ADRIAN — Tickets for the seven musicals in the Croswell Opera House’s 2025 Broadway Season went on sale in mid-February.
Anastasia: The season begins in May with “Anastasia,” based on the 1997 animated film of the same name. “Anastasia” tells the story of a young girl who discovers she may be the duchess Anastasia of the Romanov dynasty, which was deposed in the Russian Revolution.
The Croswell’s production will be directed by Stephen Kiersey and runs from May 9-18.
La Cage Aux Folles: The musical that inspired the hit movie “The Birdcage,” starring Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, “La Cage Aux Folles” comes to the Croswell stage in June. The show centers on Georges and Albin, the owners of a drag nightclub in the south of France, whose lives are turned upside-down when their son announces his engagement to the daughter of a prominent politician.
The show will be directed by John MacNaughton and runs from June 13-22.
Bring It On: This high-energy show about the world of competitive cheerleading features music by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the composer behind “Hamilton” and “In the Heights.” When the story begins, the captain of an elite high school cheerleading squad is unexpectedly redistricted into a new school without a cheer program. In response, she teams up with her new school’s dance team to form a brand-new squad with a national championship on her mind.
The director is Erin Pifer. The show runs from July 11-20.
Annie: This musical, which was last performed at the Croswell in 2011, tells the story of a young orphan in Depression-era New York who is adopted by the wealthy Oliver Warbucks. In the nearly 50 years since its debut, “Annie” has become a musical theater classic, with songs like “Tomorrow” and “It’s the Hard Knock Life” becoming embedded in popular culture.
The director is Kirsten Hinshaw, and the performance dates are Aug. 8-17.
Parade: The season’s lineup takes a turn for the serious in September with “Parade,” a musical based on a true story. The show dramatizes the 1913 trial of a Jewish factory manager, Leo Frank, who was falsely accused of rape and eventually killed by a lynch mob. The musical premiered on Broadway in 1998 and won Tony Awards for Best Book and Best Original Score.
There is also a national tour of the show, which is currently playing at the Fisher Theater in Detroit through March 9. Of possible interest to some Croswell fans: the national tour includes Olivia Goosman, a southeast Michigan resident who played Jemima Potts in the Croswell’s 2017 production of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and Dorothy in 2018’s “The Wizard of Oz.”
The Croswell’s production of “Parade” will run from Sept. 12-21.
Bonnie & Clyde: This musical combines elements of rockabilly, blues and gospel as it tells the story of Depression-era outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The Croswell notes that “Bonnie & Clyde” will contain realistic on-stage violence throughout the show.
Performance dates are Oct. 17-26.
Cinderella: The fairy tale of Cinderella has been adapted many times in many different media. The version that the Croswell will stage in November was adapted in 1957 by legendary musical theater artists Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.
Performance dates are Nov. 21 to Dec. 7, with a third weekend having been added to the original schedule due to high demand.
Tickets to shows in the Croswell’s 2025 Broadway Season range from $26 to $46 for adults, $16 to $26 for students, and may be ordered at croswell.org.
