Goodspeed Musicals announced today that the two-time Tony Award-winning theater will reopen its doors beginning Sept. 24, with the rousing revue, “A Grand Night for Singing: A Celebration of Rodgers & Hammerstein” with a fresh take on the work of Rodgers & Hammerstein. This two-time Tony Award nominated show called “a songfest for those who love musical theater” by Alan Bresloff for Around the Town Chicago, replaces the previously announced production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific.
Artistic Director Donna Lynn Hilton said, “We’ve experienced a rollercoaster of fear, disappointment and gratitude since March of 2020. First and foremost, we are grateful to the first responders, front-line workers and medical personnel whose work has brought us to this moment. We are thankful to finally share the good news that Goodspeed Musicals will reopen fully on September 24. We cannot wait to welcome audiences to once again enjoy one-of-a-kind live musical theatre in our iconic home.”
Regarding the change in productions, she said, “We must restart thoughtfully and ramp up slowly to ensure that Goodspeed remains secure for the long-term. With that reality forefront in our minds, we have made the difficult decision to re-open our beloved theatre with A Grand Night for Singing instead of South Pacific. South Pacific is one of the largest musicals that a theatre can undertake and it had become overwhelmingly clear that it is simply too big of a show for us to produce in this particular moment.”
