IN THE HEIGHTS

The 2009-2010 Citibank Best of Broadway season is in full swing at SHN's historic Orpheum, Curran and Golden Gate Theatres in San Francisco. Here's what's rounding out this year's SHN line-up of first-class entertainment direct from Broadway:

The multiple 2008 Tony Award-winning new musical
IN THE HEIGHTS, a vibrant love letter to Latin-American life at the top of the island of Manhattan featuring an infectious Latin-pop score by gifted composer Lin-Manuel Miranda.

IN THE HEIGHTS celebrates the bonds that develop in any tight-knit community, a way of life that resonates for all audiences. This original new musical features dynamic choreography and a fusion of Latin beats, hip hop and contemporary theater sounds pulsating with the hopes and dreams of three generations as they struggle to forge an identity in a neighborhood on the brink of transition. IN THE HEIGHTS won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Original Cast Album and four Tony Awards including Best Musical.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN

The monster musical YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, the wickedly inspired re-imagining of the Mary Shelley classic from the comic genius of Mel Brooks and based on his Oscar-nominated 1974 immensely popular movie.

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN unfolds in the foggy moors of Transylvania Heights where Frederick Frankenstein, an esteemed New York brain surgeon and professor, inherits a castle and laboratory from his grandfather. He faces a dilemma — does he continue to run from his family's tortured past or does he stay in Transylvania to carry on his grandfather's mad experiments reanimating the dead. The raucous score includes "The Transylvania Mania," "He Vas My Boyfriend" and the unforgettable treatment of Irving Berlin's classic tune, "Puttin' On the Ritz."

DREAMGIRLS

Direct from the legendary Apollo Theatre, the stunning new production of the acclaimed Tony Award-winning DREAMGIRLS, the groundbreaking cinematic-style show that many believe changed musical theater forever.

DREAMGIRLS is set in the 1960s and tells the story of three aspiring Chicago teens and lifelong friends who form a singing group called The Dreamettes. Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson and Effie White go from backup singers to superstars but not without the backstage drama and heartache that come with fame, adulation and fast fortune. The most popular song from the 2006 film, "Listen," has been added to this new stage version. The original Broadway production was directed and choreographed by the legendary Michael Bennett and won six Tony Awards.

WEST SIDE STORY

The acclaimed 2010 Grammy-winner and 2009 Tony Award-winning revival of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece WEST SIDE STORY, the timeless tale à la  Romeo and Juliet set in the turbulent streets of the Upper West Side in New York City during the 1950s.

WEST SIDE STORY is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time. Two star-crossed lovers, struggle to exist together in a world of violence, hate and prejudice. The score with an amazing collection of standards including "Tonight," "America," "Maria," "I Feel Pretty" and "Somewhere," is widely regarded as one of the best ever written. The extraordinary, Tony-winning choreography by Jerome Robbins completely changed the language of Broadway dance. And Arthur Laurents' book remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. He directs this new production, with bold new strokes that build on the show's inherent raw power and emotion.

WICKED

The blockbuser musical WICKED continues its open-ended engagement at the Orpheum Theatre. WICKED is the untold story of the witches of Oz, long before Dorothy drops in.

WICKED chronicles two girls who meet in the land of Oz. One, born with emerald-green skin, is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED recounts their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good Witch. Since its opening in the Bay Area a year ago, WICKED has been seen by close to a million people. And the show continues to be a cultural phenomenon having just shattered its own record to become the highest grossing show in Broadway history.

NOW YOU'RE UP TO DATE. For the past 35 years, we have delivered the best of Broadway to San Francisco. With our active New York office, we stay plugged in to what's happening on Broadway. That's how we are able to present new works, pre-Broadway engagements and blockbuster shows fresh from Broadway for the sophisticated and discerning theater lovers in the Bay Area and beyond.
 

To listen to our Backstage podcast featuring these shows, click here.
SHN is Broadway in San Francisco, click here. Where to stay. Where to dine.
To contact SHN's Publicity Department, email or call 415-551-2075.
For more on IN THE HEIGHTS.
To check out YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.
For details about DREAMGIRLS.
To see details about WEST SIDE STORY.
All about WICKED.

Photo credits: In the Heights, Dreamgirls, West Side Story, Wicked production shots by Joan Marcus.
Young Frankenstein photo by Paul Kolnik

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