Visit DC theaters for these can’t-miss performances
Make sure to mark your calendar with this array of highly anticipated productions set to debut across DC, many of which are part of Theatre Week (Sept. 21 to Oct. 8), a weeks-long promotion from TheatreWashington to sample the diverse and vibrant work of theaters and companies on a variety of stages across the region at a reduced cost, including $20, $40 and $60 tickets. Make sure to mark the calendar for Theatre Week's free kickoff party on Sept. 23. Also, read up on other seasonal events and festivals and free things to do.
Theatre Week – Sept. 21 – Oct. 8
Celebrate the new 2023-2024 season of theater during Theatre Week in the nation's capital. What to Expect: a must-attend kick-off event at Arena Stage on Sept. 23 with performances, talks and demos, special giveaways at playhouses around the city, activations throughout the promotion and discounted access to dozens of productions. Plan your visit: Stay tuned for more information and book your hotel for Theatre Week today!
Citywide
Moulin Rouge! The Musical! – Through Sept. 24
Baz Luhrmann’s Moulin Rouge! captivated audiences and critics upon its arrival in theaters in 2001, signifying the beginning of a new era of Hollywood musicals. Of course, Luhrmann’s creation translates well to the stage, and the Kennedy Center will host Tony Award-winning director Alex Timbers’ adaptation this coming August. Filled with glitz, glamour and plenty of grandeur, the play is sure to electrify audiences with its stirring arrangements and dance numbers.
Tickets
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
Evita – Sept. 5 – Oct. 8
Directed by one of Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for Hollywood & Entertainment, Sammi Cannold, Shakespeare Theatre Company hosts a can’t-miss revival of the classic rock opera from Andrew Lloyd (music) and Tim Rice (book and lyrics). The story of Eva Perón’s shocking rise to First Lady of Argentina is told in dramatic detail with songs that will leave you breathless.
Tickets
Harman Hall, 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Bathing in Moonlight – Sept. 7 – Oct. 1
DC’s GALA Hispanic Theatre presents a stunning production of a play written by Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz. Baño de luna (which translates to “Bathing in Moonlight”) concerns a relationship between a Catholic priest and a Havana pianist from his parish, leading to riveting drama that explores sacrifice, passion and moral dilemmas.
Tickets
GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20010
Grease With A Side of Mumbo Sauce – Sept. 8-10
DC Black Broadway and the Lincoln Theatre cook up the classic Grease with a whole new set of ingredients. See one of the greatest musicals of all-time reimagined and set in the DC of the late-1980s. Follow Candy and Disco Dan as they reunite in high school after a summer romance, all enlivened by the energy, fashion and Go-Go music of the time. The play builds to a crescendo with a dance contest where every clique and crew collides.
7 p.m. | Tickets
The Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
My Mama & The Full-Scale Invasion – Sept. 11 – Oct. 8
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Wilma Theater collaborate to bring a timely story to the stage this fall. My Mama & The Full-Scale Invasion was inspired by playwright Sasha Denisova’s online chats with her mother, an 82-year-old Ukrainian named Olga. While stranded in her hometown of Kyiv during the Russian invasion, Olga strategizes with President Zelenskyy, strikes enemy drones with pickle jars and even debates with God. Reality and the fantastical intersect in what promises to be one of the most thought-provoking productions of the season.
Tickets
Woolly Mammoth Theatre, 641 D Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
King of the Yees – Sept. 12 – Oct. 22
From the playwright of Cambodian Rock Band, a hit over at Arena Stage this year, King of the Yees is a semi-autobiographical comedy focused on culture, community and generational connections. Lauren Yee is in the middle of rehearsal for a new play when her father bursts in and interrupts her actors. Before long, he’s gone missing through the streets of San Francisco, prompting Lauren to journey into Chinatown, beyond the Dragon’s Gate, through a mess of portals and mazes in order to find her father … and rediscover her heritage along the way.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Something Moving: A Meditation on Maynard – Sept. 22 – Oct. 15
On the 50th anniversary of the election of Maynard Jackson as Atlanta’s first Black mayor, Ford’s Theatre stages playwright Pearl Cleage’s examination of the monumental moment’s dramatic impact on the city through the recollections and reflections of its citizens. Atlanta becomes a character as the audience is immersed in one of the most historic developments of the New South. Use code "DDCSM30" for 30% off – offer is limited to four tickets per order and excludes Dress Circle seating.
