There’s no lack of live entertainment to enjoy around the DC area this summer. Here’s what you can catch the rest of the season, from currently running shows and series, to productions opening today, to performances coming up over the next few weeks. Most descriptions are pulled straight from the websites, and just about all tickets can be purchase online.
The Wind in the Willows
Where: Imagination Stage
When: June 22 – August 15
Tickets: $10 – $22 (Use the code Willows25 for a 25% discount)
Go on a wild ride with Mr. Toad! It’s early in the twentieth century, and Mr. Toad embraces the motor car with reckless abandon. When it is clear that he is on a road to disaster, Toad’s friends Mole, Ratty and Mr. Badger decide to intervene. Can they save Toad from himself? In an adventure with police chases, prison breaks and bandits, Mr. Toad learns the true meaning of friendship. This musical event is faithful to the classic, enchanting novel. Recommended for ages 4 and up.
Charlotte’s Web
Where: Adventure Theatre
When: June 24 – September 5
Tickets: $17
E. B. White’s popular tale of love and devotion, takes theatergoers to Zuckerman’s Farm, where the delightful runt pig Wilbur appears headed for the dinner table — as main course, not as guest. Yet he is saved by the remarkably crafty spider, Charlotte, and the whole town begins talking about it. Some pig! Recommended for ages 3 and up, the show runs about 1 hour.
Children’s Theater in the Woods
Where: Wolf Trap
When: June 28 – August 13
Tickets: $8 for a day pass – two shows in one
With 70 performances from late June through early August, Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods presents family-friendly shows at 10am and 11:15am on Tuesdays through Saturdays. Amidst 117 rolling wooded acres and nestled in a shady grove, the stage is set for lively adventures in music, dance, storytelling, puppetry, and theater. All performances are recommended for children between Kindergarten and 6th grade. The full schedule of shows in available of the Wolf Trap website.
Oklahoma!
Where: Arena Stage
When: July 14 – October 2
Tickets: $61-106
The classic show is back by popular demand, remounting its fall production after receiving numerous accolades, including 4 Helen Hayes Awards. Inspired by the toughness of the prairie, Artistic Director Molly Smith sets her production in the robust world of territory life filled with a dynamic cast as rich and complex as the great tapestry of America itself. With Rodgers and Hammerstein’s timeless music, Oklahoma! celebrates the vigor of America’s pioneering spirit with athletic dance and boot-stomping energy that will thrill audiences young and old. Oklahoma! runs approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. Every Saturday afternoon, free family-friendly events will be held in and around the Mead Center from 12:30-1:30pm., prior to the 2:00pm matinee. Enjoy pony rides and a petting zoo, learn some of the award-winning dance moves, or share a box social lunch with your friends and family.
Rocknoceros
Where: Jammin’ Java
When: July 16, 11am & 7pm
Tickets: $10
The local band adored by kids is doubling up the entertainment with two shows in one day. It’s the hometown debut of their new album “Colonel Purple Turtle,” which tells tales through song of the Colonel and his friends in their make-believe home of Soggy Bog. Families can opt for a mid-morning performance at 11am or rock out at the 7pm happy hour show.
Boogie Babes
Where: North Hall of Eastern Market
When: Thursdays at 10:30am through August 25
Tickets: $5/child, free for siblings 6 months and under
Make a weekly date with the Boogie Babes all summer long! Little ones can boogie along with their favorite local musicians in the cool, open space of Eastern Market’s North Hall every Thursday morning. Go for the show, then grab lunch in the Market and stay to play. See the line-up of performers on the Boogie Babes website.
Backyard Theatre for Children
Where: Strathmore
When: July 21 & July 28 ,9:30am & 11:30am
Tickets: $8, free for ages 2 and under
This theatre series brings children the music and mystery of exotic locales from around the world – all outdoors under a big tent! In the two weeks of the season, travel to India and Russia through these performances. Bring blankets or low chairs to sit on and a bag lunch for a picnic after show.
The Wizard of Oz
Where: The Puppet Co.
