PopeJoy Hall

 Next year's theater season has been announced and Popejoy Presents is once again offering the eclectic range of shows that keeps bringing audiences back year after year. 

 The highlight of the season is expected to be Wicked, winner of 35 major awards -- including a Grammy and three Tony awards. The show story follows the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good in Oz before Dorothy's arrival.  There will be 24 performances and the show will run from January 26 to February 13, 2011.
 "This is a major event," said Terry Davis, commercial director of Popejoy about Wicked. "A three-week run is pretty exciting. We have been trying to get them here for at least three years."

 Broadway in New Mexico package also includes these favorite hits: The Color Purple, Legally Blonde, Fiddler on the Roof, Grease, and Cats. 

 "It's really exciting to have such recent Broadway hits coming to New Mexico," Davis said. "Here you can get a great seat in the house for only $291 for the season. It's a great price. You can't see two shows on Broadway for that."

 Other musicals include The Music Man and Spring Awakening. The dramas for the season are A Christmas Carol and A Midsummer Night's Dream. 

 But musicals are not all that Popejoy Presents has to offer next year. The Glenn Miller Orchestra, Benise -- The Spanish Guitar, The United States Marine Corps Band, Danu -- A Christmas in Ireland, and DRUMLine Live are some of the performances that will entertain musically. There also will be dance performances, such as: the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble, Mariachi Christmas, and Martha Graham Dance Company. The staff did not forget to book the acrobats either. Cirque Mechanics: Boomtown, the Peking Acrobats and The Aluminum Show are sure to entertain.

 "The Aluminum Show seems to be attracting a lot of attention by our subscribers," Davis said. "It is a really inventive show."

 Next year, Dr. Maya Angelou,  David Sedaris, , ABBA Mania -- The Abba Tribute Show, The Mikado, Cinco de Mayo: Fiesta Mexicana  and John Tesh Live in Concert round out the rest of the season. 
 

 The John Tesh show is a fundraiser to help Popejoy continue to sustain. 

 "Popejoy is an arts organization," Davis said. "No arts organization makes it on ticket sales alone. We require all the same funding as any arts organization. John Tesh brings an incredible band and dancers. He celebrates the idea of music. His shows are very vibrant and infuse a great amount of personality and his love of music."
 

- by Julie Medina, Albuquerque Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Julie Medina

Julie Medina has experience as a reporter at the Albuquerque Journal and has written freelance articles for the Albuquerque Tribune, Albuquerque the Magazine, New Mexico Magazine and New Mexico Kids Magazine. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in print journalism from the University of New Mexico in 2008. She has lived in Albuquerque since 1984 and believes it is best to remember to play like a tourist in your own hometown so you don't forget the vast culture around you.