Tickets
Ford’s Theatre, 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
ExPats Theatre: Scorched – Sept. 23 – Oct. 15
Intended for ages 18 and over only, the new production from ExPats Theatre (staged at Atlas Performing Arts Center) focuses on a family trying to come to grips with its turbulent past. Lebanese-Quebecois playwright Wajdi Mouawad’s engrossing tale focuses on adult twins Simon and Janine, who are asked to find their father and brother in an unnamed Middle Eastern country immediately after their mother’s death. The duo discovers their mother got pregnant as a teenager and was forced to give up the child – then spent the rest of her life secretly searching for her lost son while enduring civil war in her home country. The dramatic conclusion of the familial epic will leave you breathless.
Tickets
Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H Street NE, Washington, DC 20002
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse Live in Concert – Sept. 30
One of the greatest films of all-time will come to vivid life inside the National Theatre during this rare opportunity to experience music perfectly married with a movie. Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse, the 2018 smash hit, will be screened and paired with a live orchestra and turntables featuring a DJ scratcher on-stage. The score composed by Daniel Pemberton offers original music and song contributions from Nicki Minaj, Lil’ Wayne, Jaden Smith and Post Malone. The Broadway Sinfonietta, an all-women orchestra, will serve as further musical accompaniment during the screening, which is one-night only.
7:30 p.m. | Tickets
The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
tick, tick… BOOM! – Oct. 6-15
Jonathan Larson, the creator of RENT!, also penned this stripped-down, but no-less captivating musical that focuses on life, death and the necessity of art. Featuring just three actors, the musical production is a semi-autobiographical and follows the travails of Jon, a composer struggling to succeed in New York’s competitive theater scene.
Tickets
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
The Team Room – Oct. 7-28
The Keegan Theatre takes you through a day in the life of an Army Special Forces unit that just so happens to be the day before one of the most consequential days in American history. In this world premiere production, journey to Camp Diamond, West Virginia on Sept. 10, 2001 as Special Forces A-Team 824 embarks on what they think will be a routine week of duty and training. Little did they know that the world was about to change forever.
Tickets
Keegan Theatre, 1742 Church Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Mrs. Doubtfire – Oct. 10-15
From four-time Tony Award-winning director Jerry Zaks comes this new hit musical set to have audiences rolling in the aisle at the National Theatre this fall. Based on the beloved film from 1993 starring Robin Williams, Mrs. Doubtfire depicts the character of Daniel Hillard and his downright duplicitous plan to remain close with his kids after a painful divorce from his wife. The entire family can enjoy Daniel’s antics as the titular Scottish nanny accompanied by heart-warming songs.
Tickets
The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Macbeth In Stride – Oct. 10-28
Whitney White, Obie Award-winning artist, uses the character of Lady Macbeth to explore just what it means to be an ambitious Black woman in 2023 with this new production from Shakespeare Theatre Company. Soundtracked by a wicked blend of pop, rock, gospel and R&B music, Macbeth In Stride lets White cut loose with thoughts on femininity, rage, desire and power, all filtered through the tragic arc of Lady Macbeth’s character.
Tickets
Klein Theatre, 450 7th Street NW, Washington, DC 20004
Arena Stage
POTUS – Oct. 13 – Nov. 12
Arena Stage invites you to reimagine the White House’s most famous occupant and his status on the world-stage in a savvy and hilarious new production. The Broadway hit POTUS concerns seven women of dramatically different backgrounds who are helping the U.S. president through daily pratfalls caused by politics and his own arrogance, making for an evening filled with searing comedy and witty social commentary.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
Picasso – Oct. 14-21
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Pablo Picasso’s death, the GALA Hispanic Theatre presents a dizzying look at the life of one of the most famous artists to ever live. The seminal painter’s memories are wondrously translated on the stage. You’ll witness joyous time with friends and family as well as Picasso’s adventures at bullfights, in the circus and on the stage, all of which led to the composition of his beloved work.
