Chance Theater proudly announces a bold and inspiring
2025 Season
PREMIERES, GROUNDBREAKING MUSICALS, AND FAMILY FAVORITES
ANAHEIM, CA – Chance Theater proudly announces its highly anticipated 2025 season, showcasing a compelling array of celebrated productions. The lineup features bold, groundbreaking musicals, regional premieres, a world premiere from our inaugural resident playwright, and beloved holiday and family classics. Each production reflects Chance Theater’s dedication to innovative storytelling and diverse perspectives, promising a season filled with unforgettable performances for the entire community.
“Our 2025 season offers something for everyone—from acclaimed musicals to powerful new voices,” said Founding Executive Artistic Director Oánh Nguyễn. “With shows that challenge, inspire, and celebrate, we’re excited to bring stories that resonate on a deeply personal level, whether through the heart-pounding energy of Tick, Tick… Boom!, the poignant memories in Such Small Hands, or the thought-provoking journey of What the Constitution Means to Me. We can’t wait for audiences to experience this season and the connections each show will spark.”
2025 Season
Tick, Tick… BOOM!
Book, Music & Lyrics by Jonathan Larson
Script Consultation by David Auburn,
Vocal Arrangements and Orchestrations by Stephen Oremus
tick, tick…BOOM! was originally produced off-Broadway in June 2001 by
Victoria Leacock, Robyn Goodman, Dede Harris, Lorie Cowen Levy, & Beth Smith
January 24 – February 23, 2025
On the Cripe Stage
Get ready to experience the electrifying mind behind Rent! Before Jonathan Larson revolutionized Broadway, he was a young man struggling to make his mark. This autobiographical musical, set in 1990, is a raw, humorous, and heartfelt journey of a composer on the brink of turning 30—waiting tables and wondering if he’ll ever write that soaring song that will change everything. His girlfriend wants to get married and move out of the city, and his best friend is making big bucks on Madison Avenue. Will he give up his dream and sell out just to keep the lights on? Will he lose the love of his life? Scored by music that redefined a genre, Tick, Tick… BOOM! takes you on the writer’s journey that led to a Broadway blockbuster. It’s a must-see for anyone who’s ever chased a dream. If you loved Rent, this show will speak to your soul. Don’t miss the chance to experience the genius of Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning composer Jonathan Larson in a whole new way!
Direction by H. Adam Harris, with music direction by Lex Leigh and choreography by Niko Montelibano
Executive Producers are Susan Bowman & Freddie Greenfield and Steven & Louise Koch.
Opening Night: Saturday, February 1, 2025
Such Small Hands
By Resident Playwright Adam Szymkowicz
February 28 – March 23, 2025
On the Fyda-Mar Stage
* World Premiere
Paul and Marie wake in the morning, Marie makes coffee, black, Paul asks for sugar, Marie says the sugar is out of reach, and they drink it black, Paul questions, “do we drink it black because the sugar is out of reach or because we like it that way?” And so begins the daily routine of this long-married couple, filled with small quibbles, but an extraordinary amount of love, laughter, and memories. This hilarious and moving world premiere play about love, aging, selfishness, and selflessness from Chance Theater’s Resident Playwright Adam Szymkowicz, is sure to resonate with audiences with its laughter and heart.
Direction by Matthew McCray.
Executive Producers are David & Judy Joss, with Associate Producers David & Danice Limberg.
Opening Night: Saturday, March 8, 2025
The Chinese Lady
By Lloyd Suh
May 16 – June 8, 2025
On the Cripe Stage
* Regional Premiere
In 1834, 16-year-old Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to set foot in America, sailed into New York Harbor to be featured in a museum. She sees herself as a representative of China, here to educate and entertain. Or, in the eyes of the paying public, is she merely a mesmerizing display? Moving and sharply funny, this play follows the idealistic Moy as she travels through America as a living exhibit for decades. Over the course of her travels, Moy shares her impressions of a young country struggling to define itself. Inspired by a true story, Lloyd Suh’s critically acclaimed play is a poetic, whimsical tale that paints a unique portrait of the United States as seen through the eyes of this remarkable young Chinese woman.
Direction by Producing Associate Shinshin Yuder Tsai.
Executive Producers are Gus & Mary Chabre, Sophie & Larry Cripe, Sally Ann Catering, and Samuel & Tammy Tang.
