Are you traveling to New York City with a group some time soon? Earlier this summer, Justin and I took a look at all of the upcoming shows that have been announced the upcoming Broadway season to give you a sneak peak at some of the most exciting performances available to groups traveling to New York City!  We did not discuss our choices with each other… but it’s interesting to see there are a few things on both of our lists that are sure to be very popular with you too!

Justin’s Top 5 – Justin Steensma, Director of Group Travel

Agatha Christie BBC Murders: Count me among the droves of people who have gone through that imperative Agatha Christie phase as a teenager – a  phase which included going to the library and checking out 8 of her novels at a time, and reading them all by the due date 3 weeks later. Christie is still the master of mystery, with intricate but fun storylines, appealing time periods, and fascinating characters that just scream to be on stage.  A unique concept brings this production to life, as Christie herself is the main character who narrates and serves as a link between four one-act plays, inspired from the last episodes of her radio series.  The production will have songs written by Tony award winner Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood), and is sure to be a highlight of the season.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert: In what may prove to give this year’s smash, La Cage aux Folles, a run for its money, this new musical which premiered in Australia should be a gigantic ball of fun!  Based on the uproarious 1994 movie, this musical is about three friends  (who also happen to be drag queens), who decide to embark on an adventure in the great Australian outback.  I am not one who is afraid to admit to loving big, flashy musicals that also serve to tug at the heart strings.  The costumes alone should be worth the price of admission, and it doesn’t hurt that the cast is also thrilling.  Tony Sheldon who starred in the Australian production will resume his role for The Great White Way, and a personal favorite of mine, Will Swenson, also co-stars.

The Scottsboro Boys: The last collaboration between the famed duo John Kander and the late Fred Ebb will take center stage on Broadway this fall after taking Off-Broadway by storm this past spring.  This musical is based on the infamous story of a group African American boys falsely accused of attacking two white women.  Over the past decade, we have seen a number of fictionalized Broadway musicals dealing with race relations, from the multi award winning Hairspray to this year’s Tony nominated Memphis.  As electrifying as those shows are, The Scottsboro Boys is based on a true story, thus having the potential to be even more impactful and providing excellent educational and curriculum enhancement opportunities.   Susan Stroman (Contact) is directing and choreographing this piece, and it will be great to see her work on stage again.  I, for one, never tire of Kander and Ebb’s musical offerings.  From the dazzling Chicago, the gritty Cabaret, to the screwball comedy of Curtains, their work never fails to impress or entertain.  This show will be appropriate for mature high school and middle school students.

Séance on a Wet Afternoon: Opera isn’t the first thing that comes to mind for most student groups traveling to New York City, but I couldn’t resist recommending with this one!  Séance is Stephen Schwartz’s first foray into opera.  Schwartz excels at picking thrilling subject matter, as proven by his remarkable musicals Godspell, Pippin, and Wicked, and is sure not to disappoint with this story about a psychic that concocts a kidnapping scheme with her husband to win her fame and notoriety.  Based on the novel by Mark McShane and the classic 1964 movie, the story is a psychological thriller of epic proportions.  Schwartz’s music never fails to soar, and acclaimed singing actress Lauren Flanigan will certainly be a firecracker in the role of the fame crazy medium.    New York City Opera presents a limited run of Séance, from April 19th to May 1st, 2011.

Spiderman, Turn Off the Dark: Spiderman certainly makes the list as one of the most anticipated of all Broadway productions next season, if only because of all the postponements for the start of this new stage spectacular!  Over a year ago, I attended a special presentation of Spiderman that was conducted by director Julie Taymor (of Lion King fame).  This preview was truly spectacular. The video footage of different flying techniques and slides of the costume designs both looked incredible.  The highlight of the presentation was when Bono from U2 joined her on stage to talk about the music they wrote for the show.  After discussing the different musical themes for each character, a band appeared on stage and performed five of the songs from the show.  The music was great, and luckily, Reeve Carney who sang all of the Peter Parker/Spiderman songs for the preview, has been cast as Spiderman.  His voice is fantastic, and with Julie Taymor heading this production, Spiderman is sure to be one of the hottest tickets for groups of all ages.

Honorable Mentions: Two of the productions I am most looking forward to are currently scheduled for fall-only runs.  For mature student groups coming to New York in the fall, I highly recommend considering Mrs. Warren’s Profession, one of Shaw’s true masterpieces and starring Cherry Jones; as well as the off-Broadway production of Angels in America, the first New York revival of Tony Kushner’s tour de force. I hope that both of these magnificent plays are extended into the spring, so that more groups can have an opportunity to see them!

