Ron Legler, president of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center, home of the historic Hippodrome Theatre, is proud to announce the new 2024/2025 Hippodrome Broadway Series.
The season kicks off in September with the North American tour launch of the hit Broadway musical & JULIET, a hilarious musical comedy by the writer from “Schitt’s Creek” that flips the script on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the greatest love story ever told, followed in November by MJ THE MUSICAL, the multi–Tony Award-winning new musical centered around the making of Michael Jackson’s 1992 Dangerous World Tour. Rounding out 2024 is the North American tour launch of LIFE OF PI, an epic tale of perseverance and hope based on the best-selling novel that sold more than 15 million copies around the world. The hit play features jaw-dropping visuals, world-class puppetry and exquisite stagecraft.
Starting 2025 is returning favorite ANNIE, the best-loved musical of all time that has reminded generations of theatergoers that sunshine is always right around the corner. The season then springs in February to the Hippodrome’s anticipated return of DISNEY’S THE LION KING, winner of six Tony Awards including Best Musical. The landmark show has been celebrated by more than 100 million people around the world, featuring awe-inspiring visual artistry and unforgettable music by Tony Award-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice.
Completing the 2024/2025 season is SHUCKED, the straight-from-Broadway Tony Award-winning musical comedy that The Wall Street Journal calls “flat out hilarious!” in April, SOME LIKE IT HOT in May and CHICAGO in June. Set when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, SOME LIKE IT HOT is the “glorious, big, high-kicking” (Associated Press) story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. Broadway’s longest-running musical that has been razzle-dazzling audiences for 27 years and the winner of six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards and a Grammy, CHICAGO is a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz that depicts two of the Cook County Jail’s most notorious murderesses—vaudeville star Velma Kelly and chorus girl Roxie Hart.
The season option is COME FROM AWAY, the breathtaking musical written by Tony nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein, directed by Tony-winning Best Director Christopher Ashley and musical staging by Tony nominee Kelly Devine that takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them.
“The Hippodrome prides itself on bringing audiences the very best of Broadway to Baltimore,” says Legler. “Coupled with our world-class house and exceptional hospitality, our loyal subscribers and patrons are guaranteed to be delighted—and they will be among the very first in the nation to experience the all-new touring productions of & JULIET and LIFE OF PI thanks to the Maryland Theatrical Tax Credit established in 2022.”
MORE ABOUT THE SHOWS:
& JULIET
Sept. 22-28, 2024
Created by the Emmy-winning writer from “Schitt’s Creek,” this hilarious new musical flips the script on the greatest love story ever told. & JULIET asks: what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as she ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love—her way.
Juliet’s new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, including “Since U Been Gone‚” “Roar,” “Baby One More Time,” “Larger Than Life‚” “That’s The Way It Is” and “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”—all from the genius songwriter/producer behind more #1 hits than any other artist this century. Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there’s life after Romeo. The only tragedy would be to miss it.
MJ THE MUSICAL
Nov. 12-17, 2024
He is one of the greatest entertainers of all time. Now, Michael Jackson’s unique and unparalleled artistry comes to Baltimore as MJ THE MUSICAL, the multi–Tony Award-winning new musical centered around the making of the 1992 Dangerous World Tour, begins a tour of its own. Created by Tony Award-winning Director/Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon and two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage, MJ goes beyond the singular moves and signature sound of the star, offering a rare look at the creative mind and collaborative spirit that catapulted Michael Jackson into legendary status. MJ is startin’ somethin’ as it makes its Maryland premiere at the Hippodrome in November 2024.
The MJ creative team features Scenic Design by two-time Tony and Emmy Award-winner Derek McLane, Lighting Design by seven-time Tony Award-winner Natasha Katz, Costume Design by Tony and Emmy Award-winner Paul Tazewell, Sound Design by Tony Award-winner Gareth Owen, Projection Design by two-time Tony Award nominee Peter Nigrini, and Hair & Wig Design by two-time Emmy Award nominee Charles G. LaPointe. The creative team also features Musical Supervision by Tony Award nominee David Holcenberg, Orchestrations and Arrangements by David Holcenberg and Tony Award-winner Jason Michael Webb, and Music Direction by Victor Simonson. Casting by The Telsey Office / Rachel Hoffman, CSA, Lindsay Levine, CSA.
LIFE OF PI
Dec. 7-14, 2024
A THEATRICAL EVENT UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE!
Winner of three Tony Awards and the Olivier Award for Best Play, the Broadway and West End sensation LIFE OF PI is “an exhilarating evening of theater” (The Wall Street Journal).
Based on the novel that sold more than 15 million copies and became a worldwide phenomenon, LIFE OF PI is an epic story of perseverance and hope that speaks to every generation and “gives new life to Broadway” (The Today Show).
After a shipwreck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, a sixteen-year-old boy named Pi survives on a lifeboat with four companions— a hyena, a zebra, an orangutan, and a Royal Bengal tiger.
Told with jaw-dropping visuals, world-class puppetry and exquisite stagecraft, LIFE OF PI creates a breathtaking journey that will leave you filled with awe and joy.
ANNIE
Jan. 7-12, 2025
Holding onto hope when times are tough can take an awful lot of determination, and sometimes, an awful lot of determination comes in a surprisingly small package. Little Orphan Annie has reminded generations of theatergoers that sunshine is always right around the corner, and now the best-loved musical of all time is set to return in a new production – just as you remember it and just when we need it most.
