South Pacific, The Wizard of Oz, and More Set for Walnut Street's 208th Season

Philadelphia's historic Walnut Street Theatre has announced the lineup of productions set for its 208th season.

The 2016-2017 Mainstage season will kick off with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Tony- and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical South Pacific. Performances will run from September 6-October 23.

Royal Shakespeare Company’s stage adaptation of the famed 1939 musical film The Wizard of Oz will follow. As described by the theater, "this production contains all of the beloved Oscar-winning songs from the movie including "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "We’re Off to See the Wizard," all the favorite characters and iconic moments, plus a few surprises along the way." Performances will run from November 8-January 8, 2017.

Neil Simon's Laughter on the 23rd Floor will then run from January 17-March 5, 2017. The play follows Max Prince, star of a weekly comedy-variety show in the 1950s, as he battles with NBC executives over censorship.

Next up will is The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde's classic farcical comedy. The play tells the story of two bachelor friends, dandy Algernon Moncrieff and reliable John (Jack) Worthing, as they take on double lives to court the attentions of the desirable Gwendolyn Fairfax and Cecily Cardew. Performances will run from March 14-April 30, 2017.

The beloved dance story Saturday Night Fever will round out the season, running from May 16-July 16, 2017. Based on the hit 1977 film, the musical follows Brooklyn native Tony Manero whose one ambition in life is to become the disco king. The score is filled with 1970s hits including "Stayin’ Alive," "Night Fever," "Jive Talking," "You Should Be Dancing," and "How Deep Is Your Love?"

For tickets and more information about the upcoming Walnut Street Theatre season, click here.