Most area musical theater fans already know that Theater League’s Broadway in Santa Barbara series brings the best national touring companies of current and classic Broadway shows to the Granada every year. Whether you are still buzzing from last week’s presentation of Guys and Dolls or just wishing you were, next season’s lineup has been announced, so now’s the time to get organized and get tickets for the 2015-16 season.
December welcomes one of the most exciting new holiday shows to come along in years. Forget Rudolph or Tiny Tim or even Santa himself for that matter, and bring on Frank, Dean, Joey, and Sammy for a Rat Pack Christmas, which comes to the Granada December 8-9. Buddy Hackett’s son, Sandy, emcees this night of Christmas songs sung by guys in tuxes drinking cocktails and smoking cigarettes.
On January 12-13, 2016, Granada audiences will travel back in time to the 1980s with Flashdance the Musical. Based on the iconic 1983 film, this stage adaptation includes all the original hits, including “Maniac,” “Flashdance…What a Feeling,” and “Gloria,” along with several new songs by songwriting team Robbie Roth and Robert Cary. Expect leg warmers, artfully torn sweatshirts, tousled hair, and pouting faces — and that’s just the people in line.
The Producers rolls into town on February 16-17, 2016. In ironic tribute to its own premise, Mel Brooks’s musical adaptation of his own 1968 film has proved to be one of the most successful Broadway musicals of this century. Thrill to Max Bialystock’s audition epiphany as he realizes, “That’s our Hitler!” The Producers is one of the funniest shows ever written, and this production is sure to deliver the goods.
Ragtime has become a favorite among Broadway musical cognoscenti ever since it won a Tony for Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens’s score in 1998. That goes up March 29-30, 2016. Season tickets are on sale now. Call (805) 899-2222 or visit theaterleague.com.