La Jolla Playhouse’s Upcoming Season Includes 5 World Premieres, Return of Matthew Broderick

The La Jolla Playhouse’s 2023-24 season includes five world premieres, among them a play set to star acclaimed actor Matthew Broderick.

The season begins in June 2023. It, said Artistic Director Christopher Ashley, “beautifully illustrates our mission of serving as a home for artists as they harness the transformative power of theatre to explore potent undercurrents in our society.”

The early slate includes:

• World-premiere musical The Untitled Unauthorized Hunter S. Thompson Musical, music and lyrics by Joe Iconis (Be More Chill), book by Iconis and Gregory S. Moss, directed by Tony Award-winner Ashley, described as a rock ‘n’ roll portrait of the late Thompson, known as a “gonzo journalist.”
• Love All, about tennis legend Billie Jean King, by writer/actor Anna Deavere Smith (Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; the playhouse’s Let Me Down Easy), directed by Marc Bruni (Broadway’s Beautiful: The Carole King Story).
• Is It Thursday Yet?, created, choreographed and performed by Jenn Freeman, portraying her experience with Autism Spectrum Disorder through dance, live music and home video footage. Also created and directed by Sonya Tayeh (Broadway’s Moulin Rouge, Playhouse’s Hundred Days).
• SUMO, a tale of six rookie and veteran wrestlers, developed during the 2021 DNA New Work Series, written by Lisa Sanaye Dring, directed by Ralph B. Peña, in a co-production with Ma-Yi Theater Company. 
• Babbitt, by Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro (Memphis), adapted from the classic satirical novel by Sinclair Lewis, directed by Ashley, and featuring Broadway and screen star Broderick (The Producers, the playhouse-born revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying).

A sixth production, along with full run dates, will be announced soon. Tickets for the playhouse’s upcoming season are currently available via subscription online or by calling (858) 550-1010.

Prior to the start of the season, the Playhouse will mount its acclaimed Without Walls (WOW) Festival, presented in association with the San Diego Symphony, at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park beginning April 27, 2023.

The event will feature four days of theatre, dance and music, with multiple performances by local, national and international artists, which will be announced at a later date.