Summer Theatre Getaways: 16 Shows to See in the Northeast

What to catch at lauded venues in the Hudson Valley, the Berkshires and beyond

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While there are promising productions to see in NYC, this is the season when regional theatre heats up. The Northeast proves to be a mecca for talented artists to put fresh spins on beloved classics and debut new works. (Although not at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, which is on pause this year.) So peg your summer escape to one of these worthy shows. Be sure to peruse each theatre’s full schedule as Broadway stars often do one-off concerts, too.

Barrington Stage Company – Pittsfield, MA

Approximately three hours from Midtown Manhattan by car, this multi-theatre venue is known for presenting top-notch productions of plays and musicals—this is where The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and Mr. Saturday Night first bowed.

A Chorus Line at the Boyd-Quinson Theater
Runs July 15-August 8
Catch Michael Bennett’s milestone musical about ensemble dancers vying for a moment in the spotlight. With a score by Marvin Hamlisch and Edward Kleban, this singular sensation includes the showstoppers “What I Did for Love,” “Dance: Ten; Looks: Three,” “At the Ballet” and “One.” Coproduced by Geva Theatre.

Dead Girl’s Quinceañera at the St. Germain Stage at the Sydelle and Lee Blatt Performing Arts Center
Runs August 5-29
Phanésia Pharel’s world premiere dark comedy centers on three true-crime-fixated adolescents who go into detective mode when their BFF mysteriously disappears from her quinceañera. Kooky theories, bickering and bonding, and lots of growing up ensue. Coproduced by the Goodman Theatre and Hartford Stage.

Noises Off at the Boyd-Quinson Theater
Runs August 20-September 6
Broadway vet Gordon Greenberg (The Heart of Rock and Roll, Holiday Inn) directs a revival of Michael Frayn’s riotous farce about a show unraveling on and backstage. Comedic diva Lesli Margherita (Gypsy, Matilda the Musical) leads the cast of cutups.

See Barrington Stage Company’s full summer lineup.

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Bay Street Theater – Sag Harbor, NY

Enhance your Hamptons trip by seeing a show at this modern wharfside playhouse, which is approximately two and a half hours from Midtown Manhattan by car or the Hampton Jitney.

Cagney
Runs through July 26
Robert Creighton has been starring in this bio-musical he cowrote about James Cagney for years, managing to convincingly conjure the Hollywood legend without impersonating him. For this mounting, legendary singer Melissa Manchester plays his mama! A high-spirited, old-fashioned treat.

Dear Evan Hansen
August 4-August 29
Bay Street Theater artistic director Scott Schwartz stages this Tony-winning musical about a teenage outcast who goes viral and gets the life he’s always wanted thanks to a lie. Depression, suicide, bullying and loneliness are just some of the weighty themes explored in Steven Levenson’s story and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s earworm-filled score. Coproduced by A.C.T. of Connecticut.

See Bay Street Theater’s full summer lineup.

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Berkshire Theatre Group – Berkshires, MA

About a three-hour drive from Midtown Manhattan, the Berkshire Theatre Group was founded in 2010 when the Berkshire Theatre Festival and the Colonial Theatre merged. The company presents classic and contemporary works on multiple stages in two nearby towns: Stockbridge and Pittsfield.

Lovesong at The Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge
Runs July 22-August 29
Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright David Auburn (Proof) puts on his director’s hat for Lovesong, Abi Morgan’s complex portrait of a marriage evolving over four decades. Screen star Karen Allen (Raiders of the Lost Ark) and Tony nominee David Garrison portray the spouses in their golden years.

The Legend of Georgia McBride at The Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield
Runs July 31-August 16
Broadway vet Michael Wartella plays an Elvis impersonator whose gig as a drag queen unlocks his new life in Matthew López’s popular comedy. Isadora Wolfe directs a cast that also includes Kinky Boots alum Kyle Taylor Parker and Emilie Kouatchou from The Phantom of the Opera.