When: July 22 – September 4
Tickets: $10
This new version of L. Frank Baum’s “Great American Fairy Tale, “ recreates the characters illustrated by W.W. Denslow in a wide variety of puppet styles. Based on Baum’s first, best known, and best-loved of the classic Oz tales, rather than the 1939 MGM movie, the “wicked witch” is a minor character, dispatched easily with humor, and adventures never seen in the movie are brought to fore.
Tiny Tots
Where: The Puppet Co.
When: Ongoing – Wednesdays, Saturdays, & Sundays at 10am
Tickets: $5
The series presents puppet shows designed for the youngest theater patrons (ages 0-4). They are shorter, the lights stay on, and the doors stay open. They have an arsenal of shows that they switch up every performance, so be sure to check the schedule to see what’s playing when you go.
Reptiles Alive!
Where: Discovery Theatre, Ripley Center, Smithsonian
When: July 20-22, 10:15am & 11:30am
Tickets: $6/adult, $5/child, $3/under 2
Reptiles Alive! is the most popular traveling wildlife education program based in the Washington Metropolitan area. We are very pleased to be welcoming them back to Discovery Theater to present Snakes Alive! Uncover the secret life of snakes during this spectacular show. Myths will be debunked about these misunderstood animals. You might see pythons, boa constrictors, legless lizards, milk snakes and more sssuper sssnakes! Recommended for ages 6 and up.
The Wizard of Oz
Where: Encore Stage
When: July 22 – 31
Tickets: $15/adults, $10/children
After a tornado whisks her away to the magical land of Oz, Dorothy and her new friends, a scarecrow, a tin man, and a cowardly lion, set off to find the powerful Wizard who can send her home. Based on the books by L. Frank Baum, this production will be performed by the Act III Theatre Company, an Arlington group presenting musical productions that are ideal for children and adults of all ages.
Just a Dream: The Green Play
Where: Adventure Theatre
When: July 25, 7pm
Tickets: FREE, RSVP to cmorrison@adventuretheatre.org by July 22
Adventure Theatre will make its international debut with Just a Dream: The Green Play, which in the Spring of 2011 took the message of environmentalism to over 50 Washington, DC-area schools and organizations. Based on the book by Chris Van Allsburgtt, the play will be presented in Singapore and Malaysia, but you have a chance to see it first. Adventure Theatre will also be hosting a free open rehearsal and kick-off party of this earth-friendly show at Glen Echo Park.
Urban Artistry
Where: Discovery Theater, Ripley Center, Smithsonian
When: July 26-29, 10:15am & 11:30am, July 27 & 29, 1:00
Tickets: $6/adult, $5/child, $3/under 2
They are guided by the origins of the drum, the energy of the underground dance movement and the art that documents all of our histories. Urban Artistry illuminates the counterculture styles of urban dance (often referred to as hip-hop), and their calling to create a diverse community of people with whom to share the experience. Returning to Discovery Theater this summer after a sold out run in 2009, this award-winning dance troupe will inspire you to get up on your feet! For ages 2 and up.
Disney in Concert: Magical Music from the Movies
Where: Wolf Trap
When: August 4, 8:30pm
Tickets: $20-52
Hear National Symphony Orchestra perform music from Disney’s hit movies at Wolf Trap’s Filene Center. The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lion King, and more come to life with video clips and songs from your favorite Disney movies on giant screens in-house and on the lawn.
Fox and Branch
Where: Jammin’ Java
When: August 20, 10:30am
Tickets: $10
Dave Fox and Will Branch play a timeless kind of music. Their crowd-pleasing mix of old blues, jug band songs, fiddle tunes, New Orleans-flavored numbers and Cajun tunes makes people stop and smile. The duo has played to appreciative audiences at clubs, festivals, schools and libraries all over the Midwest, as well as on the east coast and south to Louisiana. Their music has been played on folk radio across the United States and Canada.
Peter Pan
Where: Wolf Trap
When: September 1-4
Tickets: $55-70
Tony Award-nominee Cathy Rigby takes flight in an all-new production of Peter Pan, filled with timeless magical moments and a captivating hook. The legend you thought you knew is now the adventure you never dreamed possible…Cathy Rigby is Peter Pan!
