OKC Broadway announces slate of award-winning shows for upcoming 2022-23 season

OKC Broadway announced its upcoming 2022-23 season, its second full season back after shutting down in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The 2022-23 season will open Sept. 6-11 with "Hairspray," the award-winning musical comedy set in 1960’s Baltimore, according to OKC Broadway’s website. Elizabeth Gray, executive director of the Civic Center Foundation and general director of OKC Broadway, said the tour has recently announced that Andrew Levitt, aka Nina West, will be starring in the production.

“For those people that follow 'RuPaul Drag Race,' he started on that years back, so that'll be fun,” Gray said. “I think he's going to bring a great energy in that show.”

"Hadestown," from singer-songwriter Anaïs Mitchell, will be running Oct. 25-30, directed by Rachel Chavkin. Described as a love story that intertwines two mythic tales, "Hadestown" won eight Tony Awards in 2019, including Best Musical, and a Grammy Award in 2020 for Best Musical Theatre Album in 2020. 

"Hootsie," a comedy musical about the life of a suddenly not-struggling actor, will run Nov. 15-20. Its Tony Award-winning book written by Robert Horn and score by David Yazbek.

"CATS" and the "Book of Mormon" are being brought back by popular demand for season specials. "CATS" will run Dec. 30 and Jan. 1, and the "Book of Mormon" will run Jan. 13-15. "CATS," which tells the story of a group of cats joining together for an annual ball, is the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. "The Book of Mormon," a musical comedy about a pair of missionaries, is the winner of nine Tony Awards, also including Best Musical. 

"Jesus Christ Superstar," which follows the last few weeks of Jesus’s life through the eyes of Judas, is celebrating its 50th anniversary on tour. The show will be in Oklahoma City Feb. 14-19. Gray said the production is going to be revamped. 

“('Jesus Christ Superstar') is a whole new production with updated lights, sets and costumes,” Gray said. “I think it's going to be really modernized.”

Next is Disney’s "Frozen," which will run March 22 through April 2. Based on the original Oscar-winning film, the creative team behind the production has won 16 Tony Awards. Gray said OKC Broadway was lucky to reschedule "Frozen" after cancellations due to COVID-19. 

“For multi-week runs, especially the big blockbusters that Disney produces, you typically have to wait several years to get them back into your rotation in your season,” Gray said. “So, we're fortunate to be able to just get that back two seasons later.”

The season closes with the award-winning production of "Hamilton," which will run May 24 through June 4. Hamilton is based on Ron Chernow’s 2004 biography “Alexander Hamilton,” with a book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Gray said the return of "Hamilton" will be exciting.

“Our initial engagement was only three weeks, and I think there's a lot of people in Oklahoma that perhaps didn't get a chance to see it,” Gray said. “It'll be back for two weeks, and hopefully they'll catch it this time.”

Season packages are available now here. All shows will run at the Civic Center Music Hall in downtown Oklahoma City. For more information, visit OKC Broadway’s website.