Some of most famous musical performers in history will be celebrated during the upcoming season at the Valentine Theatre: Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley; Aretha Franklin, and Simon and Garfunkel.
And pirates will, too, with a touring production of Pirates of Penzance.
These Broadway shows are only part of the historic theater’s lineup of live performances. Concerts, ballets, improv comedy, and more are also set to grace the stage for Valentine’s 127th anniversary season.
And musical theater legend Patti LuPone drops by for the annual fund-raising gala in March.
Tickets go on sale Tuesday. Contact the venue box office at 419-242-2787, or go to valentinetheatre.com.
“We always look for diversity in our shows — something that's eclectic and a little different that'll hit on everyone's tastes,” said Matt Lentz, the marketing director at the Valentine. “So I think this is a pretty good cross section from music to comedy, as well as other shows for Christmas and for those who like radio shows and improv. It’s a selection that casts a wide net with appeal across the board.”
Broadway
First in the Broadway lineup is Million Dollar Quartet Christmas at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15. The show is a sequel to Million Dollar Quartet, and it imagines a holiday jam session among Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley.
There’s a roughly three-month break before RESPECT: The Aretha Franklin Story arrives at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22. RESPECT follows the Queen of Soul from childhood through her turbulent music career.
The Simon & Garfunkel Story is slated for 7 p.m. March 19, telling the story of two boys from Queens, New York who became a world-famous musical duo.
Rounding out the season is Pirates of Penzance, set for 7:30 p.m. April 3. Pirates is a show with a history that extends more than a century and tells the tale of an apprentice pirate who thinks he’s about to leave his crew of loveable buccaneers, only to discover a mistake in his contract requires him to stay on for life.
Pick 4
The Valentine Theatre’s “Pick 4” series offers theatergoers who purchase tickets for four or more of six applicable shows a $5 discount per ticket. The Pick 4 season brings touring theater, concerts, and appearances by a variety of entertainers.
It starts with Spamilton: An American Parody at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27. The spoof musical fittingly follows the Stranahan’s long-awaited Hamilton premiere in August, Lentz said.
The American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Ballet Company performs at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2.
As the Christmas season approaches, Toledo favorite Jim Brickman, a pianist and entertainer, returns for Jim Brickman A Very Merry Christmas at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 14. A live radio broadcast reenactment of It’s a Wonderful Life follows at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 15.
Then the Valentine then kicks off 2023 with Colin & Brad’s Scared Scriptless Tour at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 5, featuring Whose Line is it Anyway? stars Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood.
All Things Equal: The Life and Trials of Ruth Bader Ginsburg follows at 7:30 p.m. March 20.
School Days
The 10th season of Gretchen A. Zyndorf Valentine School Days, an educational outreach program, returns to offer live performances of professional touring companies in educational theater geared toward school children with field trips during the school week.
Jori Jex, executive director of the Valentine, said she’s excited that students are able to return to the theater; the theater had to nix all live performances last fall. Students were back in the theater starting in February for School Days performances, but said there were occasional cancellations due to coronavirus infections among cast members.
“To have the whole year of live theater offered will be great for the kids,” she said. “We typically have about 10,000 school children every year come through, and last year we had maybe about half that number, so we're really thrilled to offer this again for the whole year so that many more kids can experience live theater.”
This year’s lineup is Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School on Nov. 7, The Emperor’s New Clothes on Nov. 14, This is Not a Pipe Dream on Nov. 17, The Wright Stuff on Nov. 30, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas on Dec. 12, The Ugly Duckling on Jan. 17, and Warriors Don’t Cry on Jan. 20.
Performances are 10 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Tickets are $9 for groups of 15 or more and $10 for groups of 14 or fewer. The series is sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council, Buckeye Broadband, The Blade, Theater League, Buckeye Telesystems, Lucas County Commissioners, the France Stone Foundation, the Aline Underhill Orten Foundation, PNC Bank, and the Baumker Foundation.
Teachers and home school facilitators are encouraged to contact Valentine School Days coordinator Kelby Sodeman at 419-214-4803 to reserve tickets or email ksodeman@valeninetheatre.com.
Sensory-friendly
The Valentine offers four sensory-friendly presentations geared toward families with children who are in fifth grade or lower with autism or who are otherwise sensitive to bright lights, loud sounds, or other aspects of live performances.
The performances are Junie B.'s Essential Survival Guide to School on Nov. 6, This is Not a Pipe Dream on Nov. 19, The Ugly Duckling on Jan. 15, and The Magic School Bus on Feb. 18.
The shows are offered at 2 p.m. The package for all four shows is $42 for children 14 and younger and $62 for adults.
The series sponsors are Buckeye Broadband, Lucas County, Buckeye Telesystems, Theater League, Ohio Arts Council, the Baumker Foundation, and the France Stone & Aline Underhill Orten Foundations.
Gala
Patti LuPone is set to perform a solo musical show, Don’t Monkey with Broadway, for the theater’s annual fund-raising gala at 6:30 p.m. March 4. LuPone is a three-time Tony and two-time Grammy award winner. Tickets are $125.
Silver Screen
The Silver Screen series, sponsored by The Blade, returns at 7:30 p.m. Fridays with a sing-along version of The Sound of Music on Nov. 4 and It's A Wonderful Life on Dec. 16 and 18. Other films will include Gone with the Wind, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and another sing-along in Hairspray.
Movie tickets are $5, and the Valentine bar will serve popcorn, candy, and other snacks through intermission.
First Published July 31, 2022, 1:00 p.m.
