They are not throwing away their shot! After a spectacular come-back season, referred to by France-Merrick Performing Arts Center President Ron Legler as the “Season of Gratitude”— featuring such sensational shows as Hamilton, Jagged Little Pill, and Les Miserables— The Hippodrome Theatre has a whole new season lined up and it is spectacular! Including a Baltimore first— a pre-Broadway launch— as well as shows brand-new to the city, the launch of a newly-imagined national tour, and so much more— citizens of Charm City simply couldn’t be happier with what’s in store this 2023/2024 season! In a TheatreBloom exclusive interview, we’ve had a phone conversation with the aforementioned President of the France-Merrick Performing Art Center, Ron Legler, and he’s as excited about this new season as we are!
Thank you, as always, for giving us some of your time, Ron! With a season like that— and dropping that announcement almost a full month earlier than last year’s 2022/2023 season announcement— we know how busy you must be! Tell all of our readers out there in Charm City and points beyond just what’s happening for this upcoming season!
Ron Legler: I am so excited! We are going to get some shows that nobody else will have seen yet because we’re getting some shows first. Our audiences get to see it first and that is really fun!
You must be so thrilled about getting a pre-Broadway engagement! Baltimore’s Hippodrome is getting the pre-Broadway premiere of The Wiz. How exciting is that?
Ron: You know the best part about it is that we are going to have all the creatives here for it. The show’s going to come in four or five weeks before it performs. And all of the creatives will be here in the city. They’ll being staying here in Baltimore as they develop the choreography and all of the other things that they create for this show. We’re going to try and do some things with the Hippodrome Kids, the design school, the school of the arts, and really attempt to maximize educational opportunities while we have these New York producers and New York creative teams in town. I think there’s a great benefit there for us. Not to mention the tons of work that our union-laborers will have, which will help try to make up for so much of that time that they lost during the pandemic. This is going to just be a huge win-win for everybody.
Absolutely! That sounds fantastic. And taking a look at the season announcement— The Wiz, Funny Girl, Moulin Rouge!, Mrs. Doubtfire, Peter Pan, The Book of Mormon, Mamma Mia!, Clue, Beetlejuice— it sounds like an amazing season. Now I know you’re really excited about the pre-Broadway premiere of The Wiz, but aside from that show, which one are you most excited to bring to Baltimore?
Ron: You know, it’s really funny, I love Funny Girl. It’s a really well-done production. There’s a huge section of it about Baltimore. She’s doing the Vaudeville circuit, which was huge in Baltimore at that time, and she gets off the train at Penn Station and goes to The Belvedere Hotel. There’s this whole scene in the hotel and it’s all about Baltimore and it’s just fun. I think that’s really going to hit a wonderful note in the city.
What’s the show you think the audiences are going to enjoy most?
Ron: Oh everyone’s going to love Beetlejuice. It’s so incredibly well done. Though, I’ve got to tell you, Mrs. Doubtfire is going to be the ‘surprise’ of the season. When I went to see it in New York, I can’t say that I was super excited about it? But there’s something that happens in that show that I think is really incredible. It reminds you of the movie and you certainly have those portions of it, but the story in the musical goes deeper than the movie did. It makes you feel like you’ve had another chance, another meeting with Mrs. Doubtfire. It felt really wonderful. It was the tenth show I’d seen in a seven or eight day period, I went in thinking it was going to be okay, but it was so filled with heart and warmth it really surprised me. And I think Baltimore is really going to find itself attracted to that show a lot. It definitely had me thinking afterwards.
I think Mrs. Doubtfire might be the show that people might be thinking that they don’t want to see, but then when they do see it, they’re going to be really glad that they did. I think we saw that this season with Jagged Little Pill. Nobody really knew what to expect with it but then they were really blown away by Jagged Little Pill. I’ve gotten so many emails and notes about how they kept thinking about it. That’s the whole point, when a show sticks with you for a few weeks after it plays that means that it really had an effect and I think that is exactly what’s going to happen with Mrs. Doubtfire.
