SYRACUSE — The 2024-25 Syracuse Stage season will open with a classic murder/mystery tale and conclude with a story of espionage and baseball.
The six-show season runs Aug. 2 to June 29, 2025. Subscription packages are on sale now at www.syracusestage.org or at the box office, 315-443-3275.
“We strive to create singular theatrical experiences that delight and entertain Central New York audiences,” Syracuse Stage artistic director Robert Hupp said in a news release. “Our 51st season illustrates the breadth and scope of all that theater aspires to be: from world premieres and musical classics to the familiar and the adventurous, we create our productions right here at our home on Genesee and Irving.”
The season’s lineup:
— Oct. 16 to Nov. 3: “Dial M for Murder.”
This new adaptation from Jeffrey Hatcher smartly updates the intricately plotted Frederick Knott original, made famous by the 1954 film by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock.
“This memorable movie thriller adapts beautifully to the stage,” said Hupp, who directs the show. “Audiences have really enjoyed our forays into this genre of storytelling, and I’m thrilled to get the new season underway with a taut, edge-of-your-seat whodunit.”
— Nov. 22 to Jan. 5: “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella.”
Returning director Melissa Rain Anderson (“A Christmas Carol,” “Disney’s The Little Mermaid”) brings to life this “enchanted” edition of the enduring musical. Co-produced with the Syracuse University Department of Drama, the musical incorporates additional songs from the celebrated 1997 television film starring Brandy and Whitney Houston.
— Jan. 22 to Feb. 9: “Primary Trust.”
Syracuse Stage associate artistic director Melissa Crespo leads this drama by Eboni Booth. Set in the fictional town of Cranberry, New York, “just 40 miles east of Rochester,” the story charts one man’s journey to put his past (and his love of 2-for-1 Mai Tais) behind him. Crespo, who staged the New York Times “Critic’s Pick” production of “El Otro Oz” – a bilingual “Wizard of Oz” sendup – at the Atlantic Theater this past winter, directs again at Syracuse Stage after helming the 50th anniversary season productions of “Once” and “What the Constitution Means to Me,” and the East Coast premiere of “Espejos: Clean” from the 2022/2023 season.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about Eboni Booth’s beautiful play after I saw the off-Broadway world premiere at Roundabout Theater Company in 2023,” said Crespo. “And I thought it was especially perfect for Syracuse Stage since it’s set not too far from us. After seeing ‘Primary Trust,’ I am certain audiences will leave the theater and run to call their friends and family just to say: ‘I love you.’”
— Feb. 26 to March 16: “King James”
Pulitzer Prize nominated playwright Rajiv Joseph’s savvy investigation of male friendship comes to Syracuse Stage courtesy of a co-production with Indiana Repertory Theatre. Following two die-hard Cleveland Cavaliers fans living in the shadow of superstar LeBron James’s career, the play will be directed by Jamil Jude.
— April 25 to May 11: “Sense and Sensability”
Actor and playwright Kate Hamill’s whimsical, witty adaptation of the Jane Austen classic is directed by Jason O’Connell.
The world of the Dashwood sisters, Jane Austen’s destitute but determined heroines, offers romance, heartbreak and twists of fate. Elinor and Marianne, the eldest Dashwood daughters, navigate 18th century English society in search of stability after the death of their father.
— June 11 to June 29: “The National Pastime.”
This world premiere commissioned by Syracuse Stage is about the collision of baseball and espionage. Written by Rogelio Martinez and directed by Johanna McKeon, this psychological drama continues the company’s commitment to developing new work, joining recent Syracuse Stage premieres “Tender Rain” and “Salt City Blues” by resident playwright Kyle Bass.
The story deals with both the Houston Astros baseball cheating scandal and the Havana Syndrome, a mysterious illness that ripped through the American embassy in Havana, Cuba.
