Our Look Behind The Curtain Going Up Next Season — Plus List Of Full Titles And Dates

By Bill Hirschman and Britin Haller

  Once again, the coming season of South Florida theater proves that in terms of artistic ambition – not to mention potential entertainment – the quality of local companies equals that of a majority of regional venues in the country.

If you doubt it, peruse the lengthy list of scheduled titles listed below this story. Consider, yes, there will be Beauty & the Beast and Hamilton on one predictable if welcome hand, but celebrate that Tony-winner Liberation and Oh, Mary! is on the other. And Tartuffe and Who Killed Joan Crawford? – from different companies, of course.

Still, it will be somewhat different than most years. The coming season faces issues that transcend art or expectations.

For instance, the uncertain aftereffects of the price of gasoline will discourage some people from buying subscriptions or even attending more than a “favorite” show.

Increased production costs due to inflation often will mean simpler sets and smaller casts – a trend that been persisting since COVID. Entertainment, even filmed theater, is available on your TV set.

There’s no immediate sense – with auditions going on right now – how much hiring will occur from out of town which requires housing and other expenses.

Some productions are being co-produced with another theater, such as happened this year with Palm Beach Dramaworks’ Driving Miss Daisy and Miami New Drama’s world premiere The Zionists, both in concert with the prestigious Barrington Stage in Massachusetts. Among other issues, the companies share some of the production costs. For instance, GableStage, Island City Stage and Brévo Theatre joined up for two productions of Fat Ham.

  This coming season includes the world premiere of Provenance — Dramaworks’ co-production with Sarasota’s Asolo Repertory Theatre, plus the musical The Light in the Piazza from Dramaworks alongside the Riverside Theatre in Vero Beach.

Attendance numbers have risen since COVID, but while a few have bounced back, many companies are still struggling to bring back the reliable older loyalists while attracting new younger audiences.

As always in recent years, most theaters have identified what “their” audience is looking for, shows that they have built a reputation for. Often the breadth of those choices is narrow. For instance, the Wick Theatre knows most of its subscribers want to see musicals they have seen before.

Thinking Cap specializes in boundary-pushing works that you likely have never heard of, or they bring their unique vision to titles you think you know.

Some take calculated chances others won’t. For instance, Zoetic Stage in Miami which produced an outstanding The Inheritance Part One, an epic-length large-cast drama about homosexuality, is indeed going to produce Part 2 next January. This was our review of Part One. https://tinyurl.com/bdz3x45p

While many companies are increasingly including one or two world premieres and regional premieres, Theatre Lab is committed to developing and mounting only new work.

Some like the Maltz Jupiter Theatre have a well-defined target of well-produced musicals like La Cage Aux Folles and Ain’t Misbehavin.’ But they throw in something before or after tourist season that is more challenging and skews away from the expected like the intimate dramatic straight play Orphans. New City Players is reviving Anna in the Tropics which premiered at Miami’s New Theatre in 2002 and was the first play to win the Pulitzer Prize that did not bow first in New York City.

Just a side observation: South Florida audiences for tours must have a milquetoast reputation with schedulers and houses. While there are a few titles like The Outsiders and Hell’s Kitchen, other cities hosted last season or will host this coming season more challenging fare, less known outside Broadway such as Suffs, Stereophonic and Maybe Happy Ending.

Lists like the one below include blind recommendations. The truth is you never know which titles will triumph, which will disappoint, which will surprise you. The best we can do is let you know the ones we think are most intriguing.

What follows is a company-by-company list of the shows and dates (as of now) compiled by Britin Haller with Bill Hirschman’s commentary. As always, everything can be in flux (a regularly updated list is always at https://tinyurl.com/4fuarrdt), so pull out your calendars and your checkbooks.

Actors’ Playhouse at the Miracle Theatre 280 Miracle Mile, Coral Gables
(305) 444-3293
https://www.actorsplayhouse.org

Another reliable slate of musical titles of the genre that Actors’ does well, including the never fails Come From Away. But it’s heartening to see Lunar Eclipse, a play by Donald Margulies whose works seen locally include Dinner With Friends, Brooklyn Boy, Time Stands Still and The Loman Family Picnic.

  Oct. 7 – Nov. 1 Jekyll & Hyde
This dark Frank Wildhorn musical based on the legendary story by Robert Louis Stevenson tells the familiar story of a brilliant doctor whose experiments bring out the worst in him, so to speak.

Jan. 27 – Feb. 21, 2027 Come From Away 
September 11, 2001 is a day that will live in infamy when almost 3000 lives were lost senselessly. But when 38 planes were rerouted to Gander, Newfoundland, the 7,000 stranded passengers were met with unbelievable kindness from the townsfolk. This musical production tells that story with gentleness and yes, even humor. Virtually every production across the country has been entertaining and uplifting.

Mar. 17 – Apr. 11, 2027 Rock of Ages 
A lively jukebox musical set in L.A. in the 1980s with a tongue in cheek plot and featuring tunes from Pat Benatar, Styx, Bon Jovi, Journey, Poison and other classic rock bands. Life on the Sunset Strip.

May 12 – June 6, 2027 Lunar Eclipse
This told-in-real-time newer play by Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies explores the relationship of a longtime married couple who reflect on their shared life during a rare lunar eclipse.

July 14 – Aug.8, 2027 I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change
This second-longest running off-Broadway musical is a series of vignettes about the hardships and joy of love. This will be the third time this beloved show has been staged at the Actor’s Playhouse since first appearing in 1998, but this time it’s a refreshed version updated for the 21st century.

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
National Tour Broadway in Miami
Ziff Opera House
1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami
(305) 949-6722
https://www.arshtcenter.org/

No surprise, since this is what their patrons likely want: The expected crowd pleaser The Sound of Music, and back for the 14^th time Jersey Boys and Beauty and the Beast for the 36^th time. But the moderately successful-on-Broadway The Great Gatsby is new to the season as is Buena Vista Social Club that should plug into the experiences of so many Miamians.

