Tickets for McCallum's 2023-2024 Season

The McCallum Theatre announced April 9th its new lineup for 2023-2024, with a full season of great performances beginning in November, 2023 and going through mid-April, 2024.

Tickets are available online at www.McCallumTheatre.org, by phone or at the box office beginning on Friday, April 14 at 8am.  Phone orders can be made by calling 760-340-2787.  Regular McCallum Theatre Box Office Hours are Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm.  Patrons are reminded that the only safe and secure way to purchase tickets is through the Theatre’s official website. Do not Google “McCallum Theatre” or you may be directed to a ticket broker who will charge many times the actual face value of the tickets.

The McCallum goes to the dogs as the new season commences with Stunt Dog Experience  (November 5, 2023), part of the City of Rancho Mirage’s Family Fun Series, followed by the always highly-anticipated Palm Desert Choreography Festival, a cherished program presented by McCallum Theatre Education for more than twenty years (November 11 and 12, 2023).

A power-packed Broadway season kicks off with back-to-back engagements of The Cher Show (November 24-26, 2023) making its direct-from-Broadway McCallum debut and, for the first time in three decades, the return on the timeless Boublil and Schönberg musical, Les Misérables (eight performances from November 28 – December 3, 2023).  Two more brand new shows come to the desert in January and March respectively, both musicals based on insanely popular movies: Pretty Woman (January 19-21, 2024) and Tina Fey’s Mean Girls (March 29-31, 2024). Broadway’s long-running hit musical, Chicago razzle-dazzles its way to the McCallum from March 1-3, 2024.

The McCallum premiere of Industrial Strength Broadway (February 8, 2024) is one of more than twenty brand new shows coming to the McCallum in the 2023-2024 season.  Based on the hit documentary, Bathtubs Over Broadway, the show is a celebration of the American Corporate Musical and will be co-produced by the McCallum, along with veteran comedy writer Steve Young from the Late Show with David Letterman.  The show will pull back the curtain on one of the strangest, most improbable realms of show business: musicals written for corporate events.  Young will emcee live performances of striking numbers from shows such as The Bathrooms Are Coming! (American-Standard) and Diesel Dazzle (Detroit Diesel engine) to gleefully reveal a world that transcends kitsch to reach a surprising level of profundity.

Industrial Strength Broadway is one of four Mitch’s Picks this season.  The others, all new to the McCallum, include the mega-talented singer, Jimmie Herrod who dazzled the judges on Season 16 of America’s Got Talent, prompting Howie Mandel to call him the “best male vocalist in the show’s history.” (January 15, 2024); Selected Shorts (February 4, 2024), a live theatrical experience featuring guest actors reading stories selected specifically for the Greater Palm Springs audience. Produced by Symphony Space in New York City, Selected Shorts is a hit public radio show and podcast, which reaches hundreds of thousands of listeners on over 130 stations and streaming services each week; and the solo show debut of Palm Desert’s own Carrie St. Louiswho made her McCallum debut at age six, won Open Call in 2004 and went on to star in the Broadway shows, Wicked, Rock of Ages and Kinky Boots. Carrie returned to perform for The Muses & Patroness Circle of McCallum Theatre onstage luncheon last year where she proclaimed that while she had performed in many of the world’s finest concert halls, the McCallum will always be her home theater (February 22, 2024).

A brand new Adventure Speaker Series makes its own McCallum debut in the 2023-2024 season, beginning on January 22, 2024 with Peter Hillary’s Climb Your Own Everest.  The inspiring adventurer from one of the great families of mountaineering will reveal what it takes to summit the world’s highest mountain, to travel to the ends of the earth, and why K2 earned its nickname, “the savage mountain.” Hillary will be followed by Pink Boots and a Machete: The Curious Life of Dr. Mireya Mayor (February 25, 2024), a wild, insightful romp featuring the world renowned scientist and popular TV Host waxing poetic about her near-death experiences in the Congo, discovering the world’s smallest primate in Madagascar, trekking across Africa with three companions in the footsteps of Stanley and Livingstone with nothing but a compass, a few maps, and Stanley’s original journals; and Andrew Evans’ Travel: A Bridge to Enlightenment (April 7, 2024), which proffers the theory that travel can be an antidote to hate and ignorance by teaching us to laugh at ourselves, appreciate the limits of our own worldview, and learn from the knowledge and experience of different cultures. Evans has journeyed to over 100 countries and will reveal how travel can truly change our lives—and the world.

Among the new initiatives at the McCallum in 2023-2024 will be the debut of The Maestro and The European Pop Orchestra (January 12-14, 2024).  “We think this will be the next McCallum favorite, along the lines of The TEN Tenors,” said Gershenfeld.  “This is an extraordinary  professional and energetic pop band and classical orchestra in one.  Their music style is filled with romance, emotion, passion and energy and have earned them nine Platinum and two Gold records.  They have sold over 3 million tickets worldwide and, we think, will be the perfect way to start the New Year at the McCallum.”

