth ProductionOctober 6-15, 2023
Parish Theatre - PLAY
A collection of exciting short plays to celebrate and amplify important, too-often-unheard voices. These plays offer a meaningful theatrical journey for, All of Us.
Produced by special arrangement with YouthPLAYS. YouthPLAYS.com
Senior Class Reader s TheatreOctober 27- November 5, 2023
Carver Studio - PLAY
By Brian Clark
A brilliant battle of wits takes place in this extraordinary play. A successful sculptor, is paralyzed in a car accident and kept alive by support systems in a hospital. Invoking the law of habeas corpus, our patient battles to determine Whose Life Is It Anyway?
Whose Life Is It Anyway? is produced by special arrangement with THE DRAMATIC
PUBLISHING COMPANY of Woodstock, Illinois
November 10-19, 2023Parish Theatre - PLAY
By Robert O'Hara
Get ready for an intervention! In this hilarious and raunchy comedy, the O Mallery family has gathered to confront their youngest sister, who is an addict. What could go wrong? Full of twists, turns, and four-letter words; Robert O'Hara's Barbecue is a whirlwind satire for an adult audience.
Barbecue is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by TRW PLAYS 1180 Avenue of the Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036. www.trwplays.com
November 24-December 17, 2023Civic Auditorium - MUSICAL
Music by Richard Rodgers Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp
The world's most beloved musical. The Sound of Music won five Tony Awards and five Oscars. The inspirational story, based on the memoir of Maria Augusta Trapp, follows an ebullient postulate who serves as governess to the seven children of the imperious Captain von Trapp, bringing music and joy to the household. But as the forces of Nazism take hold of Austria, Maria and the entire von Trapp family must make a moral decision.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. www.concordtheatricals.com
January 12-21, 2024Carver Studio - PLAY
by James Goldman
Sibling rivalry, adultery, and dungeons! The Lion in Winter, by James Goldman, is a modern-day classic. Comedic in tone, dramatic in action - the play tells the story of the Plantagenet family, who are locked in a free-for-all of competing ambitions to inherit a kingdom.
"The Lion in Winter"" is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals
January 26-February 4, 2024Civic Auditorium - MUSICAL
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Based on Old Possum's Book Of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot
CATS is set amongst a larger-than life junkyard playground and is alive with purr-fect felines. The Jellicle Cats come out to play on one special night of the year the night of the Jellicle Ball. They tell their stories for the amusement of Old Deuteronomy, their leader, who must choose one of the Cats to be reborn into a whole new Jellicle life.
Cats: Young Actors Edition is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Really Useful Group. www.concordtheatricals.com
Senior Class Reader's TheatreFebruary 16-25, 2024
Parish Theatre - MUSICAL
Book by Jeffrey Kindley
Music and lyrics by Craig Carnelia
Suggested by the Ralph Keyes novel of the same name. For some, high school may have been the high point of their lives. For others, it's something they do not wish to relive. However you felt about your high school years, you can be sure they shaped the way you are today. Craig Carnelia has written a collection of songs and monologues that captures the range of high school experiences and how they play out after graduation. And, yes, algebra can come in handy sometimes.
IS THERE LIFE AFTER HIGH SCHOOL? is presented by arrangement with Concord
Theatricals. www.concordtheatricals.com
March 8-17, 2024Civic Auditorium - PLAY
Adapted by Patrick Barlow From the novel by John Buchan
From the movie by Alfred Hitchcock Licensed by ITV Global
Entertainment Limited And an original concept by Simon
Corble and Nobby Dimon
Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit! This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters played by a ridiculously talented cast of four.
The 39 Steps is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.
April 5-14, 2024Carver Studio - MUSICAL
Written and Originally Directed and Choreographed by STUART ROSS
Musical Continuity Supervision and Arrangements by James Raitt Originally Produced by Gene Wolsk
When four young singers are killed in a car crash, they posthumously take the stage for one final gig in this goofy, 1950s nostalgia trip. This deliciously fun revue is chock-full of classic doo-wop harmonies and pitch-perfect melodies!
FOREVER PLAID Is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
April 19-28, 2024Parish Theatre - MUSICAL
Music and Lyrics by Elton John & Tim Rice
Additional Music and Lyrics by Lebo M, Mark Mancina, Jay
Rifkin, and Hans Zimmer
Book by Roger Allers & Irene Mecchi
Based on the Broadway production directed by Julie Taymor
Disney's The Lion King JR. tells the story of the epic adventures of a curious cub named Simba as he struggles to accept the responsibilities of adulthood and his destiny
as king. It features classic songs from the 1994 film such as "Hakuna Matata" and the Academy Award-winning "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."
DISNEY S THE LION KING JR is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MTIShows.com
May 3-19, 2024Civic Auditorium - MUSICAL
Book by Terrence McNally
Score by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
Based on the hit film and the incredible true story, Catch Me If You Can is the high-flying musical comedy about chasing your dreams and not getting caught. Nominated for four Tony awards, including Best Musical.
CATCH ME IF YOU CAN is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
