Citadel announces its dynamic 2022/23 lineup, starting with Clue in July

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After two chaotic years of various pandemic shutdowns, extensions and a shortened season, The Citadel Theater has thankfully announced a full 2022/23 season.

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Citadel’s artistic director Daryl Cloran tells the familiar tale. “We’d announced the season — then within a month COVID happened. All of it got postponed, we thought only for a couple months, but it ended up being a couple years.

“I became the guy nobody wanted to get a phone call from,” laughs the 47-year-old, “because I was always calling to say, ‘Sorry, we told you the show was going to happen next month, but now we can’t.’ ”

This was still going on last year, when A Christmas Carol got cut off, then everything forward was cancelled.

Which is why, though he describes himself as “cautiously optimistic,” Cloran is clearly excited things are moving forward, and he notes Almost A Full Moon, a brand-new musical Citadel commissioned, will finally be seen as intended in November.

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But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

The full, newly announced lineup includes six mainstage productions, three productions in the Highwire series, two seasonal shows and — catching up from a cancellation last year — a special presentation. Let’s take a look!

It all kicks off with the summer show, Clue (July 16 – Aug. 27, 2022), written by Sandy Rustin and directed by Nancy McAlear. The madcap comedy is based on the 1985 film written by Jonathan Lynn, and runs in Shoctor Theatre.

This leads us into the six Mainstage Series shows with another screenplay adaptation, the Academy Award-winning Network—written by Lee Hall and directed by Cloran. This co-production with Royal Manitoba Theater Center examines our increasingly fraught relationship with media in an oh-so-timely way, also running at Shoctor (Sept. 17 – Oct. 9, 2022).

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The aforementioned Almost a Full Moon (Nov. 5 – 27, 2022) by Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman, is at Shock — taking us into the holiday season with this beautiful story weaving the story of three families together. “It’s so ready to hit the stage,” says Cloran, who directs the show.

Then, in the new year, more musical theater hits the Shoctor in the third up in the Mainstage Series: Jersey Boys — The Story of Frankie Vall & The Four Seasons (Feb. 11 – March 12, 2023). Directed and choreographed by Julie Tomaino, with music by Bob Gaudio and lyrics by Bob Crewe, the tale spans decades of the classic band’s history, including hits Big Girls Don’t Cry and Walk Like a Man. Marshall Brickman wrote it.

Next up, (March 11 – April 2, 2023), playwright Kate Hammill and director Mieko Ouchi bring us their take of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austin’s well-loved, will-they-won’t-they story of strong-willed Elizabeth Bennet and the enigmatic Mr. Darcy. Switching it up, this one’s at Maclab Theatre.

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Back at Shoctor, Trouble in Mind (March 25 – April 16, 2023), by Alice Childress and directed by Audrey Dwyer, is another co-production with Royal Manitoba Theater Centre. Set in 1957, the comedy-drama looks at racism in the New York Theater scene as racial biases and tensions rise.

The last of the six mainstage shows is Prison Dancer (May 6 – 28, 2023), with music and lyrics by Romeo Candido. Inspired by a 2007 video of 1,500 inmates in a Philippines prison dancing to Michael Jackson’s Thriller on YouTube, this musical also runs at Shock.

Now we shift over to the three productions in the Highwire Series, all at Rice Theatre, kicking off with The Wolves (Oct. 8 – 30, 2022), written by Sarah DeLappe and directed by Vanessa Sabourin. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the play follows nine teenage girls preparing for highly competitive soccer games, as well as for the ever-nearing threshold into the uncharted territory of adulthood.

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Deafy (Jan. 21 – Feb. 5, 2023) by Chris Dodd and directed by Ashley Wright is next, taking audiences into the world of deaf public speaker Nathan Jesper, who has arrived, desperately late, to give a talk at his venue. He then recounts tales from his life of him, navigating relationships and everyday situations, dealing with deafness and, ultimately, talking about what it means to belong.

Based on real events, First Métis Man of Odessa (Apr. 22 – May 14, 2023) wraps up the Highwire Series. It’s a celebration of the Ukrainian-Canadian connection in the face of a pandemic and invasion. Directed by Lianna Makuch, real-life married couple Matt Mackenzie and Mariya Khomutova wrote and perform this transnational love story.

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As Citadel’s reliable holiday production, A Christmas Carol returns (Nov. 26 – Dec. 23, 2022) to Maclab in David van Belle’s adaptation, also directed by Cloran. Full of music and amazing sets and costumes, it’s one of the all-time best redemption tales.

Lastly, The Royale (Feb. 4 – 19, 2023) was originally planned for the 2021-22 season, but the pandemic got in the way, so this special presentation, written by Marco Ramirez and directed by Philip Akin, is finally coming to Light. Set in the segregated world of boxing in 1905, it tells the tale of Jack Johnson, the world’s first Black heavyweight champion, and also runs at Maclab.

Cloran, in his fifth year in the artistic director role, notes what he’s looking forward to most. “Just being in a room with artists, creating work again. Theater is so collaborative, and as much as we tried these digital pivots, it’s really about bodies in space sharing stories.”

Exclusive season ticket holder renewals are now open through April 11, at which point new season ticket subscriptions go on sale.

Pricing for a 2022/23 season subscription starts at $270 plus fees and GST, while casual single tickets start at $30 plus fees and GST.

The first of these will be for Clue later this spring, date TBA, while on July 16 casual tickets to the 2022/23 season’s shows will be available, all at citadeltheatre.com (where more information on the shows is at) or at the box office at 9828 101A Ave.

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