For lovers of the arts, the Peace Center is practically a second home. Located downtown, this theater is only 30 years old, but it has had quite the journey. Suburban development hit downtown Greenville hard in the 1980s. The thriving business district suddenly came to a halt. Buildings shut down and stores quickly emptied. However, through this dark time came the Peace Center.

After getting off to a shaky start, the Peace Center quickly grew and developed. Currently there are over 2,000 seats and everyone who sits in the audience is in for a treat. The theater just released the list of plays that will be performed this year. Amongst these are Once, The Book of Mormon, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Wicked, Pippin, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and Kinky Boots.

Once, set to take the stage September 23-28, 2014, is a truly original Broadway experience. This play tells the life story of an Irish street musician who is down on his luck. He is within arm’s length of giving up his dream when a young woman comes into his life. Suddenly, his average songs of love become much more powerful and passionate. This tale of going after one’s dream along also captivates the magic that comes from music.

The Book of Mormon, November 11-16, 2014, is a religious satire straight from the mind’s of the creators of South Park. Within this musical, two Mormon missionaries are sent to Uganda in hopes of spreading Christianity to the population. However, a harsh warlord is threatening the citizens. This setback doesn’t phase the two missionaries. Sadly, the population is more concerned with poverty, famines, and disease than religion.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast will be performed December 23-28, 2014. This tale as old as time is yet another classic. Set in a little town in France, Beauty and the Beast tells the heroic story of Belle. Belle’s father sets out for a science convention one night and when he fails to return, Belle grows worrisome. One stormy night, Belle goes looking for father and stumbles upon a castle. Little does she know the castle has some mysterious secrets along with an unlikely friend.

Wicked is essentially a prequel to the Wizard of Oz. The Peace Center will hosts this play on January 28-February 15, 2015. Long before Dorothy comes to Oz, two witches meet and become friends. Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West embark on a remarkable journey which shapes them into the characters they are in the Wizard of Oz.

After a long 40 years, Pippin is back on Broadway and is taking the Peace Center’s stage March 17-22, 2015. This play allows for viewers to follow a young prince on his daring journey to find his purpose in life. Pippin must face many difficult decisions in order to discover who he truly is.

Rodgers and Hammerstein put a twist on the classic Cinderella. Over a year away, Cinderella will visit the stage August 4-9, 2015. The glass slipper, the magic pumpkin, and the wicked step sisters are all still involved within this play. However, there are modern twists in this version.

Kinky Boots will be performed September 1-6, 2015. This tells the tale of young Charlie who inherits his father’s shoe factory. However, the factory is broke and efforts to improve conditions seem helpless. Charlie finds help in an unlikely character and the two discover they have more in common than they thought.