Opening Night: Saturday, May 24, 2025
Spring Awakening
Music by Duncan Sheik
Book & Lyrics by Steven Sater
Based on the play by Frank Wedekind
July 11 – August 10, 2025
On the Cripe Stage
* Orange County Regional Premiere
Based on Frank Wedekind’s groundbreaking play, Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik’s brilliant rock score and searingly emotional book bring the story of sexual awakening, youth revolt, and self-discovery into a new century. It’s 1891, and the grown-ups hold all the cards. Headstrong Melchior and naive Wendla stumble into each other’s arms, passionate and curious, while anxious Moritz struggles to live up to the stringent expectations of society. With only each other for guidance, this group of young men and women travel the fraught and rocky path of adolescence, discovering their bodies, their minds, and themselves along the way. Winner of eight Tony Awards, Spring Awakening features an electrifying fusion of morality, sexuality, and rock and roll, delivering a story that packs a powerful emotional punch.
Direction by Associate Artistic Director Jocelyn A. Brown, with music direction by Resident Artist Robyn Manion, and choreography by Mo Goodfellow
Executive Producers are Susan Bowman & Freddie Greenfield, Rachelle Menaker & Eddie Schuller, and Laurie Smits Staude.
Opening Night: Saturday, July 19, 2025
SPRING AWAKENING is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).
All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.MtiShows.com
What the Constitution Means to Me
By Heidi Schreck
October 3 – October 26, 2025
On the Cripe Stage
*Pulitzer Prize Finalist
Heidi Schreck’s timely, hilarious, and deeply felt play breathes new life into our country’s most important document. Fifteen-year-old Heidi paid her college tuition by speaking in (and winning) debate competitions across the country. Now older, she resurrects her teenage self to tell the story of four generations of extraordinary women in her family whose lives were shaped by the Constitution. Nominated for two Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, Schreck’s boundary-breaking play reimagines our founding document and considers how it will shape the next generation of Americans.
Directed by Katie Chidester.
Executive Producers are Louise & Steven Koch, Rachelle Menaker & Eddie Schuller, and Linda & Tod White.
Opening Night: Saturday, October 11, 2025
What the Constitution Means to Me” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.ConcordTheatricals.com
Anne of Green Gables
Book by Joseph Robinette
Music & Lyrics by Evelyn D. Swensson
November 28 – December 21, 2025
On the Cripe Stage
Back by popular demand, this musical adaptation of the classic novel brings Anne Shirley’s beloved story to life. Watch as the red-headed orphan girl makes her mark on Avonlea and captures the hearts of everyone she meets. A perfect holiday treat for the entire family, Anne of Green Gables is a heartwarming journey of friendship, growth, and imagination.
Executive Producer Sally Ann Catering
Opening Night: Saturday, December 6, 2025
Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas, The Musical
Book by Cara Lustik and Matthew Hardy
Music by Randy Klein
Lyrics by Matthew Hardy
Orchestrations and Vocal Arrangements by Randy Klein
Based on the popular book series by Jane O’Connor
and Illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
December 5 – 21, 2025
On the Fyda-Mar Stage
Back by popular demand, it’s a holiday season filled with elegant wrapping paper, festive decorations, Christmas cookies with sprinkles—and, of course, the tree! After all, there is no such thing as too much tinsel. Ooh, la la! This year, Nancy is especially excited. After selling some of her old gowns and accessories, she’s finally able to buy a brand-new sparkly tree topper. She simply cannot wait to decorate the Christmas tree. But when things don’t go as planned, can Nancy still make Christmas as splendiferous as she dreamed?
Executive Producer Robert Berman
Opening Night: Sunday, December 7, 2025
Fancy Nancy, The Musical
Book & Lyrics by Susan DiLallo
Music by Danny Abosch
Based on the popular “Fancy Nancy” books
by Jane O’Connor and illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser
March 28 – April 13, 2025
On the Cripe Stage
Making a triumphant return to the Chance, Nancy is back for another delightful adventure! Bring the family and watch as Nancy and her friends– Bree, Rhonda, Wanda, and Lionel– prepare for their very first show, Deep Sea Dances. Nancy is absolutely certain (that’s fancy for 100% sure) that she and Bree will be chosen as mermaids. But when another girl lands the coveted mermaid role, Nancy is stuck playing a dull, dreary tree. Can she bring her signature fancy flair to the role, even if it’s not the one she had in mind?
Executive Producer Robert Berman
Opening Night: Sunday, March 30, 2025
TICKETS
Season tickets for the 2025 season are available now. Individual show tickets go on sale starting December 2024. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit ChanceTheater.com or call (888) 455-4212.
