Shows in DC: Current DC Theatre Productions

Bat Boy: The Musical is a hilarious, heartfelt horror-comedy about a half-bat half-boy trying to fit into a judgmental town. Expect campy humor, a killer score, and a wild ride from start to finish!

From the acclaimed children's book by April Genevieve Tucholke, Beatrice Likes the Dark is an imaginative production that blends magic, music, shadow play, and heartfelt storytelling in a celebration of curiosity, courage, and connection. When Beatrice casts a spell for endless darkness, she discovers that even the things we fear most can become beautiful when brought into the light. Overflowing with wonder, humor, and theatrical ingenuity, Beatrice Likes the Dark is a luminous reminder that families-and communities-shine brightest when every voice belongs.

Emma, Robert and Jerry have history. As her marriage to Robert comes to an end, Emma reconnects with Jerry, her former lover—and her husband’s best friend—as the action unspools backward in time in an inventive retelling by the Nobel Prize-winning playwright. At once utterly domestic and dangerous, uncovering hidden truths and revealing how little we know about those we think we know so much about, it’s an “elegy about time and memory (where) the greatest dramatic weight lies in what’s unspoken”- The New York Times

Candlelight Concerts in DC are immersive live-music experiences that pair talented local musicians with the warm glow of thousands of candles in some of Washington, DC’s most memorable venues. Created and produced by Fever, the Candlelight series reimagines everything from classical masterworks to contemporary tributes and themed programs, giving you an intimate, atmospheric night out that feels equal parts concert and event.

This musical bursts onto the stage as a joy-filled celebration of letters, words, and imagination that will captivate kids and adults alike. With infectious rhythms, dazzling puppets, lively dancing, and playful audience interaction, this high-energy production transforms the beloved story into a whirlwind of color, creativity, and fun to launch our season of hope. Best for ages 3-9.

Ten years after making its Ford’s Theatre debut, Tony Award-winning Come From Away returns to our historic stage and tells the heart-warming true story of how a small Canadian town cared for 6,579 airline passengers stranded there on 9/11. When 38 planes were diverted to its doorstep, the town of Gander doubled in size, playing host to an international community of strangers and offering food, shelter and friendship. Featuring a rousing score of folk and rock, Come From Away honors the better angels of our nature, revealing hope and humanity in a time of darkness.

Four immigrants from Germany, India, Peru, and Senegal navigate the "obstacle race" of integration-confronting the systemic complexities and cultural contradictions of their new home. Through song and storytelling and with plenty of humor, wit, and sharp satire, they celebrate, dramatize, and humorize these unique chronicles while reflecting the breadth of U.S. culture and its complex and ever-changing relationships to the world.

Part musical, part solo stand-up spiral, Dead Inside pulls back the speculum on Lindhome's real-life fertility journey - hormone shots, invasive tests, monthly disappointment, and navigating a culture that still expects women to smile through it. Tackling a subject often swept under the rug next to the biohazard bin, Dead Inside offers an unfiltered glimpse into one woman's journey through infertility - told with humor, vulnerability, and original songs you'll hum all the way to your next OB-GYN appointment.

One actor takes five shots and attempts an epic retelling of Transylvania's thirstiest bachelor... DRACULA! Sink your teeth into the Halloween event of the season, presented by the illustrious Drunk Shakespeare Society (the drinkers behind the hit off-Broadway comedy, Drunk Shakespeare!) When history's most famous vampire (sorry, Edward Cullen) is loosed upon Manhattan, do you want to stop him? Or let him have his way with you?

Before the paintings, poems, and fame, Bella and Marc Chagall were two young dreamers whose love transformed the world around them. Through music, movement, and theatrical magic, their journey unfolds from a small Jewish town into a vivid landscape of imagination, devotion, and resilience. Tender, whimsical, and visually enchanting, THE FLYING LOVERS OF VITEBSK is a love story that reminds us how art and love can lift us beyond the gravity of everyday life.

On the eve of Frida Kahlo's death, the pain and passion of an extraordinary life are laid bare. Brazilian writer and performer Vanessa Severo cracks open a powerful portal between herself and the celebrated Mexican painter, bringing breathtaking physicality and raw honesty to this "visually lush, emotionally rich" (Chicago Sun-Times) portrait of one of the world's most iconic artists.

Blending stepping, percussion, and striking visual imagery, this visceral new dance piece examines what it means to believe in a nation still in the making. Created in collaboration with artists Jakari Sherman, Conrad R. Kelly II, and Vusi Mdoyi, The Fruits of Our Labor asks: What have we inherited and what are we still fighting to become?

