Big names coming to Modesto for Gallo Center’s new season. Here’s when tickets go on sale
Performers and productions new to the Gallo Center for the Arts make up more than half of its 2023-24 season.
The downtown Modesto venue has announced its lineup and advance ticket sales are underway for donors. Tickets go on sale to the public June 5 and will be available at galloarts.org.
“It’s important to the growth and vitality of the center that we continuously strive to bring new names, new shows and new live arts experiences to the Central Valley,” Gallo Center CEO Chad Hilligus said in an email interview.
Among the performers new to the center is the season opener, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, leading The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on Sept. 30.
While Marsalis is the official season opener, the lineup actually begins Aug. 3, with “Long Island Medium” Theresa Caputo.
Among other top acts is Grammy-nominated and three-time Latin Grammy winner Carla Morrison (Aug. 5), who Hilligus expects will sell out quickly. She, too, is among the artists new to the center.
Other popular performers expected to sell big, he said, include singer Donny Osmond, who also has never performed at the downtown venue (Aug. 10), Marsalis, opera star Renee Fleming (June 9, 2024), jazz saxophonist Dave Koz (Dec. 23), comedian Brian Regan (Sept. 22), Mexican-born comedian Felipe Esparza (Oct. 6) and ventriloquist Terry Fator (Oct. 21).
Martina McBride, Daughtry close to sellouts
Shows already on their way to selling out, he said, include country star Martina McBride (Sept. 10), legendary Motown singer-songrwriter Smokey Robinson (Aug. 11-12) and Daughtry (Sept. 13), the rock band fronted by “American Idol” finalist Chris Daughtry.
“Bottom line is it’s a very strong season with a lot of very big names, so I would definitely encourage people not to wait to get their tickets,” Hilligus said.
Well-known, household names remain the center’s strongest shows, he said, including comedians or iconic singers. And there still is a big demand for Latino artists.
“...The Gallo Center has worked incredibly hard over the last decade to connect with our Latino audiences and today we have more Latino programming than any other venue in the Central Valley, and they always sell out,” Hilligus said.
Popular Broadway shows in Modesto
There’s a name-dropping Broadway lineup coming, with “Jesus Christ Superstar” (Jan. 17-18), “Mean Girls” (April 2-3), “Chicago” (Feb. 27), “My Fair Lady” (April 16-17) and “Come From Away” (May 3-4).
In past seasons, Broadway shows have not always done well for the center, but focusing on big titles is key, Hilligus said.
“Broadway can be tricky in this market. We generally try to only bring titles that are going to be well-known, or at least recognizable to a broader audience, but we are also limited to the shows that are going out on tour that season,” he said.
That means there are only a handful of shows to choose from. Hilligus said one patron couldn’t understand why he wasn’t bringing back “Beauty and the Beast,” but that show hasn’t toured since 2015.
“I think a lot of people assume I get to just choose from a giant catalog, but the reality is that I often only have maybe 10-15 national tour shows to choose from each season and I have to choose the five strongest titles from that very short list,” he said. “I’m extremely pleased with the titles coming next season and I am very confident they’ll do quite well.”
Reality TV stars to perform
Fans of reality TV might take note. While several of the artists playing the upcoming season have appeared on a variety of competition shows, two performances stand out — both with artists new to the Gallo Center.
Original “Real Housewives of New York” cast member Countess Luann de Lesseps brings her Countess Cabaret (Oct. 28). And “American Idol” veterans Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken will perform together, on tour 20 years after competing on the TV show. (Nov. 16).
Among the season’s surprises, according to a press release, is the New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players production of “The Pirates of Penzance” (March 7). It will be co-presented by Opera Modesto, a first-ever collaboration between the Gallo Center and its resident company.
“Pride Anthems” (June 2, 2024) is another departure, according to the release. It’s a Pride Month celebration presented in conjunction with MoPride’s 10th anniversary. The musical revue commemorates the 50th anniversary of the New York City Stonewall Riots that inspired the modern LGBTQ+ movement.
“The tour will start here on the west coast and make its way across the country,” Hilligus said, “raising awareness with a live concert celebration of how far the LGBTQ+ community has come since Stonewall 50 years ago.”