  Sept. 29 – Oct. 4  Buena Vista Social Club
This Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical takes us on a second-chance journey through Havana when a legendary elusive diva enters a recording studio for the first time after vanishing from the spotlight.

Dec. 1 – Dec. 6 A Beautiful Noise – The Neil Diamond Musical
Spend the evening with the greatest hits from the song library of Neil Diamond and learn his previously untold true story. Try not to sing along.

Jan. 12 – Jan. 17, 2027 The Great Gatsby
The classic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald is brought to life in this Tony Award-winning Roaring Twenties musical full of excessive wealth and tragedy.

Feb. 9 – Feb. 14, 2027 The Sound of Music
Yes, you’ve seen it before, but you may have forgotten just how genuinely powerful it can be when it’s done well.

Mar. 30 – Apr. 4, 2027 Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
This Disney classic that is a “tale as old as time” tells the story of Belle, a beautiful maiden who must choose between man and beast. Guess how it ends.

June 8 – June 13, 2027 Jersey Boys
This Tony Award-winning musical presents the history of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons in a documentary style format with each band member telling his own story. Again, the music is terrific and the story pulls no punches.

ArtBuzz Theatrics Empire Stage
1140 N. Flagler Dr., Ft. Lauderdale
954-678-1496
www.EmpireStage.com

Sept. 11 – Oct. 4 Southern Baptist Sissies
From the creator of “Sordid Lives” comes this satirical comedy about four Texas boys who discovered their homosexuality while being raised in a Southern Baptist church. Winner of the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding LA Theater Production.

Oct. 9 – Nov. 11 Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors

This Off-Broadway play that’s a campy, fast-paced spoof of Bram Stoker’s classic story follows Count Dracula’s pursuit of the brilliant Lucy Westfeldt while vampire hunter Jean Van Helsing and a cast of eccentric characters race to stop him.

Boca Stage Performing at The Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park
300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton https://www.myboca.us/2508/Willow-Theatre

Dec.4-20 A Human Being Died That Night

Nicolas Wright’s searing and award-winning adaptation of Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela’s powerful account of her interviews with South Africa’s state-sanctioned mass murderer Eugene De Kock. Eugene de Kock was a paid White political assassin nick-named “Prime Evil” for his crimes against anti-apartheid activists.  While he was serving his multiple life sentences, Black psychologist Pumla Gobodo-Madikizela interviewed him.  As she attempts to unravel De Kock’s psychology, the play offers a rare, penetrating look at how one of the 20th century’s bloodiest regimes came to be and the agonizing path toward healing and compassion. Features Rita Cole and Steve Carroll.

Bridge Across the Pond Theater Company Empire Stage
1140 N Flagler Drive, Ft Lauderdale
954-678-1496
www.empirestage.com
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/other-desert-cities

Aug. 14 – Aug 30  Other Desert Cities
A staunchly conservative Hollywood family has to deal with their liberal daughter and her tell-all memoir over the Christmas holiday. Nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Play. Judith Light won the Tony for Best Performance by an Actress.

Brévo Theatre Performs at various locations https://brevotheatre.org/

This evolving company presented a stunning The Color Purple musical this season, earning the right to ask new audiences to take a chance on their impassioned work.

September 4 – 21 School Girls, Or The African Mean Girls Play
Set in 1986 at the Aburi Girls’ School in Ghana and revolves around the dynamics of a group of high school girls as they compete for the title of Miss Ghana. MaameYaa Boafo –the queen bee at an exclusive Ghanaian school–is set on competing in the Miss Universe pageant. However, the arrival of Ericka, an American transfer student, captures the attention of the recruiter along with Paulina’s friends. The play addresses themes such as colorism, classism, and the pressures of beauty standards while providing a humorous take on the challenges faced by teenage girls.

December 2026 Black Nativity
An African-American telling of the Nativity story, based on the Song Play written by acclaimed African-American poet and playwright Langston Hughes. The show recreates the journey of Mary and Joseph, resplendent in African costumes, to Bethlehem, accompanied by a rousing repertoire of spirituals. The combined African-American viewpoint and gospel music make Black Nativity a truly unique theatrical experience.

Broward Performing Arts Center Broadway in Fort Lauderdale national tours
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Au-Rene Theatre
201 SW 5th Ave, Ft. Lauderdale
800-764-0700
https://www.browardcenter.org/

A mildly more challenging season than the last few includes the musical Death Becomes Her which has been praised by some of our New York colleagues as a surprisingly funny riff on the film, plus the rousing Six, and it wouldn’t be a South Florida touring season if one of the three counties didn’t have that musical about a guy whose face is on the ten-dollar bill.

  Oct. 13 – Oct. 18 Buena Vista Social Club
This Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical takes us on a second-chance journey through Havana when a legendary elusive diva enters a recording studio for the first time after vanishing from the spotlight.

Nov. 10 – Nov. 22 Hamilton
If you have to ask, you’ve been living in Antarctica.

Dec. 15 – Dec. 27 Death Becomes Her
When a famous actress is offered a secret potion promising her to stay young-looking and immortal forever, what to do? Well, drink it of course! But she may soon come to regret that decision when all hell breaks loose, literally.  Based on the 1992 film starring Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, and Bruce Willis, this hilarious musical was nominated for ten Tony Awards.

Feb. 2 – Feb. 14, 2027 Mamma Mia!
If you have to ask, you’ve been living in Peoria.

Feb. 23 – Feb. 28, 2027 Six
In a “celebration of girl power,” Henry VIII’s six wives form a girl group, and compete to see who had the worst time of it, in a show that won a Tony Award for Best Original Score and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical. The Broadway album debuted at Number 1 on Billboard with 6 million streams in the first 30 days.

Mar. 9 – Mar. 14, 2027 The Notebook
Based on the beloved novel by Nicholas Sparks, and the film of the same name, it’s the classic story of rich girl falls in love with poor boy, and the struggles they encounter to keep their love alive. A musical romance spanning fifty-two years.

Apr. 6 – Apr. 18, 2027 Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
If you have to ask….