That sounds brilliant. What about the rest of the season? Do you think it’s balanced and going to get Baltimore excited about it?
Ron: I think we’ve got something for everyone. I’m calling this year the “Season of Love & Laughter.” You’ve got the love story with Moulin Rogue! and another love story with Mamma Mia! And then you’ve got some really fun, light shows like The Book of Mormon and Clue, which is really wonderful.
Now is Clue a non-musical?
Ron: It is a play. We’ve been trying to bring some plays in. We’ve actually got To Kill A Mockingbird coming in next month (March 2023), which is going to shock everybody, I think, in a great way. But Clue is really just super fun. It’s based on the amazing movie and it has this feeling of The Play That Goes Wrong. It’s really slapstick comedy with good fun and a little mystery. I think it’s going to be wonderful.
That sounds fascinating as well! And I see that we’re launching a national tour this season, with Peter Pan. Is this a newly reimagined Peter Pan or is this just the first launch on the post-Covid-run of the tour?
Ron: This is a totally reconceived production. Everything’s going to be new from the sets to the costumes to the story. The foundation that owns Peter Pan let them make some changes. There were some things that I don’t think would play as well in today’s world as it did back then. They are being very conscious of making sure that no one’s feelings are being hurt with this show. I think it’s going to be the best Peter Pan we’ve seen. I’m really excited to know that it is going to launch the national tour from Baltimore.
That is definitely a feather in Pan’s cap to get to launch the National Tour of Peter Pan from Charm City! I know you had mentioned Funny Girl, which is fantastic to have after its Broadway run. But why pick The Book of Mormon and Mamma Mia! as they’ve both been here, though I know it’s been a while since we’ve had either of them at The Hippodrome.
Ron: Theatre is that wonderful escape and I think both of these shows offer that escape. Mamma Mia! has you dancing in the aisles to the music of ABBA. I could watch Mamma Mia! once a week and it would just make me happy. And The Book of Mormon, it’ll have been five years by the time it makes its way back here. And we just wanted to bring something fun and easy and a crowd pleaser. People just want to get back to their old lives now and shows like those just make them feel comfortable because they know them, they like them, they’re fun.
I think the last time we had spoken, there was some talk about renovations and building a second performance space. Has that happened, is it happening?
Ron: Yes. We started a year ago in December of 2021 and we will get the certificate of occupancy for that space in the spring, hopefully April or May. And we plan to do a “soft opening” through the summer for that space. Summer in Baltimore… everyone wants to go to the beach and no one is thinking about being indoors. We’re doing a renovation to the kitchen and then the soft opening through the summer.
And that was a multi-million dollar project that went into action and is nearly complete?
Ron: Raising money is very difficult. Our Foundation board has done an incredible job. We’re about a million dollars away from the finalization of realizing everything that we wanted to do for the space, which is incredible. I’m just so grateful to the foundation, to our patrons, to the community, and to the state of Maryland. Everyone has backed this project because they know how important The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center is to the community. We just gave the mayor a tour, and he said it’s going to be a “game changer.” And it is.
The space will have more assets and technology than any room of its size in the United States. The big problem with these halls and these spaces is you can go in and rent the space. No problem. But then you have to rent the sound. You have to rent the lighting. You have to rent the front line, the back line, the color-changing features that they put on a battery so you can have the different colors you want. This room is going to have everything. It’s called an “All-In Space.” It will have the microphones, the back-line, it’s plug-and-play. So if you’re going to book an event— you pick your tablecloths and your centerpieces and we deliver everything else.
You mentioned it’s going to have a lot of technological features, this “All-In Space” whose name is still in the works?
Ron: Yes. It’s going to have a 20-foot by 20-foot digital wall, which will be the largest screen-television in Baltimore. We’ll be able to do Tony Award parties and Academy Award parties. We can do long-distance-learning with the University of Maryland. If they want to have Yo-Yo Ma teach their kids, with the push of a button, we can deploy 300 seats and host an interactive education event through Zoom.
