MNfusion: The Ordway Announces 2015-2016 Season

The Ordway Center For The Performing Arts announced the productions that will make up the theater's 2015 – 2016 season Monday.

This upcoming season is a particularly special one as the organization is celebrating 30 years of theatrical art and musical productions.

On a brisk Monday evening, The Ordway invited season ticket holders, along with a few other choice guests, to enjoy wine, appetizers and a few musical numbers as the shows of the 30th season were made public.

In the theater's mezzanine, James A. Rocco, vice president of programming and producing artistic director, and Dayna Martinez, artistic director of world music, dance and the International Children's Festival, announced the lineup.

The season opens with a reimagined version of Gilbert & Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance." The show tells the story of Frederic, an apprentice of a band of pirates who is released and falls in love with a young girl, Mabel. This show will kick off the season on Aug. 4, and will run through Aug. 16.

The next musical in the theater's lineup was also one that garnered the most excitement from the group present Monday. The Ordway will welcome the holiday season with "The Sound of Music" The classic show will return to the Ordway stage from Dec. 10, 2015 to Jan. 2, 2016

Rocco was also excited to announce the return of "A Chorus Line." The Ordway will be bringing in renowned Broadway choreographer, Kerry Casserly, who worked on the choreography for the original Broadway performance of the show.

For its Broadway Songbook collection, Rocco will be putting on "The 70s Songbook" and a composer tribute to John Kander and Fred Ebb, who wrote music for the shows "Cabaret," "Chicago," and singers like Frank Sinatra.

"The Broadway Songbook: The 70s Songbook" will take place Oct. 9 through 11 and "The Broadway Songbook The Kander & Ebb Songbook" will take place June 10 through 12.

And, of course, the World Music & Dance series will welcome six groups, performing dance and music from countries such as Brazil, Cambodia, Mongolia and Mexico.

"Whether it's a timeless classic or a brand-new musical, each of the shows we're presenting next season has been selected to reinvigorate Twin Cities audiences' love of classic American musical theater," Rocco said at the event.

The full 2015-2016 season is as follows:

Ordway Theater Season

"The Pirates of Penzance" – Aug. 4  - 16, 2015
"Broadway Songbook: The 70s Songbook" – Oct. 9 – 11, 2015
"The Sound of Music" – Dec. 15, 2015 – Jan. 2, 2016
"A Chorus Line" – Feb. 16 – 28, 2016
"A Night With Janis Joplin" – March 29 – April 3, 2016
"Bullets Over Broadway" – April 12 – 17, 2016
"Broadway Songbook: The Kander & Ebb Songbook" – June 10 – 12, 2016

Special Events

Hip Hop Nutcracker – Nov. 24& 25, 2015
Pilobolus – May 20 & 21, 2015

World Music & Dance Season

Lula Washington – Oct. 20, 2015

• A contemporary dance theater that focuses on choreography footed in African-American culture.

Dengue Fever – Jan. 9, 2016

• Cambodian pop music that incorporates indie and psychedelic rock.

DanceBrazil – Jan. 14, 2016

• A New York City dance company that focuses on dance and music of Brazilian and Afro-Brazilian culture.

SEOP Dance Company – March 5, 2016

• A Korean dance company that performs classic and contemporary movements.

Hanggai – April 7, 2015

• A Chinese folk music group that specializes in Mongolia throat singing.

TaikoProject – April 23, 2016

• A Californian drumming group that practices ancient taiko drumming with modern influences.