MODESTO — The Gallo Center for the Arts has announced a customarily diverse and star-studded season for 2023-24, with some surprises in the mix as well.
Advance ticket sales are currently underway for Gallo Center donors, and tickets go on sale to the public on June 5.
The performing arts venue has begun mail distribution of its season brochure to more than 200,000 regional households, while a digital, interactive version of the brochure is available now at www.galloarts.org.
“More than half of the new season line-up will have never been to the Gallo Center before. That’s exciting.” noted Chad Hilligus, chief executive officer. “The 23/24 season is jam-packed with everything from homegrown talent to international superstars, representing more than twenty diverse genres including country, comedy, jazz, magic, dance, classical, rock, and more Latino programming than any other venue in the Central Valley.”
Ticket sales to the general public begin Monday, June 5, at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available online at the Center’s website, by calling (209) 338-2100, or at the ticket office, 1000 I Street in downtown Modesto.
Latina singing sensation Carla Morrison, along with Donny Osmond on his first tour in six years, ‘Long Island Medium’ Theresa Caputo, Motown legend Smokey Robinson and country star Josh Turner get the season started in August.
Designated as the Center’s official season opener is a Sept. 30 performance by Wynton Marsalis leading The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
“After years of trying, we are honored to finally have the opportunity to present the legendary Mr. Marsalis here,” Hilligus said. “I cannot think of a better way to set the tone and officially open the new season. It promises to be an unforgettable, sold-out event.”
Broadway tours coming to the Center in 23/24 include two blockbuster productions making their Modesto debut — “Mean Girls” and “Come From Away” — plus returning audience favorites “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Chicago” and “My Fair Lady.”
Well-known performers scheduled include comedians Brian Regan, Felipe Esparza and Terry Fator; former Monkee Micky Dolenz; past “American Idol” stars Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken in concert together; the vocal ensembles Straight No Chaser and The Ten Tenors; opera’s reigning soprano Renée Fleming; and jazz saxophonist Dave Koz once again presenting his annually sold-out Christmas show.
One of the season’s surprises, said Hilligus, is the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players production of “The Pirates of Penzance.” The performance will be co-presented by Opera Modesto, a first-ever collaboration between the Gallo Center and the resident company.
“Pride Anthems” is another departure for the Center. Booked in June next year, it is a Pride Month celebration presented in conjunction with MoPride’s 10th anniversary. The show is a musical revue commemorating the 50th anniversary of the New York City Stonewall Riots that inspired the modern LGBTQ+ movement.
Hilligus noted that two 2023 Grammy Award-winners, jazz singer Samara Joy and the classical string and vocal trio Time For Three, are part of the “Chad’s Picks” series he curates annually encouraging patrons to explore new cultural opportunities. Others are “Piaf! The Show,” a musical about the storied French singer Edith Piaf, and 2023 Grammy Award-nominee Kings Return, the a cappella group that wowed Gallo Center audiences when they opened for Jay Leno this season.
Another strong line-up of family programming also is planned, and will include “Bluey’s Big Play — The Stage Show,” a new stage adaptation of the Emmy Award-winning television series, and “Madagascar the Musical,” based on the DreamWorks animated movie.
”The Gallo Center is once again proud to set the stage for the Central Valley, bringing the spectacular world of live arts and entertainment to the heart of Modesto,” noted Hilligus.
