Theatre and musical productions in and around Washington, DC

The Kennedy Center 2021-22 in-person productions:

We Are All Connected: October 9, 2021 on the REACH Plaza (Ongoing after Oct. 9)

As part of the Center’s 50th Anniversary season celebration, Education Artist-in-Residence Mo Willems will work with local community to create a “playscape” on the REACH Plaza! This exciting public art piece is inspired by one of Willems’ abstract works of dots and lines and will show how we’re all connected in unexpected ways. More details will be released closer to the event.

Jake Blount: October 17, 2021 in the Family Theater

Washington, D.C.-native Jake Blount fell in love with the banjo a decade ago after stumbling upon a performance in an Ethiopian restaurant on D.C.’s U Street. Now, the banjoist, fiddler, singer, and scholar is a specialist in the folk traditions of Black and indigenous Americans—and a recipient of the prestigious Steve Martin Banjo Prize. Blount blends his “charismatic and limber” voice (The Guardian) with blues, bluegrass, and spirituals for an awe-inspiring musical experience. Virtual performance options to be announced later.

Acoustic Rooster’s Barnyard Boogie Starring Indigo Blume: November 18–27, 2021 in the Family Theater

In this mashup of Acoustic Rooster and His Barnyard Band and Indigo Blume and the Garden City, New York Times best-selling author Kwame Alexander brings two of his beloved children’s books to the stage in a world premiere Kennedy Center commission. Alexander teams up with his writing partner Mary Rand Hess and long-time musical collaborator Randy Preston to tell a story about being scared, being brave, and believing in yourself. With special guests like Duck Ellington and Ms. Dairy Parton—plus Preston appearing as Acoustic Rooster—this musical adaptation will have children (and families) dancing in their seats.

Show Way: January 27–February 20, 2022 in the Family Theater

Education Artist-in-Residence Jacqueline Woodson’s Newbery Honor-winning book of history, love, and resilience becomes a world premiere stage adaptation with new music by Tyrone L. Robinson. This moving, lyrical account based on Woodson’s own family pays tribute to women whose strength and knowledge illuminate their daughters’ lives—from slavery to freedom, through segregation, freedom marches, and the fight for literacy.

I Have a Song Inside My Heart: February, 2022 Virtual Field Trip

Jazz musician, composer, arranger, and educator Riza Printup (harp) has performed with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, Paquito D’Rivera, and Lady Gaga. She is joined by her husband, jazz artist, composer, arranger, and educator Marcus Printup (trumpet) who is also a 28-year member of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Together they present I Have A Song Inside My Heart to help young audiences identify their personal truth, embrace their unique and beautiful individuality, and become empowered in self-expression through the music of Jazz.

I Dream of the Moon and Xavier’s New Friends: March 5–6, 2022 in the Family Theater

Audiences will discover the range of percussion instruments through two imaginative stories featuring assistant principal timpanist of the NSO, Scott Christian. I Dream of the Moon tells the story of a young boy’s journey from his own backyard to the furthest reaches of the moon in a non-verbal performance on the vibraphone with projected images of original artwork. Xavier’s New Friends introduces the main percussion family instruments through Xavier the Xylophone as he searches for percussion friends to join his band. Local musicians will join Scott and other NSO percussionists to tell this story and highlight the rhythmic and melodic facets of the percussion section.

“Sweet” Cherie Mitchell-Agurs: March 11–12, 2022 in the Family Theater

“Sweet” Cherie Mitchell-Agurs presents a performance for young people and families combining high-energy concert style presentation and dynamic musicianship. Mitchell-Agurs is Music Director of the Washington D.C.’s own exciting all-female go-go group, Be’la Dona Band, and a six-time “Instrumentalist of the Year” for the Washington Area Music Association.

Pierce Freelon: March 18–20, 2022 in the Family Theater

Emmy Award^®–winning producer and accomplished musician Pierce Freelonbrings two projects to the Kennedy Center displaying his inventiveness and creativity. Following his critically acclaimed debut children’s album D.a.D.in 2020, Pierce’s 2021 Black to the Futurefeatures elements of Afrofuturism, Black history, and archival voices to touch on imagination, arts, science, and technology through a Black lens. Pierce is joined by his mother, jazz singer and six-time Grammy Award^® nominee Nnenna Freelon. Then in a vibrant performance adapted from the musical animated series that premiered on PBS in 2020, The History of White People in Americaexamines how skin color has come to define race in our country, capturing the truth of what it means to be American.