May 5 – May 16, 2027 The Outsiders
Based on S.E. Hinton’s classic novel and Francis Ford Coppola’s 1983 film, this is the story of Ponyboy Curtis and his friends the Greasers who battle with a group of rivals called the Socs in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1967. Winner of the 2024 Tony Award for Best Musical with an original score. “Stay gold, Ponyboy, stay gold.”

Fantasy Theatre Factory  Sandrell Rivers Theater
6103 NW 7th Avenue, Miami
(305) 284-8800
https://ftfshows.thundertix.com/events/264189

July 10 – July 12 Miami One Acts Summer Session ‘26
Capturing the cultural stories of South Florida to be presented through a series of short plays.

July 11 The Wizard of Oz
A vibrant, reimagined adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz with Dorothy and friends on an exciting adventure to get her away from the clutches of the Wicked Witch of the West and return Dorothy safely home.

Florida Grand Opera Check the varied locations

Nov. 14 – Nov. 17 Lucia di Lammermoor
Florida Grand Opera
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
Ziff Ballet Opera House
1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami
(305) 949-6722
https://www.arshtcenter.org/
https://fgo.org/season26-27/

When a young woman is forced into an arranged marriage, her mental stage unravels with devastating consequences. This opera is best known for its famous “Mad Scene” and its emotionally powerful, tragic ending. In Italian, with English and Spanish projected translations.

Jan. 30 – Feb. 2, 2027 Don Giovanni
Florida Grand Opera
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
A notorious seducer, who pursues pleasure without regard for the lives he disrupts, learns what happens when those he has wronged seek justice. It’s part comedy, part drama, and part supernatural, with an unforgettable ending. Sung in Italian with English and Spanish projected translations.

Feb. 18 – Feb. 20, 2027 Don Giovanni
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Au-Rene Theatre
201 SW 5th Ave. Ft. Lauderdale
800-764-0700
https://www.browardcenter.org/
https://fgo.org/season26-27/

A notorious seducer, who pursues pleasure without regard for the lives he disrupts, learns what happens when those he has wronged seek justice. It’s part comedy, part drama, and part supernatural, with an unforgettable ending. Sung in Italian with English and Spanish projected translations.

Apr. 17 – Apr. 20, 2027 Nabucco
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
A Babylonian king struggles between the Babylonian Empire and the Hebrew people held in captivity. The opera is especially famous for the stirring chorus “Va, pensiero,” often called the Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves.

May 1, 2027 Viva Verdi: The Best of Verdi Concert
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Celebrate the music of Giuseppe Verdi with internationally acclaimed singers, a full chorus and orchestra, and an immersive theatrical experience. Enjoy highlights from Aida, La traviata, Rigoletto, Nabucco, and more. A family-friendly evening. Sung in Italian with English and Spanish projected translations.

GableStage
1200 Anastasia Ave #230, Coral Gables
(305) 445-1119
https://www.gablestage.org/

Look, we love good ol’ time musicals and classic plays, but credit GableStage under Bari Newport with a track record of providing challenging theater worth risking your ticket on an unknown title.  Of course, the high-profile show will be the Tony-winning Liberation of which we saw the truly superb mind-expanding production in New York. Here’s a link to our review of that (https://tinyurl.com/yc56d8vn)  How GableStage handles the extensive nude scene and blocking people from sneaking photos will be interesting to see (although it can be stage clothed).

  Sept. 25 – Oct. 18  Weather Girl
Named one of the best plays of 2025 by The New York Times, this dark comedy follows a California reporter whose personal life mirrors the catastrophic weather events she covers. To be directed by Thinking Cap Theatre’s Nicole Stodard.

Nov. 20 – Dec. 20  True Art
A naive art history major takes a job at a famous museum and gets drawn into a game of deception. Described as a “suspensefully sharp comedy,” opening just in time to celebrate Art Basel.

Jan. 22 – Feb. 14, 2027 We Had a World
By the writer of last season’s Prayer for the French Republic, playwright Joshua Harmon returns with this funny and personal play inspired by his dying grandmother. He shares a singular bond with his luminous grandmother, the woman who introduced him to Medea, Mapplethorpe, and Broadway, and set him on the path to becoming a playwright. In this moving love letter to complicated families, he unravels thirty years of family history, with a little Rashomon-style assistance from his mother. To be directed by Zoetic Stage’s Stuart Meltzer.

Mar. 19 – Apr. 18, 2027 Liberation
Set in 1970s Ohio, this is a daughter’s story about her radical mother and the fight for women’s rights. Winner of the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Play and the Tony Award for Best Play.

May 14 – June 13, 2027 littleboy/littleman
Two Nicaraguan brothers in Miami grapple with their version of the American Dream as one pursues ambition and the other wants to assimilate. With live music and poetry. To be directed by Miami’s Teo Castellanos, a dance/theater director-actor deeply into movement staging.

Gulfshore Theatre
Struthers Studio and Moran Mainstage
Baker Theatre and Education Center
100 Goodlette-Frank Road South, Naples
239-261-7529
https://www.gulfshoreplayhouse.org/

You have to give credit to how Gulfshore is filling its gorgeous new venue with a wide array from the urban humor of 1950s Guys and Dolls to the no less funny 1664’s Moliere’s Tartuffe often restaged with a contemporary sense of humor. Also featuring Gulfshore founder Kristen Coury’s vision about some guy named Scrooge.

  Oct. 20 – Nov. 22 The World Goes ‘Round
Featuring tunes from Chicago, Funny Lady and New York, New York and more, this musical revue showcases the song-writing duo of John Kander and Fred Ebb.

Nov. 17 – Dec. 24  A Christmas Carol 
This new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale is by Gulfshore’s founder, CEO and Producing Artistic Director, Kristen Coury, who will also direct. Featuring Christmas carols, musicians, and dancing.

Jan. 12 – Feb. 7, 2027 Heist
When a “foolproof” high-stakes jewel robbery goes all kinds of wrong, a team of professionals must figure out who is double-crossing whom. Full of unexpected twists.