On February 2 and 3, 2024, the McCallum will present A Salute to the Music of John Williams, Hollywood’s “Music Man.”  “We are putting together our own McCallum Theatre Orchestra made up of many of Hollywood’s finest musicians, many of whom have played on the scores of John Williams,” said Gershenfeld.  “These world-class artists, led by Grammy Award-winning conductor Richard Kaufman who has a long personal and professional relationship with Williams, will bring a unique and exciting musical experience to the audience, playing many of Williams’ most recognized and best-loved scores including Star Wars, E.T., Indiana Jones, Schindler’s List, Hook, and Jurassic Park.”

Divas and divos of the Broadway stage take their rightful place in the spotlight at the McCallum in 2023-2024 with the aforementioned Carrie St. Louis joined this season with star turns from Kristin Chenoweth who will share two intimate evenings with desert audiences on January 26 and 27, 2024); Palm Springs’ very own Lucie Arnaz returning to her theater roots with songs from her musical past in her own show titled, I Got the Job (February 28, 2024); star of Jekyll & Hyde and concert halls throughout the world, Linda Eder returns to the one of her favorite places to sing on March 28, 2024; and three-time Tony Award-winner Patti LuPone brings an all new show, A Life in Notes to the McCallum on April 12, 2024. The ladies make way for The Four Phantoms on April 6, 2024 featuring a quartet of performers who have played the Phantom on Broadway coming together for a musical extravaganza: Brent Barrett, John Cudia, Franc D’Ambrosio, and Ciarán Sheehan.

McCallum mainstay, the virtuosic Jeffrey Siegel brings his Keyboard Conversations® back to the McCallum for a twenty-first season. His four concerts with commentary will include: American Pianistic Treasures (November 20, 2023); The Power and Passion of Beethoven (January 8, 2024); Three Great Romantics (February 19, 2024); and Chopin – Listen to the Dance (March 25, 2024).

The McCallum rings in the holidays with a trio of favorite crowd-pleasers:  Merri-Achi Christmas featuring Mariachi Sol de Mexico de José Hernàndez kicks things off on December 8, 2023 with a colorful and traditional Mexican holiday celebration full of seasonal songs, dance, and festive merriment.  A McCallum holiday tradition continues when Dave Koz & Friends bring their Christmas Tour 2023 to Palm Desert for another round of fresh, lively arrangements of season favorites in a high-energy show for the entire family (December 18, 2023); and Canadian Brass reminds us that Christmas Time is Here on December 19, 2023 as they help ring in the holiday season with festive classics and brass standards. And Barry Manilow brings his A Gift of Love VI back to the McCallum for five special performances on December 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17 with all proceeds going to support twenty Coachella Valley nonprofit organizations (tickets only available at www.agol6.com). Can’t decide what show is right for friends or loved ones?  McCallum Theatre gift certificates allow them to decide for themselves and are available at www.mccallumtheatre.org.

With prodigious talent and extraordinary longevity, six nights will be filled in 2023-2024 McCallum season with five legendary artists who have taken the entertainment world by storm for decades.  First up is one of the most enduring and innovative vocal groups of all time,  The Manhattan Transfer (December 9, 2023), celebrating their 50^th anniversary with their final world tour making a stop at the Coachella Valley’s premier performing arts venue.  Fresh off his sold-out McCallum shows this past January, the incomparable Paul Anka returns for two nights (January 9 & 10, 2024) by popular demand, performing hits from his more than 900 song catalogue. Hitmakers as soloists, a duo and part of the 60’s supergroup The Fifth Dimension, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis, Jr. celebrate their own milestone, performing together for forty years, when they return to the McCallum to lift audiences Up, Up and Away on February 10, 2024.  McCallum regular Michael Feinstein will entertain with rousing renditions from his cherished Great American Songbook on February 24, 2024, followed by one of the most internationally successful Brazilian artists of all time, Sergio Mendes, treating McCallum audiences to his signature mix of bossa nova and samba and distinctive pop instrumentation on February 27, 2024. 

The McCallum continues to celebrate the wonders of the human voice with several exceptional artists known for their vocal mastery including the still beloved second season American Idol finalists Ruben & Clay (Studdard and Aiken) making their duo McCallum debut on November 18, 2023 twenty years after their first brush with stardom; with their signature letter sweaters and unrivaled harmonies, The Lettermen take audiences on a walk down memory lane the following day on November 19, 2023; The Four Freshmen, the venerable vocal ensemble entertaining audiences in various incarnations since 1948 will join forces with Tony Award-nominated singer/songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway for a celebration of song on January 29, 2024; featuring stars from such Broadway hits as Jersey Boys, Motown: The Musical and A Bronx Tale, The Doo Wop Project traces the evolution of Doo Wop from the classic sound of five guys singing tight harmonies on a street corner to the biggest hits on the radio today (February 1, 2024); the top-selling act in McCallum history, The TEN Tenors, returns to their home away from home in Palm Desert after a two-year absence from February 13-17, 2024 with Love is in the Air, the perfect show to celebrate Valentine’s Day featuring the greatest love songs of all time as only The TEN Tenors can sing them. Plus, the irrepressible Storm Large comes back to her adoring McCallum fans on March 9, 2024 with her solo show, always an unforgettable “for mature audiences” only experience,

followed closely by her oft-times cohorts Pink Martini for six performances from March 13-17, 2024.  The group self-described as what it might be like if the United Nations had a house band in 1962 will appear with its bandleader/pianist Thomas Lauderdale, along with one of his favorite muses, China Forbes and the monumentally talented and silly Meow Meow.  Making their McCallum debut, Trinity: Classically Irish is an evening of Irish music with fresh arrangements of classic songs performed by three accomplished young singers who have graced stages around the world (March 18, 2024).