Larry’s Top 5 (Larry Edelson – Founder of Pro Musica Tours)

Priscilla, Queen of the Desert: The spectacular new stage musical, adapted from the hilarious movie, transfers from Australia and London’s West End to Broadway! For those not familiar with the movie, Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical is a heart-warming, uplifting adventure of three friends who hop aboard a battered old bus searching for love and friendship in the middle of the Australian outback and end up finding more than they could ever have dreamed. With a dazzling array of outrageous costumes and featuring a score of dance-floor classics, Priscilla is a sensational journey to the heart of fabulous. Hair star Will Swenson stars along with Tony Sheldon in the Broadway production.

Séance on a Wet Afternoon: I was lucky to attend two early workshops of Stephen Schwartz’s first opera before its world premiere this past season in Santa Barbara, and I am very excited that New York City Opera is bringing the production to Lincoln Center for a limited run in April of 2011.  This musical thriller is captivating and suspenseful throughout.  Pro Musica will be offering special packages that offer tickets for both Wicked (Schwartz’s most famous Broadway musical which is still running to packed houses) and Séance, along with special master classes that explore the difference between singing operatic music and musical theater – a great way to introduce students to opera.

Time Stands Still: After taking a short hiatus this summer, the Tony Award nominated Time Stands Still returns to Broadway this fall with much of the original cast, and a wonderful new star! Sarah and James, a photographer and a journalist, have been together for nine years and share a passion for documenting the realities of war. But when injuries force them to return home to New York, the adventurous couple confronts the prospect of a more conventional life. Pulitzer Prize-winner Donald Margulies navigates between comedy and drama, with a cast of four who are expert at mining its twists and turns. Laura Linney, Brian d’Arcy James, Eric Bogosian and Christina Ricci come together under Daniel Sullivan’s direction. This remarkable new play is an ideal way to integrate dramatizing history and current events into theater curriculum.

War Horse: After a critically acclaimed run at London’s National Theatre, followed by an even more critically acclaimed run in the West End, Warhorse makes its way to Broadway this season. Adapted by Nick Stafford from a novel by Michael Morpurgo, War Horse centers on the sale of Joey, young Albert’s beloved horse, to the cavalry at the outbreak of World War I. Shipped to France, he’s soon caught up in enemy fire, and fate takes him on an extraordinary odyssey, serving on both sides before finding himself alone in no man’s land. But Albert cannot forget Joey and, still not old enough to enlist, he embarks on a treacherous mission to find him and bring him home. The remarkable production features seven-foot-tall horse puppets manipulated by multiple performers, created by Handspring Puppet Company of South Africa. Unlike anything previously seen on The Great White Way, War Horse is sure to be a sensation when it arrives in New York in March 2011.

Women on the Verge of  a Nervous Breakdown: Almodovar’s film of the same name has long been one of my favorite comedies, so I was ecstatic to hear that this brilliant film was being adapted into a new musical which will arrive on Broadway this fall, directed by Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher. A screwball comedy that revolves around an actress who is jilted by her lover, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown was released in 1988, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign Film and catapulting writer/director Almodovar into the mainstream. Composer/lyricist David Yazbek and librettist Jeffrey Lane, who previously collaborated on the Broadway Musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, are behind the new musical. And, to make things even more exciting, the cast will include Patti Lupone, Sherie Renee Scott, and Brian Stokes Mitchell… If the stage adaptation captures even a fraction of the hilarity of movie, it is sure to have audiences rolling in the aisles with laughter!

Honorable Mentions: I’d be remiss not to mention two of the most spectacular and highly anticipated productions of the upcoming season, even though they are not at the very top of my list.  Spiderman, Turn Off the Dark, was supposed to open this past season, but budget and technical challenges delayed that opening.  The ‘buzz’ still remains very positive about this production, which is sure to be one of the most elaborate shows ever seen on Broadway.  Love Never Dies, the sequel to the incredibly long running Phantom of the Opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is also slated to open next season.  This provides a great opportunity for groups to see both shows back to back, and all reports from London where the show is currently running is that fans of the original Phantom will not be disappointed by Lloyd Webber’s latest creation!

GET THE FULL SCOOP IN BROADWAY AND BEYOND: If you are looking for more information about what to see on Broadway, as well as information about off-Broadway performance options, check out  the Broadway and Beyond Performance Guide, Pro Musica’s up to date listing of the wide variety of shows available to groups traveling to New York. For more information about any show, or if you are interested in bringing a group to New York City, feel free to contact us at any time!  Pro Musica has the most up to date information about upcoming performances, as well as access to tickets for our groups to the most in-demand performances – often before they are on sale to the general public.