'More is more': A record 9 Broadway shows headed to UT Bass Concert Hall next season

A record nine major touring shows will light up Bass Concert Hall during the next season of Broadway in Austin at the University of Texas. Eight of the shows are musicals.

The mix includes the movie-to-stage musical, "Moulin Rouge!" and the Michael Jackson-themed show, "MJ." Both hits are still filling houses on Broadway.

Add to them fresh runs for two all-time favorites, "Hamilton" and "Les Miserables," as well as recent winners from the Great White Way, such as the first major revival of "Funny Girl," and the corn-fed laugh fest known as "Shucked."

"When it comes to great performances, more is more," Bob Bursey, executive and artistic director of UT's Texas Performing Arts, said hours before 2024-2025 season tickets went on sale March 5. "We're making the case that Austin is great theater city. And we have the numbers to back that up, thanks to our subscribers, supporters and fans. The appetite for Broadway is strong."

Two of the upcoming shows — "Hamilton" and "Moulin Rouge!" — are booked for two full weeks each, which means a total of almost 11 weeks of Broadway fare next season.

If all seats are filled, that translates into an audience more than 232,000, which would be a record for the local Broadway touring series that goes back to 1986.

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In addition to the Broadway fare, Texas Performing Arts will present selections from world culture and resident artists in a separate series to be announced during the coming weeks.

Broadway in Austin sets up several ways to bundle season tickets. Its 6- or 7-show packages go on sale at 8:30 p.m. March 5. The 6-show option starts as low as $235. New patrons can go to BroadwayInAustin.com to learn more and subscribe.

All current 2023-2024 subscribers will be automatically renewed into their same seats for the 2024-2025 season on March 15. Existing subscribers can log into their accounts now to view their invoice prior to renewals.

'Moulin Rouge! The Musical' takes the stage by storm

Derived from the 2001 movie by Australian director Baz Luhrmann, this jukebox musical opened on Broadway on July 25, 2019. It received 14 Tony Award nods and 10 awards, including Best Musical. But two weeks in Austin? "Based on how the tour has done so far, it's been really, really popular wherever it plays," Bursey says. "We feel confident it will be huge here." May 13-25

'MJ the Musical' recalls Michael Jackson

Another jukebox musical, "MJ the Musical" is strictly about the artistic career of entertainer Michael Jackson. It opened Feb. 1, 2022 to mixed reviews but has attracted big audiences. "The show reveals that he was a difficult artist to work with," Bursey says. "He spent a lot of time pushing his own performances, and getting the most out of casts and musicians. 'MJ' demonstrates how that drive affected his life. That part is made plain." Oct. 8-13

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Mega-hit 'Hamilton' returns for two weeks

This show needs no hype. Lin-Manuel Miranda's take on American founder Alexander Hamilton revolutionized Broadway musicals, in part by breaking with racial casting customs, but also by making hip hop central to a score that includes a melange of musical styles. It premiered first Off-Broadway, then quickly moved to Broadway in 2015. While touring versions have stopped in Austin before, the mega-hit is still selling 100 percent of its seats on Broadway. March 25-April 6, 2025

'Les Miserables' heads back to the barricades

Originally staged in Paris, then London, "Les Miserables," based on a Victor Hugo novel about an escaped convict, a moralizing police officer, a suffering underclass and a French uprising (not the French Revolution) opened on Broadway on March 12, 1987. It ran 6,680 performances, then 1,024 more in a Broadway revival. In 2012, it was successfully adapted into a hit movie directed by Tom Hooper which grossed at least half a billion dollars. It just works every time. Feb. 4-9

'Funny Girl' without celebrities is still a classic

"Funny Girl," based to a degree on the life of famed entertainer Fanny Brice, is the musical that cemented Barbra Streisand's reputation, both on stage and on screen, at a relatively young age in 1964. (The book to read is her voluminous autobiography, "My Name is Barbra.") It did not receive a major revival, however, until 2022 when the stars playing the title character were first Beanie Feldstein, then Lea Michele, who won the rave reviews. On tour as Brice, less celebrated but clearly talented Katerina McCrimmon has pleased audiences and critics alike. Bursey: "Colleagues in the field who have hosted it say she was great." March 4-9, 2025

'Shucked' puts the corn back in farm life and love

Believe me, this one is outrageously corny, full of puns and catchy country-style music. "I think it's hilarious," Bursey says. "A quirky, irreverent, clever, creative show that would do well in Austin." Strategically, the tour started in Nashville; and Austin is its natural second stop. No revival or jukebox musical, it was made from scratch, a rare thing these days. "It was created out of the imaginations of the artists," Bursey says. "I think it came out kind of great." Nov. 12-17

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Canada's 'Come from Away' makes a short stop

After 9/11, the citizens of the town of Gander, Newfoundland, took care of 7,000 grounded passengers. This heartwarming musical with a rousing score is based on the memories of the real residents and travelers, including Austinite Kevin Tuerff, who has seen this show dozens of times since it opened in 2016. He has met several of the stage versions of himself. The musical plays only four performances here on a Saturday and a Sunday, and is considered a "season option for subscribers." "It's a great show to start the new year because of its inherent hopefulness." Bursey says. "It's such a beautiful show, the music is great, there are local connections, and it did well here the first time. It made a lot of sense to bring it back." Jan. 4-5, 2025

'Peter Pan' flies high again

Who can turn down Peter Pan? Since he first flew across the stage in 1904 in J.M. Barrie's play, "Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up," the scamp has usually been performed by women. Among the most durable versions is this musical that debuted in 1954 with Mary Martin in the lead. This most recent touring version — with some new updates — should be fresh on its wings. Dec. 10-15, 2024

The mystery is the game in 'Clue'

Based on the 1985 Paramount Pictures movie that starred Tim Curry, Madeline Kahn, Eileen Brennan, Leslie Ann Warren and Christopher Lloyd, and inspired by the Hasbro board game, this murder mystery is the only nonmusical on the Austin Broadway season. With a small cast, it is played for dark comedy and outright laughs. Jan. 14-19, 2025

Correction: The number of possible seats sold during the 2024-2025 Broadway in Austin series is more than 230,000.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Broadway in Austin expanding theater options at Bass Concert Hall