2023-2024 season, Zach Theatre, Austin
We are excited to announce that subscriptions for the 2023-24 season at ZACH are now on sale, and we can't wait for you to join us for another spectacular year of theatre experiences.
With subscriptions now available, you can now secure your tickets to every show in our upcoming season at the lowest price of the year, and be among the first to secure the best seats in the house.
Don't miss out on the unforgettable performances and memorable moments we have planned for you this season. From new works to classic favorites, our 2023-24 season promises to surprise, entertain, and spark conversation.
Thank you for your continued support and we can't wait to see you at ZACH for another year of unparalleled theatre experiences.
Hershey Felder as George Gershwin Alone
September - October 2023
The Topfer at ZACH Theatre
Music & Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin
Book by Hershey Felder
Directed by Stefano de Carli and Hershey Felder
Adapted from the stage play directed by Joel Zwick
George Gershwin Alone tells the story of America’s great composer who, with the groundbreaking “Rhapsody in Blue,” made a “Lady out of Jazz.” The show incorporates the composer's best-known songs from “The Man I Love” and “Someone to Watch Over Me”, through the hits of An American In Paris and Porgy and Bess, to a complete performance of “Rhapsody In Blue”. As the only actor-musician to create the role of George Gershwin on the stage, and with over 3,000 performances, from California to Broadway to London’s West End, for the first time, Hershey Felder will bring George Gershwin to life on the Topfer at ZACH.
George Gershwin was born in 1898 to Russian-Jewish immigrant parents in Brooklyn. Together, he and his brother Ira wrote standards such as “The Man I Love,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Embraceable You,” “Fascinating Rhythm,” “I Got Rhythm,” “’S Wonderful” and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me.” His groundbreaking opera, Porgy and Bess, is now considered an American classic. All told, George Gershwin wrote more than 1,000 songs for the stage and screen as well as works for the opera house and the symphony orchestra. In 1937, Gershwin died of an undiagnosed brain tumor at the age of 38, never knowing how famous and beloved he and his work would become.
The Thin Place
October - December 2023
The Whisenhunt at ZACH Theatre
Written by Lucas Hnath
Everyone who ever died is still here, just in a different part of here. Linda can communicate with them. And if you believe, she can make you hear them, too — in the thin place, the fragile boundary between our world and the other one. With acuity and relentless curiosity, Lucas Hnath’s play transforms the theater into an intimate séance, crafting an unnerving testament to the power of the mind, which has a mind of its own.
“A cunning new play, compelling and delicious." - The New York Times
Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
January - March 2024
ZACH360 in The Topfer at ZACH Theatre
Book, Music, and Lyrics By Dave Malloy
Adapted from War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
Directed by Dave Steakley
Musical Direction by Allen Robertson
An electropop opera ripped from a slice of Tolstoy's War and Peace. From the celebrated and award-winning composer Dave Malloy comes Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, an electropop opera based on a scandalous slice of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace. Young and impulsive, Natasha Rostova arrives in Moscow to await the return of her fiancé from the front lines. When she falls under the spell of the roguish Anatole, it is up to Pierre, a family friend in the middle of an existential crisis, to pick up the pieces of her shattered reputation. Following a critically exalted premiere at Ars Nova in New York City, a subsequent Off-Broadway transfer, and an acclaimed run on Broadway, this award-winning musical expands the possibilities for the genre with its daring score and bold storytelling.
The Prom
April - May 2024
The Topfer at ZACH Theatre
Book By Bob Martin And Chad Beguelin
Music By Matthew Sklar
Lyrics By Chad Beguelin
Based On An Original Concept By Jack Viertel
Four eccentric Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. So when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue…and themselves. The town’s parents want to keep the high school dance on the straight and narrow—but when one student just wants to bring her girlfriend to prom, the entire town has a date with destiny. On a mission to transform lives, Broadway’s brassiest join forces with a courageous girl and the town’s citizens and the result is love that brings them all together. Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical, The Prom expertly captures all the humor and heart of a classic musical comedy with a message that resonates with audiences now more than ever.
“So full of happiness that you think your heart is about to burst!” - Variety
The Lehman Trilogy
June - July 2024
The Topfer at ZACH Theatre
By Stefano Massini
Adapted By Ben Power
Directed By Dave Steakley
WINNER of the 2022 Tony Award for BEST PLAY
The Lehman Trilogy is the story of a family and a company that changed the world. Three actors star as the Lehman brothers, their sons and grandsons in this extraordinary feat of storytelling, told in three parts on a single evening.
On a cold September morning in 1844, a young man from Bavaria stands on a New York dockside dreaming of a new life in the new world. He is joined by his two brothers, and an American epic begins. 163 years later, the firm they establish - Lehman Brothers - spectacularly collapses into bankruptcy, triggering the largest financial crisis in history.
