'A Christmas Carol,' 'Jersey Boys' set for Argyle Theatre's new season
A new marquee is in the planning stage for The Argyle Theatre in Babylon. Credit: Newsday / John Paraskevas
The Argyle Theatre is ushering in its new season with a quartet of big shows — "A Christmas Carol," "Jersey Boys," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "The Music Man" — as well as a host of renovations, including a new marquee.
After seeing success this past season in reducing its lineup from six to four shows that enjoyed longer eight-week runs, the Babylon theater will follow that model again for 2024-25, said Dylan Perlman, who owns the venue with his father, Mark. "We have seen how when we pick the right shows that really pique the interest of the patrons, these shows build from Week One to Week Eight," he said.
The season, which was announced Tuesday, will kick off with the holiday perennial "A Christmas Carol: The Musical" from Nov. 7 to Jan. 5. "Jersey Boys," which recounts the onstage success and backstage drama of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, follows from Jan. 23 to April 6. Rounding out the season will be two classic crowd pleasers — "Fiddler" (April 24-June 15) and "The Music Man" (July 10-Aug. 31, 2025).
The later-than-usual season start is for some extensive renovations — both interior and exterior — to be done at the theater in September and a good chunk of October, Dylan Perlman said. The exterior face-lift includes creating a new marquee, which the Perlmans are designing with the Village of Babylon, and repairing the vertical blue neon sign over the marquee that spells out the word Babylon.
"That has really deteriorated over the years, so getting that sign relit is a major priority," Perlman said. "That’s going to be beautiful and will really light up the front of the building."
Inside plans include improving temperature control and the production facilities, and expanding the ladies' room. "Everybody knows when intermission hits what that women’s bathroom line looks like," Perlman said. "We’re going to do something for the men, too."
Perlman didn't have an estimate on the cost of the renovations, but stated that some of the funding is coming from Suffolk County's JumpSMART program to aid small businesses.