ELLY GRIMM

   • Leader & Times

Those looking for some good live theater shows in Kansas will have just that opportunity thanks to Broadway in Wichita.

Tickets for all of the shows in the 2026-27 season are now officially on sale to the general public, and the season will  begin with Music Theatre Wichita’s “Les Misérables,” which will run from Sept 9 through 13 (with all performances at 7:30 p.m.), followed by “Mrs. Doubtfire,” which will run Nov. 10 through 12. The season will continue with "The Bodyguard," which will run Jan. 11 through 13, 2027, and the season will conclude with "Shucked," which will run March 8 through 10, 2027. All performances will be at Century II Performing Arts Center at 225 W. Douglas Ave. in Wichita.

“It's a season I'm definitely really excited about for our patrons,” Broadway in Wichita Senior Director of Programming Craig Aikman said. “It was probably two days after we announced the 2025-26 season when we started thinking about the 2026-27 season. I live in a world where I have one foot in the current year and the other foot in two to three years in front of us, so we're always looking and always paying attention to shows. We really start getting down to the nitty gritty after we survey our season members and survey our patrons to get an idea of what they're looking for and what shows they're interested in.”

Aikman said he is excited about all of the shows that will be taking the stage.

“I'm excited that we've been trying for years to be able to get ‘Les Misérables’ into the venue and into Wichita for several years, but there have always been routing issues and so many other factors that come into play when we're trying to get something like that. We've also always had a really good relationship with Music Theatre of Wichita, and it was just a really good idea to create that partnership. That's the show I'm probably most excited about that,” Aiman said. ‘Mrs. Doubtfire’ is one of my favorite films, so I'm very excited to bring this new translation of that show to Wichita. It's updated  to current time period, so a lot of the jokes are going to land differently, but it's still a family-friendly, heartwarming show a lot of people have fallen in love with. Another big grab for us is ‘The Bodyguard,’ because it’s amazing, and I'm very excited about that because it’s a beautiful, amazing show with all of the intrigue and the romance people will probably remembers from the original movie. I think the biggest grab we got for the upcoming season is the premiere of ‘Shucked,’ which is corny and super funny, and the music is really interesting because it's not standard musical theater fare. It's it's very country driven music, and it's a little irreverent and a little crazy. But sometimes you need to go to theater to laugh and just go have a good time. That's what ‘Shucked’ is, and the fact that we got it in Wichita this early in the process of it going out on tour is fantastic and a testament to the support we have in the city.”

After everything fully came together, Aikman said there was a lot of excitement.

“There was definitely an exhale of relief, because you're holding your breath for a while to make sure everything falls into place, because things can change, especially when you're dealing with a major Broadway tour that's going out in the country,” Aikman said. “I feel incredibly excited about it. I think it's, it's got a little bit of something for everyone in Wichita and in the surrounding area. It's art, and supporting the arts is necessary now more than ever. I'm always excited at the when we're able to kind of announce the season and get it out there, because I get to see how people are reacting to everything and see if they’re reacting the same way I do.”

With the high quality of shows on the bill, Aikman said he hopes to see big turnout to each show.

“If you’re a season member, that means you've got guaranteed seats for every show and you've got locked in pricing. There's also the ability to get discounted tickets on several of the shows as well for your friends and family to kind of come with you,” Aikman said. “It's a good deal, and that's the best way to kind of lock in everything before individual tickets go on sale, because individual tickets aren't going to go on sale until much later and and that way you get the best seats is really what it boils down to. If you're looking for something fun to do, this is great, and Century II is an iconic space in Wichita, and we have been blessed to be a part of that for decades now. This is a great trip out, and this is getting to go to a big city and have a nice meal out, see a great show and stay in town for a night. It’s almost like being able to experience a little bit of New York right in the middle of the country, and that's always exciting.”

The 2025-26 season will be drawing to a close next month with “Clue,” and Aikman said he is very happy with how the season has gone.

“‘Water for Elephants’ was a gorgeous experience for our audiences to see. It was brand new in the market, and it was well received. Our audiences really loved it, and were surprised by it, which is exactly what we like,” Aikman said. “‘Hadestown’ was another one the audiences were surprised by. There's an expectation that comes from being able to see such great theater in Wichita now that will be moving us into the next season. There's been a lot of support for the season that we're currently in, and I feel that kind of moving forward into the next season as well.”

Overall, Aikman said, he is excited for the 2026-27 season and future seasons.

“There are so many new shows that are kind of coming down the pipeline I saw in New York, and the list is exhaustive. Hopefully we can make some things work. And we'll send out a programming survey right around the time of the Tony Awards to all of our patrons to get a feel for these shows will be listed on there,” Aikman said. “People can also check us out online so they can see more information about the shows, and consider making a trip to Wichita and experience all of this that we're bringing to everybody in Kansas.”