Not bad, a few pretty new shows with The Book of Morman and War Horse.
The Willis Broadway Series
“Les Miserables” (Oct. 2-7) returns to town after eight years, retelling Victor Hugo’s sweeping account of the French Revolution with a grittier new look inspired by the novelist’s previously overlooked paintings. The old set’s famous turntable is gone but the music by Claude-Michel Schonberg and Alain Boublil remains.
“War Horse” (Dec. 11-16) stampedes on stage with a team of life-size equine puppets to tell the tearjerker about a boy and his horse during the First World War. The play is based on a 1982 novel by Michael Morpurgo, which also inspired Steven Spielberg’s recent Oscar-nominated movie.
“The Book of Mormon”(Jan. 24 through Feb. 3, 2013) skewers religious fundamentalism with a tale about two missionaries who get more than they bargained for in Uganda. By most accounts, the musical by the guys who created “South Park” and “Avenue Q” is as gleefully scandalous as you’d expect.
“Jekyll & Hyde” (March 5-10, 2013) injects new life into the 1997 musical about good and evil and medical procedures that probably wouldn’t please the FDA. Former “American Idol” contender Constantine Maroulis, who starred in last year’s “Rock of Ages” tour, will take on the title’s dual roles, with R&B diva Deborah Cox as his baffled love interest.
“Million Dollar Quartet” (March 19-24, 2013) reimagines the real-life jam session that took place in 1956 with four singers you may have heard of: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins. The rockabilly score ties together hits like “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Fever,” “Great Balls of Fire” and others.
In addition to the five main shows in the series, three optional add-ons will return: Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” (over Thanksgiving, Nov. 20-25), the fist-pumping ’80s lovefest “Rock of Ages” (April 26 and 27, 2013) and “Jersey Boys,” the tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (May 28 through June 9, 2013).
