\n
Wharton Center will launch its 2025-2026 Broadway season on Sept. 16 with \u201cA Beautiful Noise.\u201d<\/p>\n
In advance of the season kickoff, LSJ contributing arts writers offer their takes on each show in the season.<\/p>\n
Ken Glickman has written for the LSJ since 1982, writing about music, theater, business and other topics. Bridgette Redman is a second-generation journalist who started reviewing theater in 2005.<\/p>\n
‘A Beautiful Noise’<\/h2>\n Sept. 16-21, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\nNick Fradiani and Hannah Jewel Kohn in “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical.” It kicks off the Wharton Center’s Broadway season on Sept. 16.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Glickman\u2019s take: <\/strong>Although I\u2019m not partial to jukebox musicals in general, the appeal of Neil Diamond and his oh-so-popular songs make this show appealing. Some jukeboxes, like “Jersey Boys,” have been good. Will Diamond\u2019s life make a good story, or will it be just a glittering concert of Neil Diamond\u2019s music?<\/p>\nFinale:<\/strong> If you are a Neil Diamond fan, and there are plenty of them, this will be wonderful celebration of his music. If not, you may want to pass.<\/p>\nRedman\u2019s take: <\/strong>Boomers can probably sing along to every number whether they are Neil Diamond fans or not. Mostly ignored by the Tony voters, \u201cA Beautiful Noise\u201d grossed over $1 million at the box office in the week BEFORE it premiered.<\/p>\nFinale:<\/strong> With Nick Fradiani (“America\u2019s Got Talent” and “American Idol”) in the lead role, Wharton launches its season with a safe, feel-good hit teeming with nostalgia.<\/p>\n‘Beauty and the Beast’<\/h2>\n Oct. 14-19, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\nKyra Belle Johnson and Fergie L. Philippe in the touring production of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” which will be at Wharton Center Oct. 14-19.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Glickman\u2019s take: <\/strong>This stylish and beautiful musical was Disney\u2019s first Broadway show, and it was a stunner. It\u2019s traditional, old-fashioned and classic.<\/p>\nFinale<\/strong>: Everyone knows the story and the music.\u00a0This will be a well done professional show. If you have young children, it\u2019s a no-brainer. Go.<\/p>\nRedman\u2019s take: <\/strong>The musical is a \u201ctale as old as time,\u201d and appealing to children for whom the story is fresh and new. Every season needs a family show to introduce the magic of theater to the youngest set. \u201cBeauty and the Beast\u201d shimmers with magic that has lost none of its luster over the decades.<\/p>\nFinale:<\/strong> With its timeless themes, familiar characters and a theatrical stage magic that never overshadows the story, it\u2019s still a great way for the entire family to experience together the joy of live theater.<\/p>\n‘The Wiz\u2019<\/h2>\n Dec. 9-14, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\nDana Cimone, Cal Mitchell, Elijah Ahmad Lewis and D. Jerome in the North American tour of “The Wiz.”<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Glickman\u2019s take: <\/strong>“The Wiz” is an historic show \u2013 one of the first all-Black musicals. It won lots of Tonys (1974) but has never been a favorite of mine. I only remember the catchy funky song, “Ease on Down The Road.” This new production looks to be creative with great costumes. I may have to look beyond the miserable movie with Michael Jackson.<\/p>\nFinale:<\/strong> Not sure of this one, but I\u2019m guessing it will be fun and entertaining. I say give it a try.<\/p>\nRedman\u2019s take: <\/strong>The movie version flopped despite its star-studded cast (Diana Ross was a bit long in the tooth for Dorothy), but the stage version was a shining success that captured seven Tony awards (including best musical) with its all-Black cast. The 50th<\/sup> anniversary touring version is an all-new, reimagined production that has had critics quelling.<\/p>\nFINALE: Coming to Wharton Center a few weeks after the movie release of the second half of “Wicked,” it may appeal to fans who can\u2019t get enough of an Oz whose looks and sounds are truly technicolor.<\/p>\n
‘Back to the Future’<\/h2>\n Jan. 13-18, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\nDavid Josefsberg and Lucas Hallauer in “Back to the Future,” coming to Wharton Center Jan. 13-18, 2026.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Glickman\u2019s take: <\/strong>It’s a great movie, but this musical did not do well on Broadway. Everyone talked about the great technical effects and not much about the music. Lifting this original story onto the Broadway stage is a tall order.<\/p>\nFinale:<\/strong> I\u2019ll give this one a pass.<\/p>\nRedman\u2019s take: <\/strong>\u201cBack to the Future\u201d was the first show I ever saw on Broadway. It took me back to the ’80s \u2014 apparently my teenage closet doubled as the costume shop and my hairstylist moonlighted for the cast. The musical is all about spectacle, special effects and nostalgia and not much about storytelling.<\/p>\nFinale:<\/strong> Anyone who remembers the movies with fondness will giggle through a musical that stays overly true to its source material.<\/p>\n‘Hadestown’<\/h2>\n Jan. 30-Feb. 1, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\nThe national tour of “Hadestown” is coming to Wharton Center Jan. 30-Feb. 1.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Glickman\u2019s take: \u201c<\/strong>Hadestown\u201d is a stunner. There were many skeptics who thought you couldn\u2019t take the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice into a Broadway musical, until they saw it for themselves. The New Orleans-style music is great and the story is compelling. It was at Wharton only a few years ago; it\u2019s worth seeing again.<\/p>\nFinale:<\/strong> See it for sure!