“Just in Time” (Photo: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman)
By Michael Morain
Editor
Before Des Moines Performing Arts announced next season’s Broadway lineup this morning, its new president and CEO, Monica Holt, backed it up with a personal promise: “If someone can’t find something they’re interested in, come talk to me directly.”
Holt joined DMPA in January after a long tenure at the Kennedy Center, where she most recently served as senior vice president of artistic planning. Since most Broadway tours are booked years in advance, she inherited the upcoming season here in Des Moines.
“How lucky am I?” she said. “It’s such a gift to come into an organization at this time of year. It’s wonderful to be able to walk in and really get to watch the whole cycle of the season.”
She has ideas for smaller shows in the coming months — one-off performances and community events across DMPA’s four performance venues — and is already planning the Willis Broadway Series for 2027-2028. She said DMPA will continue to participate in the Independent Presenters Network, the investing group that helps Des Moines book national tours fresh out of New York.
But this week, at least, she’ll focus on selling Broadway season tickets, to newcomers and returning subscribers alike. The current season’s subscriber base is about 13,500 — bigger than Norwalk, smaller than Grimes.
“We say ‘there’s something for everyone’ a lot,” she said. “But there’s actually something for everyone.”
See for yourself: The titles in bold are part of the six-show season package; the others are optional add-ons.
“Monty Python’s Spamalot” (Oct. 20-25). The current revival started at the Kennedy Center in 2023 before moving to Broadway. There are a few updates, but it’s still about the quest for the Holy Grail, a story “lovingly ripped off” from the 1975 movie. Next season, this is one of two shows, with “Buena Vista Social Club,” in which DMPA invested through the Independent Presenters Network.
“Maybe Happy Ending” (Dec. 1-6). The South Korean love story about two human-like bots won six 2025 Tony Awards, including best musical, book and score.
“Waitress” (Dec. 18-20). The musical about a waitress and a life-changing bake-off premiered on Broadway 10 years ago with songs by Sara Bareilles (who handwrote a lyric from “She Used to Be Mine” on a painting in Holt’s office).
“Buena Vista Social Club” (Jan. 19-24, 2027). The 2023 musical, like the 1999 documentary, follows members of its namesake band from the 1950s to the 1990s in Havana, Cuba. All of the songs are in Spanish.
“Legally Blonde: The Musical” (Feb. 12-14, 2027). The novel-turned-movie-turned-musical-turned-juggernaut returns for another round of hot pink empowerment, just in time for Galentine’s Day.
“Mark Twain Tonight!” (Feb. 20, 2027). Richard Thomas steps into the one-man show Hal Holbrook made famous, with folksy stories from one of America’s greatest writers. Thomas has recently starred on stage in “Our Town” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” and on screen in “Ozark,” though many will always know him as John-Boy from “The Waltons.”
“The Phantom of the Opera” (March 3-14, 2027). The show that raised the bar for the Des Moines Civic Center in 1997 returns for a fifth visit. Over the years, it’s haunted more than 160 million in 21 languages worldwide.
“The Sound of Music” (March 30-April 4, 2027). The classic movie marked its 60th anniversary last year, but Fraulein Maria and those little Von Trapp kids are still going strong. When you know the notes to sing, you can sing most anything — forever and ever.
“Mamma Mia!” (May 4-9, 2027). Another perennial favorite just keeps coming back. My, my, how can we resist it?
“Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen” (July 27-Aug. 1, 2027). The 2023 musical based on Keys’ teenage years in New York mixes a few original songs with hits from her Grammy-winning catalog.
“Just in Time” (Aug. 24-29, 2027). Another jukebox musical, about a star from an earlier era, traces the short life and enduring musical genius of Bobby Darin (1936-1973). The Broadway run that opened last spring stars Jonathan Groff, but just through this weekend. Casting for the national tour has not been announced.
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