BROADWAY IN TUCSON

BROADWAY IN TUCSON'S 2020-2021 season rescheduled

By Beverly Medlyn

Spring 2021 and beyond are looking good for Broadway in Tucson, presenting live performances of touring Broadway shows at the University of Arizona’s Centennial Hall.

The national touring industry hit a brick wall in March when COVID-19 struck, disrupting complex schedules that had been planned up to two years in advance. The moving parts of a Broadway show involve venues, actors, the crew, musicians and semi-trucks loaded with everything needed to make it happen.

“It’s a giant jigsaw puzzle,” says Mario Di Vetta, Broadway in Tucson’s general manager. “If one show gets changed, cancelled or rescheduled, it’s like a domino for 30 other cities.”

Broadway in Tucson handles arrangements for Broadway productions at Centennial Hall, which closed in mid-March and will reopen next year.

Only one show, A Bronx Tale, had to be cancelled in March, with tickets refunded, Di Vetta says. The rest of the 2020-2021 season was rescheduled for later dates.

Season ticket holders have been “incredibly supportive, incredibly generous,” Di Vetta says. Broadway in Tucson’s policy for postponed or 28 rescheduled events is to automatically move the tickets to the new performance dates. People who can’t make the new dates are offered alternatives.

Hamilton was reset for Nov. 17-Dec. 5, 2021, nearly the same time as it originally was scheduled for this year. Hadestown, also highly acclaimed, was pushed to April 12-17, 2022.

Jersey Boys and My Fair Lady, originally set for early 2021, will be rescheduled, with the new dates to be posted on Broadway in Tucson’s website and onstageaz.com.

Safety measures for the cast and crew are being worked out on a national basis by unions representing various groups. Safety precautions for the audience will be established by the University of Arizona.

“At the end of the day, we are about live performance,” he says. “The season is going to happen. Come hell or high water, it will happen.”

For more information, visit broadwayintucson.com.

MARIO DI VETTA general manager profile

WHAT FORM OF ART HAS INSPIRED YOU DURING THE PANDEMIC?

One is popular media. One of my favorite shows that makes me laugh is the sitcom “Schitt’s Creek.” When I need a laugh, maybe after I’ve done six Zoom meetings in a row, I pop in an episode.

The other thing is my kids. I have a six-year-old and a two-year-old. They are the ones who keep me going right now when we can’t go to the theater or a concert. They are creative. They have no inhibitions.

My son, when he was five, said he wanted his own YouTube channel. He is a vocal, gregarious child. Being quarantined has been difficult for him. We told him he could have one when he turned six, thinking he’d forget about it. But the day he turned six on Aug. 20, he asked, ‘when can we start my YouTube channel?’ He’s talking to the camera, introducing his sister. Talking to a video camera or my iPad, he enjoys interacting with people and commenting on social media. He’s into telling people how he feels every day. I love listening to him talk about one of his toys or about something new he has learned.”

Tootsie, Original Broadway Cast.Photo Matthew Murhpy