There’s an old saying among performers of all stripes: the show must go on.
Emerging from a difficult time that has seen the arts and artists adapting with virtual performances and all manner of efforts to keep audiences entertained and the house lights on, the determination of these talented people is about to be paid off with a return to the stage that’s more anticipated than ever before.
It’s “curtains up” in Cleveland, and a new day for Cleveland’s theater scene.
KeyBank Broadway Series
Downtown dazzles once again with the return of Broadway to Playhouse Square. Mark your dance card for “The Prom” (Nov. 2 - 21, 2021), revisit the classic “To Kill a Mockingbird” (Apr. 26 – May 15, 2022) or chill out with “Frozen” (Aug. 11 – Sept. 11, 2022).
106 looks good on you, Cleveland Play House. Celebrate over a century of excellence at America’s first professional regional theatre with “Where Did We Sit on the Bus?” (Oct. 23 – Nov. 14, 2021) and “The Three Musketeers” (Feb. 5-27, 2022).
Music director Franz Welser-Möst has been doing his thing with the globally-acclaimed Cleveland Orchestra for two decades—and it shows. Take it all in with the orchestra’s in-person return to Severance Hall, aptly named “New Beginnings” (Oct. 14-17), then celebrate all season long with a robust program of classical performances with guest artists galore.
Named for the Swahili term for “joyful gathering place,” Karamu House is a vibrant performing arts hub that honors the Black experience. This season’s lineup includes “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Oct. 8 - 31, 2021) and “The Mountaintop” (Feb. 11 – Mar. 6, 2022).
In its 300-seat, state-of-the-art venue in the Gordon Square Arts District, Near West Theatre stages stunning intergenerational musicals.
Also based in Gordon Square, Cleveland Public Theatre is well-known for adventurous, experimental stage productions. CPT also houses Teatro Publico de Cleveland, a local Latino theatre company that produces works in Spanish with English subtitles.
Over in Lakewood, Beck Center for the Arts offers theatre for all ages, from musicals and dramas to comedies on two separate stages.
Known for premiering acclaimed contemporary plays, Dobama Theatre is Cleveland’s beloved off-Broadway stage located in Cleveland Heights.