Feb. 2 – Mar. 14, 2027 Fundraiser: A Play
From the 2025 Next Wave Festival, and the playwright behind The Refugees, comes this timely and heartfelt comedy about a fundraiser’s bidding war that turns hilarious. A world premiere.

Mar. 2 – Apr. 11, 2027 Guys and Dolls
Thought by many to be the ultimate musical comedy, Guys and Dolls is full of favorite showtunes, gamblers, and dames.

Apr. 6 – May 16, 2027 Job
A two-person psychological thriller that’s also funny at times about a young Big Tech employee who’s trying to get her job back after she has a mental breakdown. But her crisis therapist who can make that happen has concerns. A New York Times Critic’s Pick.

Apr. 27 – May. 23, 2027 Tartuffe by Molière
This 1664 comedy about a devout man who is deceived by a con man is one of theater’s most enduring works.

May 7 – May 9, 2027 Next Wave Festival
An annual event created to showcase new theatrical works, some of which have then been produced as world premieres by the playhouse.

Island City Stage 2304 N. Dixie Hwy. Wilton Manors
(954) 928-9800
http://www.islandcitystage.org

I’m not sure anyone has done Grey Gardens down here, so this is a rare opportunity. But The Lion In Winter is one of this critic’s favorite plays – and a tough one to pull off. I’ll be there, trying not to murmur the speeches along with the actors.

  Oct. 1 – Oct. 25 Who Killed Joan Crawford?
In this murder mystery comedy comes with campy look into what happens when a group of men, dressed as Joan Crawford for a birthday party, are ambushed one-by-one. Last performed at ICS in 2016 to great acclaim, (Here’s that review: https://tinyurl.com/fpety69j) but who will win the coveted roles this time?

Jan. 14 – Feb. 14, 2027 Grey Gardens the Musical
Based on the 1975 cult classic documentary about the Bouvier mother and daughter “Big Edie” and “Little Edie” who gained fame as Jacqueline Kennedy’s aunt and cousin living in squalid conditions in their mansion in East Hampton, NY. Equal parts darkly funny and heartbreaking.

Mar. 11 – Apr. 4, 2027 Pegged
Hot off the success of last year’s At the Wedding, former Miami playwright Hannah Benitez brings a “black dramady” about what happens when a straight couple’s life goes haywire after they try “pegging.”

May 20 – June 13, 2027 Messy White Gays
Supposedly inspired by Hitchcock’s film Rope, this dark farce follows a gay couple who find themselves in an unfortunate situation when they kill their throuple-mate and must get rid of his body before their brunch guests arrive. It’s gloriously messy.

July 8 – Aug.1, 2027 The Lion in Winter
The time is Christmas 1183, and an aging King Henry II of England, and his wife Eleanor, can’t decide which of their manipulative sons should inherit the crown. Everything, including betrayals and attempted murder, is on the table.

Hy Juter Presents

Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park
300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton
561-347-3948
https://www.myboca.us/2508/Willow-Theatre

Jan. 15 – Jan. 31, 2027 To Life the Grand Finale:  Jewish Broadway to Hollywood
The seventh, and possibly the last (although they say that every year), in the popular series of musical revues celebrating Jewish artists and composers who made it big on Broadway. Tunes and stories from some of the most beloved musicals of all time.

Kravis Center for the Performing Arts national tours
Alexander W. Dreyfoos Concert Hall
701 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach
(561) 651-4242
https://www.kravis.org/

The Kravis books its tours from a different agency than Broward and the Arsht, although there are overlaps. But it also brings in work you haven’t seen down here yet. Yes, one is the musical Boop! which did so-so in New York, but high praise is due Oh, Mary! Catch that one if you catch little else this season.

  Oct. 28 – Nov. 1  Dirty Dancing: the Musical
This electrified musical based on the beloved 1987 film that changed everything. “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

Nov. 10 – Nov. 15 Monty Python’s Spamalot
Back again in Florida. Of course, this musical is delightfully based on the film.

Dec. 22 – Dec. 27  Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical
The classic Christmas family favorite comes to town to “Ring in the Who-lidays in Whoville.” Includes the hit song, “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.”

Jan. 6 – Jan. 10, 2027 The Great Gatsby
The classic American novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald is brought to life in this Tony Award-winning Roaring Twenties musical full of excessive wealth and tragedy.

Feb. 16 – Feb. 21, 2027 The Sound of Music
Do you have to ask?

Apr. 6 – Apr. 11, 2027 Boop! The Musical
The popular 1930s’ cartoon character Betty Boop explores New York in this musical-comedy adventure. Nominated for three Tony Awards.

Apr. 20 – Apr. 25, 2027 Alicia Keys’ Hell’s Kitchen
From Grammy-winner Alicia Keys comes this 1990s coming-of-age musical journey about a teenager looking for her purpose and her people.  Read our review of last year’s tour from its run at the Broward Center. https://tinyurl.com/4msm36ws

May 11 – May 16, 2027 Oh, Mary!
It’s the weeks before Abraham Lincoln will ultimately be assassinated, and Mary Todd Lincoln is miserable, yearning, and drunk. This is the Florida premiere of the outrageous comedy that took New York by storm and won Cole Escola his first, of likely many, Tony Awards for Best Leading Actor in a Play. Read our review of the Broadway version, at that point with Jane Krakowski in the lead https://tinyurl.com/yds3a27z

Lakehouseranchdotpng

Performing at Main Street Players theater  6812 Main Street, Miami Lakes www.lakehouseranchdotpng.com/tickets/#/productions-view.

Entering its fifth season, this troupe specializes in absurdist, experimental and politically engaging new work you likely haven’t heard of but that “has the power to transform lives. Last season, it delivered Art Duty that portrayed two museum guards and a very strange array of patrons.

September 11 – 20 Deconstructing A Human Sacrifice

An absurdist look into her shocking family history and the discovery of a cult murder/suicide/sacrifice through her maternal line written by resident playwright Erin Proctor.

