1960s
1959-1960
Began as a working organization under the name Albuquerque Light Opera (ALO).
1961
Incorporated with the State of New Mexico as Albuquerque Light Opera (ALO) on February 23.
1962
The Inaugural Season: H.M.S. Pinafore • Kismet
1963
Season: The Mikado • Can Can
1964
Season: The Pirates of Penzance • Annie Get Your Gun
1965
Season: Carousel • The Sound of Music • The Roar of the Greasepaint–The Smell of the Crowd
1966
Chartered as a New Mexico 501(c)(3) corporation. Season: Carnival • Guys and Dolls • Oliver!
1967
Season: Once Upon a Mattress • Little Mary Sunshine • Oklahoma! Performances held at Hiland High School.
1968
Productions begin to be presented at Popejoy Hall and drew an audience of 8,000 new fans. Season: Funny Girl • Once Upon a Mattress • The King and I • The Music Man
1969
Season: Kismet • Peter Pan • The Boyfriend • The Unsinkable Molly Brown • West Side Story
1970s
1970
Season: Carousel • Desert Song • Guys and Dolls • Oliver! • The Sound of Music
1971
The AMIGOS volunteer organization is formed by theatre supporters. Season: Camelot • Destry Rides Again • Gypsy • My Fair Lady • The Wizard of Oz
1972
Incorporated with the State of New Mexico as Albuquerque Civil Light Opera Association (ACLOA) on August 14. Season: Annie Get Your Gun • Brigadoon • Fiddler on the Roof • Once Upon a Mattress • The King and I
1973
Season: Carnival • Man of La Mancha • South Pacific • Sweet Charity
1974
Season: 110 In The Shade • Damn Yankees • Gigi • Hello, Dolly!
1975
Season: Applause • Kiss Me, Kate • The Most Happy Fella • The Sound of Music
1976
Management staff developed. Gross income reaches $100,000. Season: 1776 • Camelot • Promises, Promises • The Music Man
1977
Construction completed on the new rehearsal, shop & office facility on Ellison NE. Season: Cabaret • Jesus Christ Superstar • Mame • Oliver!
1978
Season: Fiddler on the Roof • Funny Girl • How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying • I Do! I Do! • Oklahoma!
1979
Season: Company • Li'l Abner • Man of La Mancha • My Fair Lady • Sugar
1980s
1980
Season: Flower Drum Song • H.M.S. Pinafore • Pippin • The King and I • The Unsinkable Molly Brown
1981
Season: Finian's Rainbow • Godspell • Guys and Dolls • Kismet • Show Boat
1982
Season: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum • Carousel • Stop the World – I Want to Get Off • The Sound of Music • West Side Story
1983
Season: Anything Goes • Brigadoon • Grease • Hello, Dolly! • The Student Prince
1984
First Executive Director hired. Season: Gigi • Hans Christian Andersen • Paint Your Wagon • South Pacific • The Pirates of Penzance
1985
Annie shatters all-time attendance records. Season: Annie • Bye Bye Birdie • Gypsy • The Music Man • They're Playing Our Song
1986
Season: 1776 • The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas • Camelot • Damn Yankees • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
1987
First Marketing Director hired. Season attendance tops 51,000. Season: Fiddler on the Roof • I Do! I Do! • Kiss Me, Kate • Oliver! • Shenandoah • Two By Two
1988
December production of Peter Pan breaks sales records. Director of Development hired. Season: A Little Night Music • My Fair Lady • Oklahoma! • Peter Pan • Sweet Charity
1989
Season: Cinderella • Dames at Sea • Little Shop of Horrors • Mame • Man of La Mancha
1990s
1990
Season: Annie Get Your Gun • Singin' in the Rain • Something's Afoot • The Mikado • The Wizard of Oz • You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
1991
Attendance nears 60,000. Income exceeds $750,000. Amigos grows to over 250 members.Season: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum • Carousel • Evita • Here's Love • Nunsense
1992
Season: Grease • Into the Woods • Nunsense • Once Upon a Mattress • Peter Pan • The King and I
1993
Presentation of the regional premiere of Kopit & Yeston's Phantom. Season: Godspell • Nunsense • Phantom • Seven Brides for Seven Brothers • Sweeney Todd • The Sound of Music
1994
Debut of the original children's musical Revenge of the Garbage Monsters. Budget is $900,000.Season: Big River • Chicago • Revenge of the Garbage Monsters • South Pacific • The Fantasticks • The Music Man
1995
Attendance records smashed! Due to renovations at Popejoy Hall, productions were staged in different venues - Albuquerque Academy Theatre, Kimo Theatre, Kiva Auditorium, and Rodey Theatre were all used during the season. Season: Fiddler on the Roof • Forever Plaid • Revenge of the Garbage Monsters • Romance/Romance • The Pirates of Penzance • The Taffetas • West Side Story
1996
Season subscriptions top 6,100. ACLOA begins splitting the season's productions between the Hiland complex and Popejoy Hall stages. Season: 42nd Street • Baby • Brigadoon • Guys and Dolls • Oliver!
1997
ACLOA collaborates with La Compañia Teatro de Alburquerque to produce an original bilingual musical, ...And Now Miguel; the performances are held at the Hiland and KiMo Theatres. Season: Ain't Misbehavin' • ...And Now Miguel • Camelot • How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying • Show Boat • La Cage Aux Folles
1998
Season: Bells Are Ringing • Man of La Mancha • My Fair Lady • Nunsense • Nunsense Jamboree • Oklahoma!
