Music Theatre 2023 season includes ‘Cats,’ ‘Beast,’ ‘Ragtime’ – and dodging ‘Hamilton’

Music Theatre Wichita directors are planning a 2023 schedule whose main purpose is to satisfy audiences and build its fan base.

Its secondary purpose? Avoiding “Hamilton.”

The pop culture phenomenon will be taking MTW’s home stage at the Century II concert hall for 16 performances June 6-18. MTW has no shows scheduled during that run and will have its first two entries of the summer outdoors at the Capitol Federal Amphitheater in Andover, which staged four of the company’s productions in 2021 and one in the current season.

“It is extremely popular, but it’s landing right in the middle of our season,” artistic director Brian J. Marcum said of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip-hop take on the Founding Fathers. “We’re happy to work around them.”

Managing director Angela Cassette said MTW has been working with the American Theatre Guild, which produces Broadway in Wichita, for several years to accommodate the run.

“‘Hamilton’ is a very singular title. If they would have come to us about another title, we might not have said yes. We felt like this was something Wichita needed to have locally,” Cassette said. “We’re bending and twisting a lot next season to make everything work.”

“It’s very exciting for Wichita theatergoers,” Marcum said. “It’ll be a great summer next year.”

The 2023 season was announced at the curtain before the ’22 season finale, “The Drowsy Chaperone.” That show was supposed to be a grand finale for Wayne Bryan, reprising the leading role in the musical and getting a farewell celebration after 35 years as artistic director.

Bryan, however, began experiencing chest pains Aug. 4, after three days of rehearsal. In social media posts, Bryan said he had a quintuple heart bypass operation and was grateful to be home for his 75th birthday on Aug. 13.

“He’s home and mending well,” Marcum said. “He’s getting stronger every day.”

A celebration of Bryan is still scheduled for New York this fall, he said, with no plans yet for a rescheduled Wichita soiree.

The MTW 2023 schedule

Here’s what’s planned for Music Theatre Wichita’s next season.

“Rock of Ages,” May 31 to June 4, Andover: “It’s a really fun show that takes you back to the ‘80s,” Marcum said. “It’s all about big hair bands and it’s a hilarious book.”

Nominated for five Tony Awards, including best musical, in 2009, the show is rated PG-13 by MTW.

“Red, White and Broadway,” July 1-4, Andover: “It’s a big, Broadway style, concert-esque celebration of America using Broadway tunes and patriotic tunes,” Marcum said. “It’s just a fun, theatrical event on the lawn in Andover, with fireworks at all of the shows.”

First staged in 2021, the revue will be updated by Marcum.

“That one is really like a ‘back by popular demand,’ because patrons and the city of Andover said, ‘This was great, can you do this again?’” Cassette said.

It was also the first show, Cassette said, where she and Bryan sat back in awe at Marcum’s prowess at creating, producing and directing an entire show.

“There was just a real gift we didn’t know about,” she said. “He really has the ability to put a show together that is uplifting and fun and constantly changes pace. It’s not something we do all that often around here, but it is something exciting we can offer our patrons.”

“I do love creating shows,” said Marcum, who is also directing the ’23 version. “It’s so much fun to do it and watch all the puzzle pieces come together.”

“Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” July 26-30, Century II: MTW was one of the first regional theaters in the country to produce the musical when it was first on stage in 2004 and “it changed our reputation on a national level,” Bryan told the Eagle at the time.

The Disney fairytale was brought back to Century II in 2016.

“That’s always been a hugely popular show,” said Marcum, who will be directing. “Everyone loves that show, and it’s one of those shows that should always be running.”

“Ragtime,” Aug. 16-20, Century II: “It’s one of my favorite shows of all time,” Marcum said of the musical, which won four Tonys including best book of a musical and best score in 1998. “Every time I see it again, I forget how much it resonates with us still today.”

MTW previously produced “Ragtime,” which takes place at the turn of the 20th century, in 2002.

“It deals with the same issues we deal with today,” Marcum said of the period piece. “The story is just so beautiful, about dreams and people having dreams and how America is a melting pot. It’s a beautiful story that I think has the potential to change minds of people who see it and take to heart its message of inclusion and change and equality.”

“Cats,” Sept. 6-10, Century II: “As a professional dancer in New York, this was a show that always eluded me,” Marcum said with a laugh. “I auditioned many times but never got it. I love the show for the dance aspect of it and the music. It’s a great family show too. It really is one of the quintessential dance shows of all time. It’s difficult to do as a dancer, but it’s exciting for me to be able to offer it to audiences.”

The musical, the fourth-longest-running show in Broadway history, won Tonys for best musical, book and score in 1983. It was previously staged by MTW in 2007.

Marcum and Cassette said they were pleased with the 2022 season, which included “Jersey Boys,” “42nd Street,” “Kinky Boots,” “The Wizard of Oz” and “Chaperone.”

“I feel like it’s been a huge success that we’ve been able to produce our five musicals as the pandemic is looming on,” Marcum said. “The audiences have come back, and they seem to have really enjoy the new shows as well as the older shows we’ve done before. It’s been really exciting for me to see that, and that people still love us and want to see musical theater and support us.”

Cassette said that financially, MTW is in “a really solid place” after having to cancel the 2020 season and move the ’21 shows to Andover and the Century II convention hall.

“We have many years ahead, I think, of pandemic recovery and when you take out single ticket holders for a summer, like we did, you have to work harder to build that pipeline of new subscribers and new people who want to see multiple shows in a summer,” she said.

“We’re in a solid place, but our industry is not one that is going to immediately recover,” Cassette added. “We’ll still be living with some aftereffects.”