NSO Family Concert: Because: March 20, 2022 in the Concert Hall

Because Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence Mo Willemswrote a powerful story of how chance, discovery, and persistence changed the life of a young girl, he needed an illustrator to bring it to life. Because illustrator Amber Ren related to the hero of the story, she created magical illustrations. Because the book moved them, the NSO wanted to turn it into an orchestral piece. Because cclaimed composer, violinist, and recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Award from the ASCAP Foundation Jessie Montgomery was also changed by music as a young person, she composed the score.

Beastgirl: April 7–22, 2022 in Studio K at the REACH

In this exciting world premiere for young adults based on the work from New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Acevedo, playwright C. Quintana and composer Janelle Lawrence bring this collection of folkloric poems to the stage with live music. The play explores the mythological and geographic adventures of three first generation American sisters. From the border in the Dominican Republic to an apartment rooftop in New York City, Beastgirl considers what it means to walk the world as “beastly” beings and how the myths that make us can be both blessing and birthright.

Super Cello!: April 9–10, 2022 in the Family Theater

The city is safe with the help of a unique cellist: professional musician by day, superhero by night. Scottie Rowell of Atlanta’s Teller Productions and NSO cellist David Teie unite to tell a fantastic story using puppets, props, and plenty of music to help a very super musician save the day.

The Other Side: April 21–30 in the Family Theater

Clover’s mom says it isn’t safe to cross the fence that segregates their African-American side of town from the white side where Anna lives. But when the two girls strike up a friendship, they’ll find a clever way to get around the grown-up rules together. Twenty years after its first publication, Education Artist-in-Residence Jacqueline Woodson’s simple yet powerful book The Other Side comes to life with movement from choreographer and Kennedy Center Artistic Advisor for Dance Education Hope Boykin.

Wu Fei: April 30, 2022 in Studio K at the REACH

Wu Fei is a renowned master of the guzheng, the 21-string Chinese zither. She plays in the guzheng’s language—almost 2,000 years old—by mixing Western classical and Chinese traditions with a contemporary sound. The classically trained composer and vocalist has taken her music around the world to venues such as the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing and New York’s MoMA, and collaborated with renowned artists across disciplines and genres.

NSO Family Concert: Philharmonia Fantastique: May 15, 2022 in the Concert Hall

Dynamic concerto meets animated film in Philharmonia Fantastique. Through a mesmerizing hybrid of animated and live action filming, follow a magical Sprite as it embarks on a musical journey through the inner workings of an orchestra. Violin strings vibrate, brass valves slice air, and drum heads resonate like you’ve never seen before—all set to live music from members of the National Symphony Orchestra. By the film’s end, the orchestra comes together in a spectacular finale. Philharmonia Fantastique was written by former Kennedy Composer-in-Residence Mason Bates, and co-created with the Academy Award^®–nominated team of director/writer Gary Rydstrom and animator Jim Capobianco.

Summer Picnic: Hosted by Jason Moran and Jacqueline Woodson: June 5, 2022 at the REACH

Even though summer isn’t quite here yet, let’s break bread together and kick it off with live music, shared stories, conversation, and more….

Adventure Theatre 2021-2022 in-person productions:

LUCHADORA!: September 17, 2021–October 31, 2021

The discovery of a worn pink wrestling mask prompts Nana Lupita, a Wisconsin grandmother, to share her tale about growing up in 1960s Texas. As her tale unfolds, Lupita’s life as a teen tomboy comes alive—bike riding with her friends Leopold and Liesl, working at her father’s flower stand and lucha libre. When a World Championship match is announced, Lupita anticipates seeing it until she discovers her ailing father is one of the wrestlers. With the help of a magical mask maker, Lupita secretly trains to take her father’s place. She soon finds it difficult keeping her secret from her friends and, most importantly, her father.

