Marion Palace Theatre announces 94th season line-up and annual membership drive

Marion Palace Theatre Executive Director Kirk Detweiler announces the theatre’s 94th season schedule, which runs from July through June 2023. Included in the lineup are nine national touring artists, five local Palace Productions, Music & More in the May Series, School Matinee Series, summer camp, and the new Saturday Night Spectacular series.

2022-2023 Touring Artists

Lee Greenwood — Sept. 30. Best known for his 1983 patriotic anthem “God Bless the USA”, Country music star Lee Greenwood is known for bridging the gap between traditional and contemporary country music.

ABBAMANIA & Night Fever — Oct. 23. With fantastic looks, vocals and songs that sound exactly like the records, ABBAMANIA and NIGHT FEVER transport concertgoers to the '70s when ABBA and the Bee Gees ruled pop music.

Ernie Haase & Signature Sound: A Jazzy Little Christmas — Dec. 17. Offering energy, excitement and encouragement through its powerful brand of Gaither-style music, Ernie Haase & Signature Sound present "A Jazzy Little Christmas," featuring four-part harmony and a three-piece jazz band.

Chicks with Hits — Jan. 20, 2023. Chicks with Hits features country music legends Terri Clark, Pam Tillis and Suzy Bogguss. This triple threat combination of talent is unparalleled with over 10 million records sold, and numerous Grammy, ACM, CMA, and CCMA awards.

Simply Queen — Feb. 4, 2023. This completely live tribute performs all the iconic songs that have made Queen one of the most legendary rock bands of all time and faithfully recreates the grand scope of Queen’s live shows.

Michael Cavanaugh — Feb. 24, 2023. Cleveland native and the Tony/Grammy-nominated star of Broadway’s “Movin’ Out,” Michael Cavanaugh lends his talents to perform the greatest hits of Billy Joel and Elton John.

Hotel California — March 24, 2023. Since 1986, Hotel California has been performing around the globe and thrilled hundreds of thousands of Eagles fans.

The Righteous Brothers — May 6, 2023. Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo Bill Medley and Bucky Heard create The Righteous Brothers. Together, their contrasting vocal ranges create a distinctive sound that as a duet produced numerous hits, including the number one most played song in radio history, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”

Ain’t Misbehavin’ — May 20, 2023. This extraordinary musical encompasses 30 show-stopping musical numbers that take you on a journey not only through the Fats Waller songbook but through Harlem in its heyday.

2022-23 Palace Productions

“The Will Rogers Follies” — July 9, 10, 15, 16 and 17.

Disney’s “Moana, Jr.” — October 7, 8 and 9.

“Christmas at the Palace” — Dec. 2, 3 and 4.

“Chasing Charming” — Feb. 17, 18 and 19, 2023.

“Nunsense A-Men!” — March 30, April 1 and 2, 2023.

2022-23 Music & More in the May Series

An Evening with Friends — A fundraising event for two non-profits on Aug. 20.

Parsons and Polk — Sept. 24

Shovel City Improv — Oct. 15 and June 24, 2023

Halloween with Hearsay — Oct. 29

Ron Retzer Trio — April 15, 2023

2022-23 Saturday Night Spectacular Series

In this season of New Adventures, we invite you to journey to the Palace to experience Saturday Night Spectacular, an outrageous collection of variety entertainment. This series is designed to bring singers, musicians, comedians, jugglers and the audience together for two jam-packed hours of live theatre. Each Saturday Night features two top-tier veteran entertainers in their respective fields. Enjoy dancing, singing, comedy and more. A family-fun attraction for everyone.

Aug.27 — Comedian Steve Brunner & Rockstar Juggler Mike Price

Jan. 28, 2023 — Broadway’s Nick Rodriguez & Brad Simmons

April 22, 2023 — Magician Nick Lewin & Impressionist Mike Wilson

2022-23 School Matinee Series

These professionally produced children’s productions are for grades PreK-5 and are designed specifically to target curriculum and meet Ohio Academic Content Standards.

“Cirque Kalabante” — Sept. 21, Grades 2-5.

“Jacqueline and the Beanstalk” — Oct. 17, Grades PreK-4.

“Full Steam Ahead: Air is Everywhere” — Nov. 21, Grades 2-5.

“Mayhem Poets” — Feb. 6, 2023, Grades PreK-2.

2022-23 Academy of the Arts - Set the Stage Summer Theatre Camp

Party in the USA — July 18-22 and 25-29. Led by Emily Yaksic with assistance in the areas of dance and vocal music from Jami Rawlins, Kristi Wink and Tanner Wink. Designed for ages 7-15 years. Set the Stage is a five-day theatre camp experience to give campers the opportunity to develop their performance skills, express their creativity, and have fun while making new friends.

Members of the Palace Cultural Arts Association (PCAA), better known to the community as the Marion Palace Theatre, have early access to purchase tickets for the entire season. Ticket sales to PCAA membership donors at the Marquee donor level ($1,000+) are underway. Those at the Choreographer donor level ($250+) can buy tickets beginning Monday, sales for those at the Star donor level ($50+) start May 26 and those at the Cast level ($25+) can purchase tickets starting May 31. Tickets go on sale to the general public on June 2.

People are encouraged to become a friend of the Palace by contributing to the PCAA membership drive, which is needed to operate the 1928 historic Marion Palace Theatre and to support programming. Like all performing arts theatres, ticket sale revenues cover less than one-half of the operating costs. The remainder of the Marion Palace Theatre’s funding comes from various grants, gifts and sponsorships, including those from the Ohio Arts Council, corporations and foundations, as well as individual donations such as membership contributions. The theatre serves over 65,000 patrons and guests annually through its programs and directly benefits the local economy in Marion County by attracting visitors from other cities, counties and states. In addition, the activities at the Palace impact the quality of life for Marion residents and those it attracts, providing live performances by national touring artists and local talent alike.

Donations to the PCAA are tax-deductible as allowable by the IRS code, and several levels of giving are available. All members receive benefits including the opportunity to purchase tickets before the general public, name recognition in the season Playbill, discounts at area restaurants, free ticket-exchange privileges within a single season (with advance seven-day notice), reduced movie admission, and exclusive access to a dedicated ticket agent at the door on show nights.

PCAA memberships and tickets for upcoming events may be purchased at the Palace Box Office, 276 W. Center St. in downtown Marion or by phone at 740-383-2101. Box office hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

The Marion Palace Theatre’s 2022-2023 Season is supported by the Ohio Arts Council. Additional information about membership benefits and upcoming events is online at marionpalace.org.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion Palace Theatre's 2022-23 season and membership drive announced