A tyrant avenges his wife's infidelity by wedding, bedding and beheading a new bride every day. Years later, only five brides-in-waiting remain. These women are unapologetic, and united in their fight to keep themselves - and the whole of womankind - alive. They've got other ideas for their future, and it starts with a story. In this London Globe hit by Irish-Palestinian playwright Hannah Khalil, you'll be captivated by tales that are funny, raunchy, and dangerous - and a matter of life and death.

Experience the play that has captivated audiences for over four centuries as Classic Theatre of Maryland opens its season with Shakespeare's greatest masterpiece. Set within the intrigue of the royal court of Denmark, Hamlet follows a young prince haunted by his father's ghost and driven to uncover the truth behind a shocking betrayal. As loyalty gives way to deception and revenge blurs the line between justice and obsession, Hamlet must confront impossible choices that will determine the fate of a kingdom.

Handle with Care is theatre stripped down to its essence. No actors, no technicians. Just a box. And you.

HUNDRED DAYS is an uncensored, exhilarating, and heartrending true story about embracing uncertainty, taking a leap, and loving as if you only had 100 days to live. With anthemic folk-punk music, HUNDRED DAYS "celebrates and laments the elusive radiance of a shared life" (New York Times) and explores a fundamental question: how do we make the most of the time that we have?

Enter an abandoned (and possibly haunted) tavern in Sleepy Hollow for this haunting and humorous autumn treat. Rediscover the timeless legend of the headless horseman in author Washington Irving's ghoulishly funny cautionary tale of overconfident schoolmaster Ichabod Crane and his imminent encounter with the terrifying Headless Horseman - told by one actor. It's a guaranteed visit of supernatural chills, laughs, and the power of storytelling that will leave you on the edge of your seat.

In the haunted village of Sleepy Hollow, the past refuses to stay buried. Years after a brutal Revolutionary War encounter leaves a Hessian soldier beheaded and his beloved horse slain, the fallen rider returns as the legendary Headless Horseman—an apparition stalking the shadowed forests in search of what was taken from him. Inspired by Washington Irving’s classic tale, Sleepy Hollow reimagines the familiar legend as a haunting story of love, guilt, revenge, and redemption. Blending supernatural horror with theatrical spectacle, it asks whether the true monsters are the spirits who haunt us—or the deeds we would rather forget.

Set in 1920s Chicago and pulsing with rousing blues music, wry comedy, and poetic insight, August Wilson's acclaimed play follows trailblazing singer Ma Rainey and her band during a fraught recording session. As conflicts flare over art, power, and control, the struggle between the musicians and studio executives grows to a shattering finale. Don't miss this explosive and thrilling "genuine American masterpiece" (Chicago Reader)-reuniting two Helen Hayes Award winners for Fela!, director Lili-Anne Brown and actor Melody Betts in the title role-that takes a searing look at the racial exploitation at the heart of the music industry and celebrates the cathartic power of the blues. Co-produced with Olney Theatre Center.  

Driven by monstrous ambition, Victor Frankenstein dares to create life from death-unleashing a forsaken Creature who seeks vengeance for his abandonment. Framed by the famous night when Mary Shelley and her friends challenged one another to invent a terrifying tale, this powerful adaptation places Shelley center stage. Story and storyteller blur as the ensemble conjures her gothic masterpiece, revealing creation as something wild and dangerous. This spine-tingling new take on literature's famous monster is perfect for the chills of autumn.

In Shakespeare’s rarely staged comedy, human nature and the law collide. Newly enforced regulations penalize the everyday citizens of Vienna, but don’t stop the hijinks of a rambunctious crew of bawdy residents. In this morally lax city, a corrupt official tries to coerce novice nun Isabella to submit to his desires. Can Isabella maintain her vow of chastity and save her incarcerated brother’s life? Measure for Measure offers considerations into societal upheaval and asks whose voices are silenced and whose voices break through.

Told in reverse chronological order, the musical follows three longtime friends as they navigate idealism, loyalty and disappointment over the course of twenty years. The successes and failures of their adulthoods unwind as the cynicism of age erases back to the glowing optimism of youth.

A spooky, gothic musical thrill to kick off the season. While a storm rages outside their Lake Geneva villa, famous writers Lord Byron, Mary Shelley, and John Polidori challenge each other to produce the perfect tale of terror. Conner and Smith’s electrifying musical explores the nature of creativity and the inner demons that birthed Frankenstein and The Vampyre.

A curious child falls down a rabbit hole during a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration and enters a magical world inspired by Asian folklore, festivals, and modern Asian American life. Presented in partnership with The Asian American Center of Frederick.