<\/p>\nRedman\u2019s take: <\/strong>Heartbreaking, poetic, political and absolutely true to the heart and spirit of the classic Greek myth, \u201cHadestown\u201d carves out a permanent place in your heart. Even with Hermes warning the audience that this was a sad tale and knowing how the myth and the musical ended, I found myself convinced that this time, the ending would be different.<\/p>\nFinale:<\/strong> Get your ticket for this one. It will do more than entertain you. It will feed your soul.<\/p>\n‘Kimberly Akimbo’<\/h2>\n March 10-15<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n“Kimberly Akimbo” is a much-anticipated musical coming to Wharton Center March 10-15.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Glickman\u2019s take: <\/strong>Here\u2019s a modern musical. Quirky, fun and lots of heart.\u00a0 \u201cKimberly Akimbo\u201d won tons of awards and praise. It has never been to Wharton and is probably the star of the season. My only concern is with the star. It requires a brilliant actress who can go from young to old effortlessly. Let\u2019s hope Anne Morrison, the actress who will play the role, is up to snuff.<\/p>\nFinale:<\/strong> The one to see this season.<\/p>\nRedman\u2019s take:<\/strong> \u201cKimberly Akimbo\u201d may be Wharton Center\u2019s biggest risk this season, but it is also its biggest gem. Based on the play of the same name, David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori teamed up to create a musical about a teenage girl with a disorder that makes her age rapidly. It\u2019s weird. It\u2019s absurd. It\u2019s filled with family dysfunction. It will make you laugh the way \u201cHadestown\u201d makes you cry. Despite its Broadway success (it won the Best Musical Tony in 2023), it might be a bit of a dark horse for Wharton Center because non-theater people don\u2019t know it the way they do Neil Diamond or Disney.<\/p>\nFinale: <\/strong>\u201cKimberly Akimbo\u201d represents the best of what theater can be and demonstrates why musicals transcend the stereotype of being just a fluffy art form.<\/p>\n‘Clue’<\/h2>\n April 7-12, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n“Clue” will run at Wharton Center from April 7-12.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Glickman\u2019s take: <\/strong>Kudos to Wharton Center for booking this non-musical show. Based on a board game (of all things), it is a farce known for its British humor.<\/p>\nFinale:<\/strong> Let\u2019s give it a try. It should be fun.<\/p>\nRedman\u2019s take: <\/strong>Musicals are only a fraction of live theater\u2019s magic. Following the haunting \u201cLife of Pi\u201d last year, \u201cClue\u201d is a farce that finally hits all the right notes after several attempts of turning the board game into a stage play. Not your Agatha Christie-style drawing room murder that plays out on community theater stages, \u201cClue\u201d raucously pays tribute to the 1985 film by putting familiar characters (Miss Peacock, Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum) on stage in a fast-paced romp with multiple endings.<\/p>\nFinale:<\/strong> It\u2019s a great way to drag all those \u201cI hate musicals\u201d folks to Wharton Center.<\/p>\n‘& Juliet’<\/h2>\n June 23-28, 2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n“& Juliet” will close out the 2025-26 Wharton Center Broadway season from June 23-28.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
Glickman\u2019s take: <\/strong>This fresh, poppy, upbeat musical is a big hit on Broadway and features hip, up-to-date music. This will be a crowd pleaser and attract a far younger crowd than usual.<\/p>\nFinale: <\/strong>Along with \u201cKimberly Akimbo,\u201d this show is a sure winner. Buy your tickets now.<\/p>\nRedman\u2019s take: <\/strong>The season starts with a bow-wrapped present to boomers and ends with an upbeat invite to millennials and their younger siblings. In a season sandwiched by jukebox musicals, \u201c& Juliet\u201d puts Shakespeare\u2019s oft-maligned wife (he left her his second-best bed) center stage as she begs her husband to give the teenage Juliet more agency. When my son and I saw it on Broadway, we were delighted by the Easter eggs for Shakespeare lovers in a musical completely accessible to those who have never heard there was once a Bard in Stratford.<\/p>\nFinale: <\/strong>My son suggested the Max Martin songs may date the show, but for now, it is a fun, feminist journey that gives young folks a reason to dance.<\/p>\nThis article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Wharton Center’s Broadway series opens Sept. 16. What to see and why<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wharton Center will launch its 2025-2026 Broadway season on Sept. 16 with \u201cA Beautiful Noise.\u201d In advance of the season kickoff, LSJ contributing arts writers offer their takes on each show in the season. Ken Glickman has written for the LSJ since 1982, writing about music, theater, business and other topics. Bridgette Redman is a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1988475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[358645,358646,358643,358644,345885,355633,358642],"class_list":["post-1988474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-bridgette-redman","tag-broadway-season","tag-ken-glickman","tag-kimberly-akimbo","tag-musicals","tag-neil-diamond","tag-wharton-center"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Wharton-Centers-Broadway-series-opens-Sept-16-Heres-what-you.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1988474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1988474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1988474\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1988475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1988474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1988474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1988474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}