As the theater dims and the stage lights shine, nervous actors bustle on stage ready to deliver the lines they’ve long practiced. The energy is palpable, the emotion is raw; there is nothing quite like Broadway.
In its 31st year, Broadway Comes to Reno has been delighting local audiences with touring productions for decades. The actors that come through Reno are the same ones entertaining crowds in larger markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and beyond. The crews travel across the country, bringing beloved tales to little corners of the world, giving us all a slice of the big apple. Some productions are storied favorites charming audiences season after season while others represent new tours. Some shows are still alive and well on Broadway, while others can only be caught on the road.
Dennyse Sewell, CEO of the Pioneer Center, works hard with the New York-based Nederlander Organization to schedule shows, an intricate process that involves countless calendars and maps. The company has been in operation since 1912, and Reno is lucky to be on their list of clients.
Similar to years past, the 2026-2027 season will include an array of performances, many coming to Reno for the first time and a couple of surprise repeat offenders.
Kicking off the season in October 2026 will be “Water for Elephants,” a moving piece of historical fiction that follows an orphaned veterinary student who runs away with the circus. “People know and love the story,” Sewell says, referencing both the 2006 novel by Sara Gruen and the 2011 Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattison-led movie.
The on-stage production adds puppetry and circus-style acrobatics to its line-up of musical numbers to bring the “heartbreaking and beautiful story” to life. Reno is lucky to get this tour on its first tour, a newbie to Broadway in 2024. “It’s a really great way to kick [the season] off,” Sewell says.
The second show comes in November—and this one is made for families. “Elf the Musical” suits all-ages with its fun and festive spirit. It’s both hilarious and silly, bringing the movie to life with extra songs and a little Broadway jazz. “We’re really excited to get to bring it back again,” Sewell says of the musical that last played the Pioneer Center in 2016.
“The Outsiders” won best new musical in 2024 and it’s still selling out in New York. Based on the classic book, the coming of age tale is another new production Reno is lucky to see in January 2027, and one young audiences are still relating to. “On stage it brings all of the incredible energy, all of the angst, all of the unrest,” Sewell says. “This show is just jaw-dropping.” In addition to the storyline itself and original music, the tech magic adds another element of surprise and suspense, with sound and light effects that only punctuate the on-stage performances. “This show is going to hook people in so many ways.”
In February, Jersey Boys is another return show, last played in 2014. In March audiences will get the ultimate date night featuring Grammy Award-winning songs from the movie, “The Bodyguard,” followed by the 2025 Best Musical Tony Award-winner, “Maybe Happy Ending” in May. This new show is futuristic, with remarkable scene design. “I really encourage people to listen to the soundtrack in advance,” Sewell suggests.
The season will close out in July with another return show—"Hamilton.” “It just blew the roof off the Pioneer Center [in 2021],” Sewell says. Not only is it one of the biggest shows in Broadway history; it’s special to the Pioneer Center as the first post-pandemic show returning people to the theater.
“I just love Broadway as an art form, as a concept,” Sewell says, her passion obvious in her response. This season, she can’t pick a front runner for personal favorite. Instead, she champions the immersive and emotional retelling of “The Outsiders,” the brand-new hit “Maybe Happy Ending,” and the explosive return of “Hamilton.”
“Each of the stories… are vastly different and they show you a really broad and deep range of human experience,” Sewell says. “Even if you don’t know what some of these shows are… I guarantee you will see things that surprise you.”