There’s no business like show business, and Cleveland is ready for “curtains up” this theater season. From upbeat musicals to existential scares, there’s a little something for everyone.
The orchestra pit is warming up. Time to take your seat. It’s “curtains up” in The Land.
Downtown lights up with the return of the KeyBank Broadway Series at Playhouse Square. Don’t throw away your shot at “Hamilton” as it storms Playhouse Square (June 17 - July 6, 2025) with its revolutionary take on history. Based on the best-selling novel that inspired the film "The Notebook" (Sept. 6-27, 2025) tells the story of Allie and Noah, who share a lifetime of love despite the forces that threaten to pull them apart. Then, experience 16-time Grammy® winner Alicia Keys' new musical, "Hell's Kitchen" (Oct. 10 - Nov. 1, 2025), an electrifying coming-of-age story set in 1990s New York.
110 looks good on you, Cleveland Play House. A resident company of Playhouse Square, celebrate over a century of excellence at America’s first professional regional theatre with "King James" (Mar. 1-23, 2025), a play in honor of LeBron James. Embrace Christmas a little early this year at "Season's Greetings" (Marc. 26 - Apr. 5, 2025). And enjoy a heartwarming story of fathers and daughters, husbands and wives and love and laughter at "Fiddler on the Roof" (Apr. 26 - May 17, 2025).
Music director Franz Welser-Möst has been doing his thing with the globally acclaimed Cleveland Orchestra for two decades — and it shows. Experience him and others like Osmo Vänskä conduct throughout the season, like at Carmina Burana (July 12, 2025). Don’t miss GRAMMY® winning artist Laufey as she performs original songs and surprises at Blossom Music Center (Aug. 7, 2025). Looking for something a little country? Catch Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs in Symphony (Sept. 7, 2025).
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 “Weathering” (Mar. 7 - 30, 2025) and “Choir Boys” (Apr. 25 - May 18, 2025).
In its 300-seat, state-of-the-art venue in the Gordon Square Arts District, Near West Theatre stages stunning intergenerational musicals like "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical” (Mar. 28 - Apr. 13, 2025) and "Finding Nemo Jr." (May 1-4, 2025).
Also based in Gordon Square, Cleveland Public Theatre is well-known for adventurous, experimental stage productions such as "The Body Play" (Mar. 28 - Apr. 13, 2025), a play about chronic illness and questioning what it might mean to be a body. CPT also houses Teatro Público 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. 2025's summer season includes "Between the Lines" (May 2-12, 2025), "The Robber Bridegroom" (May 30 - June 29, 2025) and "A Chorus Line" (July 11 - Aug. 10).
Known for premiering acclaimed contemporary plays, Dobama Theatre is Cleveland’s beloved off-Broadway stage located in Cleveland Heights. The 2024/2025 season is finishing up with "The Wolves" (Mar. 20-30, 2025) and “Rust” (Apr. 25 - May 18, 2025).