Shea's Performing Arts Center unveiled its 2018-19 M&T Bank Broadway Series Tuesday night. This season will include Disney’s Aladdin, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Miss Saigon, and others including the internationally renowned musical Hamilton.
It’s been near impossible for many to get tickets to see the show on Broadway. Shea’s Performing Arts Center President Michael G. Murphy said those looking to buy ahead of time may have to wait a bit longer.
“The first people to get tickets are the subscribers,” said Murphy. “Those who subscribed this past year and are renewing their subscriptions for the coming year get first dibs on the tickets. Then we will be able to open up tickets for people who want to purchase single tickets and also add on to their subscriptions. But we’re not going to be able to do until later on in the summer or early fall.”
Murphy said the producers of shows love coming to Buffalo early in their tour. That happens to be the case for Hamilton. It will show for three weeks running November 20 to December 9 later this year.
Broadway actor Jared Bradshaw will star as Willy Wonka from September 22 to 29. He sang Pure Imagination to well over 1000 theater enthusiasts at Tuesday night’s event. Bradshaw said the show plays old favorites while introducing a few new tunes as well.
“It’s the perfect marriage of Roald Dahl’s 1964 book and that amazing Gene Wilder 1971 film that has Candy man and… (singing) I’ve got a golden ticket… and Pure Imagination and of course the Oompa-Loompa songs. I have a four and a half year old daughter. She loves the Oompa-Loompas in our show,” said Bradshaw.
Miss Saigon is returning from February 26th to March 3rd, 2019. The leading role of Kim will be played by 20-year-old Emily Bautista. Before she got the part on Broadway, she was a student at Ithaca College. She said the Ithaca audience was always excited for new and challenging theater. She thinks Buffalo will be the same.
“It’s always exciting to have an audience that’s very responsive and very open to challenging theater,” said Bautista. “Which this show is. (Tuesday night) was a very clear example of a very responsive audience. I’m very excited for that. Everyone was so excited the second they started playing the b-roll.”
You can hear more of her journey here in the full interview:
Special engagement shows in the 2018-2019 include Cats, the 20th Anniversary Tour of Rent, and The Book of Mormon.
Shea’s 710 Theatre also announced the shows for their upcoming season. They include The Three Musketeers, Fun Home, and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberly.
