The 2023-2024 season at Ann Morrison Theater at Boise State started off with a bang. The theater is the main building for the performing arts majors, though it holds musicals and plays touring the western United States.
The theater season opened with “Hadestown,” written by Anaïs Mitchel. She wrote the musical based on the ancient, tragic love story of Greeks Orpheus and Eurydice.
According to greeka.com, “The earliest account [of the myth] comes from Ibycus (circa 530 BC), a Greek lyric poet.” The story turned into a musical in 2006 and has since won multiple awards, including eight Tony awards and fourteen nominations.
The story follows Orpheus as he falls in love and sings his way into Eurydice’s heart. However, soon after she dies, she works for Hades in the underworld. During this time, Hades and Persephone are going through rough times, causing the weather on Earth to be rigidly cold during winter and incredibly hot during summer, for there is no spring or fall. Throughout the musical Orpheus is trying to get Eurydice back while also trying to find a way to bring balance back to Earth.
The second show that premiered at Morrison Center was “SIX the Musical”, written by Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow. The show is based on the six wives of King Henry VIII of England. The famous show is based on how the king had divorced and beheaded multiple of his wives.
According to sixonbroadway.com, “From Tudor Queens to Pop Icons, the Six wives of King Henry VIII take the microphone to reclaim their identities out of the shadow of their infamous spouse – remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a Euphoric Celebration of 21st century girl power!”
The show mainly portrays how the six women are competing to see who had the most tragic story at the hands of their horrible husband. The show has been nominated eight times for a Tony award and won two Best Original Scores.
The next show to premiere will be “Mean Girls”, the musical written by Tina Fey. Fey originally was in the popular 2004 movie as Mrs. Norbury. It is coming to Boise in March of 2024.
“Mean Girls the Musical”, will follow a relatively similar plot to the original, with Cady Haron trying to figure out high school. While going through the trials and tribulations of high school, she meets the “plastics” and has to pretend to be their friend to take them down. Mean Girls, the musical, did not win a Tony but was among the most nominated shows.
After that, “To Kill a Mockingbird” will premiere in June 2024. It is based on the book of the same name by Harper Lee.
The musical of “To Kill a Mockingbird” was adapted from the book by Aaron Sorkin. The show follows a lawyer, Atticus Finch, in the South during the Great Depression. During the musical, he is defending a black man for the undeserved charge of rape. “To Kill a Mockingbird” won one Tony award.
Finally, the last show to premiere for the 2023-2024 season will be “Frozen the Musical” based on the hit Disney movie that came out in 2023. Jennifer Lee wrote the musical. It follows two sisters who have been separated most of their lives, though one has the power to control and make ice. “Frozen” has been nominated three times for a Tony and once for Best Musical.
For more information on pricing, dates, etc., it is available on the official Morrison Center website.
