Hennepin Trust to bring Tony winners 'Fun Home' and 'Curious Incident' to Minneapolis

The bad news is that "Hamilton," Broadway's hottest ticket, is not on the horizon for the Twin Cities. But the Hennepin Theatre Trust announced Tuesday that it has secured "Fun Home" and "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" — the 2015 Tony Awards winners as best musical and best play, respectively — for the Broadway on Hennepin Season that begins in October.

If a theme emerges for the slate, it might be the travails of childhood.

The "Curious Incident" (Nov. 29-Dec. 4), adapted from Mark Haddon's popular novel, is about a 15-year-old mathematical savant who investigates the death of a neighborhood dog. Broadway audiences loved the complex character portrait.

"Fun Home," which gets the holiday slot Dec. 13-18, deals with sexual identity and dysfunctional family life, based on Alison Bechdel's graphic memoir of her complicated relationship with her father. The script is by playwright Lisa Kron and music by Jeanine Tesori ("Caroline, or Change").

Also scheduled are "Matilda the Musical," the 2013 Tony winner based on the popular Roald Dahl novel about a precocious but neglected girl (March 28-April 2, 2017), and the ever-popular "Wicked," which comes in for a five-week engagement (April 12-May 14, 2017).

"Cabaret" opens the season Oct. 18-23. This is the Roundabout Theatre Company's production of the Kander and Ebb classic.

"The Bodyguard," based on the Whitney Houston/Kevin Costner film, launches its North American tour Jan. 10-15, 2017, at the Orpheum. It features singer Deborah Cox, who will belt out "I Will Always Love You."

"Mamma Mia!" is back Feb. 7-12, 2017, for its eighth engagement at the Orpheum. "Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I," Tony winner for best musical revival, checks in Feb. 28-March 5, 2017.

Of local significance, Theater Latté Da extends its relationship with the Trust next March 1-26, 2017, with a reprise of its critical and box-office hit "Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street." This will be the fifth consecutive year that Latté Da has staged a local production at the Pantages Theatre. Director Peter Rothstein will remount a show that sold out an extended run last fall at the Ritz Theater. Mark Benninghofen returns as the title character, along with Sally Wingert and Tyler Michaels.

The season concludes with Jonathan Larson's "Rent" June 6-11, 2017, and "Motown the Musical" July 11-16, 2017.

Season subscriptions and information are at HennepinTheatreTrust.org, or 1-800-859-7469.

"Hamilton," Broadway's hottest show in many a season, previously has announced an open-ended production in Chicago, beginning in September. Separately, a tour was announced Tuesday to begin in San Francisco next spring. It will then spend five months in Los Angeles before moving to other unnamed cities, according to the New York Times.

Graydon Royce • 612-673-7299