DES MOINES, Iowa — "Some Like it Hot", some like it corny, and some may like their favorite films adapted for the stage. Des Moines Performing Arts' 2024-2025 Willis Broadway Series lineup brings a little something for everyone.
The six-show package running from October 2024 to August 2025 includes:
- "Back to the Future"
- "Shucked"
- "Life of Pi"
- "Some Like it Hot"
- "& Juliet"
- "Parade"
There are also four package add-ons, some returning to Des Moines for another run, including:
- "Chicago"
- "Hadestown"
- "Hamilton"
- The Des Moines Symphony with Santino Fontana
In true Iowa fashion, the corn-pun-filled comedy "Shucked" will take the stage at the Civic Center at the start of 2025. Although not set in Iowa, Hawkeye state audiences can likely appreciate a tale about saving a tight-knit community and living off the land.
Unlike many shows from Broadway series' past, "Life of Pi" is not a musical, but a play. The show, which audiences will recognize from the book and Oscar-winning film of the same title, follows the story of a teenager lost at sea with some wild animal companions after a shipwreck.
Like "Shucked", "Life of Pi" won accolades at the Tony Awards, as did its lineup counterparts, the classic "Some Like it Hot" and "Parade".
"Parade" just won Best Revival of a Musical at last year's Tony Awards. It's the only show in this series based on a true story. Based in the 1910s, it takes a unique approach to the case of a 13-year-old girl's death, and the man accused of killing her.
Season passes for the Willis Broadway Series are available for purchase now. Individual shows will go up for sale in the coming months.