Broadway in Akron bringing acclaimed shows to E.J. Thomas including 'Tina,' 'Dear Evan Hansen'

E.J. Thomas Hall and Playhouse Square have unveiled a strong Broadway in Akron season for 2024-2025, with four musicals that celebrate love, family, friendship and the resilience of the human spirit.

The two organizations, which have collaborated to present the series in Akron since 2015, will bring "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical," "Dear Evan Hansen," "Hadestown" and "Come From Away" to E.J. Thomas Hall next season. All four shows are making their Akron debut.

"This is such a solid season, top to bottom. It's four of the most critically acclaimed shows touring the U.S. — I think a total of 42 total Tony nominations between the four shows. So having that all in one season is remarkable and a lot of fun," said David Greene, senior vice president of programming at Playhouse Square.

Here's some background on the shows.

'Tina: The Tina Turner Musical'

The comeback story of "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical" will open the Broadway in Akron season Sept. 24-25. The Tony Award-winning musical about the woman who broke barriers to become the queen of rock 'n' roll features her beloved hits, from "Proud Mary" to "What's Love Got to Do With It."

Turner, who died in 2023, won 12 Grammy Awards and was on of the world's best-selling artists of all time. She also sold more live concert tickets than any other solo performer in music history.

"Tina: The Tina Turner Musical," which will make its Akron debut, is written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall. Two actresses share the demanding role of Tina.

"It's a super uplifting story and the show's exhilarating and triumphant," Greene said.

'Dear Evan Hansen'

This coming-of-age musical will land in Akron Nov. 12-13. In this story, loner Evan Hansen always feels like he's on the outside looking in. The teen becomes embroiled in a lie that explodes on social media and ends his previous social isolation.

"Dear Evan Hansen" features the iconic songs "You Will Be Found" and "Waving Through a Window," created by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the award-winning team behind the films "The Greatest Showman" and "La La Land." The musical won six 2017 Tony Awards, including best musical and best lead actor for Ben Platt, who originated the title role.

"It's a story of a teenager who fabricates a friendship with a classmate and ends up in a story that he's not supposed to be a part of," Greene said.

The show, which appeals particularly to teenagers and parents of teenagers, delves deeply into teen mental health and explores how social media can impact a kid's life.

'Hadestown'

Playhouse Square felt so strongly about bringing "Hadestown" to Akron, organizers decided to vary from the usual Tuesday-Wednesday Broadway performances at E.J. Thomas Hall in order to book this celebrated musical. The show will play both afternoon and evening performances on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, with times to be announced.

"Hadestown" intertwines the mythic tales of couples Orpheus and Eurydice and Hades and Persephone. Anais Mitchell, who created the music, lyrics and book, offers a haunting love story whose characters go on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Her score includes folk and New Orleans-inspired jazz and blues.

"It's such a powerful story of enduring love, the enduring power of love," Greene said.

"Hadestown" received 14 Tony Award nominations, the most of any Broadway show in 2019. It won eight, including best musical, best original score by Mitchell and best direction by Rachel Chavkin.

'Come From Away'

"Come From Away," which premiered on Broadway in 2017, will come to Akron March 25-26, 2025.

The Tony Award-winning musical tells the true story of 7,000 passengers stranded for nearly a week in Gander, Newfoundland, after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Passengers from 38 stranded planes nearly doubled the population of Gander, where townspeople fed, housed and befriended the strangers

The music, lyrics and book for "Come From Away" were written by husband-and-wife team Irene Sankoff and David Hein. The tour's direction by Daniel Goldstein and musical staging by Richard J. Hinds is based on the original Broadway direction and choreography.

"I think it's a story that focuses on humankind and renewing the faith in humankind, "Greene said. "It's the other side of 9/11 and the good that came from other people during that horrific time in our history."

Growth in Broadway in Akron subscribers

Subscription packages for Broadway in Akron cost from $70 to $350 each for the four shows. That's an increase of $2.50 per ticket for the $70 package and $6.25 per ticket for the $350 package.

To purchase or renew season tickets, see playhousesquare.org/akron or call 216-640-8800 weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Sale dates for single tickets will be announced.

Greene said the subscriber base for Broadway in Akron has seen recent growth. The series, which had nearly 3,000 ticket holders before COVID, was down to 2,100 subscribers coming back from COVID. For the 2023-'24 season, the number grew back to nearly 2,500 subscribers.

For the current 2023-'24 season, "Mean Girls" sold out over two nights Nov. 13 and 14, for the the highest-attended Broadway in Akron show that Playhouse Square had presented. As of Thursday, sales for the season's current, final show, three nights of the comedy "Clue," had surpassed total "Mean Girls" sales, with more than 6,000 tickets sold.

Touring company members have enjoyed performing in Akron, Greene said. He's talked to artists who are intrigued by E.J. Thomas Hall's cantilevered ceiling and enjoy getting photos of the venue from the stage. Company members, accustomed to playing one-nighters in smaller markets, are glad to play for two nights of nearly-full houses at a bigger venue in Akron, he said.

Arts and restaurant writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Broadway in Akron bringing 4 critically acclaimed shows to E.J. Thomas