Gallo Center announces new season of 2026-27 star-studded shows set for Modesto

If you love Broadway productions, you’re going to enjoy the upcoming season at the Gallo Center for the Arts.

The downtown Modesto venue will present six Broadway touring shows – the most ever for a season there, according to a press release.

The 2026-27 slate of performances has been announced, and tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. June 1.

The Broadway tours planned are “The Music Man,” Nov. 17-18; “Jersey Boys,” Feb. 5-6; “Kinky Boots,” March 26-27; “Shucked,” April 8-9; “Waitress” in 2027, May 11-12; and “A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical,” in 2027, May 28-29.

Keeping along the lines of Broadway, Tony Award-winning “Wicked” and “Frozen” star Idina Menzel will be the center’s official season-opening performer on Sept. 19 (though new shows begin in August).

And Broadway icon Audra McDonald, raised in Fresno, will perform March 21. McDonald has won a record six Tony awards for best actress, according to the press release, along with two Grammys and one Emmy.

Expanding the Broadway shows was partially based on sales and also through a new partnership with Sutter Health, Gallo Center Chief Executive Officer Chad Hilligus said in an email interview.

“Chicago” sold out this season,” he said, and “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” exceeded sales projections. Upcoming performances of “Mrs. Doubtfire” on May 20-21 are on track for the same.

Broadway had been a harder sell at the venue in the past, but that’s significantly changed over the years.

“Presenting a Broadway series is one of the things that sets the Gallo Center apart from its Central Valley peers and makes us a world-class performing arts destination. That said, we are limited by the titles that are available to us in any given season, so it’s fair to say that some seasons are stronger than others,” Hilligus said.

“I think more and more, people are realizing they don’t have to go into San Francisco to see Broadway national touring shows,” he continued. “They save on time, gas, hotel, parking, stress and, most importantly, the price of the ticket. It’s just easier and less expensive to see Broadway at the Gallo Center.”

A look at the new season’s artists

The new slate of shows promises “something for everyone,” Hilligus said in the press release.

The 2026-27 season is filled with big names and productions, which begin with pop star Rick Springfield on Aug. 1.

There are more highly known music names are on the roster, including Art Garfunkel, playing Sept. 23; Pat Benatar and husband Neil Giraldo, Oct. 6; Bonnie Raitt, Oct. 13; UB40, Oct. 20; and KC & the Sunshine Band, Nov. 15. Country music’s Montgomery Gentry will play Oct. 23. David Foster and Katharine McPhee will perform Feb. 17.

Comedy always has been an audience draw for the Gallo Center, and there’s plenty on the schedule again.

Among the comedians are Marlon Wayans (previously announced), who will perform Oct. 9; Lily Tomlin, Oct. 10; Henry Cho, Oct. 24; Drew Lynch, Jan. 30; and Terry Fator, May 15, 2027.

Food network star Alton Brown falls within the comedy lines and will return Nov. 21.

Also popular at the Gallo Center are Latino artists, and the new season will include the Banda Y Mariachi, Aug. 15; Conjunto Primavera, Aug. 21; Jesse y Joy, Sept. 11; and Camilia Fernández, Dec. 18.

Holiday productions will see the always popular Dave Koz & Friends Christmas tour back on Dec. 21, as well as other yuletide performers, such as ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro on Nov. 29.

Other productions highlighted in the press release are family offerings such as Bluey’s Big Play, Oct. 21-22; and Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock Live, Nov. 22.

Also noted are “Long Island Medium,” Theresa Caputo, Jan. 24; Burn the Floor’s Maks & Peta Live dance tour, March 23; and contemporary Christian artist Ben Fuller, Sept. 4.

Classical performances feature the New York Philharmonic String Quartet, March 26; and Miloš, April 2.

The center’s Cabaret Series, which debuted last season, returns. The shows feature on-stage table seating and complimentary cocktail service. Performers will be Haley Reinhart, Feb. 26; Cheyenne Jackson, March 5; and Dez Duron, May 21.

“Our truly remarkable 26-27 season lineup reaffirms our commitment to bringing the very best in arts and entertainment to the Central Valley,” Hilligus said in the release.

Expected big-draw performances

Hilligus said in the email interview that the season opener, Idina Menzel, “is already getting a lot of attention on social media, so I suspect tickets will go very quickly for that show.

“Our pop/rock lineup is probably the strongest it’s been since I’ve been here — Pat Benatar, Bonnie Raitt, UB40, KC & The Sunshine Band, Five for Fighting, and the long-awaited Gallo Center debut of Rick Springfield. I expect all of these to sell out. And speaking of debuts, we’ve also got the legendary Lily Tomlin, Latino megastars Jesse y Joy, and the insanely popular comedy tour Bored Teachers, just to name a few.”

The 2025-26 season has had 15 sold-out shows so far, with May and June expected “to be strong months with likely sellouts including Chelsea Handler, the band America’s final tour, Bill Engvall, The Bacon Brothers and Modesto native sons Grandaddy,” Hilligus said.

The Gallo Center’s resident companies, Central West Ballet, Modesto Performing Arts, Modesto Symphony Orchestra and Opera Modesto, will return with their seasons.

The center’s shows are held in its two theaters, the 1,248-seat Mary Stuart Rogers Theater and the 440-seat Foster Family Theater.

When purchasing tickets, Hilligus warned about online ticket scams and third-party ticket brokers, noting the Gallo Center itself is the only authorized seller — online at www.galloarts.org and at the box office, 1000 I St.

Hilligus’ moving on

This marks the final season booked by Hilligus, who recently said he is stepping down as of June 10, after five years.

It was announced in April that the CEO is moving on to become executive and artistic director at the Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts at California State University Northridge (The Soraya), according to a story in The Bee.

“It has truly been an honor to lead this beloved institution,” Hilligus said in a press release last month. “Together, with an incredible team, we’ve made remarkable strides in the last five years.”

Chief Operating Officer Al Poulus, who has been with the center since before it opened in 2007, will serve as interim CEO after June 10. The board of directors will conduct a national search for Hilligus’ permanent replacement.

“I’m so proud of the team here,” Hilligus said in the April story, “and I’m confident the center is in extremely capable hands.”

Hilligus’ tenure has seen the Gallo Center repeatedly gaining national recognition from trade publication Pollstar as a Top 10 worldwide venue with fewer than 1,500 seats.

“As my chapter at the Gallo Center comes to a close, it is especially meaningful to share this new season with you,” Hilligus said in the release. “It has been the honor of a lifetime to be part of this extraordinary community and to witness the power of the arts to inspire, educate, and transform lives.”