Inspired by the real-life career of Jack Johnson, The Royale follows the story of Jay, a Black boxer in 1905, living under Jim Crow laws and striving to take on the white heavyweight champion in "the fight of the century." As he works toward his ambitions, he must also confront the potential impact of the fight on his community. Jay grapples with what it means to become a cultural hero alongside the threat of racial violence all around him.

In spring 1747, Johann Sebastian Bach (Cox) reluctantly visits the court of Frederick II, Europe's most ambitious and dangerous leader. When the king presents Bach with a musical puzzle, the composer must confront how to rise to the challenge without forsaking his own morality. Brian Cox brings a "volcanic presence" (The Times (UK)) to Bach in the play's only American engagement.

Based on the film that starred Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Marilyn Monroe, this Broadway hit gives a classic story new life with music and lyrics from the creators of Hairspray, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman. The super-smart book and lyrics by Tony Award-winning playwright Matthew Lopez (Inheritance) and Late Night star Amber Ruffin update the vibe to suit 21st-century audiences, telling the hilarious story of two 1930s jazz musicians who go on the run from the mob disguised as women as part of an all-female band headed to California. Just like in the movie, Joe and Jerry become Josephine and Daphne, become "friendly" with the band's star singer Sugar Kane, and find themselves transformed by the experience - and in ways a 1950s film could never make explicit. This tap-heavy, dance-intensive, Prohibition-era spectacle retains a comic heart of pure gold as co-author Lopez reminds us, "we don't think men in dresses are funny, but we think idiots in trouble are always funny." Enhance your experience with seats at a limited number of cabaret tables "inside" the club, complete with champagne service.

Dorothy becomes Reina in this fresh take on The Wizard of Oz from Brian Quijada, the award-winning creator and star of Mexodus, which premiered at Mosaic ahead of back-to-back Off-Broadway runs. Inspired by the true story of his mother’s immigration in the 1970s, Somewhere over the Border takes audiences on a musical journey from El Salvador to America featuring cumbia, Mexican mariachi boleros, rock, hip hop, and more! As Reina travels north to the Mexican border, she gathers friends, faces down dangers, and holds tight to the memory of the little boy she left behind to build a better life for them both. With equal parts joyful whimsy and harrowing truth, Somewhere Over the Border is a timely new musical that honors the grit and resilience of the immigrant’s journey and reminds us of the humanity of all our neighbors.

When a man lies about breaking a priceless statue in the private museum owned by his fiancee's mother, it sets off an ever escalating series of lies involving ghosts, the Civil War, and an exorcism on live television. Directed by Evan Morogiello.

The show follows two fictional candidates (and their hapless but hilarious staff) on a fun-filled, satirical romp along the improvised campaign trail as they vie for a seat in Congress. DC's funniest improvisers will take electoral chaos to the next level as they explore the absurdities of American politics through a distinctly comedic lens, touching on everything from campaign financing and congressional gridlock, to scandals and hot mic gaffes.

DONNA SUMMER: A girl from Boston with a voice from heaven, who shot to stardom from gospel choir to dance floor diva. Donna Summer risked it all to break through barriers, becoming the icon of an era and the inspiration for every music diva who followed. With a score featuring more than 20 of Summer’s classic hits including: “Love to Love You Baby,” “Bad Girls,” “Hot Stuff,” and “Last Dance,” this electric experience is a moving tribute to the voice of a generation.

An infamous tale, Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, returns to nineteenth century London, seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who destroyed his family's life. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which, he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires their diabolical plan for revenge. Whether getting in the fall spirit or looking for a haunting Halloween event, this musical is sure to satisfy.

TACONES follows a single day in the life of our protagonist - a bar owner by night and immigration attorney by day - whose life changes when a mysterious stranger shows up asking for help in his search for a missing lover. An immigration raid forces them into an unforgettable journey of loss, buried truths, and redemption that spans generations and borders. Inspired by the documented crimes of Battalion 316 in 1980s Honduras, the play is a work of fiction rooted in historical events.

When Kim finds her best friend Ellen dead, she uses an old family recipe to bring her back to life. Sort of. Ellen doesn't have a heartbeat, doesn't need to breathe, and can't leave Kim's house without dying again. The question of whether she needs to eat human brains is still outstanding. Their friendship is put to the test as they learn that resurrection is the easy part. It's finding a reason to go on living that's the real trick.

Salme’s getting married and her four best friends get her ready in a flurry of tulle and teasing about the wedding night ahead. But it’s 1978 in Karaj, on the eve of the Iranian Revolution, and over the next decade everything changes for these tightknit friends, their country, and the futures they find for themselves. In another moment of upheaval in Iran, Sanaz Toossi (English) brings her trademark wit, insight, and more than a few dirty jokes to this story of diaspora from the people who stay.