Broadway on Hennepin season announced

A new production of “The Sound of Music,” a musical adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s classic “The Outsiders” and venerable smash “Hamilton” are among the offerings in the newly announced Hennepin Arts 2026-27 Broadway on Hennepin season. The 12 shows in the season have won a total of 37 Tony Awards.

“This season represents the kind of bold, welcoming and unforgettable experiences we aim to deliver through our work,” said Todd Duesing, Hennepin Arts president and CEO in a news release. “By presenting Broadway at its best, we are helping to energize downtown Minneapolis, strengthen our cultural ecosystem and create meaningful experiences that resonate far beyond the theater.”

New season ticket packages are on sale now via hennepinarts.org. Current subscribers will be contacted via email with renewal options. Single tickets will go on sale in the coming months. Productions will be staged at Minneapolis’ Orpheum Theatre.

Shows include:

“Mamma Mia!” (Sept. 15-20): While ABBA wasn’t particularly interested when British producer Judy Craymer first approached the band with the idea to stage a musical using their songs, they’re probably happy they eventually agreed to a deal. The show was an instant hit when it debuted in London in 1999. The Broadway production ran for nearly 14 years and stands as the ninth-longest running show in Broadway history.

“Clue” (Oct. 9-11): The murder mystery board game Clue debuted in England in 1949 and has remained on shelves for the decades that followed. It also inspired a cult 1985 film, a 1997 musical and this latest iteration, a stage play that premiered in 2017. The North American tour began in Minneapolis in February 2024 and returns for an encore engagement.

“The Sound of Music” (Oct. 20-25): Based on the 1949 book “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers” by Maria von Trapp. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s “The Sound of Music” remains a much-loved show more than 65 years after it first debuted, thanks in part to the 1965 film adaptation starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. This new North American touring version launched in September.

“Maybe Happy Ending” (Nov. 17-22): This winner of six Tony Awards, including best musical, follows two human-like “helper-bots” in a Seoul of the future that develop a connection and question the ideas of relationships, love and mortality. It debuted in South Korea in 2016 and opened on Broadway in 2024 to warm reviews and word-of-mouth buzz from theatergoers.

“Buena Vista Social Club” (Dec. 29-Jan. 3): The musical ensemble Buena Vista Social Club formed in Cuba in 1996 and featured a dozen veteran musicians, some of whom came out of retirement to join. The group released their self-titled debut album the following year. It was an international hit, as was Wim Wenders’ 1999 documentary of the same name. Marco Ramirez, a writer best known for his work on Netflix shows like “Daredevil,” wrote the book for this musical adaptation that follows the lives of four musicians during the rise of Fidel Castro.

“Operation Mincemeat” (Jan. 26-31): Winner of the Olivier Award for best new musical and a Tony Award winner, this musical comedy stands as the best-reviewed show in West End history. It’s based on a true story about a top-secret World War II mission involving a stolen corpse, a fake love letter and a plan that helped change the course of history.

“Hadestown”(Feb. 9-14, 2027): Written by singer/songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, “Hadestown” follows a variation of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. After staging it in Vermont and Massachusetts in 2007, Mitchell released an acclaimed 2010 concept album that featured Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, Ani DiFranco and Greg Brown as guests. It’s been running on Broadway since 2019 and won eight Tonys, including best musical, original score and direction.

“The Outsiders” (March 9-14, 2027): The latest adaptation of S.E. Hinton’s beloved 1967 coming-of-age novel follows working-class “greasers” and upper-middle-class “socs” in Tulsa in the ’60s. Francis Ford Coppola brought it to the silver screen in 1983 and it’s now considered one of the classics of that era. This new musical take debuted on Broadway in 2024 and is still running today. The North American tour began in September.

“The Who’s Tommy” (March 30-April 4, 2027): When the Who sat down to record their fourth album, Pete Townshend convinced his bandmates to record a rock opera about the fictional Tommy Walker and his path to becoming a spiritual leader and messianic figure. A hit with critics and fans, “Tommy” has been developed for other media numerous times, including a ballet in 1970, a Seattle Opera production in 1971, a film directed by Ken Russell in 1975 and this musical version that debuted in 1993 and was revived in 2024.

“Hamilton” (April 20-May 16, 2027): Since its Off-Broadway debut in 2015, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hip hop musical has enjoyed massive commercial and critical success. It tells the story of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton with a cast of nonwhite actors. It received a record-breaking 16 Tony nominations and won 11, including best musical. It also received the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. A filmed version of the Broadway production is available for streaming on Disney+.

“Beetlejuice” (June 25-27, 2027): This musical adaptation of Tim Burton’s 1988 film “Beetlejuice” follows a deceased couple who are haunting their former home and summon a “bio-exorcist” ghost named Betelgeuse to help chase away the family who has moved in. It opened on Broadway in April 2019 but didn’t recoup its $21 million investment. It’s been a hit on the road, though, and returns to the Orpheum for a second local run.

“Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen” (July 13-18, 2027): Alicia Keys had a massive audience from the moment she released her debut album “Songs in a Minor” in 2001. It sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and won Keys her first five of a total of 17 Grammy Awards. Kristoffer Diaz wrote the book for this jukebox musical loosely based on Keys’ own life.