November 13 – 27 Choreographing A Rape Scene To Go Into A Feminist Play

Ann Gillespie’s by Ann Gillespie dark comedy about bad art gone worse, hypocrisy and the juvenile sandbox that is theatre. A devised play takes on a sinister reality when onstage violence blurs into the actual and those involved question an act on the ambiguous end of assault.

January 22 – 31 Dear Kitty (Or, Not Another Anne Frank Play): A Travesty

By Amelia Merrill, a girl sits at a desk: writing and erasing, creating and destroying. Five women simulate the life (and afterlife) of Anne Frank, but when it comes time for one to be sacrificed, they must decide who the real Anne is—or if such a determination is even possible.

March 26 – April 4 So You Think You Can Stay?

A biting satire by Ariel Cipolla that hits a little too close to home, five contestants from different parts of the world face off in front of a live studio audience for the chance at a grand prize: the right to stay in the United States. This dystopian tale shines a light on the dehumanizing process of immigration and the trauma those coming in endure when asked to prove their worthiness.

Latiné Theatre Lab Inkub8 Studios
355 NW 54th Street, Miami
https://www.latinetheaterlab.com

Oct. 23 – Oct. 24 La Botanica: An Interactive Ghost Story
When a mother refuses to let go of her grief, Santeria and modern-day spiritualist activities are transformed into something terrifying. An interactive thriller making its debut.

Main Street Players
Main Street Playhouse
6812 Main Street, Miami Lakes
(305) 558-3737
http://www.mainstreetplayers.com

Under a new artistic director, this company encompasses broad humor, serious drama and diverse material.

  February 27 – March 14, 2027 Nunsense
This is an updated version madcap musical about a convent who must raise funds to bury some of their sisters accidentally poisoned by their cook. A television version starred Rue McClanahan as Mother Superior.

April 17 – May 2, 2027 Betrayal
Several revivals and Tony Award nominations later, this play by Harold Pinter that tells the tale of a literary agent who had an affair with his best friend’s wife for seven years is still going strong.

July 24-August 8, 2027 Good Cuban Girls
A bilingual coming-of-age play that explores three generations of good Cuban girls.

September 18 – October 3, 2027 the beautiful land i seek (la linda tierra que busco yo)
Two would-be assassins on a train discuss their plan to strike in the name of Puerto Rican independence in 1950. But not all goes according to plan.

Maltz Jupiter Theatre 1001 East Indiantown Road, Jupiter
561-575-2223
https://www.jupitertheatre.org/

This season sees the Maltz including an impressive wider range of genres than in some earlier years. Given their taste, style and budget, Jesus Christ Superstar ought to be memorable; Wait Until Dark is surprisingly effective in most stage productions and doing Orphans takes commendable guts.

  Oct. 27 – Nov. 8  Orphans
This “Story of Second Chances” tells the story of what happens when two orphaned brothers in Philadelphia botch a kidnapping that results in their intended victim becoming their mentor and friend. The film starred Matthew Modine and Albert Finney.

Dec. 1 – Dec. 13 Ain’t Misbehavin’: The Fats Waller Musical
A Tony Award-winning musical revue celebrating the 1930’s music of Harlem’s Fats Waller.

Jan. 5 – Jan. 24, 2027 La Cage Aux Folles
This hilarious Tony Award-winning musical is about a Parisian drag club manager and his gay lover (and star entertainer) who attempt to hide their lifestyle when their son’s future conservative in-laws come to visit. Book by Harvey Fierstein with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman.

Feb. 9 – Feb. 21, 2027 Wait Until Dark
A blind woman living in an apartment in Greenwich Village must try to outwit three criminals to stay alive. This thrilling classic features a shocking finale. The play starred Lee Remick, and the 1967 film version starred Audrey Hepburn.

Mar. 9 – Mar. 28, 2027 Jesus Christ Superstar
This rock opera is constantly being reinvented over and over by directors and producers with the story being told through the lyrics of the songs, most notably “Superstar,” and “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”

New City Players

Performing at Island City Stage
2304 N. Dixie Hwy. Wilton Manors
954-376-6114
https://newcityplayers.org/

As always, this company takes on challenging work you haven’t heard of as well as vibrant works you have such as the all-too-relevant-these-days An Enemy of the People. Especially attractive may be their revival of Nilo Cruz’s Anna in the Tropics which debuted at Miami’s New Theatrein 2002 and was the first play to win a Pulitzer Prize without having bowed in New York City.

  Nov. 13 – Nov. 29 An Enemy of the People
This classic play by Henrik Ibsen, who is considered to be the “father of modern drama,” centers around a research doctor who discovers his town’s municipal bath houses (and biggest tourist attractions) are contaminated. Currently in a modernized version on Broadway.

Feb. 26 – Feb. 28, 2027 Short Plays: Lauder Made Vol III
Performing at Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Abdo New River Room
201 SW 5th Ave, Ft. Lauderdale
954-376-6114
https://newcityplayers.org/ New plays by local playwrights. This year’s theme is America at 250 years old. Note the change in location.

Apr. 16 – May 2, 2027 Heroes of the Fourth Turning
at Island City Stage
A group of young Catholic conservatives reunite at a Wyoming college and spend an evening debating faith, politics, and identity in the shadow of contemporary culture wars. 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Drama finalist and winner of the New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award for Best Play.

June 11 – June 13, 2027 White Rabbit Red Rabbit
at Broward Center for the Performing Arts
An experimental solo play in which a different actor performs each night without rehearsal, reading the script for the first time onstage, and becoming part of a surprising, often humorous, exploration of personal choice. It’s been performed in over 20 languages by actors such as Whoopi Goldberg, Nathan Lane, David Tennant, Martin Short, Alan Cumming, and Cynthia Nixon.

Aug. 20 – Sept. 5, 2027 Anna in the Tropics
at Island City Stage
This Nilo Cruz play is set in a 1929 Tampa cigar factory, where a hired lector reads Anna Karenina aloud to workers, stirring unrest among them. Winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and premiered at Miami’s New Theater.

