June 13 – 23, 2024
Music by Leonard Bernstein
Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by Arthur Laurents
Based on a Conception of Jerome Robbins
Based on Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet
Originally Produced on Broadway by Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince
By Arrangement with Roger L. Stevens
Often regarded as the greatest love story of all time, this landmark Broadway musical returns to the Mac-Haydn. With a powerful, poignant book, and unforgettable music and lyrics by iconic team Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story changed musical theatre forever.
June 27 – July 14, 2024
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Glenn Slater
Book by Cheri and Bill Steinkellner
Additional Book Material by Douglas Carter Beane
Based on the Touchstone Pictures Motion Picture, Sister Act, written by Joseph Howard
Based on the hit 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act returns to our stage for only the second time in our history! Nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Musical, this high-energy, uplifting tale is a story of unity and faith.
July 18 – 28, 2024
Book, Music, and Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Musical Arrangements by Steve Skinner
Original Concept/Additional Lyrics by Billy Aronson
Music Supervision and Additional Arrangements by Tim Weil
Dramaturgy by Lynn Thompson
RENT was originally produced in New York by New York Theatre Workshop and on Broadway by Jeffrey Seller, Kevin McCollum, Allan S. Gordon and the New York Theatre Workshop
Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical is back at the Mac-Haydn. Having paved the way for contemporary musical theatre, RENT is a beloved cultural phenomenon, known for its raw, resonant storytelling and remarkable rock score.
August 1 – 11, 2024
Inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley
Book by Joe DiPietro
The music of Elvis comes to the Mac-Haydn stage for All Shook Up! Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, this rockin’ jukebox musical is a tribute to the power of music, and the importance of following your dreams.
August 15 – September 1, 2024
New Production
Music and Lyrics by Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell
We love a good musical here at the Mac-Haydn, but have you ever heard the story of the very first musical? Something Rotten is a side splitting mash-up of sixteenth-century Shakespeare and twenty-first-century Broadway; the ultimate musical-within-a-musical.
September 5 – 15, 2024
Music by Harvey Schmidt
Lyrics by Tom Jones
Book by Tom Jones
Based on Les Romanesques by Edmond Rostand
The world’s longest-running musical hits our stage this Fall. The Fantasticks, after running Off-Broadway for 42 years, has become a beloved, timeless classic – telling a tale of a young couple navigating the dichotomies of love.
The Moon and The Magic
Limited Performance
Created and performed by Elizabeth Ward Land
Elizabeth Ward Land returns for the Mac-Haydn debut of “Moondance,” using her one-of-a-kind voice to weave a spell as she celebrates songs about the moon and the magic that is everywhere around us.more …
A Brand-new Musical Revue
Limited Performance
Produced by the Mac-Haydn Theatre
From stage to screen, the music of Stephen Schwartz has captured the hearts (and ears) of audiences and artists alike for more than 50 years. more …
Two Chances To See Your 2024 Company In Action
Limited Performance
Produced by the Mac-Haydn Theatre
Join your favorite Mac-Haydn cast members as they deliver show stopping performances of musical theater’s greatest hits. From classic to contemporary, it’s the ultimate showtunes revue.
A Note From The Producing Artistic Director
Last summer was such a thrilling season to watch as so many people came back to the theatre. It was honestly overwhelming to experience the crowds again and such a joy to be a part of it. Each and every show was so special in its own way and I hope the upcoming season can be that and more for the community.
For me, selecting the 2024 season became about finding this great balance of shows to make us both laugh and reflect. I really wanted some shows with big comedy but also shows that we can all truly relate to. I hope our audiences find how each of the shows this season has its own very distinct story to tell. Just like life, the shows of the season are packed full of both comedy and great tragedy, optimism, overcoming adversity, acceptance, loving our true selves, and sometimes just having a good old fashioned great time and a crack-up – it should be a fun roller coaster ride!
I think the season promises to be a great blend of classic musical theatre alongside contemporary classics and soon-to-be classics.
John Saunders – Producing Artistic Director
A Note From The Managing Director
After a tremendously positive 2023, where the theatre welcomed back scores of patrons and received unprecedented support from both granting organizations and individual donors, we are excited to launch into 2024 at full strength and with an optimism that we haven’t had since 2019. This is a notable beginning to our long journey towards a major renovation of all the Mac-Haydn’s physical assets, including the theatre building itself.
Whilst it has been an extremely challenging three years for arts organizations across the United States, and we continue to move forward cautiously, there is no doubt that Musical Theater is alive and well in Chatham, New York.
James Rodgers – Managing Director