GREAT Theatre announced their 2024/25 season at Back Shed Brewing during their annual fundraiser on Monday evening. The event celebrated the GREAT community of performers and artists, season subscribers, volunteers, and donors as they announced the season and raised funds to help bridge the gap between ticket sales and the true cost of producing high quality shows. For GREAT Theatre, tickets sales cover just 55% of the more than $1.7M it costs to produce a season of shows. As a nonprofit organization, it’s the generous support of individuals and businesses in our community that makes GREAT programming possible.
“We’re thrilled to produce both new and well-loved stories this coming season as GREAT’s 24/25 lineup provides exciting options for our community, whether audience member, seasoned performer, or new-to-theatre,” shares Artistic & Education Director Kendra Norton Dando.
“There is truly something for everyone in our upcoming season,” adds Lacey.
GREAT will rent the historic 800-seat Paramount Center for the Arts in downtown St. Cloud a total of thirteen weeks to perform five musicals in the season. The other three shows, two plays and an annual youth artist project, will be performed at GREAT’s 150-seat Helgeson Learning Lab Theatre in Waite Park.
GREAT’s 2024/25 season includes:
- INTO THE WOODS | Sept 13-22, 2024 | Paramount Center for the Arts
A dark musical comedy intertwining familiar fairytale characters, each with a wish - WINNIE THE POOH KIDS | October 4-13, 2024 | Helgeson Learning Lab Theatre
Annual Youth Artist Project: a thirty-minute musical directed and designed by high school students featuring all youth cast - WAITRESS | October 18-27 | Paramount Center for the Arts
A new musical that serves up a generous slice of humor and a side of candid dialogue, while navigating life’s unexpected ingredients - WIZARD OF OZ | November 22-Dec 8 | Paramount Center for the Arts
A magical family musical adventure through the colorful world of Oz
- ALL SHOOK UP | Jan 31 – Feb 9, 2025 | Paramount Center for the Arts
A jukebox musical comedy featuring the music of Elvis Presely in a story of romance, rebellion, and rock n’ roll
- STEEL MAGNOLIAS | Feb 28 – March 16, 2025 | Helgeson Learning Lab Theatre
A dramatic comedy focusing on a group women who face life’s triumphs and tragedies together
- MARY POPPINS | April 11-27, 2025 | Paramount Center for the Arts
A family musical with the practically perfect nanny who turns ordinary moments into extraordinary adventures
- EURYDICE | May 9-18, 2025 | Helgeson Learning Lab Theatre
A poignant and poetic reimagining of the timeless love story of Orpheus and Eurydice
In planning a season many factors are considered including which shows GREAT can get the rights to, ensuring a variety of stories with roles for a variety of ages, backgrounds, and skills, as well as gathering input from season subscribers, volunteer actors, GREAT’s script reading committee, staff, and board of directors.
“It’s exciting that four of the eight shows on our next season GREAT has never produced before. And of the repeat shows, it’s been at least nine years and they’ll all be on a different stage than the last time GREAT produced them,” said Executive Director Lacey Schirmers “Our 2024/25 season includes the number one ranked show by audiences – Mary Poppins, as well as the number one ranked show by actors- Into the Woods”.
GREAT received a special invitation from Music Theatre International to apply for the rights to Waitress, a new musical featuring a soul-stirring score by Grammy-nominated artist Sara Bareilles.
“Only select community theaters of a certain size and with a successful history of producing high-quality musicals received this invitation. It’s truly an honor to be among them,” shares Artistic & Education Director, Kendra Norton Dando. “The rights are only available to us for a year, so we knew we couldn’t pass up this opportunity. Waitress is one of those “bucket list” shows for many performers in our community and it’s exciting for our audiences to be able to see this show right here in St. Cloud. It usually takes longer after a show closes on Broadway before GREAT, as a community theatre, can get the rights to perform it.”
A summer musical at the Ledge Amphitheater is not included in GREAT’s line up for 2024/25.
“When the Ledge opened in 2021, performing outdoors was an ideal way for us to return to theatre in-person. We also wanted to do our part to help build awareness of this incredible asset for our community as well as build an audience for GREAT.” shared Lacey Schirmers. “GREAT was the second group to ever perform at the Ledge Amphitheater and our three summers at the Ledge there were amazing in a lot of ways. However, with the average cost of producing a GREAT show at the Ledge being $325,000, which is about $100,000 more than the shows we produce at the Paramount Center for the Arts, we have determined the venue is not a financially viable or sustainable option for us.”
Season Subscriptions are on sale starting February 22, 2024 at 10am at GREATTheatre.org or by calling 320.258.2787. Many shows sell out, but subscribers get early access to the best seats before tickets go on sale to the public, save up to 30% off single ticket prices, and never pay ticket fees. Single tickets will go on sale May 22, 2024.
As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, GREAT Theatre’s mission is to bring our community together through shared theatre experiences, ensuring everyone has access to the transformative power of the arts. Known for high quality performances, as a leader in youth arts experiences throughout Central Minnesota, and for its commitment to community partnerships, GREAT enriches lives by inviting our community to build lasting connections through theatrical storytelling that challenges, educates, entertains, and inspires.