Palm Beach Dramaworks 201 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach
561-514-4042
https://www.palmbeachdramaworks.org/

Forgive us, but on the surface, this may be one of the most promising slates in the region. Even the musical, The Light in the Piazza has been more touching and nuanced in other productions than a half-dozen Broadway blockbusters. Then add two world premieres developed by the company and… c’mon, Harold Pinter, for crying out loud! 

Oct. 9 – Oct. 25 Alba
A world premiere by Alejando Rodriguez. Inspired by La Casa de Bernarda Alba by Federico García Lorca, Alba follows a strong-willed Cuban matriarch trying to hold onto control of her house in the face of myriad encroaching forces, including newfangled technology, impatient debtors, and a young suitor with suspicious motives. Narrated by her grandchild and set in working-class Miami, the play seeks to make sense of the unspoken secrets that led to a tragic family event. Alba was first seen at Palm Beach Dramaworks as part of the 2025 Perlberg Festival of New Plays

Oct. 30-Nov. 22 Hershey Felder’s The Piano and Me

Known for his theatrical portrayals of great composers and musical storytelling, having premiered his now world-famous play George Gershwin Alone in Palm Beach 25 years ago, Hershey Felder brings The Piano & Me, a new play with music, features Felder playing Felder, as well as the many characters he’s met along the way who made his art possible. He tells the story behind the story of his more than 30 years onstage, and features the music of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, and others. This is an add-on to the subscription and must be purchased separately.

  Dec. 11 – Dec. 27 Provenance
A world premiere. Co-Production with Asolo Repertory Theatre. The life of a sensual, unusual portrait from its beginnings in early 1900s German society, through its theft by the Nazis and its subsequent travels around the world. Canvas. Pencil. Paint. How can one piece of art tear at the hearts of generations? Provenance was first seen at PBD as part of the 2026 Perlberg Festival of New Plays.

Feb. 5 – Feb. 21, 2027 The Light in the Piazza
In this lyrical, shimmering musical, winner of multiple Tony Awards, Margaret Johnson takes a trip to Italy in the summer of 1953 with her daughter, Clara, a beautiful, childlike young woman. Clara falls in love with Fabrizio, a handsome Florentine who wants to marry her. The protective Margaret, trying to come to terms with her own unhappy marriage, must decide whether to allow her determined, challenged daughter to follow her heart. Winner of six Tony Awards including Best Original Score. Not locally produced in this region before other than Arsht Center’s opening tour. Co-produced with Riverside Theatre.

Apr. 2 – Apr. 18, 2027 The Birthday Party
This classic, absurdist, comedy of menace is set in a ramshackle boarding house run by Meg and Petey. Meg decides to throw a birthday party for their only boarder, Stanley, despite his objections. When two ominous strangers arrive, the celebration is transformed into a nightmare. Linguistically dexterous and full of the playwright’s signature pauses and perplexing dialogue, the play is ambiguous, ambitious, funny, horrifying, and thought-provoking, with an ending that invites more questions.

May 21 – June 6, 2027 Ben Butler
The laughter flows in this historical comedy set in 1861 and inspired by an event in the life of colorful and controversial Benjamin Butler, a major general in the Union Army. His principles are tested when three escaped slaves come to him at Fort Monroe, Virginia, seeking sanctuary. Should he obey the law and send them back, or obey his conscience and perhaps change the course of history? Done by Boca Stage in 2022.

Palm Beach Opera
Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
701 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach
(561) 651-4242
https://www.kravis.org/
https://pbopera.org/

Jan. 29 – Jan. 31, 2027 Aida
An Ethiopian princess who has been enslaved in Egypt has a forbidden romance (aren’t those the best kind?!), with an Egyptian military commander. But when political duty forces them to choose between each other, and allegiance to their countries, things go downhill fast.

Feb. 26 – Feb. 28, 2027 The Barber of Seville
A fast-paced rom-com opera about a clever barber named Figaro who helps a Count try to win the heart of the beautiful Rosina. Using tricks, and lots of chaos, they work to outsmart Rosina’s older guardian, Dr. Bartolo, who hopes to marry her himself.

Apr. 2 – Apr. 4, 2027 Pagliacci
When the leader of a traveling theater troupe discovers that his wife is having an affair, his real-life jealousy begins to mirror the plot of the play leading to one of opera’s most famous and tragic finales. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Pembroke Pines Theatre of the Performing Arts
Susan B. Katz Theater at the River of Grass ArtsPark
17195 Sheridan Street, Pembroke Pines
954-890-1868
https://pptopa.com/

One of the older companies still producing musicals and comedies reliably aimed at their traditional audience.

July 17 – July 26 Hurray for Hollywood
A tribute to some of our favorite movies.

Oct. 9 – Oct. 18
There’s a Burglar in My Bed
Wealthy William Worthington and his wife (say that five times) each think they’re sneaking off with their lovers to their beachside cottage, but imagine their surprise when they all show up there. A madcap English farce by Michael Parker.

Mar. 12 – Mar. 21, 2027
The Outsider
A timely, and often hysterical, satire on American politics about a timid man who is running for governor against his wishes.

Pompano Players

Pompano Beach Cultural Center
50 Atlantic Boulevard, Pompano Beach
954-545-7800
https://www.pompanobeacharts.org

An array of jukebox revues that likely will please the fans, but also opening with a high-energy tickling musical.

Nov. 6 – Nov. 15 Gutenberg! The Musical!
A musical-within-a-musical parody of the inventor Gutenberg trying to get his printing press off the ground in a village run by a villainous, Satan-worshipping monk. The show uses only two actors who switch characters by switching hats.

Jan. 15 – 24 Never Can Say Goodbye: The ’70s Beehive Musical
A six-woman cast celebrates female empowerment songs of the 1970s in this jukebox musical that’s a follow-up to Beehive: The ’60s Musical.

Feb. 12 – Feb. 21, 2027 My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra
Four performers sing over fifty Sinatra songs in this musical revue featuring the music of “Ol’ Blue Eyes.”

Mar. 12 – Mar. 21, 2027 Sh-Boom! Life Could Be a Dream
A romantic and fun jukebox musical that follows a 1950s do-wop group trying to win a radio contest and a recording contract.

