Opinion: Tuachan’s 2025 Season Isn’t Bad…It’s Boring

While Tuacahn remains as one of the staple attractions in Southern Utah’s tourism scene, as a fan of musicals and theater in general, I can’t help but feel disappointed in what’s to come for 2025. 

Don’t get me wrong, on paper, this lineup sounds like it should be an absolute smash hit for the regional theater company; However, if you’ve been around the block, none of these shows sound new. 

The 2025 Tuacahn summer season features the likes of The Little Mermaid, The Wizard of Oz, Newsies, Million Dollar Quartet, and Elf the Musical during the holidays. 

That’s a lot of high-profile musical fare, but it’s something we’ve been seeing from Tuacahn over the past decade or so. The Little Mermaid has been performed at Tuacahn over five times now, and I feel like the quality has decreased the more they show it. 

Newsies was a dream show for Tuacahn with rumors stating the theater was pushing to earn the rights for years. Newsies finally made its way to the amphitheater a few years back, and now its back for more. 

There’s also The Wizard of Oz, which is an absolute classic in film and theater, but again, Tuacahn has done it before. 

Do you see the pattern here? The three big shows of the season, and even Million Dollar Quartet, are repeats of shows from the past.  

There’s no risk being displayed here. There’s nothing new. I understand that a musical is different every time you see it. New actors, different set design, and new direction can make a show better or worse from when you last saw it. 

What I don’t appreciate is the lack of vision. I don’t get a feeling of excitement from this lineup, and I feel like there are other shows that deserve to take advantage of the beautiful venue Tuacahn provides. Hopefully, we’ll see more variety in the 2026 season, and who knows, maybe this year will be a great year for the theater and patrons alike.