Arthur and Friends Make a Musical at Maryland Ensemble Theatre
If you grew up watching Arthur on PBS in the 1990s — or if you have a young theatre lover in your household — Maryland Ensemble Theatre has the perfect show for you right now. Arthur and Friends Make a Musical is playing through May 10, 2026, presented by MET's Fun Company on the Fun Company Stage at the Historic FSK Hotel building in downtown Frederick, Maryland, and it is exactly as joyful as it sounds.
The show is based on the beloved Arthur book series created by Marc Brown, whose lovable aardvark and his crew have been fixtures of childhood since the mid-1970s, long before the PBS animated series turned them into cultural icons. The musical itself has book and lyrics by John Maclay and music and lyrics by Brett Ryback, and had its world premiere at First Stage in Milwaukee in 2022. Since then it has made its way to children's theatres across the country, and it's easy to see why — it strikes a rare balance of being genuinely entertaining for kids while delivering a warm wave of nostalgia for the adults sitting beside them.
The story centers on Mr. Ratburn's class being tasked with writing and performing a big show for all of Elwood City. Everyone is thrilled about it — everyone, that is, except Arthur, who finds himself paralyzed by self-doubt and nerves as the performance date approaches. What follows is a one-hour, no-intermission adventure in which Arthur's friends and family — Buster, Brain, Francine, Muffy, and his irrepressible little sister D.W. — rally around him and help him discover that being his authentic self is more than enough. It's a simple and timeless message, delivered with real wit and theatrical flair.
The MET production, directed by Zack Callis, is a lively and well-crafted affair. The cast brings enormous energy to the stage, and the show's clever touches — including characters who break the fourth wall to playfully help Arthur introduce the audience to the production before it even officially begins — get everyone, young and old, immediately invested. The ensemble captures the distinct personality of each character with real skill, from the enthusiastic vocabulary showmanship of Brain to the fashion-obsessed intensity of Muffy to the sweet, quietly earnest heart of Arthur himself. Among the musical highlights is a number called "Agent 355," which pays a spirited tribute to Hamilton and winks knowingly at millennial theatregoers who will catch every reference.
The production design is equally well-suited to the material. The colorful, classroom-inspired set and costumes carry subtle but recognizable nods to both the book and TV versions of these beloved characters, and the sound and lighting bring the whole thing to vibrant life. The standout visual moment is reportedly the show-closing number featuring Mr. Ratburn in full disco regalia — a detail that tends to leave audiences beaming.
At approximately 60 minutes, Arthur and Friends Make a Musical is perfectly sized for its audience. It's accessible to the youngest theatregoers without ever talking down to them, and it rewards the adults in the room with enough musical theatre in-jokes and nostalgic warmth to make it a genuine treat for the whole family. MET's Fun Company has a well-earned reputation for quality children's programming, and this production is a strong example of why.
Arthur and Friends Make a Musical plays through May 10, 2026, at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre's Fun Company Stage, 31 W. Patrick Street in downtown Frederick, MD. Tickets can be purchased online at marylandensemble.org or by calling the box office at (301) 694-4744.