Diamond Head Theatre’s 2026-27 season will be an all-musical affair, featuring four favorite classics and two Hawaii premieres of recent titles.
Thus, the shows will provide a spectrum of astonishing and satisfying theatrical experiences, which should pique the interest of the old and the young alike, beginning with the compelling soul-tugging “Fiddler on the Roof” and winding up with the outrageously funny “Hairspray.”
The season also will be a stellar opportunity for skilled singers and dancers to strut their stuff by auditioning for the varied roles.
The rundown:
- “Fiddler on the Roof,” Sept. 25 to Oct. 11 2026 – One of the most beloved classics of the Broadway repertoire, this is the treasured tale of Tevye, a poor milkman and his wife and five daughters, who reside in the Russian village of Anateva. The opening number, “Tradition,” says and shows it all – a cornerstone of musical comedy theater, with book by Jerry Bock, music by Joseph Stein, and lyrics by Sheldon Harvey. Tevye and his wife, the sharp-tongued Golde, lead lives that are as precarious as the perch of a fiddler on a roof, which give the show its title. The score boasts a wealth of hit songs that reflect the love, faith and life challenges of the family: “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “To Life,” “Sunrise, Sunset,” and “Do You Love Me.”
- “How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The Musical,” Nov. 20 to Dec. 6 2026 – This holiday classic, from the stories of Dr. Seuss, was a children’s book and animated movie before segueing into a stage favorite for the Christmas season. The mean and green Grinch is the keen figure in an outing for both children, teens and adult audiences, and features its celebratory hit song, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” and a world full of the Whos. The playwright is Timothy Mason.
- “Into the Woods,” Jan. 22 to Feb. 7 2027 – This Tony-winning musical, with storybook characters, is timeless and tuneful, with wishes galore: Cinderella wishes to go to the ball, Prince Charming wishes to find the maiden who lost her shoe at the ball, the Baker and his Wife wish for a baby, Little Red Riding Hood wishes to visit her grandma, and Jack of the beanstalk fame wishes to return home. The show was written by James Lapine with words and lyrics composed byStephen Sondheim. The audience might wish for one singular sensation of a song in the score, but there’s a bonanza of choices: “No One Is Alone,” “Stay With Me,” “Children Will Listen,” and “Last Midnight.” In the forested woods, however, happily ever after isn’t always so.
- “Suffs,” March 12 to 28 2027 – “Suffs,” short for “suffragists,” is an award-winning show by Shaina Taub, who wrote the book, music and lyrics, and even starred in the original Broadway production. It Is a tale of the struggle for equality, the power of protest, and the relevance of the fight today. The original production featured an all-female cast, with women playing all roles, including the male characters, providing a unique and compelling perspective to the story; there’s no indication that DHT will go down this avenue.
- “Pirates! The Penzance Musical,” May 21 to June 6 2027 – This reimagining of Gilbert and Sullivan’s classic operetta, was a 2025 hit on Broadway. The razzle-dazzle of G&S’s Penzance have been transported to New Orleans’s French Quarters, and the operetta flavor has been seasoned with Caribbean rhythms and jazz. The book and lyrics are by Rupert Holmes. The plot follows Frederic, who is mistakenly apprenticed to a band of tender-hearted pirates until his 21st birthday. But due to a leap year technicality, his apprenticeship is extended, complicating his love for Mabel. The Pirate King and the tongue-twisting Major-General are aboard ship, along with new young lovers, fleet-footed police, and footloose pirates.
- “Hairspray,” July 23 to Aug. 8 2027 – First there was a movie by John Waters, then a Broadway show, and “Hairspray” thus became an iconic legend of 1960s Baltimore. Plus-size teenager Tracy Tumblad has one mission in life – to gain fame on the “Corny Collins Show,” the “American Bandstand”/Dick Clark sound-alike. Edna Tumblad, Tracy’s mom, is part of the legendary folks here – cuz she’s portrayed by a dude, who’ll become a notable sort in the process. The book is by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas McKeehan, based on the Waters film, with music byMarc Shaman and Scott Wittman. Themes include racial prejudice and integration, and size-hate and social change. The anthem, “You Can’t Stop the Beat” rules here, but other danceable and singable hits include “Good Morning Baltimore” and “I Can Hear the Bells.”
DHT advisories:
Season ticket sales are now underway and current subscribers must sign up by May 8. By phone: box office at (808) 733-0274. By mail: DHT, 520 Makapuu Ave., Honolulu HI 96826. Box office hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays.
To change current subscriptions, call or visit the box office.
Important operational changes:
- All Thursday performances will begin at 7 p.m.
- All Sunday shows will start at 3 p.m.
- A new Thursday subscription show will be added; thus, the first Thursday option will become a second Thursday choice, the second Thursday will become the third.
- The current first Saturday matinee will become the second.
- The current second Saturday matinee will become the third.
- The Friday opening night will not be changed, so the planned new Thursday performance will precede the usual opening night.
- Shows prior to the opening night week could be added; they constitute extensions before the openings. (This option already has happened; the current show, “West Side Story,” had been slated prior to its March 20 debut, though at least two shows last week had to be canceled due to last week’s Kona low storms).
‘Harry Potter’ spell rules on Broadway
“Harry Potter” continues to have box office magic on Broadway, grossing $2.5 million for the week ending March 15. Only one other show – “Hamilton”—is in the $2 million club.
The Top 10:
1—”Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” $2.507 million
2—“Hamilton,” $2.117 million
3—“Wicked,” $1.723 million
4—“The Lion King,” $1.718 milion
5—“Just in Time,” $1.680 million
6—“Stranger Things: The First Shadow,” $1.430 million
7—“Chess,” $1.331 million
8—“The Outsiders,” $1.296 million
9—“MJ the Musical,” $1.180 million
10—“Every Brilliant Thing,” $1.107 million
The complete list, courtesy the Broadway League:
And that’s Show Biz…
