From Shakespeare to a Seussical; from Shaw to Sondheim, the 2015-2016 theater season was recently announced and the lineup is impressive.

The variety of shows that will be offered next season truly shows the flexibility NKU’s theater department has in the kinds of shows they choose to produce. It also shows the commitment to providing students with a wide range of genres so that every student has a chance to be exposed to the wide breadth of theater that is available.

The first show of the season is “Moon Over Buffalo” by Ken Ludwig, which will run from September 24 – October 4, 2015. This comedy tells the story George and Charlotte Hay, fading 1950s stars who, while on tour through Buffalo, New York, find they have one last shot at fame. If they can pull their act together and give the performance of their lives they might have a shot at the big screen, but then everything goes hilariously wrong.

“The Winter’s Tale” by William Shakespeare will run from October 20 – 25, 2015. Beginning as a tragedy and transforming into a romance, this tragicomedy is sure to amaze and impress as Shakespeare gives the audience a “happily ever after,” but not after a little suffering first. As one of Shakespeare’s final plays, this genre-twisting experience celebrates redemption and the power of forgiveness.   

“Seussical” by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty will be a treat for the entire family November 12 – 22, 2015 when the Cat in the Hat plays host to crazy characters from the childhood books of Dr. Seuss and reminds the audience of the power of friendship & imagination.

“Once in a Lifetime” by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart will run from February 18 – 28, 2016 and follows three vaudeville stars who head to Hollywood to try their luck at “talkies” by posing to be voice actors. They end up encountering a slew of exciting characters that will keep the audience guessing until the very end.

“Pygmalion” by George Bernard Shaw will run from March 29 – April 3, 2016 and is the tale of Eliza Doolittle, a cockney-speaking flower girl, who is transformed into a lady as part of a bet by Henry Higgins, a speech expert and was the inspiration for the musical “My Fair Lady.” Shaw’s story of self-identity and discovery examines issues of class and independence that still resonates with audiences today.

“Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine will close out the season, running April 21 – May 1, 2016. This musical, recently adapted to the big screen, takes the classic fairy tales you think you know and examines what happens after the “happily ever after.” These characters realize in the woods that things are not always what they seem and reminds us to be careful what we wish for.