Proving once again the imitation is not only the sincerest form of flattery but downright entertainment, the McCallum will be presenting astonishing tribute shows featuring uncanny portrayals of a variety of entertainment icons beginning with Classic Albums Live, a popular offering in past McCallum seasons, this time performing note-for-note the pivotal Rolling Stones album, Sticky Fingers on January 30, 2024; there will actually be two nights of One Night of Queen, which had the distinction of being the first show to sell out in the current season.  Featuring ITV’s Stars in their Eyes winner Gary Mullen, this spectacular live concert, recreates the look, sound, pomp and showmanship of arguably the greatest rock band of all time (February 20 & 21, 2024); The Greatest Love of All (February 23, 2024) brings to life the musical legacy of Whitney Houston in a critically-acclaimed stage show with state-of-the-art sound, lighting, visual and theatrical effects and breathtaking vocals by chart-topping South African vocalist, Belinda Davis; the ultimate fantasy concert comes to the McCallum on March 7 & 8, 2024 with Legends in Concert, an astonishingly real-to-life tribute to musical icons The Carpenters, Elton John, Rod Stewart and Lionel Richie; and by audience demand, Palm Springs Legends is back where it belongs at the McCallum with an all new show saluting a variety of stars that made Palm Springs the Capitol of Cool including Dean Martin, Elvis, Keely Smith, Liberace, Bob Hope and Frank Ferrante as Groucho Marx (March 20, 2024). Laughter is on tap with four shows sure to tickle every funny bone, starting with Whose Live Anyway? (November 17, 2023), the new improv tour with current cast members of the Emmy-nominated TV show, Whose Line is it Anyway creating comedy and song, all based on audience suggestions.  Longtime McCallum favorite Rita Rudner is back for the first time since 2017 with her thought-provoking one-liners and observations on everyday life (January 7, 2024). The comedian’s comedian, Robert Klein makes his McCallum debut on February 9, 2024 with special guest, guitarist Leo Kottke, who has been entertaining audiences to widespread acclaim for more than four decades; and master storyteller Steve Solomon returns to the

McCallum for three shows on March 11 & 12, 2024 with an all-new hilarious show, Cannoli, Latkes & Guilt.

Classical, opera and operetta are represented in the new season with two major artists and two very popular titles.  The luminous soprano, Renée Fleming will be in recital at the McCallum on February 12, 2024.  One of the most beloved and celebrated singers of our time, Fleming will once again captivate desert audiences with her sumptuous voice, consummate artistry, and compelling stage presence. And Lang Lang, “the world’s ambassador of the keyboard,” will perform a solo concert in the intimacy of the McCallum Theatre on April 3, 2024.  Teatro Lirico D’Europa will bring to life Puccini’s classic La Boheme to Palm Desert on February 26, 2024, with chorus, orchestra, soloists, and grand sets and costumes, followed on March 10, 2024 by America’s preeminent professional Gilbert & Sullivan repertory ensemble, the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players with their production of The Pirates of Penzance.

Rounding out the season are jazz, dance, variety and genre-spanning performances including an all new Neil Berg’s Fifty Years of Rock and Roll, Part 3 (January 17 & 18, 2024) with a coast of Broadway headliners and rock and roll icons paying tribute to five decades of legends; those masters of contortion, flexibility and control, The Peking Acrobats (January 28, 2024); an unforgettable evening celebrating the Great American Songbook as Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents: Sing and Swing featuring the estimable trumpet talent and vocal charms of Bria Skonberg and Benny Benack III (February 5, 2024); the dazzling technical mastery and impeccable comic timing of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (January 31, 2024); the 66th Edition of It’s Magic! featuring the finest stars of magic, comedy, sleight of hand and stage illusions (March 24, 2024); Trailblazing Women of Country honoring the artistry and lasting impact of Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton (March 26, 2024); McCallum mainstay Chris Botti brings his innovative and beloved artistry back to the McCallum on March 22 & 23, 2024; and rounding out the season is George Hinchiffe’s Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain with their playful, virtuosic and wickedly funny program that is at once genre-bending and astonishing (April 14, 2024).

Performances are subject to change.  Once again, tickets are available online at www.McCallumTheatre.org, by phone or at the box office beginning Friday, April 14 at 8:00am.  Phone orders may be made by calling 760-340-2787. The safest way to purchase tickets online is through the McCallum Theatre official website, which is the ONLY secure place to purchase tickets for all performances to avoid online ticket broker sites which will charge many times the actual face value of the ticket.