Baltimore Center Stage (BCS) (Artistic Director Stephanie Ybarra; Managing Director Adam Frank) is proud to announce the complete 2023/24 Season, the final season programmed by Stephanie Ybarra in her tenure as Artistic Director. Memberships for the 23/24 Season are on sale online now and single ticket sales will go on sale in the summer.
In addition to all mainstage programming, BCS will also be producing a wide range of artistic programs, including concert series, film screenings, and talks with members of Baltimore and artistic communities and many more. This will include the return of the popular civic dialogue series Baltimore Butterfly Sessions, a presentation of interactive cult classic movie Rocky Horror Picture Show with Chocolate Covered Rocky Horror and Creative Alliance, as well as programs celebrating the city of Baltimore and its artistic communities, including the inaugural Locally Grown Festival and the Shared Space Initiative. BCS’s New Work Development activities, and partnership with ArtsCentric will also continue this season. More details on these programs will be announced at a later date.
“I’m proud to watch the last season I’ll curate come to life under the leadership of my friend, Ken-Matt and the entire BCS team,” says outgoing BCS Artistic Director Stephanie Ybarra. “This constellation of plays and artists represents so much of what I love about theater; it’s filled to the brim with music, laughter and hyper-theatricality delivered by way of world premieres, fresh takes on classics, local and national partnerships and so much more.”
“Stephanie has done tremendous work at BCS, culminating in a season that’s as vital as it is entertaining, led by some of the most talented artists working today,” said Interim Artistic Director Ken-Matt Martin. “I feel grateful to have been entrusted with carrying the torch while BCS seeks future leadership that will continue its exciting evolution.”
The 2023/24 season begins this fall with Lanie Robertson’s Tony Award-nominated play about the life of Billie Holiday, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, directed by Nikkole Salter (In the Continuum) and continues with the ArtsCentric production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Enchanted Edition), directed by Kevin McAllister (ArtsCentric Artistic Director).
The season continues in 2024 with a world premiere co-production with Mosaic Theater Company of Mexodus, written and performed by Brian Quijada (Where Did We Sit On The Bus) and Nygel D. Robinson (The Amen Corner), directed by David Mendizábal (Notes on Killing…), and Katori Hall’s Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy, The Hot Wing King, directed by Christopher D. Betts (Dreamgirls – The Paramount Theatre) and produced in association with Hartford Stage. The season will end with a new adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest, directed and adapted by Jenny Koons (Men on Boats at BCS).
Baltimore Center Stage’s first priority is the health, safety, and well-being of audiences, staff, artists, and guests. BCS’s current policy includes a schedule of mask-optional and mask-required performances, in order to give each audience member a choice of how to attend performances in the way that best matches their comfort level.
For the most up-to-date COVID Safety Guidelines, visit our website: https://www.centerstage.org/visit/covid-19-response/.
The line-up for the 2023-24 season is:
LADY DAY AT EMERSON’S BAR AND GRILL
Written by Lanie Robertson
Musical Arrangements by Danny Holgate
Directed by Nikkole Salter
September 14 – October 8, 2023
Opening night: September 22, 2023
In March 1959, four months before her passing, Billie Holiday gives an unforgettable performance at Emerson’s Bar & Grill in South Philadelphia. However, her songs are just one part of the show. In between renditions of some of her greatest hits, like “Strange Fruit” and “God Bless the Child,” Billie shares the triumphs and heartbreaks of a life and career like no other in this immersive cabaret experience that marks the directorial debut of Pulitzer-nominated artist, Nikkole Salter.
LOCALLY GROWN FESTIVAL
October 20-22, 2023
Meet the creatives who put the “charm” in Charm City! The Locally Grown Festival will bring together local performers, artists, and makers for a weekend of fresh voices, local connection, and theater in all its forms. Join us for this inaugural celebration of Baltimore’s brilliant, eccentric, and thriving arts ecology.
BCS Presents
ARTSCENTRIC’S Production of
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s
CINDERELLA (Enchanted Edition)
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Adapted for the Stage by Tom Briggs
From the Teleplay by Robert L. Freedman
Directed by Kevin S. McAllister
Music Directed by Cedric D. Lyles
Choreographed by Shalyce Hemby
November 25 – December 23, 2023
Opening night: December 1, 2023
Blending elements of classic and contemporary versions of Cinderella, ArtsCentric returns to BCS following its must-see performances of Crowns with its take on the time-honored story that’s not to be missed! Inspired by the groundbreaking 1997 movie featuring Brandy Norwood and Whitney Houston, Cinderella is an enchanting musical adventure. This version of the beloved, timeless classic features musical performances that follow Cinderella’s magical transformation with the help of her fairy godmother, in a show that will be enjoyable for all generations.
MEXODUS
Written and performed by Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson
Directed by David Mendizábal
A World Premiere Co-Production with Mosaic Theater Company
March 14 – April 7, 2024
Opening night: March 21, 2024
Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson blend Hip-Hop and history to tell a unique story about the Underground Railroad that led south, highlighting the power of Black and Brown unity. A groundbreaking theatrical experience, Mexodus is a live-looped musical, composed in real time, that explores the often-untold stories of enslaved people in the United States who sought freedom in Mexico.
THE HOT WING KING
Written by Katori Hall
Directed by Christopher D. Betts
In Association with Hartford Stage
April 11 – April 28, 2024
Opening night: April 13, 2024
Pulitzer Prize winner Katori Hall’s work returns to our stage with her award-winning comedy, The Hot Wing King, in which Memphis, Tennessee’s annual Hot Wang Festival is quickly approaching, and Cordell Crutchfield is determined to be crowned king of the wings. With support from The New Wing Order, made up of his partner Dwayne and his friends Isom & Big Charles, victory seems inevitable. However, Cordell soon finds himself preparing for the festival while caring for his teenage nephew who moves in after a family tragedy. Will this new arrangement be a recipe for success or disaster?
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
Written by Oscar Wilde
Adapted and directed by Jenny Koons
World Premiere Adaptation
May 9- May 26, 2024
Opening Night: May 11, 2024
This reimagined, “Bridgerton-ized” version of Oscar Wilde’s classic tells the witty and humorous story featuring Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who both create alter egos that supply an escape to the monotony of their lives. As the misunderstandings pile up and their stories unravel, eventually both men must come to terms with their true identities.
Tickets for the season will go on sale in the coming months. Performance schedules, casting and full creative teams for productions and programs will also be announced at a later date.
About Baltimore Center Stage
Designated the State Theater of Maryland in 1978, Baltimore Center Stage provides the highest quality theater and programming for all members of our communities, including youth and families, under the leadership of Artistic Director Stephanie Ybarra and Managing Director Adam Frank. Baltimore Center Stage ignites conversations and imaginations by producing an eclectic season of professional productions across two mainstages, through engaging community programs, and with inspiring education programs. Everything Baltimore Center Stage does is led by its core values—chief among them being Access For All. BCS’s mission is heavily rooted in providing active and open accessibility for everyone, regardless of any and all barriers, to Mainstage performances, education initiatives, and community programming.