Olney Theatre Center 2021-2022 in-person productions:

The Thanksgiving Play: September 29 – October 31, 2021

The country’s most-produced comedy of 2019 arrives in the DMV courtesy of Olney Theatre Center to open our 2021-22 season! This hilarious sendup of “white wokeness” features an undaunted theatre teacher desperately trying to create a culturally sensitive play celebrating Thanksgiving: one that challenges stereotypes, meets all the requirements of a Native American Heritage Month grant, and pacifies the parents. Larissa FastHorse’s groundbreaking satire on the politics of representation throws together the overly-ambitious drama teacher, her yoga-bro actor friend, a history teacher with playwriting aspirations, and an “ethnically-ambiguous” L.A. actress to devise their Thanksgiving play, only to find themselves quickly sabotaged by myth, confounded by history, and drawn into a hysterical project of dramatic pretzel-twisting. 

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast: November 5, 2021 – January 2, 2022

Be our guest for the holidays as the classic animated story comes to life on the Olney Theatre Mainstage. It’s a tale as old as time, but it gets a new look from Tony-nominated director Marcia Milgrom Dodge (one of the featured professional directors on the Disney+ show Encore), who wowed Olney audiences with her Helen Hayes Award-nominated production of Once. Our biggest show of the year brings the whole family together for a magical and memorable musical about the redemptive power of love. Join Belle, Lumiere, Cogsworth, and the rest of the gang in the Beast’s cursed castle for an escape to a world where beauty is more than skin deep and happily ever after is just a rose petal away.

A.D. 16: February 4 – March 6, 2022

What if your first crush really was perfect? From the comic genius of Cinco Paul (Despicable Me and the musical hit of the summer Schmigadoon) and Bekah Brunstetter (This Is Us) comes the delightfully witty, sublimely inspiring story of teenaged Mary Magdalene, who falls in love with the carpenter’s son next door… who happens to be a kid named Jesus. In her quest to impress him, Mary has to fend off a trio of 1st-Century Mean Girls and a bunch of Beastie Boys-inspired wiseguys from the Sanhedrin. She learns that getting Jesus to love you back is both easier – and harder – than she ever imagined.  With a lush R&B score and a riotous cast of characters, A.D. 16 achieves the rare feat of being both funny and sincere. A thrilling and fun musical for people of all faiths, or no faith at all.

Dance Nation: March 2 – April 3, 2022

The pre-teen dance team from Liverpool, Ohio is primed for competition, but in Clare Barron’s explosive script the stakes are much higher than just a first place trophy. Lives are at stake, future happiness lays in the balance, emerging sexuality strikes with the power of a thousand lightning bolts, and every interaction in the tight-knit group is suffused with threat, risk, and the urgency of adolescence. Adult actors of all ages portray the girls (and one boy) amidst their tween confusion and as their future adult-selves in a dream play with moments of true terror, complete with fangs, blood, and wild, stylized, dancel.

The Joy That Carries You: May 11 – June 12, 2022

A drama about an interracial couple in crisis by local playwriting team Awa Sal Secka and Dani Stoller (Signature’s Easy Women Smoking Loose Cigarettes) that melds sharp comic dialogue and moving spoken-word poetry. This new play about love and family, privilege and responsibility, introduces us to Shiri and Alaia, navigating their first year together as a couple. Over the course of a few days, their relationship is tested by events that underline the radically different ways each experiences the world. Strikingly personal in its intimacies, this World Premiere is a poetic reckoning with love and the pain woven through it.

Meredith Willson’s The Music Man: June 17 – July 24, 2022

Our revolutionary retelling of this Golden Age classic is sure to be the talk of the DMV – and beyond – in the coming season. With a half Deaf and half Hearing cast, you’ll experience beloved songs like “76 Trombones”. “Til There Was You”, and “Rock Island” like never before. The citizens of River City have got trouble. Only, Harold Hill has them convinced it lays in their pool halls. His solution: a marching band, and he just happens to sell instruments and uniforms. It’s all part of his latest con job. Everyone in town seems to be falling for it, except Marian. The catch is, Harold may be falling for her. 