Apr. 2 – Apr. 11, 2027 Sisters of Swing: The Story of the Andrews Sisters
A musical biography tracing the lives, careers, and struggles of The Andrews Sisters.

May 14 – May 23, 2027 Honky Tonk Angels
A musical comedy about three bored women determined to make it big in country music in Nashville.

Riverside Theatre  

Main Stage Shows
3250 Riverside Park Drive, Vero Beach
772-231-6990
https://www.riversidetheatre.com/

Riverside reliably executes entertaining old faithfuls like Hairspray, and they are co-producing the usually glowing The Light in the Piazza. But you have to be intrigued by the idea of The Mouse and the Mustache as Disney meets Dali.

  Oct. 15 – Nov. 22 My Vaudeville Man
Based on the true story of vaudeville performer Jack Donahue and his loving mother, this two-character musical features tap dancing and singing.

Jan. 6 – Jan. 31, 2027 Clue
Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget! Was it Mrs. Peacock in the study with the knife? Or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the wrench? Based on the cult 1985 Paramount movie and inspired by the classic Hasbro board game.

Jan. 28 – Feb. 21, 2027 The Mouse and the Mustache
When Walt Disney meets Salvador Dalí in 1946 Hollywood, they embark on a beautiful friendship.

Feb. 25 – Mar. 21, 2027 On the Town
What happens when three sailors on shore leave for twenty-four hours find themselves in the Big Apple? Singing and dancing to Leonard Bernstein’s gorgeous score, romance, and comedy, that’s what!

Mar. 14 – Apr. 11, 2027 The Light in the Piazza
In this lyrical, shimmering musical, winner of multiple Tony Awards, Margaret Johnson takes a trip to Italy in the summer of 1953 with her daughter, Clara, a beautiful, childlike young woman. Clara falls in love with Fabrizio, a handsome Florentine who wants to marry her. The protective Margaret, trying to come to terms with her own unhappy marriage, must decide whether to allow her determined, challenged daughter to follow her heart. Winner of six Tony Awards including Best Original Score. Not locally produced in this region before. Co-produced with Palm Beach Dramaworks.

Apr. 15 – May 9, 2027 Hairspray the Musical
It’s 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland, when a dance-loving teenager becomes an overnight sensation. This family-friendly tale has comedy and romance, wonderful songs, and a message about acceptance of everyone, no matter how they look. Hairspray won eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Based on the 1988 film by John Waters.

Slow Burn Theatre Company
Broward Center for the Performing Arts
Amaturo Theatre
201 Southwest 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
954-462-0222
https://slowburntheatre.org/

Slow Burn has grown more and more mainstream in its choices over the years, but they deliver them with undeniable enthusiasm, professionalism and commitment. Yet it returned to its more challenging roots this past spring with its triumphant Jagged Little Pill. They also aim more for a slightly younger audience than some other companies. This coming season’s Dear Evan Hansen, Mean Girls and Rent target a different audience than those for Oklahoma and Camelot. And, as always, the glorious Come From Away is a welcome lift to the spirits no matter how many times you’ve seen it.

  Oct. 10 – Oct. 25 Come From Away
September 11, 2001 is a day that will live in infamy when almost 3000 lives were lost senselessly. But when 38 planes were rerouted to Gander, Newfoundland, the 7,000 stranded passengers were met with unbelievable kindness from the townsfolk. This musical production tells that story with gentleness and yes, even humor. Virtually every production across the country has been entertaining and uplifting.

Dec. 12 – Dec. 27 Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Just in time for the holidays comes the beloved children’s classic musical about an eccentric candymaker and the young boy who wins entry into the chocolate factory by finding a golden ticket. From the novel by Roald Dahl.

Feb. 13 – Feb. 28, 2027 Mean Girls
This Broadway hit musical (written by Tina Fey) about a brutal high school clique of girls, and the damage bullying can cause, comes with a moral of self-acceptance. Based on the 2004 blockbuster film also written by Fey.

Apr. 10 – Apr. 25, 2027 Dear Evan Hansen
A coming-of-age tale of a teenage who struggles with severe anxiety, but has to find a strength he didn’t know he had when tragedy happens. Winner of both a Tony and Olivier Award for Best Musical.

June 12 – June 27, 2027 Rent
You may have heard of this one.

Theatre Lab

Florida Atlantic University
Marleen Forkas Studio One Theatre
777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
561-297-6124 https://fauevents.universitytickets.com

Theatre Lab courageously continues its development of the art form by developing and premiering new plays. Especially notable, the company is adding the third piece of Joanna Castle Miller’s uni-themed trilogy with VIRGINIA, and offering it with revivals of the other two parts produced this past season. It’s performing in a new space on the same campus for the coming season.

  Sept. 5 – Sept. 20 Baker Street Beginnings

Playwright Gina Montét, who brought us last season’s hit Heebie Jeebies: Tales from the Midnight Campfire, returns with an 1870s London action-packed thrill ride of a detective story inspired by historical figures. When a young medical student named Arthur Conan Doyle (not yet a Sir!) meets up with a brilliant doctor who becomes his mentor and friend, the two men must solve a mystery using only their “sharp observations and keen intellect.” And so, the legendary fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes and his trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, were born. A world premiere. Fun for audiences of all ages.

Dec. 5 – Dec. 20

VIRGINIA
INFERNA, and CONVERSA
Joanna Castle Miller’s Bad Faith Trilogy
Along with the previously produced INFERNA and CONVERSA, this third in the series of autobiographical Bad Faith Plays is playing at Theatre Lab over the course of the run. VIRGINIA
When a young woman’s father becomes a presidential nominee, she learns some important truths. A world premiere. INFERNA
A young playwright, and a hired male actor, take a walk down her memory lane and find it wasn’t exactly how she remembered it as being.  CONVERSA
A one-woman autobiographical tale of a Jewish woman who was raised as an evangelical and eventually returned to Judaism.

