ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Those looking for some chances for a weekend getaway will have just that thanks to the American Theatre Guild.
Tickets for all of the shows in the 2024-25 season are now officially on sale to the general public, with the season beginning with an add-on, Cirque Dreams Holidaze, which will run Nov. 26 and 27, before moving on to "Chicago" (which will run from Dec. 20 through 22), followed "Pretty Woman: The Musical" (which will run Jan. 3 through 5, 2025), followed by "The Book of Mormon" (which will run Feb. 14 through 16, 2025), followed by "Beetlejuice" (which will run April 2 through 6, 2025), and the season will conclude with "The Cher Show," which will run April 25 through 27. Other add-on shows for the season will include "R.E.S.P.E.C.T" about the life of Aretha Franklin, which will run March 18, 2025, and "Champions of Magic," which will run April 17, 2025. All performances will be at Century II Performing Arts Center in Wichita.
As Broadway in Wichita Senior Director of Programming Craig Aikman tells it, there is a lot to be excited about for this season.
“The goal is always to bring in something for everyone and include some revivals, shows people will recognize, new Broadway shows just hitting the road, and some tried-and-true stories that will bring people to the theatre and get them excited. "Chicago" is the revival and once you see it, you almost feel like you can't see it again because it's different every time,” Aikman said. "’Pretty Woman’ is recognizable and based on the Julia Roberts film, and all the aspects people love about the film are included in the stage show, which is really fun. ‘The Book of Mormon’ is one of the most successful shows we've brought to Wichita, so when we have the chance to bring a show back, we jump on it. ‘Beetlejuice’ is the hot new Broadway show just hitting the road, and it's one of the shows me and my children are particularly excited about because I love both the movies, and it was one of the last shows I got to see before everything shut down because of the pandemic. With ‘The Cher Show,’ it's about one of the biggest artists in music history, and she's been around forever and doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon, so getting a glimpse of her story is just amazing. There's definitely something for everyone, and we're all excited to see everyone in the audience excited.”
Aikman said he enjoys being able to bring live theatre experiences to the state for veteran and new audiences.
“The thing I find most enjoyable – and this is the music geek in me – is when I have the chance to go see a show in Wichita, I go for it because a lot of my family still lives there, so it's a chance to go to the theatre and also see them for a visit,” Aikman said. “And funnily enough, I spend more time watching how the audience reacts to the show than actually watching the show myself. I get to share my passion and this magical artistic experience experience with a community I care about very much. I remember when I was young, I didn't know I could see that level of performance in my own backyard, so to speak. I always emphasize to people how you don't necessarily have to travel to Chicago or New York or one of those cities to see the level of performance and entertainment that comes through with these shows. And I hope our audiences feel the same way and think of it as a more memorable experience than just going out for a night. The first show I ever saw was a high school production of 'The Music Man' all the way in Greensburg, and it stuck with me enough that I made my career in this part of the musical theatre world.”
With the coming season, Aikman said planning has been going on for multiple years.
“We start planning pretty well in advance, and we're actually currently working on plans for the 2025-26 season and also looking at shows that will be available to come to Wichita for the 2026-27 season and 2027-28, so there's a lot of pre-planning done. In June/July, around the time of the Tony Awards, we send out a programming survey to our season members and our single-ticket buyers, and that survey includes a list of the shows we know will be going out on the road, shows we hope will be going out on the road, and shows that are currently really hot on Broadway that have a following,” Aikman said. “We take a look at those survey results, and then we start paying more attention to what's going on in New York and on Broadway and what's going on tour out of New York. We then start more seriously planning what that season will potentially look like – i.e. it was this past June when we started looking seriously at what shows would be available for the 2025-26 season even though we knew we had planned 'Beetlejuice' and 'The Book of Mormon' back in 2023. And there are several titles we're looking at for 2026-27 that we'd been considering all the way back in 2023 as well. Then, after all of that, we talk to the booking agents and figure out the logistics as far as hauling sets and everything else to Wichita, and then after more input from our patrons, we create the season we think will really excite them. We also, of course, work with Century II to make sure the timing will work out so they can have everything properly scheduled and nothing overlaps.”
With the shows that will be part of the season, Aikman said he hopes to see people from all over the state in the audience.
“Liberal, as well as other communities in that part of the state, can feel really far away from Wichita distance-wise, but the cool thing is, there's a lot people can do in Wichita, and these shows we're bringing can be just one thing that drives you here,” Aikman said. “Some time ago, the show performances were Tuesday-Wednesday and Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday, so it was really difficult for people in Western Kansas or outside of the Wichita area to come in and see one of the shows. However, we've made a shift to having shows on Friday-Saturday-Sunday, so that's a perfect opportunity to take a weekend trip to Wichita and maybe not JUST see a show, but also visit the zoo and maybe some other places. It's a perfect mini-vacation opportunity, and we'd love to have people from all over the state come for a visit.”
Overall, Aikman said, he is looking forward to seeing how this season turns out.
“I expect all seats full in the theatre there at Century II, or at least close to that, because all the shows in the season are really fun and exciting, and we try to replicate that every year. We want to bring in shows people will actually want to see, and we want the audience to be excited about coming to see them,” Aikman said. “With shows like 'Pretty Woman,' or ‘Beetlejuice,’ for example, there are some who might say 'Well, I've already seen the movie,' but the stage show is such a different experience while maintaining the spirit of the movie. And I hope we inspire at least one young person who's never been exposed to live theatre before to want to be part of this field when they grow up, whether it's being onstage or part of the stage crew. We want to inspire a love for the arts in everyone possible.”
