Broadway in Scranton announces lineup

One show features a ghoulish girl, her “normal” boyfriend and her family of dearly departed ancestors singing in the graveyard.

Another tells of a young woman who moves from Africa to Chicago, where she realizes she has exchanged lions and other animals for a collection of fierce frenemies.

In a third show, an awkward teen, so poorly regarded that classmates won’t even sign the cast on his broken arm, writes a letter to himself that spawns a web of deception

And in a fourth production, you can treat your ears to such songs as “My Girl,” “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” and “Just My Imagination.”

With those clues Broadway fans may be able to guess we’re talking about “The Addams Family,” “Mean Girls,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” and “Ain’t Too Proud.”

Those four shows are part of the recently announced 2024-2025 season for Broadway in Scranton, where sales of season tickets open on Monday.

“We try to have a mix,” Tom Combs from NAC Entertainment said Thursday in a telephone interview. “We have some current shows, a family show and some shows that will bring in potentially new audiences.”

The family show is “The Addams Family,” which Combs believes will resonate with several generations because “parents are familiar with growing up with ‘The Addams Family’ (on network television) and then Netflix had a big hit show titled ‘Wednesday’ that the kids watched.”

“The Addams Family” musical will come to the Scranton Cultural Center March 7 to 9.

The Tony Award-winning “Dear Evan Hanson” will “really touch families with teenagers,” Combs said. “It’s about growing up and being bullied and kids today, with social media and finding their way. The score was written by two gentlemen, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Somebody might not know their names, but if you let them know they wrote for “The Greatest Showman” and “La La Land,” it perks up their ears.”

‘Dear Evan Hansen” will be in Scranton April 4 to April 6.

The show “Mean Girls,” written by Tina Fey, is hilarious, Combs said, and should bring in new audiences particularly mothers and daughters who enjoyed the movie of the same name.

“Mean Girls” will be in Scranton May 16 to May 18.

The season opens with “Ain’t Too Proud,” featuring the music of The Temptations. “Not only will people learn the history of The Temptations and hear their wonderful music, I guarantee they’ll be on their feet dancing by the end of the show,” Combs said, predicting that young and old already are familiar with the classic songs of the group Billboard Magazine called the greatest R&B group of all time.

“Ain’t Too Proud” opens the Broadway in Scranton season Nov 15 to Nov. 17.

As of Monday, season tickets will be available, Combs said. You can purchase them at BroadwayInScranton.com or at the office at the Scranton Cultural Center, 345 North Washington Ave., Scranton, or by calling the office at 570-342-7784 weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Prices for this four-show season ticket package are $245, $285, and $335. Tickets for individual shows will be announced at a later date.