That sounds astonishing. I can imagine that everyone at the foundation must be thrilled about this expansion into a true Performing Arts Center.
Ron: We’re super excited about the opportunity. The room is amazing and it’s so full of potential. The Hippodrome itself is big, it’s expensive to rent and operate, and unfortunately that eliminates a lot of our local groups from being able to make use of it. There’s 44 arts groups in Baltimore that don’t have permanent homes and we’d love to be an incubator.
The space has limitless potential. If Everyman Theatre has a runaway hit but they know that they have to do their next season-show because they’re on subscription, they could bring that show over to the “All-In Space” and let it continue on there. We’re hoping to get ‘The Best of Baltimore’ as one of the big events that we have in August as a part of our soft opening. I just cannot wait for it to get underway. I mean your mouth is going to drop when you walk in. What you’re going to see is not like anything you’ve ever seen anywhere before. That space is going to have more technology than Studio54 ever had. It’s something that’s just really going to overwhelm people— dances, plays, concerts— it’s unlimited.
That really does sound unimaginably amazing.
Ron: The best thing about it is that we own all the assets so there won’t be a huge debt service to the building so as we do what’s right for the community, that space will be open, and will be easy for us to say ‘yes.’ That is something that we have been trying to change for such a long time. We aren’t just a rental hall. We don’t want to be just a big, touring rental hall. We want the local community in. It’s important for what we want to offer to the community. And just from aesthetic standpoint? The plastering company has done such an incredible job; four layers of plaster to bring the walls back to their 1866 status. It just looks fantastic.
This really does sound like the best of both worlds. You’ll have the main Hippodrome stage, which will continue to serve as Baltimore’s access point to Broadway shows where national tours drop in all season long, and then you’ll also have this “All-In Space” which has a community-forward inclusivity, making you the best of both worlds when it comes to destinations in Baltimore.
Ron: You said it. That’s the key to being a real performing arts center and not just a rental hall. When you’re able to give back and do things for the community. I said to the mayor that he’s going to be in here three or four times a month because we’ll be doing it well; we’re going to have things you’re going to want to support. We’re making it available. Just to give you an example, before the renovations, we used to lend the space to Downtown Partnership for free. We just wanted the business community to come into the theatre, we’re welcoming. And they were gracious but would say to me, “Ron, we can’t hold the lunch here because all of the A/V equipment and things that we would need to do it would cost us $30,000 to rent.” There was no infrastructure to that space; they basically ran out of money when they rebuilt the theatre and got to that particular space. They painted it— we call it ‘dead salmon’ because it’s the ugliest color I’ve ever seen— and the carpet was the same thing. They painted it and carpeted it, all one color— ceilings, walls, the whole thing just looked awful. But that’s what they could afford to do when they did it.
And I’m thankful that they couldn’t afford it then because if it had been done then there wouldn’t have been a good enough story to raise $20 million dollars to get this new “All-In Space”. We did a one-year feasibility study and we listened to everybody— from the Fringe Festival to the University of Maryland to Johns Hopkins & UMD Hospital systems. We listened to everybody, for their graduations, for their proms, for the music scene that happening here. I mean just think about all the things that are happening here in Baltimore. You’ve got The Paramount that’s opening— that’s a 4,000-seat venue. You’ve got a brand-new Arena with a $250 million dollar renovation… probably $350 million dollar renovation by the time it’s done. Baltimore was getting skipped over for all of these amazing concerts and events— but that’s not the case anymore. And we’re going to fit right in there too.
Our “All-In Space” is going to be that room where let’s say Lizzo is coming to the Arena and they want to do “meet-n-greet-private-event”. Well our “All-In-Space” will be the perfect place to have her come in early, do her thing, and then be just be three blocks away from where she’s going to perform. (Totally hypothetical example— there is no confirmed or speculated news that Lizzo is coming to Baltimore at this time.) We’ve been talking to everybody. We’ve been talking to I-Heart-Radio, Bowery Presents, AEG, LiveNation, we’re getting everyone’s best advice and really trying to make the room a very powerful place for an experience. I have no doubt that we’re on the right track. This is going to be the legacy that we deliver here in Baltimore for becoming a more community-friendly space.
