Toledo Broadway Series opens 2012-13 with ‘Billy Elliot’

'Billy Elliott The Musical' will be presented Oct. 2-7 at the Stranahan Theater.

'Billy Elliott The Musical' will be presented Oct. 2-7 at the Stranahan Theater.

A young boy, a trio of blue men, a flying nanny, and a group of dream girls comprise the 2012-2013 Toledo Broadway Series at the Stranahan Theater.

Billy Elliot The Musical runs Oct. 2-7 and opens the series presented by Theater League, a Kansas City, Mo.-based production company. Based on the 2000 film Billy Elliot, this is a heartwarming celebration of a young boy who falls out of the boxing ring to discover his passion in ballet class and ends up inspiring his family and an entire community.It opened in November, 2008, on Broadway, won 10 Tony Awards, and closed this month after 1,304 performances.

Blue Man Group, a venture from the ordinary into extraordinary comedy, music, and multimedia theatrics, runs Dec. 4-9. The high-energy performance by a silent trio of blue actors has been viewed by more than 17 million people worldwide. Blue Man Group has made numerous appearances on television including Ellen, Live! With Regis and Kelly, and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

From Feb. 26 through March 3, 2013, Mary Poppins, inspired by Disney’s 1964 beloved film that continues to enchant children and adults, will dance and sing its way across the stage. This high-flying musical opened in November, 2006, on Broadway and is still running, more than 2,145 performances later. Songs from the show include "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "Just a Spoonful of Sugar," and "Step in Time."

The Blue Man Group tour will visit Toledo Dec. 4-9.

Finishing the season is the inspirational Dreamgirls, running April 25-28, 2013, and telling the story of a 1960s singing girl group’s trials and tribulations along the road to fame and fortune. Dreamgirls won six 1982 Tony Awards and boasted two revivals on Broadway. The book and lyrics by Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning Tom Eyen features hits "One Night Only," "Listen," and "I am Telling You I’m Not Going."

Season tickets for all four shows start at $95. Current season ticket-holders have until April 2 to renew their membership for the 2012-2013 series before tickets are available to the general public. The sale of individual tickets will begin several months before each production. Information is available from the Stranahan Theater box office, 4645 Heatherdowns Blvd., 419-381-8851.

Contact Julie Njaim at: jnjaim@theblade.com.