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It’s not easy getting a Broadway show to Alaska. In the case of Hamilton, which ran in Anchorage last August, it took over two years of planning and a 757 commercial aircraft. Smaller shows require a mix of trucks and barges, with delivery times that must somehow squeeze into a production’s national touring schedule.

“Each show requires a logistical ballet,” says Broadway Alaska’s general manager Codie Costello. But it’s worth it, she says, to bring Alaskans the experience of a contemporary Broadway show.

The contemporary part is important to Costello. In its first season, which closes with the April 10-21 run of Aladdin at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts in Anchorage, the program hosted four shows. Three are still on Broadway and one only recently finished its run.

Costello says the impact extends beyond theater audiences. Local stage handlers and other staff gain the opportunity to work alongside their New York City counterparts, while an ambitious schedule of workshops and educational programs provides statewide opportunities at schools and communities.

“And it brings a positive impact to the downtown Anchorage we all love,” says Costello.

Broadway Alaska is a partnership between the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts and the Nederlander Organization, with support from TOTE Maritime, Alaska Airlines, and others.

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