Theatre is back in Central PA, and the local line-up is packed with classic favorites, original stories, and new hits. Check it out and plan your visit to support the arts.
Spring Theatre Preview
Lancaster Area
Fulton Theatre | Lancaster
Main Stage Series
The Sound of Music
Feb. 22 – March 20
The theatre is alive, once again, with the classic Sound of Music!
? Tickets
Smokey Joe’s Cafe
April 5 – May 1
An electric stroll through the iconic songbook of Leiber and Stoller, Rock ‘n Roll’s most legendary songwriters, Smokey Joe’s Café features nearly 40 chart-topping hits, such as “On Broadway,” “Charlie Brown,” “Poison Ivy,” “Hound Dog,” “Jail House Rock”.
? Tickets
The Man from La Mancha
May 17 – June 12
Miguel de Cervantes and his fellow prisoners perform a play-within-a-play, telling the story of Don Quixote’s quest to right the wrongs of the world.
? Tickets
Hope’s Pick: I’m most excited for The Sound of Music. The Fulton does the classics best!
Studio Series
Changing Channels
Feb. 1-20
Set backstage at the DuMont Television Network in New York City, actress Maggie Carlin finds herself accused of being a “comrade to the comrades” as Cold War hysteria sweeps the nation.
? Tickets
Sweat
March 29 – April 6
A group of life-long friends gather at a local bar to reflect on their lives and friendships amidst rumors of mass lay-offs at the factory where they work.
? Tickets
Five Guys Named Moe
May 31 – June 6
Five guys named Moe magically appear to help Nomax through his heartbreak with a joy-filled, sensational tribute to the music of jazz legend Louis Jordan.
? Tickets
Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre | Lancaster
Singin’ in the Rain
Feb. 25 – April 16
From the golden age of movie musicals, Singin’ in the Rain is an all-singing, all-dancing extravaganza including a downpour of classics like “Good Mornin”, “Make ‘Em Laugh”, and of course, “Singin’ in the Rain!”
? Tickets
Rock of Ages
April 22 – May 14
When a development company plans to turn 1980s’ Sunset Strip into another strip mall, it’s up to a group of wannabe rockers to save the day.
? Tickets
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
June 10-25
Featuring more than 20 of Donna Summer’s classic hits like “Bad Girls” and “Hot Stuff”, Summer is an electric and moving tribute to the legendary singer.
? Tickets
Hope’s Pick: This is a tough one because I was raised on classic Hollywood show tunes AND all things eighties but as a former tap dancer, I’m going with Singin’ in the Rain.
Ephrata Performing Arts Center | Ephrata
Hedda Gabler
March 17-26
In Ibsen’s classic drama, passionate, strong-willed, romantic Hedda is forced to stifle her true nature and live by the role assigned to her by society with disastrous results.
? Tickets
The Crucible
June 16 – 25
Based on the Salem Witch Trials of 1692, a village is plunged into hysteria after a string of accusations of witchcraft threaten the status quo and leads to a purge of anything perceived to be “different.”
? Tickets
Hope’s Pick: I love how EPAC gives every production it’s own personality, and I’m looking forward to seeing its flair in The Crucible.
Prima Theatre | Lancaster
Murder Ballad
March 25 & 26, April 1, 2, 8, 9
Sara struggles with choosing between a stable life with her young family and that of a passionate affair. But unleashed desires have their consequences, and the costs can prove deadly.
? Tickets
The Music of Queen + Journey
June 17, 18, 24, 25
Prima Theatre’s most highly attended show ever returns for a thrilling rock-n-roll tribute concert.
? Tickets
Hope’s Pick: Every Prima show is always fantastic, but I have to go with the Queen + Journey tribute to rock out to “Don’t Stop Believin”!
Harrisburg Hershey Area
Gamut Theatre Group | Harrisburg
Echoes of Voices of the Eighth – Partnership with Sankofa African American Theatre Company
Feb. 11 – 20 (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays)
This heartwarming story follows two teens from the same Harrisburg neighborhood to connect the young and old, past and present, and gone but not forgotten, and ultimately celebrate the history-making contributions of African Americans who lived in the Old Eighth Ward.
? Tickets
Orlando
March 12-27
Adapted from the novel Virginia Woolf wrote for her lover Vita Sackville-West, Sarah Ruhl’s Orlando is a hilarious, tender, and joyful celebration of queer love, gender, and the complicated and beautiful journey we all must take to discover our true selves.
? Tickets
Panchatantra Tales – Young Acting Company Partnership Production – Rasika School of Dance & Gamut Theatre present
April 8, 9, 10
Based on the popular folk tales from ancient India, Panchatantra Tales follows an Indian king who teaches his lazy princes the duties and virtues expected from each of us.
? Tickets
The Winter’s Tale – Free Shakespeare in the Park
June 3 – 19
A devastating tragedy, a light comedy, and an emotionally complex story that reflects on mortality and a celebration of new life.
? Tickets
Hope’s Pick: I’d love to “journey” to India and check out Panchatantra Tales.
Hershey Theatre | Hershey
Summer: The Donna Summer Musical
Feb. 14
She was a girl from Boston with a voice from heaven, who shot through the stars from gospel choir to dance floor diva. But what the world didn’t know was how Donna Summer risked it all to break through barriers, becoming the icon of an era and the inspiration for every music diva who followed.
? Tickets
Fiddler on the Roof
March 15-20
A wonderful cast and a lavish orchestra tell this heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, and the timeless traditions that define faith and family.
? Tickets
Hairspray
May 3-8
No one can stop the beat of 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960’s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show.
? Tickets
Hope’s Pick: I love Hairspray, but I’ve never seen Fiddler on the Roof and I know Hershey will bring a fantastic show (they always do!)
Open Stage | Harrisburg
The Mad Ones
Feb. 12 – March 12
A contemporary musical following 18-year-old Kelly as she explores loss, freedom, and what it truly means to live life to the fullest.
? Tickets
The Diary of Anne Frank
March 17
Open Stage presents a one-night-only staged reading of “The Diary of Anne Frank”.
? Tickets
Crowns
May 28 – June 26
Open Stage and Sankofa African American Theatre Company team up to present a gospel musical following a Chicago teenager who, sent to live with her grandmother in South Carolina, finds connection among a community of resilient African American women in their church hats.
? Tickets
Hope’s Pick: I’ve seen the stars of The Mad Ones in several Open Stage productions and they’re phenomenal, so I’m looking forward to seeing them perform again!
Theatre Harrisburg | Harrisburg
The Secret Garden
Feb. 11 – 27
Orphaned 11-year-old Mary Lennox is determined to restore a hidden garden while living with her reclusive uncle and cousin.
? Tickets
Now and Then
April 1-10
A romantic comedy about the costs of the choices we make, and the people who make them with us, Now and Then asks, “what would you tell your younger self?”
? Tickets
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
June 10-19
Equal parts send-up and homage to the works of Anton Chekhov, the play centers around middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia, who share their childhood home in Bucks County, PA, where they bicker and complain about the circumstances of their lives.
? Tickets
Hope’s Pick: Vanya and Sonia has gained Broadway buzz and acclaim so I’m not going to miss a chance to see what they hype is about!
