Presented by MSU College of Arts and Letters’ Department of Theatre and MSUFCU Institute for Arts & Creativity at Wharton Center.
Book and lyrics by Sonya Hayden
Music by Matthew Lowy
Directed by Adam Yankowy
Music Directed by Dave Wendelberger
Taking Off! is a 90-minute musical comedy set aboard a turbulent 1967 Panamorama Airlines flight, where an ambitious female mechanic, Amelia Darehart, trades her toolbox for a stewardess uniform—only to discover the role isn’t as glamorous as it seems. Between spilled drinks, a diamond heist gone wrong, and a dream ballet filled with terrible dancers, Amelia navigates love, ambition, and the absurd rules placed on women of the era. With high-flying hijinks and heart, Taking Off! explores the push and pull between freedom and societal expectations—all at 35,000 feet. A unique educational collaboration between Michigan State University Department of Theatre and the Institute for Arts & Creativity at Wharton Center.