Tickets
GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th Street NW, Washington, DC 20010
The Wiz – Oct. 24-29
DC audiences will not want to miss the spectacular theatrical spin on the iconic Wizard of Oz tale, set to run for a week only at The National Theatre. The groundbreaking play changed Broadway forever when it first arrived in the late-1970s, bringing with it a diverse cast and an unbelievable score that wove together rock, gospel, funk and soul music as the backing to Dorothy’s spellbinding journey. Now, you can take in the pre-Broadway edition of the revival of The Wiz, which will hit the road for the first time in 40 years.
Tickets
The National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20004
The Winter's Tale – Oct. 24 – Dec. 3
Director Tamilla Woodard takes on one of the Bard’s most thrilling plays in a new production at Folger Theatre. The Winter’s Tale is a romance filled with all the hallmarks of classic Shakespearean comedy: complex relationships, emotions running wild, outlandish behavior. There’s also a bear running around. Expect hearty laughs and plenty of fairy-tale folly.
Tickets
Folger Theatre, 201 East Capitol Street SE, Washington, DC 20003
Ragtime – Oct. 24 – Jan. 7, 2024
The Tony-winning musical based on E.L. Doctorow’s masterpiece of a novel carries a modern-day relevance that will be crystallized when the play is staged at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va. this fall. With brilliant music as your guide, follow the lives of a Harlem musician, a Jewish immigrant and a wealthy white family as each strives for the “American Dream” in the early 20th century.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Grounded – Oct. 28 – Nov. 13
The Washington National Opera presents the world premiere of Tony Award-winning composer Jeanine Tesori’s new work, Grounded, which is adapted from George Brant’s acclaimed one-woman play. For the first time on an opera stage, massive LED-screen technology will be used to immerse the audience in the psychological drama of Jess, an F-16 fighter pilot grounded by her pregnancy who then uses her elite training to target enemies via drone strikes from a trailer in Las Vegas. Grounded will unveil that virtual “war-by-proxy” can be just as toxic and damaging as war on the ground.
Tickets
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
Romeo and Juliet – Nov. 4-18
The Washington National Opera and Shakespeare Theatre Company Artistic Director Simon Godwin collaborate to bring Charles Gounod’s stirring operatic adaptation of the Bard’s most famous work to riveting life on the Kennedy Center stage. Experience the ultimate tale of feuding families and forbidden love like never before.
Tickets
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
How Sweet It Is: The Men of Soul – Nov. 7-19
Signature Theatre Company will salute soul music from the 1960s and ‘70s during a riveting song revue that dives deep into the catalogue of legendary artists such as Marvin Gaye, Ray Charles, Bill Withers, Otis Redding and Sam Cooke. Overseen by Director of Cabarets Mark G. Meadows, expect to hear sweet renditions of classics like “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the Bay,” “Try a Little Tenderness” and many more.
Tickets
Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Avenue, Arlington, VA 22206
Bluey’s Big Play – Nov. 22-26
The popular kids’ play based on the Emmy Award-winning TV series returns to the Kennedy Center. The adventures of Bluey and Bingo are reignited through an original performance that will bring all the wonder and learning of the TV show to imaginative life on-stage. The program is suitable and enjoyable for all ages.
Tickets
John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20566
Swept Away – Nov. 25 – Dec. 30
Featuring music and lyrics by The Avett Brothers, whose 2004 album Mignonette was inspired by the same story, Swept Away concerns an 1884 shipwreck and the struggle of four men to survive it. When their whaling ship sinks off the coast of New Bedford, Mass., the men must face a reckoning and attempt forgiveness in the face of tragedy.
Tickets
Arena Stage, 1101 6th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
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