Synetic Theater 2021-2022 in-person productions:

The Madness of Poe: October 11-31, 2021

Join us back in our theater for an evening Edgar Allan Poe’s classic stories envisioned as a kaleidoscopic tapestry of terror. Featuring a re-imagining of our 2007 hit adaptation of “The Fall of the House of Usher” plus other tales from the inventor of American horror, “The Madness of Poe” is suspenseful, sinister, sensual – classic Synetic in every way. Content Warning: The Madness of Poe features mature themes including scenes of intimacy and drug use. If this were a movie, it would be rated PG-13.

Cinderella: November 29 – December 26, 2021

Just in time for the holidays, Cinderella joins our family series repertoire! Cinderella is stepping into her own shoes! Led by an all-female team of Syneticons, this innovative take on the classic fairytale is a perfect fit for audiences of all ages.

The Servant of Two Masters: February 21 – March 13, 2022

Helmed by Vato Tsikurishvili and the Helen Hayes Award-nominated team from the 2019 hit Cyrano de Bergerac, this adaptation of Carlo Goldoni’s commedia dell’arte masterpiece will be a madcap farce of mistaken identity and unparalleled physical comedy. Don’t miss this raucous closing to our 20th anniversary season!

Coming soon!! Synetic’s Teen Company is an 8-month, pre-professional training program for teen actors that culminates in a performance on our main-stage. Artists study and train in a variety of techniques including pantomime, clowning, stage combat, acrobatics, and movement for the stage in Synetic’s signature style. This year, our show will be selected to best showcase the actors who audition. Past shows include Romeo & Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Lord of the Flies. We look forward to announcing the show title and performance dates soon!

The Puppet Co at Glen Echo 2021-2022 in-person productions:

Witch Wartsmith’s Halloween Spooktacular: September 30 – October 31, 2021

Witch Wartsmith (the sister of Witch Wartsmith from our Legacy show “Rapunzel”,) hosts the annual Halloween Spooktacular and you get to vote on the winner! Part contemporary competition show, part vintage telethon, and part punpalooza, this spooky variety show will tickle your funny bone. Don’t miss this year’s performances, because some of our contestants will change year to year! With a special evening performance on Halloween! More shows coming soon!

Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins: November 18, 2021 – January 2, 2022

Hershel just wants to celebrate Hanukkah with the community, but the Queen and King of the Goblins have forbidden the lighting of the candles. Can Hershel save the day and lift the curse for this shtetl (village)? Join us during Hanukkah (November 28 – December 5) to take home a special gift. Based on the book by Eric Kimmel.

The Nutcracker: November 26, 2021 – January 2, 2022

The Puppet Co. brings to life Tchaikovsky’s musical adaptation of the tale by E. T. A. Hoffman. Larger than life-size costume characters and marionettes delight Clara- Marie, and the audience, on a magical journey through the “Land of the Sugarplum Fairy.”

The Puppet Co Tiny Tots Shows: Designed for children 2 to 4 years old, Tiny Tots offers a viewing atmosphere especially suited for young theatre patrons. All Tiny Tots shows feature: 30 min. runtime, no dark room, no loud noises and open theatre doors.

Arts on the Horizon 2021-2022 in-person productions: None to report

Encore Stage and Studio, Theatre for Kids, By Kids 2021-2022 in-person productions:

The Hobbit: September 24 – October 3, 2021

Bilbo, one of the most conservative of all Hobbits, is asked to leave his large, roomy and very dry home in the ground in order to set off as chief robber in an attempt to recover an important treasure. It’s the last thing that any sensitive Hobbit would want to do, but great benefit eventually results—not only for Bilbo but for all of the Hobbits who inhabit Middle Earth—and the hearts of those children and adults who continue to enjoy this kind of magic.

Imagination Stage 2021-2022 season productions:

Corduroy: December 11, 2021 – January 23, 2022

We all need a friend, and Lisa is instantly drawn to the perfectly imperfect teddy bear on display at the department store. If only she can convince her stressed-out mother to buy Corduroy for her! Meanwhile, Corduroy is determined to find his missing button and become worthy of going to a real home. After the store has closed, he goes on a hilariously destructive search–with the Night Watchman in comical pursuit. Full of mischief and clowning, this story of unconditional love captures both the humanity and the merriment of the holiday season. Based on the “Corduroy” and “A Pocket for Corduroy” books by Don Freeman. Best for Ages 3-9.

