A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM to Open at City Theatre Austin in Musical Reimagining
Guest director Adam Adolfo leads the song-filled production at City Theatre Austin's 20th anniversary season.
City Theatre Austin will present the 2026 summer production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, a song-filled, bawdy, and way-out theatre event you don't want to miss. Guest director Adam Adolfo leads the production with show dates July 24 – August 9.
In just one fantastic, enchanted forest night, four magical stories are cleverly woven together: the marriage of the Athenian duke to the Amazon queen; the battle of the king and queen of the fairies; the lust and lunacy of four young lovers; and the hilarious antics of traveling actors who know the show must go on. Fairies magically harmonize, lovers belt their undying affection, and theatre itself becomes the ultimate mash-up as backstage rivalries, onstage romances, and dreams burst into full song! Part musical, part love-letter, this Midsummer blends poetry with chart-topping anthems, becoming a high-energy celebration of the soundtrack of our lives and the transformative power of performance. With music, a misapplied love potion, mistaken identities, and the most famous play-within-a play ever written, and you have a perfect recipe for an enchanting midsummer night. City Theatre's summer production will be an original and way-out theatrical experience you don't want to miss.
Midsummer was written around 1595, probably the most creative period in William Shakespeare's career, as he penned Romeo and Juliet and Richard II at this same time. Over the years, there's been a lot of speculation about the occasion for which he wrote the play, with most believing it was an aristocratic wedding, with Queen Elizabeth I in attendance, and viewing it for the very first time. In any case, it has become one of the most performed comedies of all time. For City Theatre, director and costumer Adam Adolfo takes a fresh concept - and funky musical idea - staging a very original and inventive production of this timeless classic. "I'm a sucker for a good romantic comedy,” says Adolfo. “And Shakespeare created one of history's most enduring ones with the magical Midsummer. This production asks: What if he had access to the music of the last hundred years at his fingertips? By pairing his timeless verse with iconic songs from across the past century, we invite audiences to experience the magic of the play through melodies that already live in their hearts, proving that while the soundtrack may change…love, laughter, and great storytelling are timeless." He is joined by the incredible cast of Taylor Lueckenotte, Jaden Petty, Judi Nguyen, Michael Davis, Sydney Crowe, Ren Powers, Allison Fifield, Jesse Ray Payne, Jenna Clayborn Sue Breland, Lucy Smither, Alana Bui, Brandy Bon'cher, Jayla Sumlin, Grace Crane, Kevin Rogers, and Shelby Breda.
Celebrating its 20th Anniversary Season, City Theatre is an Austin-based, not-for-profit arts organization and is sponsored in part by the Austin Creative Alliance and the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin. Founded in 2006, the company has been recognized by the Austin Critics Table Awards, the B. Iden Payne Awards, the Central Texas Excellence in Theatre Awards, BroadwayWorld Austin, Central Texas Live Theatre, and has twice been voted “Best Theatre Company” by Austin American-Statesman's Austin 360. CTC is dedicated to providing a quality, reputable, and diverse public theatre and Stage Entertainment experience that is accessible to all artists and the entire Austin community. CTC continues to offer its student and group discount ticket program for any show. Put a little theatre in your life!
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