On Tuesday night, Topfer Theatre was packed for Zach Theater’s 2026-2027 season announcement, and honestly, seeing that many people come out on a school night to celebrate regional theatre felt wonderful. The energy in the room was electric. Austin showed up for the arts.
The evening kicked off with a lively performance from the upcoming production of Annie, immediately setting the tone for a celebration centered around storytelling, community, and theatrical joy. The presentation also included a recap of the remainder of Zach’s 2025-2026 season, which still has several major productions ahead.
Annie
Dates: June 24 – August 2, 2026 | Topfer Theatre
The classic musical follows optimistic orphan Annie as she searches for the family she’s always dreamed of. Featuring iconic songs like “Tomorrow” and “It’s the Hard-Knock Life,” the production promises warmth, nostalgia, and big Broadway energy.
Sally & Tom
Written by: Suzan-Lori Parks
Dates: July 22 – August 23, 2026 | Kleberg Theatre
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks examines the complicated legacy of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings through a bold play-within-a-play structure that questions history, authorship, and the stories America chooses to tell.
Come From Away
Dates: August 19 – September 27, 2026 | Topfer Theatre
The Tony-winning musical tells the true story of 7,000 stranded airline passengers welcomed by a small Newfoundland town following the events of 9/11. Emotional without becoming sentimental, it remains one of the most deeply human musicals of the last decade.
The evening also included a touching moment as Austin arts journalist Michael Barnes inducted Dave Steakley into the Austin Hall of Fame for the Arts in celebration of his 25th anniversary with Zach Theater. It was a fitting tribute to someone who has helped shape Austin’s theatrical identity for decades.
Steakley spoke passionately about the role theatre continues to play in bringing communities together, describing the upcoming season as an invitation to gather and connect through storytelling.
“Great storytelling needs an audience. Told sitting close and passed from voice to voice, stories are shaped by the people who tell them and the people who lean in to listen. That's the soul of our 2026-27 Season. Join us in the room where strangers become neighbors.”
The newly announced season feels big, varied, and genuinely audience-minded, balancing spectacle, comedy, family programming, contemporary plays, and beloved classics without losing its identity. There really is something for everyone.
There are three titles I'm super excited about. The Color Purple. A story about hardship and resilience, love and community. Heartbreaking, emotional, my cup of tea! The sneak preview on Monday left me speechless, so this one is at the top of my list! Peter Pan Goes Wrong. I somehow never got to see it before, and as someone who loves physical comedy, this feels exactly like my kind of chaos. Watching actors desperately try to survive a production actively falling apart? Theatre heaven. And finally, Liberation. Even before learning it won the Pulitzer Prize and earned Tony nominations this month. A play exploring feminism across generations through the lens of a daughter rediscovering her mother’s past feels sharp, timely, and complicated in all the right ways. Sign me up for all three!
ZACH Theatre is betting on our community, our artists, our culture. All we have to do is SHOW UP! And I bet, we will.
Here is the lineup for the upcoming season.
2026-2027 Season Lineup
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Adapted by: le Clanché du Rand
Dates: Fall 2026 – Winter 2027 | Kleberg Theatre
A highly imaginative two-actor adaptation of the beloved Narnia story, following the Pevensie siblings as they journey through the wardrobe into a frozen kingdom ruled by the White Witch.
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Stage Adaptation by: Eric Schaeffer
Based on the work of: Charles M. Schulz
Dates: November – December 2026 | Kleberg Theatre
Charlie Brown, Snoopy, and the Peanuts gang return in this warm holiday classic featuring Vince Guaraldi’s iconic jazz score and timeless holiday charm.
A Christmas Carol
By: Charles Dickens
Adapted by: Dave Steakley
Dates: November – December 2026 | Topfer Theatre
Zach’s long-running holiday tradition returns with music, spectacle, ghosts, and a modern theatrical spin on Scrooge’s journey toward redemption.
Peter Pan Goes Wrong
Written by: Jonathan Sayer, Henry Lewis, and Henry Shields
Dates: Winter 2027 | Topfer Theatre
The creators of The Play That Goes Wrong bring full theatrical disaster to Neverland with collapsing sets, backstage chaos, flying mishaps, and relentless physical comedy.
Go, Dog. Go! | Ve Perro ¡Ve!
Written by: Allison Gregory and Steven Dietz
Based on the book by: P. D. Eastman
Dates: Spring 2027 | Kleberg Theatre
A colorful bilingual adaptation of the beloved children’s book filled with music, movement, imagination, and playful canine chaos.
The Color Purple
Book by: Marsha Norman
Music & Lyrics by: Brenda Russell, Allee Willis, and Stephen Bray
Based on the novel by: Alice Walker
Dates: Spring 2027 | Topfer Theatre
This Tony-winning musical follows Celie’s powerful journey through hardship, resilience, and self-discovery with a soaring gospel, jazz, and blues-inspired score.
Liberation
Written by: Bess Wohl
Dates: Summer 2027 | Kleberg Theatre
Fresh from Broadway, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play explores feminism across generations as a daughter uncovers her mother’s involvement in a 1970s women’s liberation group.
Disney's The Little Mermaid
Music by: Alan Menken
Lyrics by: Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater
Book by: Doug Wright
Dates: Summer 2027 | Topfer Theatre
Ariel’s underwater adventure comes to life with large-scale aerial staging, theatrical spectacle, and beloved songs including “Part of Your World” and “Under the Sea.”
And Then There Were None
Written by: Agatha Christie
Dates: Summer 2027 | Topfer Theatre
Ten strangers trapped on an island. One killer among them. Christie’s legendary mystery returns with suspense, paranoia, and twists until the very end.
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