Encores! 2026 Update?

[Age_of_Mendacity]

Posted: 6/6/25 at 12:07am

Was just thinking it's odd to have not heard any news about the next Encores season or the fall gala. Did a quick search and they released the dates for the season in early May but it's been crickets ever since. Generally tickets for the Fall Gala run would already be on sale by now. Has anyone heard anything? Just a delay because of the change in artistic director?

[inception]

Posted: 6/6/25 at 10:07am

Yup probably. Who knows? When they're ready they'll release something. 

Anyways, the other night I woke up in a cold sweat from a terrible nightmare.

I was dreaming that I was attending a big musical performance in a huge theatre that I had never been to before.  I was looking for the seat number on my ticket and couldn't find it, but finally found an usher.  They were like, " Ahh you're over here sir." Then directed me to a lower box way off to the side of the stage.  I could only see a sliver of the front edge of the stage. The usher said, "The sound here is excellent." I asked, "But will I be able to see the performers?" The usher replied, "Hmmm...no that will be difficult," & walked away.

Then I turned to see who I was sharing the box with and found a couple with two young toddlers who were already stretched out on the ground with colouring books and crayons and a whole set of building blocks.  That is the point where I woke up with my heart racing.  I tried to calm myself down.  I told myself, "I'm sure if I go to the box office right now I can exchange for another seat.  The whole place can't be sold out?"  Then I was able to get back to sleep.

[P3PP3R]

Posted: 6/6/25 at 10:44am

There are so many shows I want to see them do, this season or any season:

Two Gentlemen of Verona
City of Angels
Will Rogers Follies
Whistle Down the Wind
Forum
Pajama Game
 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/6/25 at 10:59am

If they couldn't announce before Memorial Day, then it makes sense to wait till a week or two after the Tonys. Shouldn't make much of an impact on sales if they announce next week or in two months.

[tacotheatrelover]

Posted: 6/6/25 at 11:52am

inception said: "Yup probably. Who knows? When they're ready they'll release something.

Anyways, the other night I woke up in a cold sweat from a terrible nightmare.

I was dreaming that I was attending a big musical performance in a huge theatre that I had never been to before. I was looking for the seat number on my ticket and couldn't find it, but finally found an usher. They were like, " Ahh you're over here sir." Then directed me to a lower box way off to the side of the stage. I could only see a sliver of thefront edge of the stage. The usher said, "The sound here is excellent." I asked, "But will I be able to see the performers?" The usher replied, "Hmmm...no that will be difficult," & walked away.

Then I turned to see who I was sharing the box with and found a couple with two young toddlers who were already stretched out on the ground with colouring books and crayons and a whole set of building blocks. That is the point where I woke up with my heart racing. I tried to calm myself down. I told myself, "I'm sure if I go to the box office right now I can exchange for another seat. The whole place can't be sold out?" Then I was able to get back to sleep."

Last night I dreamed about a chainsaw wielding gorilla was chasing me through the Ikea in Atlanta Georgia

It's a reoccurring dream i've had since 2023.

I dunno why but I'm always glad to see benson the gorilla visit me in my dreams

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 6/6/25 at 11:58am

I had a nightmare Seussical was their gala show! 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 6/6/25 at 12:20pm

Call_me_jorge said: "I had a nightmare Seussical was their gala show!"



 

[Yessica Haircut]

Posted: 6/6/25 at 1:23pm

They did claim that LaChiusa's The Wild Party was being moved to the 2026 season. If that's still the case (which, hopefully, it is - it's one of many shows I've been dying to see a production of for some time) then we at least know 1 of their upcoming offerings.

[Tenor8674]

Posted: 6/6/25 at 2:28pm

Someone had mentioned on another website rumors OF THEE I SING,  which they did 20 years ago, and Master Voices did before the pandemic. Whether that's true or not, I don't know. 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 6/6/25 at 2:33pm

Tenor8674 said: "Someone had mentioned on another website rumors OF THEE I SING, which they did 20 years ago, and Master Voices did before the pandemic. Whether that's true or not, I don't know."

 

If that's the case, they might as well close the balcony and start papering it right now.

[UWS10023]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 5:52am

There have been some rights issues. 

[darquegk]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 10:24am

Licensing, human, or both?

[quizking101]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 10:55am

As far as I know, THE WILD PARTY is still on the docket for next year.

There is also potential for WOMEN ON THE VERGE IF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN. A concept was drawn up for it and presented , but Encores decided to go for WONDERFUL TOWN instead given the time crunch.

