Steven Ross

Come experience theatre under the stars in the Tony Award winning musical, Kinky Boots, featuring original music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper and book by Harvey Firestein. 

This cast is comprised of superb storytellers who use their voices, facial expressions, and movement to draw the audience into the performance. The most remarkable part of Crowns is the way in which it tackles heavy and complicated themes in a way that leaves the audience with an overwhelming feeling joy and hope that unites and uplifts.

Open Stage, a professional theatre company in downtown Harrisburg, and Sankofa African American Theatre Company will be bringing their co-production of Crowns, a musical by Regina Taylor, to Open Stage's Capital BlueCross Main Stage May 28 through June 26.

'Puffs' at Birmingham Festival Theatre is a comedy that takes great liberties with the hit stories of a certain popular young wizard. An enchanted cast that is fearlessly rambunctious electrifies 'Puffs'. Director Kelsey Crawford's magic gets you under the spell of the show right from the jump. If you are a Harry Potter fan, 'Puffs' is a must see performance. Written by Matt Cox 'Puffs' focuses on this less notable house at the big school for wizards. It's not the house of the brave ones, the smart ones or the snakey ones. This is house of Puff! Home to the outcasts, weirdos, and lesser-known children at the Wizarding School who never get a second glance. They are gleeful to fail, and are never a threat. With Puffs, it's third or nothing!

'Clown Bar' is a dive worth visiting.This pulp fiction novel stained with grease paint is a detective tale set on the mean streets of the clown underworld. Happy (Jonathan Sweatt ) is an ex-clown headliner turned detective. He returns to his old stomping grounds on a vengeance to flush out the clown who killed his brother Timmy (Zach Tarwater) It's comical cotton candy chaos, and Ringling Bros' raunchy.

Ferndale's The Ringwald Theatre kicks off its 13th Season a bit earlier than usual with Disney's High School Musical. Starting performances August 23rd will allow folks of all ages the chance to soak up some high school fun before classes actually start in September! 

'Yellow' is Del Shore's roller coaster play of a 'perfect' southern family that is thrown into a building storm of emotional and physical turmoil. The struggle breaks opens layers of pain to expose raw, heavy and hard to face truths. Director Rhonda Erbrick success as a director is clear by the gasps and teary-eyed moments from the audience.

'Songs for a New World' at Birmingham Festival Theatre is a very intimate performance with powerful vocals and surprises. The take away is to embrace the power of unity, hope and resilience. We all have struggles that seem to be too much to bear. This wonderful show shares the truth that you are not alone, and you are stronger than you think.

Cirque du Soleil and its current hit production, VOLTA, now playing under the Big Top at Soldier Field, takes inspiration from the City's 2019 Year of Chicago Theatre with a vibrant, larger-than-life animated projection as part of the popular public art program Art on theMART, the largest permanent digital art projection in the world.  Click here for a preview.

The regional premiere of Head Over Heels rocked The Ringwald from May 13 through June 10.

Reaching for the American dream while adjusting to living under prejudice is exposed by Alfred Uhry's 'The Last Night of Ballyhoo' at South City Theatre. This Tony award winning play is a touching, relatable, and revealing look at the cost of acceptance. The story peels back the layers to expose the complicated dynamics of a Jewish American family living in Atlanta in the 1930's.

With Pride Week approaching, Birmingham Festival Theatre is on time with offering an emotional and striking production of Robert Anderson's 1953 drama 'Tea and Sympathy.' Set at an all boys' school in the early 1950's, the show tackles the fear, insecurity and the eventual anger that people under persecution face. The teenage boys attending the school are written with an amped jocular rambunctiousness. The carnal behavior lurking behind the boy's clean crisp khaki's and sweater vests is a starter kit for toxic masculinity.

'The Mountaintop' breaks that tired old piggy bank of the homogenized perception of Martin Luther King, Jr. Katori Hall's wonderful writing reveals the extent of how complex and troubled he was; enlightening the audience to want to know more. The incredible performances by Robert Burgins, Jr. and Kenya Stewart are woven with intense emotion and commitment.

Earlier this season Frank Calo and All Out Arts in conjunction with The Wild Project presented an LGBT Film Event as part of the Fresh Fruit Festival: a reading of Johnny B. Dunn's new screenplay, FREE RANGE.

'Guys and Dolls' is based off of a string of short stories by writer Damon Runyon. His forte was tales of the seedy underbelly of the New York City crime scene of the 20's and 30's. The cast has a list of colorful characters that chew up scenes. Director Victoria Boyce brings to life the stylized and hilariously dated criminal underworld to life.

'Well' is set up as a one-woman show that just happens to have a cast of other people. Lisa (Holly Croney Dikeman) is filled with questions and observations around her sickly mother Ann (Carole Armistead). Lisa enters into her own internal production to find the answer to why some people get sick and some get better.

'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' brings laughs along with some deep reflections into the pool of probability. The play takes off like a rocket with consistent fast paced, pithy dialogue. This production is a cerebral buddy comedy/tragedy with a delightfully theatrical flair.

'The Sunshine Boys' has laughs and smiles that harken back to the golden age of television. This production gives life to great characters and snappy deliveries. They capture the magic in Neil Simon's writing and invite you to 'ENTER!'

'The Diviners' is packed with layered personalities leading toward unexpected emotions. The warmth of the play is found in its endearing characters and well thought out storyline. This high caliber production is worthy of a visit before the rain washes it away this weekend.

Theatre Downtown is offering 'International Delights' as a tapestry of six plays that are set in various locations all over the world. These plays are written by Rich Mansfield & Daniel Martin. Each play has a different director and cast. There is a through line in each of the plays that embrace the power of love and its many complicated layers.