ANNIE, directed by Jenn Thompson, features the iconic book and score written by Tony
Award-winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse, and Martin Charnin. This celebration of family, optimism and the American spirit remains the ultimate cure for all the hard knocks life throws your way.
DISNEY’S THE LION KING
Feb. 12 – March 2, 2025
Giraffes strut. Birds swoop. Gazelles leap. The entire Serengeti comes to life as never before. And as the music soars, Pride Rock slowly emerges from the mist. This is Disney’s THE LION KING, making its triumphant return to the Hippodrome!
More than 100 million people around the world have experienced the awe-inspiring visual artistry, the unforgettable music and the uniquely theatrical storytelling of this Broadway spectacular—one of the most breathtaking and beloved productions ever to grace the stage.
Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, THE LION KING brings together one of the most imaginative creative teams on Broadway. Tony Award-winning director Julie Taymor brings to life a story filled with hope and adventure set against an amazing backdrop of stunning visuals. THE LION KING also features the extraordinary work of Tony Award-winning choreographer Garth Fagan and some of Broadway’s most recognizable music, crafted by Tony Award-winning artists Elton John and Tim Rice.
There is simply nothing else like THE LION KING.
SHUCKED
April 1-6, 2025
SHUCKED is the Tony Award-winning musical comedy The Wall Street Journal calls “flat out hilarious!” And nobody knows funny like economists. Featuring a book by Tony Award-winner Robert Horn (Tootsie), a score by the Grammy Award–winning songwriting team of Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally (Kacey Musgraves’ “Follow Your Arrow”), and directed by Tony Award-winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray), this corn-fed, corn-bred American musical is sure to satisfy your appetite for great musical theater.
SOME LIKE IT HOT
May 6-11, 2025
Winner of four Tony Awards, including Best Choreography and Best Costumes, SOME LIKE IT HOT is “A Super-Sized, All-Out Song-And-Dance Spectacular!” – The New York Times
Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, SOME LIKE IT HOT is the “glorious, big, high-kicking” (Associated Press) story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime.
And what a trip it is! With its irresistible combination of heart and laughs, song and dance, SOME LIKE IT HOT won more theater awards than any show this season, and was named Best Musical by the Drama Desk, The Drama League, and the Outer Critics Circle. No wonder Deadline calls it “a tap-dancing, razzle-dazzling embrace of everything you love about musical theater.”
CHICAGO
June 3-8, 2025
CHICAGO is still the one musical with everything that makes Broadway shimmy-shake: a universal tale of fame, fortune and all that jazz, with one showstopping song after another and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen.
In the whirlwind of Chicago’s Jazz Age, two of the Cook County Jail’s most notorious murderesses—vaudeville star Velma Kelly and chorus girl Roxie Hart—become fierce rivals as they compete for headlines amidst a media frenzy.
Broadway’s longest-running musical has been razzle-dazzling audiences for 27 years, and after more than 10,000 performances, six Tony Awards, two Olivier Awards, and a Grammy, we’re just getting started.
2024/2025 SEASON OPTION:
COME FROM AWAY
April 18-19, 2025
Broadway’s COME FROM AWAY is a Best Musical winner all across North America!
This New York Times Critics’ Pick takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of 7,000 stranded passengers and the small town in Newfoundland that welcomed them. Cultures clashed and nerves ran high, but uneasiness turned into trust, music soared into the night and gratitude grew into enduring friendships.
Don’t miss this breathtaking musical written by Tony nominees Irene Sankoff and David Hein, directed by Tony-winning Best Director, Christopher Ashley, and musical staging by Tony nominee Kelly Devine. The tour is directed by Daniel Goldstein with musical staging by Richard J. Hinds, based on the original Broadway direction and choreography.
Newsweek cheers, “It takes you to a place you never want to leave!”
On 9/11, the world stopped.
On 9/12, their stories moved us all.
Current subscribers are invited to renew their subscriptions starting January 26 and will receive an email with more information. Patrons seeking new eight-show subscriptions for the Hippodrome’s upcoming season can join the Hippodrome’s wait list to be among the first in line, with new subscription packages going on sale in Spring 2024.
Purchasing is available:
- Online at BaltimoreHippodrome.com/Season
- By phone at 800.343.3103 (M-F, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
- In-person at the Hippodrome Theatre Box Office, located at the corner of Eutaw and Baltimore Streets (M-F, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and performances dates 11 a.m. – curtain)
The Hippodrome Broadway Series is presented in partnership with THE HIPPODROME FOUNDATION (HFI). The Hippodrome Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)3, non-profit organization established in Baltimore, Maryland in 1976. Formerly known as the Baltimore Center for the Performing Arts (BCPA), the foundation was created to present live theater at the Morris A. Mechanic Theater. Over the years, HFI has evolved into its present incarnation as the largest presenter of Broadway in Maryland, working in partnership with Broadway Across America to bring the very best possible shows to this region. The primary mission of the Hippodrome Foundation is to share the assets of the France-Merrick Performing Arts Center with people, especially students who might not have access to the arts. Since the 2004 reopening of the Hippodrome Theatre, the foundation has provided free programs (including master classes, Camp Hippodrome, student matinees and more) for more than 70,000 people, “raising the curtain on opportunity” through the performing arts.
