Salt Lake City is home to a theatrical gem, the Pioneer Memorial Theater, where the prestigious Pioneer Theatre Company (PTC) delivers exceptional productions year after year. Located at the top of Broadway, specifically at 300 South and 1400 East, this professional theater in residence at the University of Utah offers a rich cultural experience. PTC’s season runs from September to May and features a diverse selection of seven plays, ensuring there’s something for every theater enthusiast. Audiences can expect a vibrant mix of timeless classics, spectacular large-scale musicals, and thought-provoking contemporary dramas and comedies.
A Tradition of Theatrical Excellence at Pioneer Memorial Theater
Over decades, the Pioneer Theatre Company, performing at the Pioneer Memorial Theater, has cultivated an outstanding reputation for delivering Broadway-quality productions. This commitment to excellence has made PTC a launchpad for numerous Utah and regional theater premieres, bringing fresh and exciting works to local audiences first. The theater consistently sets a high bar for performance and production value, making it a cornerstone of Salt Lake City’s arts scene.
Pioneer Memorial Theater: Home to Landmark Productions
The Pioneer Memorial Theater holds a special place in theatrical history as the first regional theater in the nation to secure the rights to produce the iconic musical Les Misérables. This groundbreaking production, which served as the closing show for the 2006-2007 season, achieved a record-breaking 82 sold-out performances. Les Misérables not only captivated audiences but also solidified PTC’s ability to masterfully stage grand, complex productions within the Pioneer Memorial Theater.
From Pioneer Memorial Theater to Broadway: The Story of “Shucked”
More recently, in the fall of 2022, the Pioneer Memorial Theater was the originating venue for the pre-Broadway premiere of the musical Shucked. This world premiere was helmed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O’Brien and featured a score by Grammy and Tony Award-winning Robert Horn, Shane McAnally, and Brandy Clark. In a landmark moment for Utah’s theater scene, Shucked moved directly to Broadway in the spring of 2023 after its successful run at PTC. This event marked the first time a Utah-based theater served as an out-of-town tryout for a Broadway-bound musical, further cementing the Pioneer Memorial Theater’s significance in the national theater landscape.
