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The F.M. Kirby Center announced its 2018-2019 season today, preparing to celebrate its 32nd season, a press release stated, as the premier performing arts center in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
The upcoming season will feature the award-winning musical “Something Rotten!,” two nights of “Kinky Boots,” Major League Baseball’s hit king with “An Evening with Pete Rose Live,” “America’s Got Talent’s” shadow dance company, Catapult, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and more.
Bringing diverse and all-ages events to the area, the Kirby Center’s new season will feature four free, sensory-friendly performances of “Freckleface Strawberry: The Musical,” produced in partnership with King’s College. The production is based on the New York Times best-selling book by popular actress Julianne Moore.
According to the press release from the venue, “sensory-friendly theater is performed in a friendly, supportive environment for families and friends with children or adults who are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or other sensitivity issues.”
“Accessibility to the arts has always been a key component to our missions, and these performances are taking that accessibility to an important new level,” said Kirby Center Executive Director Will Beekman in the release.
The theater’s Signature Series, made possible by underwriting by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, will offer $10 seats to performances by The Improvised Shakespeare Company, Catapult and Aquila Theatre’s production of “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.”
Another free campaign, the Young People Theater Series provides theatrical experiences to area elementary school students. Over the past three seasons, more than 22,000 students have benefited from the Kirby Center’s Arts in Education program.
Completing the season, the W. Curtis Montz Film Series will feature eight films to be screened in August and September with three October screenings to be announced in the summer.
Individual tickets for the 2018-2019 season go on sale at 10 a.m. June 15 with a pre-sale for Kirby members beginning at 10 a.m. June 5. Pre-sale tickets will be available at the Kirby Center box office or by phone at 570-826-1100. Regular sale tickets will be available through those outlets as well as online at kirbycenter.org.
The current 2018-2019 season includes the following performances. More performances will be added throughout the year.
- Freckleface Strawberry: The Musical — July 20 through 22
- Dion* — 7:30 p.m. July 27
- Yanni* — 7 p.m. July 31
- Blues Traveler* — 8 p.m. Aug. 1
- Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Beth Hart * — 7:30 p.m. Aug. 2
- Foghat and Savoy Brown* — 7:30 p.m. Sept. 1
- Sebastian Maniscalco* — 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. Sept. 14
- An Evening with Pete Rose Live — 7:30 p.m. Sept. 15
- We The People — 10 a.m. Oct. 4
- Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein — 7 p.m. Oct. 11
- Catapult — 7 p.m. Oct. 12
- Rock of Ages — 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16 and 17
- The Improvised Shakespeare Company — 7:30 p.m. Oct. 19
- Stayin’ Alive: One Night of the Gee Gees — 7:30 p.m. Nov. 2
- Something Rotten! — 7 p.m. Nov. 4
- The Fast Lane: A Tribute to the Eagles* — 8 p.m. Nov. 17
- Kansas* — 7:30 p.m. Nov. 23
- A Charlie Brown Christmas — 6:30 p.m. Nov. 28
- Charlotte’s Web — 10 a.m. Nov. 29
- Femmes of Rock — 7:30 p.m. Dec. 12
- Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker — 7 p.m. Dec. 14
- A Magical Cirque Christmas — 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20
- Freedom Train — 10 a.m. Jan. 28
- Laura Ingalls Wilder — 10 a.m. March 12
- Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella — 7:30 p.m. March 13 and 14
- Kinky Boots — 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. April 7
- Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular 8 p.m. April 13
- One Night in Memphis — 7:30 p.m. May 3
- Aesop’s Fables — 10 a.m. May 16
* Indicates shows currently on sale.
Before the Kirby was the Kirby schedule (all on Fridays):
- True Grit (1969, G) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. June 22
- The Sound of Music (1965, G) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. July 20
- Alexander’s Ragtime Band (1938, NR) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24
- Gone with the Wind (1939, G) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 21
- Murder by Death (1976, PG) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26
- The Wizard of Oz (1939, PG) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946, PG) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 21
W. Curtis Montz Film Series schedule (all on Wednesdays):
- RBG (2018, PG) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 8
- Sorry to Bother You (2018, NR) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 15
- Under the Silver Lake (2018, R) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22
- The Insult (2017, R) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Aug. 29
- The China Hustle (2017, R) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 5
- The Square (2017, R) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 12
- In the Fade (2017, R) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 19
- BPM (Beats Per Minute) (2017, PG-13) — 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26
- Films TBA for Oct. 3, 10 and 24
Splatterday III Film Festival (Oct. 20)
- Disney’s Zombies (2018, TV-G) — 5 p.m. (costume parade starts at 5 p.m.)
- Scream (1996, R) — 8 p.m.
- Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975, R) — midnight