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
August - September, 2024
The Topfer at ZACH Theatre
Book By Douglas McGrath
Music and Lyrics By Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil
Directed by Monique Midgette
Musical Direction by Allen Robertson
From the string of pop classics Carole King wrote for the biggest acts in music, to her own life-changing, chart-busting success with Tapestry, Beautiful takes you back to where it all began—and takes you on the ride of a lifetime.
Featuring over two dozen pop classics, including “You’ve Got a Friend,” “One Fine Day,” “Up on the Roof,” “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “Will You Love Me Tomorrow,” and Natural Woman,” this crowd-pleasing international phenomenon is filled with the songs you remember—and the story you’ll never forget.
"Out of control amazing!" - The Wall Street Journal
The Girl Who Became Legend
September - November 2023
The Kleberg at ZACH Theatre
Script and Lyrics by Sarah Saltwick
Music and Lyrics by Amanda Clifton, Will Clifton, and Nat Miller
The town of Dustbin is known for two things: rules and dust, the kind you get when it doesn't rain for years and years. But one day, Raina spies a cloud in the sky but no one believes her. She sets out on a great adventure to bring the cloud back home. Along the way, she meets outlaws, folk heroes, and a thunderstorm. Please join us in a reading of this modern day feminist folktale with music.
Commissioned by The Kennedy Center, The Girl Who Became Legend first workshopped at ZACH in 2022 and will come to life for the 2023-24 season before heading to the Kennedy Center in February, 2024.
The Little Mermaid
January - March 2024
The Whisenhunt at ZACH Theatre
Based on the original fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen
Adapted By Nat Miller
Projection Design by Stephanie Busing
Original Composition by Allen Robertson
This original retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic combines modern technologies and the ancient art of storytelling to put a new twist on this well-loved fairy tale. Using projections, fabric and theatrical magic, the ocean comes to life - along with your imagination - in this one-person journey of love, sacrifice and courage.
A Year With Frog and Toad
February - May 2024
The Kleberg at ZACH Theatre
Book and Lyrics by Willie Reale
Music by Robert Reale
Directed by Monique Midgette
Musical Direction by Allen Robertson
Based on the children’s stories Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel.
A hit on Broadway and nominated for three Tony awards – including Best Musical, A Year with Frog and Toad is based on Arnold Lobel's well-loved book telling the story of a friendship that endures, weathering all seasons.
Waking from hibernation in the Spring, Frog and Toad plant gardens, swim, rake leaves, go sledding and learn life-lessons along the way. The two best friends celebrate and rejoice in the differences that make them unique and special. Part vaudeville, part make believe…all charm, the jazzy upbeat score of A Year With Frog and Toad bubbles with melody and wit, making it inventive, exuberant, and enchanting musical for the whole family.
A Christmas Carol
November - December 2023
The Topfer at ZACH Theatre
By Charles Dickens
Adapted and Directed by Dave Steakley
Music Direction by Allen Robertson
Austin’s hottest holiday tradition returns with new music and surprises! ZACH’s adaptation of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a musical sleigh ride through rhythm and time, infusing the traditional Victorian story with a score that spans all genres and eras. This family-friendly spectacular creates a joyous spirit that has everyone dancing in the aisles. Join the Cratchit family and three soulful ghosts as they take Scrooge on a joyride to rediscover his heart and love for human kindness.
“Full of feel good moments and sparkling joy—a cure for the Scrooge in us all.” - Broadwayworld.com
“Packed to the rafters with spirit, soul, and funk!” - Austin Chronicle
POP!
December 2023
ZACH360 in The Kleberg at ZACH Theatre
Created by Dave Steakley in collaboration with Allen Robertson and ZACH Artists
Directed by Dave Steakley and Monique Midgette
Music Direction by Allen Robertson
An immersive holiday pop-up like no other. This raucous, seasonal sing-along from Dave Steakley brings London and New York-style interactive cabaret to Austin. Filled with hits from Broadway to Top 40, and show stopping numbers, this one-of-a-kind Holiday spectacular will make your season POP! with the holiday spirit!
Una Noche Buena | A Bilingual Holiday Show
December 2023
The Topfer at ZACH Theatre
Written by Michelle Gomez and Ben G. Bazán
Music and Lyrics by Paul Sanchez
Directed by Ben G. Bazán
On the last night of Las Posadas, Omar, a 10 year old boy, has been brought into a new family of los cantantes full of big personalities, loud voices, and blended holiday traditions. Join us in a fun fast new holiday sing-a-long about family, community, and acceptance for one great night!
