UA joins with Civic, Playhouse Square to present Broadway at E.J. Thomas Hall

As the saying goes, “the show will go on,” and go on it will at E.J. Thomas Hall through a new relationship between The University of Akron, Akron Civic Theatre and Playhouse Square to present Broadway in Akron.

“In consultation with the Akron Civic Theatre, we reached out to Playhouse Square to explore the best possible way to fulfill our commitment to season ticket holders and members of the Akron community to deliver Broadway,” said Nathan J. Mortimer, UA's vice president for finance and administration, and chief financial officer.

“Our intent has always been to present the shows as scheduled, and we are excited that our relationship with Playhouse Square will enable us to do that," Mortimer added. "We are most grateful to both the Akron Civic and to Playhouse Square for working with us to seamlessly deliver the four scheduled shows at E.J. Thomas Hall. We are excited the same shows will be presented on the same dates and times and at E.J. Thomas Hall as previously announced and that all season ticket purchases are honored.”

First shows in November

Broadway in Akron begins Nov. 3-4 with The Producers. The other shows are The Buddy Holly Story on Jan. 12-13, Flashdance the Musical on March 8-9 and 42nd Street on May 10-11.

“As a not-for-profit performing arts center, the entertainment on stage is at the core of our work and we feel it is important to help the Akron community experience the performances they have been anticipating in their home, E.J. Thomas Hall,” said Playhouse Square Executive Producer Gina Vernaci.

The two-year agreement not only ensures the performances will go on as scheduled but also allows The University of Akron time to explore all options for presenting Broadway at E.J. Thomas Hall going forward.

Public support for Broadway series

“We all felt it was important to find a way to keep Broadway going in Akron,” explained Akron Civic Theatre Executive Director Howard Parr. “People in the Akron area have proven over and over again they will support high-quality touring arts and entertainment programming at both venues. This new relationship helps make sure those programs will continue to be available in our community.”

Tickets for individual shows go on sale September 28 and may be purchased online at ticketmaster.com, by calling 330-253-2488 or at the Akron Civic Theatre ticket office.

As announced previously, other non-Broadway performances scheduled for E.J. Thomas Hall will go on as planned. They include:

• Akron Symphony,
• Tuesday Musical Association,
• DANCECleveland,
• Mannheim Steamroller Christmas,
• performances by musical students from The University of Akron, and
• other University-related programs.

Media contacts:

Cindi Szymanski, Playhouse Square
216-640-8660
cindi.szymanski@playhousesquare.org

Wayne Hill, The University of Akron
330-972-2148
whill@uakron.edu

Howard Parr, Akron Civic Theatre
330-535-3179
hparr@akroncivic.com