Jan. 23 – Feb. 7, 2027 Sheltered
A historical drama inspired by a true story. Set in 1939 on the eve of World War II, it follows American Jewish couple Evelyn and Leonard Kirsch as they undertake a dangerous mission to rescue Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Austria, forcing them to confront impossible choices. Written by Alix Sobler, Sheltered was a finalist for the 2017 National Playwrights’ Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center.   Apr. 10 – Apr. 25, 2027 Recognition A drama that follows Elizebeth Smith Friedman, a pioneering codebreaker whose expertise helped shape American cryptography and intelligence efforts in spite of her struggle for recognition in a field dominated by powerful men like J. Edgar Hoover. Recognition is a relatively new work that was developed in conjunction with Theatre Lab.

The Wick Theatre & Museum Club
7901 N. Federal Hwy, Boca Raton
561-995-2333
http://thewick.org

The Wick knows what type of show their audience wants and delivers them with polish. While How To Succeed In Business should be welcome, my personal favorite is Oliver! which almost never fails. Almost.

  Oct. 8 – Nov. 1 Young Frankenstein
Just in time for Halloween, and based on the hilarious film of the same name, this Mel Brooks musical delights us with what happens when Dr. Frankenstein inherits his grandfather’s mansion and tries to bring the dead to life. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical.

Nov. 19 – Dec. 20  Oliver!
This 1963 Lionel Bart musical treasure was nominated for ten Tony Awards, and won three, including Best Original Score. Based on Charles Dickens’ novel Oliver Twist, it’s the heartwarming story of an orphan who goes on the run, ending up with the legendary Fagin and his band of talented pickpockets, most notably the Artful Dodger.

Jan. 14 – Feb. 14, 2027 Bullets Over Broadway the Musical
The Wick is known for its tap-dancing productions, and this season, this is it. With a book by Woody Allen that is based on his film, this jukebox musical follows a young playwright in 1920s New York whose big break comes courtesy of a mobster willing to finance his show with the catch being said gangster’s no-talent girlfriend gets a starring role. Packed with Roaring Twenties jazz standards and nominated for six Tony Awards.

Mar. 4 – Mar. 28, 2027 How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
An ambitious window-washer named J. Pierrepont Finch climbs the corporate ladder while charming, scheming, and singing his way through the World-Wide Wicket Company. This show pokes fun at big business while celebrating the art of getting ahead by any means necessary. Winner of seven Tony Awards.

Apr. 22 – May. 16, 2027 Little Women the Broadway Musical
Set during the Civil War, this Tony-nominated musical follows the four March sisters as they grow into adulthood while their father serves in the Union Army.

Thinking Cap Theatre
Hollywood Central Performing Arts Center
1770 Monroe Street, Hollywood
954-610-7263\
https://thinkingcaptheatre.org/

Arguably, few companies in the region takes as courageous a theatrical approach to works you’ve never heard of and others reimagined as this courageous one. I will be particularly intrigued by their take on An Enemy of the People which should resonate deafeningly today.

 Nov. 6 – Nov. 21 Hamlet
A reimagining of the classic play by William Shakespeare becomes an “immersive, visceral, and fiercely contemporary experience.”

Mar. 5 – Mar. 20, 2027 Molly’s Dream
A bored and lonely waitress in a rundown bar fantasizes. This musical play with a script by Maria Irene Fornés features a new score.

May 14 – May 30, 2027 An Enemy of the People
This classic play by Henrik Ibsen centers around a research doctor who discovers his town’s municipal bath houses (and biggest tourist attractions) are contaminated.

West Boca Theatre Company
Levis JCC Sandler Center
21050 95th Avenue S, Boca Raton
561-558-2520
https://levisjcc.org/culture/theater/

 

  Dec. 9 – Dec. 20  Summer, 1976
Two young women in Ohio form an unlikely friendship during the nation’s Bicentennial. Written by Pulitzer Prize-winning author David Auburn.

Jan. 13 – Jan. 30, 2027 Crossing Delancey
A young Jewish woman in NYC must choose between a good-looking and successful author and a charming pickle vendor. This delightful rom-com inspired the Golden Globe-nominated 1988 film with Amy Irving.

Feb. 24 – Mar. 13, 227  One Summer in Brooklyn
A musical set in 1962 that tells the story of a Jewish girl who meets a Cuban boy during a volatile political time. Based on the play Rachel and Julio. Co-written by film and television star William Katt.

Mar. 28 – Apr. 10, 2027 The Chosen
Two young men in Brooklyn in the 1940s learn important lessons about friendship, family, and the difficult choices we must sometimes make.

Zoetic Stage Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
1300 Biscayne Blvd. Miami
(305) 949-6722
https://www.arshtcenter.org/Theater

All of their work is worth a ticket, but the most deservedly anticipated will be the second half of LGBTQ epic The Inheritance. You may think this is taking a chance, but their delivery of the first part this past season was not only a triumphant production, but was one of their best-selling shows.

  Nov. 5 – Nov. 22 God of Carnage
A dark comedy in which two sets of parents meet to calmly discuss a playground altercation between their sons, only for the evening to unravel into increasingly absurd behavior. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Play, with an additional acting win for Marcia Gay Harden, and nominations for Jeff Daniels, James Gandolfini, and Hope Davis.

Jan. 7 – Jan. 24, 2027 The Inheritance, Part Two
Part two of this Florida premiere of a multi-award-winning play that’s a gay modernized re-imagining of Howards End, E.M. Forster’s 1910 novel about social responsibility. This was our review of its Part One (https://tinyurl.com/bdz3x45p)

Mar. 11 – Apr. 4, 2027 Pippin
This classic musical, with iconic music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, follows a young prince’s restless search for purpose. The original Pippin opened on Broadway in 1972 and won five Tony Awards, including Best Actor for Ben Vereen and Best Direction and Choreography for Bob Fosse; its 2013 revival won four Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical.

Apr. 29 – May 16, 2027 John Proctor is the Villain
A contemporary drama where a group of high school girls begin to question the narratives they’ve been taught while studying The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Currently nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Play.