[communitytheatergal88]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 10:55am

City of Angels would be a great choice for encores....I love that show...saw it twice during bway run, bought the cast album...i've always wondered why it has never been revived....but it lends itself well to an Encores treatment imo

[Owen22]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 11:08am

What are we using Encores for these days?  Is it it's own subscription house revival generator?  Or is it what it was designed for: giving a showcase to musicals that would probably not get a big-monied revival on Broadway.  Of course, the latter has been blown out of the water by all of it's transfers.  So.  Yes, City of Angel,s and I would argue Secret Garden, seem to be shows in need of some kind of revival, as shows, with the right cast and creatives could be absolute hits on Broadway.  

 

[Owen22]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 11:09am

And again, speaking of the latter, could we maybe see Mame at Encores?  Mame is a wonderful show but the moment everyone waits for is the title tune. A title tune that extols the virtues of the old South.  Which we know, was HORRIBLE.  You cannot do that show without the title tune and there is no rewriting of those lyrics, idealizing a time and comparing Mame to the glories of the slavery and reconstruction era (and pecan pies).  Nope.  So, maybe an Encore's Mame, with a specific note that they understand in advance the controversy of the song and ...maybe...because of the museum-like stature of an Encores revival, they could get away with it? 

[FolliesCabaret]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 11:56am

To be honest, and I know this'll ruffle some feathers, but I don't think we'll see a Mame revival without a complete rewrite of those lyrics from the title song, which is probably why Encores! won't touch it. It really is startling when you really listen to the lyrics, and it's a long song. I just can't imagine, with as many people as you need to "sign off" on a musical revival, that those people would do so for a musical that features a 6 minute long song glorifying slavery, that is also virtually unremovable because it's a plot point AND the titular song. Either that, or only produce Mame starring black women, which I think is limiting and unfair for a role that could be played by anyone.

I also, for the record, am not a fan of changing the text of musicals to "make them work" for our current time. For example, I loved Encores! subtle change for Finian's Rainbow of eliminating the blackface and instead hiring two actors to play Senator Rawkins without changing the text. I just don't think it's as easy here. But all this to say... Annaleigh Ashford as Agnes Gooch please!

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 1:31pm

quizking101 said: "As far as I know, THE WILD PARTY is still on the docket for next year.

There is also potential for WOMEN ON THE VERGE IF A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN. A concept was drawn up for it and presented , but Encores decided to go for WONDERFUL TOWN instead given the time crunch."

That would be great, but it needs to be mostly the original Broadway version, with that iconic overture. 

[Someday]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 1:38pm

UWS10023 said: "There have been some rights issues."

darquegk said: "Licensing, human, or both?"


Is this a Toni Collette reference?

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 1:58pm

FolliesCabaret said: "To be honest, and I know this'll ruffle some feathers, but I don't think we'll see a Mame revival without a complete rewrite of those lyrics from the titlesong, which is probably why Encores!won't touch it. It really is startling when you really listen to the lyrics, and it's a long song. I just can't imagine, with as many people as you need to "sign off" on a musical revival, that those people would do so for amusical that features a 6 minute long song glorifying slavery, that is also virtually unremovablebecause it's a plot point AND the titular song. Either that, or only produce Mame starring black women, which I think is limiting and unfair for a role that could be played by anyone."

It's not just the lyrics of the title song. There are things in the show that might have been humorous to 60s audiences but would be viewed as negligent behavior towards a child nowadays (sending Patrick to a nudist school for example). And this isn't about "woke" - you do not want to distract or confuse the audience from the point that is trying to be made...nor do you want to sand the edges down TOO much; she isn't Mary Poppins.

The book structure is also quite poor. Act 1 is interminably long, and then act 2 is a mess of time-jumping and vignettes and moments where it feels like the show should end but then it keeps dragging on.

MAME is fixable while retaining the whole score and vast majority of the original lyrics. But it would not be a mere Amy Sherman Palladino/Mattress type situation, it would need a proper rewrite of the entire show. Which would inevitably ruffle feathers of traditionalists and elderly show queens, but they are not the target audience of any Broadway musical.

Updated On: 6/8/25 at 01:58 PM

[UWS10023]

Posted: 6/8/25 at 2:22pm

I predict they will not pick properties that are too obscure. They will be concentrating on material that will sell out.

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 6/9/25 at 8:08pm

Clues? Announcement soon?

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 6/9/25 at 8:42pm

DramaTeach said: "Clues?Announcement soon?"

What the hell are those things on the stage?

[BCfitasafiddle]

Posted: 6/9/25 at 8:52pm

Another NYCC A Chorus Line?

[pagereynolds]

Posted: 6/9/25 at 8:57pm

The nail polish emoji has to be Legally Blonde, right? Would Encores! do Legally Blonde?