Herberger Theater Center Announces Inaugural 2023-2024 Season

The Herberger Theater Center today announced its 2023–2024 Season featuring three productions and a Mariachi & Folklorico Festival. The line-up includes a world premiere, an Arizona premiere, and a chilling drama. Audiences will be entertained, captivated, and moved by the power of live theater.

“We are so excited to announce our 2023-2024 season,” said Mark Mettes, President & CEO of the Herberger Theater Center. “Since this is our first presenting season, we wanted to bring new theatrical experiences to audiences at the Herberger Theater Center, with stories and melodies that will connect and inspire. You won’t want to miss your chance to share these 'Firsts' with us.”

The 2023-2024 season is sponsored in part by Billie Jo Herberger and Holly Herberger DelCastillo.

Islander: January 11 - 28, 2024

The first show is the Arizona premiere of Islander, winner of Best New Musical at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Conceived and directed by Amy Draper, with associate direction by Eve Nicol, Islander is a musical showcase of epic storytelling, intimately staged with a contemporary Scottish folk-inspired score as dramatic as the Scottish coastline. The book is written by Stewart Melton and music and lyrics are by Finn Anderson.

Two performers create a world of characters while weaving, building, and layering their voices using live looping technology to create a dazzling and unexpected soundscape. Islander will create an expansive, ethereal soundscape for the ears and imagination as it tells the story of a community in peril and two young people finding connection inside it. The New York Times calls it “mystical and beautiful.” The Daily Beast touts that “Islander is really gorgeous—sharp, moving, funny.”

The Woman in Black — February 8 – 25, 2024

Next up is The Woman in Black, one of the longest-running plays in London. The Woman in Black is a chilling drama, adapted by Stephen Mallatratt from the 1983 novel by Susan Hill. For the first time in Arizona, the acclaimed ghost story comes dramatically alive in Mallatratt's ingenious stage adaptation. Out of a gauze, a wicker skip, and a door, Mallatratt conjured a complete world into which generations of young people have entered, surrendering to the ultimate magic of theatre: their own imaginations.

The New York Times calls it “Ingenious.” "The most brilliantly effective spine-chiller you will ever encounter" (Daily Telegraph). This adaptation is a brilliantly successful study in atmosphere, illusion and controlled horror that brought audiences to the edge of their seats for more than three decades in the West End. “One of British theatre's biggest - and scariest - hits” (The Guardian).

Mariachi & Folklorico Festival: March 2, 2024

In partnership with Maestra Vanessa Ramirez, the Herberger Theater Center and C.A.L.L.E. de Arizona will present the inaugural Mariachi & Folklorico Festival. Experience the rich cultural history of Mexico through vibrant music and dance. The event will feature several world-renown Mariachi bands and performers, along with a dazzling array of folklorico dancers from Ballet Folklorico Quetzalli-AZ.

Mad Hatter the Musical: May 1 - 19, 2024

Closing out the season is the exciting world premiere of Mad Hatter the Musical, a thrilling and unforgettable new production that will bring new life to familiar characters as a prequel to Alice in Wonderland. Interwoven with a powerful musical score, the story begins on the dark and gritty streets of London where we follow the broken soul of a young man named Franklin Magellan, aka Mad Hatter. We witness the tragic life events he endures until he finds his way to Wonderland and a life void of pain and sadness. When his new life is threatened, Franklin’s obsession with Wonderland leads to madness as he does whatever it takes to be in Wonderland, including taking on the infamous Queen.

Audiences at the Herberger Theater Center will be the first to experience this vivid new musical production of Mad Hatter the Musical, which is on course for Broadway and the West End in the future. The creative team consists of award-winning composer and co-creator Michael J. Polo, book writer Vincent Connor and songwriter Victor Valdez. The Center for Family Guidance, a firm that provides mental health services, is a proud founding partner of Mad Hatter the Musical.

Full casting and creative teams for all productions will be announced at a later date.

Season tickets go on sale May 22, with tickets to the general public available in September. Season subscriber benefits include access to the best available seats before the general public, best available prices of the season, invitation to special events and experiences, and free ticket exchanges. For more information, visit HerbergerTheater.org or call 602.252.8497.

About Herberger Theater Center

The Herberger Theater Center is Arizona’s center stage, engaging the community through diverse arts experiences that ignite emotion, stimulate conversation, and inspire connections with the arts. Built in 1989 to foster the growth of performing arts and revitalize downtown Phoenix, the Herberger Theater has celebrated the diverse, multicultural heritage of the Phoenix community with accessible performing arts experiences year after year. Beginning in 2023-2024, the Herberger Theater will be home to three resident performing arts companies: Arizona Opera, Childsplay Theatre, and iTheatre Collaborative. The Herberger Theater also sustains several arts education and outreach programs that provide children and adults with a chance to experience the beauty and magic of live performing arts. Learn more at HerbergerTheater.org.