1999
The organization changed the name to Musical Theatre Southwest to better focus attention on the artistic product. Season: Anything Goes • Follies • Hello, Dolly! • Jesus Christ Superstar • Kismet
2000s
2000
Season: Bye Bye Birdie • Funny Girl • Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat • Mame • Swingtime Canteen • The Roar of the Greasepaint–The Smell of the Crowd
2001
Season: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum • Gypsy • H.M.S. Pinafore • The King and I • The Who's Tommy • The Wizard of Oz
2002
Bernalillo County takes partial ownership of the Hiland complex as New Mexico State funds are raised for renovations of the historic building. MTS remains on as artists in residence and operators of the complex. Season: The All Night Strut • Fiddler on the Roof • Forever Plaid • Jekyll and Hyde • Peter Pan • Tapestry • The Sound of Music
2003
MTS performed exclusively at the Hiland complex during it's "Home at the Hiland" season. Season: Annie • Evita • Kiss Me, Kate • The 1940's Radio Hour • The Rocky Horror Show • She Loves Me
2004
The Ana Chavira Theatre opens in the Hiland complex and MTS has it's first double season with both a Main Stage and Black Box season operating. Season: Always...Patsy Cline • Bat Boy • Berlin To Broadway With Kurt Weill • Cabaret • Cinderella • When Pigs Fly • Ragtime • Seussical the Musical • South Pacific • The Rocky Horror Show
2005
The final show of the season was performed at the Kiva Auditorium at the Albuquerque Convention Center. Season: Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris • Grease • Candide • The Pirates of Penzance • A Man of No Importance • The Wiz • I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change • Disney's Beauty and the Beast
2006
MTS downsizes operations to a new warehouse on Ross SE, as Bernalillo County takes over operation of the Hiland complex. Performances are held at Rodey Theatre on the UNM campus. Season: H.M.S. Pinafore • Nunsense
2007
Performances are held at the Route 66 Casino Theatre. Season: West Side Story
2008
MTS focuses operations on an all volunteer staff moving the offices/rehearsal space to a warehouse on Domingo NE and begins performances at The African American Performing Arts Center.Season: Little Shop of Horrors • Scrooge the Musical
2009
Season: Civil War • The Producers • The Secret Garden
2010s
2010
Fire on May 25th destroys the MTS warehouse and 50 years of costumes, props, drops and archives. Company sets up offices/rehearsal space at a temporary warehouse on Linn NE and in true theatre fashion "The Show Will Go On". Season: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee • Thoroughly Modern Millie • Willy Wonka
2011
A Season of New and Classical Musical Theatre: Oklahoma! • Damn Yankees • Camelot
2012
Construction on the warehouse is completed. The costumes, props, and sets are moved to the new warehouse called, The Center for Theatre, which includes a Black Box performance space. Legally Blonde and Jesus Christ Superstar are held at the new Center for Theatre Black Box. Season: Miss Saigon • Legally Blonde • Footloose • Jesus Christ Superstar • Me and My Girl
2013
Season: Romance: A Valentine's Cabaret • Sweet Charity • The Pajama Game • Sweeney Todd • Barnum
2014
History in the making: MTS debuts the New Mexico premiers of Titanic, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Shrek. This also marks the premier production of Titanic in a black box theatre. Season: Cupid's Arrow: A Valentine Cabaret • Into the Woods • Titanic the Musical • Kiss of the Spider Woman • Shrek the Musical
2015
Season: The Last Five Years • The Addams Family • Once Upon A Mattress • The Rocky Horror Show • Disney's The Little Mermaid
2016
MTS debuts the Albuquerque community theatre premier of Rock of Ages Season: Seasons of Love: A Cabaret • Clue the Musical • Avenue Q • Rock of Ages • Disney's Beauty and the Beast
2017
MTS debuts the New Mexico premier of Mamma Mia! The MTS Besties is formed from the AMIGOS by and for young theatre supporters. Season: Company • Evita • American Idiot • Jekyll & Hyde • The Rocky Horror Show • Mamma Mia!
2018
MTS begins hosting town hall meetings to get the public's help in selecting shows. MTS produces a season with numerous New Mexico premiers and postpones the premier of Disney's Newsies to the 2019 season. Season: Bonnie & Clyde • Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat • In the Heights • Nine • Hair • Elf the Musical
2019
MTS celebrates 60 years of entertaining New Mexico! By executive order, the Mayor of Albuquerque proclaims February 2nd, Musical Theatre Southwest Day. Season: Chicago • Disney’s Newsies • Hedwig and the Angry Inch • Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical
2020s
2020
MTS partners with AAPAC for a production of Dreamgirls and then COVID shut down the world. MTS pivoted to virtual programming including a "Share Your Song" social media campaign, educational opportunities, and a virtual production of Spamalot.
2021
MTS kept with its virtual programming including An Enchanted Cabaret and Radio Theatre Classics. Later in the year, MTS was able to get back to the live stage with The Trail to Oregon and Tuck Everlasting.
2022
MTS was able to produce its originally planned 2020 season including Big Fish, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Carrie the Musical, and Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella.
2023
2023 - MTS celebrated the season of 'Out of the Darkness' producing Cabaret, Sweeney Todd, Next to Normal, and Rent.