P.Nokio: A Hip-Hop Musical: February 23 – April 10, 2022

 G.Petto is an ingenious computer games designer who one day discovers that his newest game character, P.Nokio, can live outside the computer! G.Petto is thrilled at the prospect of having a “son,” and with the help of the Graffiti Fairy, he teaches P.Nokio how to become a real boy. But, P.Nokio falls in with con artists and finds himself in a web of lies that endangers his father. To save G.Petto, P.Nokio must wise up, keep it real, and learn that words and truth are the mightiest weapons of all. A completely contemporary, high-energy musical update of Pinocchio by the creator of Imagination Stage’s hit Zomo the Rabbit: A Hip-Hop Creation Myth. Best for Ages 5-11.

Mr. Popper’s Penguins: June 22 – August 7, 2022

Mr. Popper, a painter of modest means, dreams of taking an Antarctic adventure. So he’s thrilled when a penguin named Captain Cook waddles out of a mysterious box left on his doorstep. The zookeeper donates a female companion and soon…the patter of 20 baby penguin feet! To feed all of these mouths, the imaginative Mr. Popper and his wife turn his talented penguins into a must-see traveling vaudeville act full of song and dance. But the rigors of performing take a toll on them all, and they must make a difficult decision. This musical play, featuring expert puppetry, depicts a wild and witty way to follow your dreams–and your convictions. Based on the novel by Richard and Florence Atwater. Best for Ages 3-10.

Theatre for the Very Young from Imagination Stage:

Balloonacy: January 15 – February 20, 2022

A beautiful, movement-based show that revisits the classic film The Red Balloon. Nothing can go right for the character of the old man, whose days are gray and dreary–until he is visited by a friendly red balloon. In the playful physical style of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the old man–an adult version of the boy in the film–regains his youthful spirit, with the help of the red balloon! Produced by special arrangement with Plays for New Audiences. Best for Ages 5-11.

Mother Goose: March 11 – April 10, 2022

A brand new, music-filled piece by the creators of Wake Up, Brother Bear and Mouse on the Move! Mother Goose leads the audience through some of her most beloved nursery rhymes, using puppets and props to bring to life Humpty Dumpty, Old King Cole, the Eensy Weensy Spider, and more. The magical Mother Goose invites your little ones to join in with each rhyme’s story – teaching them that the very best way to do what needs to be done is to do it together. Best for Ages 1-5.

Online & Immersive from Imagination Stage:

S.P.I.E.S. & the Lost Treasure of Atlantis: November 13 – 28, 2021

New name, same fantastic show that DC Metro Theatre Arts called “a fantastically entertaining conglomerate of action, adventure, suspense, and pure silliness perfect for ages 5 and up. Imagination Stage’s hit immersive online show is full of action, interactive puzzles, and memorable characters. Help Spy Team 7 recover the stolen Heart of the Dragon from the evil Dr. Levinious! Great for groups, and available for private performances. See our review here. Best for Ages 5+.

Millennium Stage at The Kennedy Center presents free performances everyday, no tickets required! Shows typically begin at 5:30pm.

Add to your calendar:
Kids Euro Festival: October 9 & October 16, 2021
Disney on Ice Mickey’s Search Party at EagleBank Arena: October 7-11, 2021
Mystery Science Theater 3000 Live: Time Bubble Tour at Warner Theatre: November 7, 2021
Master Chef Junior Live at Warner Theatre: November 13, 2021
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical at The National Theatre: November 23 – December 5, 2021
Enchant:November 26, 2021 – January 2, 2022
The Washington Ballet Nutcracker at Warner Theatre: November 27 – December 26, 2021
The Hip Hop Nutcracker at Strathmore: December 20-22
Dinosaur World Live at Strathmore: January 9
Wild Kratts Live 2.0 at Warner Theatre: May 21

Additional venues:
Atlas Performing Arts CenterArts for Young Audiences
BlackRock Center for the Arts
Bloombars
Busboys + Poets
Jammin Java
Other Voices Theatre
Strathmore
The National Theatre Saturday Morning Live!