This is so very wonderful to hear and I cannot wait for the soft and official opening of this “Soon-To-Be-Named” space. And it sounds like you have the perfect main-stage season at The Hippodrome Theatre to be coupled up with this new component of The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center.
Ron: Do you remember the cast parties we used to host in “the before” when the tours would come through?
Yes. Weren’t they on the second floor in that foyer-area overtop of the box-office in that open space?
Ron: Exactly. Now imagine just being able to walk over into the “All-In-Space” and having the best sound system you can buy with the best lighting system you can buy and a gigantic 20-foot by 20-foot wall screen that you can project song lyrics for karaoke up onto for the actors to sing along with. Imagine what that’s going to feel like when the actors pull into Charm City and that is their welcome party. They’re going to feel like you went all out for them. I can’t wait.
I know you mentioned the soft opening for “All-In-Space” over the summer but did you have a more finalized time-line for the official opening?
Ron: We’re aiming for the fall. We had originally picked October 7, 2023 but then Billy Joel decided he’s going to play M&T Bank Stadium that night. So I figured maybe we shouldn’t compete with Billy Joel…he’d probably win. But regardless of the exact date— and we’ll make a huge announcement about it— the more events we have in this space, the more we can get people coming into the city, the more we can break down those barriers of people thinking that this city is unsafe.
Everyone remembers an old Baltimore. We have to change that narrative. There are so many wonderful things happening that people don’t even know about. I mean you’ve got the new Spring Hill Suites in the old Dover Bank building right here next to us; they are absolutely spectacular. The cast of Hamilton stayed there. The cast of Mean Girls stayed there. We have Les Miserables staying there.
And we’ve got Lexington Market— now a half a block closer to The Hippodrome! We’re going to start doing safety walks with our security and their security— probably not until the spring as some of the places inside are a little bit behind. They have about 18 markets inside that have not yet gotten their store-fronts put together because of the unending delay of things, but they’re planning to open in April or May of this year and that’s when we’re going to do these partnered safety walks. Because they’re going to stay open until 8:00pm and they’ll have a liquor license. There will be eight or ten places that stay open until eight so that people coming in for a show can arrive early, be walked over with our blue-clothed security officers, have a dinner, have a drink, and be escorted back. Imagine— it’ll be like a city where you can have dinner and a show! Good things are coming. I’m very optimistic. And I’m already working on the 2024/2025 season!
Of course you are because you’re planning for a big, bright future for this city with The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center & The Hippodrome Theatre being a huge part of that bright future.
Ron: We have to keep people interested in us! And I’m looking forward to seeing everyone who will be interested in us for this upcoming season and for the opening of the new space.
For more information on how to renew your season subscription or to become a season subscriber click here.
To see what’s currently playing and coming soon to The Hippodrome click here.
The Hippodrome Theatre— a part of The France-Merrick Performing Arts Center— is located in the heart of the Bromo-Arts District of downtown Baltimore: 12 N. Eutaw Street, Baltimore MD 21201.
Broadway Across America’s Hippodrome Broadway Series 2023/2024
- The Wiz (09/26/23 – 10/01/23)
- Funny Girl (10/24/23 – 10/29/23)
- Moulin Rouge! (12/05/23 – 12/17/23)
- Doubtfire (01/30/24 – 02/04/24)
- Peter Pan (02/20/24 – 02/25/24)
- The Book of Mormon(03/19/24 – 03/24/24)
- Mamma Mia! (04/16/24 – 04/21/24)
- Clue: A New Comedy (05/07/24 – 05/12/24)
- Beetlejuice (06/25/24 – 06/30/24)
