An extraordinary theatre deserves an extraordinary season of events

Jamie Ulmer • July 14, 2024

2024-2025 Season

An extraordinary theatre deserves an extraordinary season of events. The upcoming season at Theatre Lawrence, in addition to lifting your friends and neighbors to new heights, has the power to take our community on extraordinary journeys that will amaze and inspire.

Together, we’ll go on a journey of laughs with shows like Mel Brooks’ “Young Frankenstein” and the new comedy “Chicken and Biscuits.” You’ll laugh and maybe think a little bit with “Native Gardens.” “Clue: On Stage” delivers laughs and a mystery to solve. It will be a relaxing feel-good time as the music of Jimmy Buffett takes you away to “Margaritaville.” Our holiday show (to be announced on Aug. 5) will be fun for the entire family and fill you with pure imagination.

New this year, subscribers will receive a 10% discount when you purchase tickets to our extraordinary special events like the edgy “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and our concert-style staging of the inspirational “Sunday in the Park with George.”

As a subscriber you get so much more than a seat in the audience and discounts. You are supporting our educational programs, outreach efforts, and special events like the Penguin Project. You are making our community a better place for all of us.

What truly makes Theatre Lawrence extraordinary is you. Whether in the audience, fulfilling the dream of being on stage, being inspired in a class, or volunteering to make the magic happen, it is our friends, neighbors, and people like you who are the extraordinary ones. We come together and create memories that will linger in the hearts and minds of our community for years to come.

Thank you for being part of what makes Theatre Lawrence an extraordinary destination for some of the best theatrical experiences in the area. Let’s bring up the lights and see the remarkable places we’ll go together!

See you at the theatre

Jamie Ulmer

Executive Director

Newer Post >

Mail

Theatre Lawrence News & Announcements

Next to Normal starts season journey

By Jamie Ulmer • September 8, 2025

Welcome to the 2025–2026 Theatre Lawrence Season! This year promises a wide variety of theatrical destinations designed to entertain, expand, and enliven audiences and participants alike. We begin our journey with the Pulitzer Prize–winning musical Next to Normal . This groundbreaking work opened on Broadway in 2009, after first appearing as a 10-minute workshop in 1998. An unconventional topic for a musical, the show centers on a family navigating grief and mental health. In her book Feeling Pain is Normal, Rebecca Cecilia Kidwell writes, “Next to Normal provides a safe community for grief. Many of the audience members have experienced loss, and many of them will cry and hug each other—even if they are strangers—because they finally feel that someone is permitting them to be open with their emotions.” Paired with a contemporary rock score, the show asks honest, sometimes uncomfortable, questions. In rehearsals, we’ve reflected on how the themes and emotions explored by the characters are universal, reaching beyond the specific circumstances of the script. The excitement in our acting community has been remarkable: over 70 performers auditioned for this six-person cast. Casting was both a challenge and a gift, resulting in a group of performers who are giving their all every night as we explore this complex, rewarding material together. All of this makes me truly excited to share Next to Normal with you. Theatre offers the unique opportunity to share an experience—even when it is challenging. We thank you for joining us on this journey and encourage you to talk with one another, share your feelings, and seek support if this story resonates deeply with you. Enjoy the show! Jamie Ulmer Executive Director