See Berkshire Theatre Group’s full summer lineup.

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Dorset Theatre Festival – Dorset, VT

Dorset Theatre Festival is based in a century-old theatre fashioned from a pair of prerevolutionary barns. Approximately four hours from Midtown Manhattan by car, it’s known as an incubator for new plays as well as solid revivals.

Advice
July 31-August 15
A couple’s anniversary dinner goes awry when a messy pal shows up to share the new self-help book he inexplicably wrote. But he isn’t the only one full of bad advice. Adrienne Campbell-Holt directs Brent Askari’s new comedy.

Lobby Hero
Runs August 21-September 5
M. Bevin O’Gara helms a revival of Kenneth Lonergan’s 2001 chamber drama about four blue-collar New Yorkers—a struggling security guard, his strict supervisor, a macho cop and his female rookie partner—clashing over a crime. A wonderful play where your perspective and sympathies keep shifting.

See Dorset Theatre Festival’s full summer lineup.

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Goodspeed Musicals – Connecticut

Since its founding in 1963, Goodspeed has been a musical theatre hot spot, mounting over 250 tuners and transferring more than 20 to Broadway. Still, like many nonprofit theatres during this challenging time, Goodspeed has scaled back its programming this season, leaving its Terris Theatre vacant. Its namesake playhouse is approximately two and a half hours from Midtown Manhattan by car.

Crazy For You at The Goodspeed in East Haddam
Runs through August 16
Broadway regular Will Burton (Beetlejuice, Hello, Dolly!) headlines this song-and-dance spectacle about a performer who saves a town and lands his dream girl by putting on a show against all odds. Filled with beloved songs by George and Ira Gershwin including “I Got Rhythm,” “Embraceable You” and “Someone to Watch Over Me,” Crazy For You is old-school escapism at its finest.

The Snow Goose at The Goodspeed in East Haddam
Runs August 28-October 18
Jonathan Larson Grant-winning Scottish duo Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie are behind this musical based on Paul Gallico’s well-known novel of the same name. On the coast of England, an alienated artist and a young woman grow close while nursing a wounded bird back to health as the violence of World War II looms. Marshall Pailet directs this world premiere.

See Goodspeed Musical’s full summer lineup.

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Hudson Valley Shakespeare – Garrison, NY

After decades of producing shows in tents, Hudson Valley Shakespeare recently unveiled its new permanent home: a glorious 14,850-square-foot venue overlooking the Hudson Highlands. Approximately 75 minutes from Midtown Manhattan by car and also accessible via Metro-North, this company mounts new takes on old favorites.

As You Like It
Runs through September 18
The Bard’s uplifting romantic comedy about family and friends finding true love and forgiveness in the magical Forest of Arden feels like the perfect inaugural show for Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s new home.

Les Misérables
August 12-September 27
It’s not all about Shakespeare here. The company mounts a different type of epic with this revival of the musical Les Misérables, an enthralling saga of love, justice and resilience. Broadway performer turned director Jenn Thompson helms the production.

See Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s full summer lineup.

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Ogunquit Playhouse – Ogunquit, ME

Founded in 1933, the Ogunquit Playhouse specializes in musicals, both world premieres and revivals, in its historic theatre. Located in a seaside resort town, the venue is approximately five hours from Midtown Manhattan by car.

City of Angels
Runs July 23-August 22
Tony nominee Tony Yazbeck and Broadway regulars Ben Jacoby, Stephen DeRosa and Alysha Umphress headline a revival of City of Angels, a fabulous yet undersung musical comedy about a 1940s NYC detective novelist who trades gritty Gotham for the lights of La La Land. But he finds himself torn between the black-and-white mysteries of his imagination and the colorful temptations of Hollywood life. Hunter Foster directs this Tony-winning show featuring a book by Larry Gelbert and witty songs by Cy Coleman and David Zippel.

The Producers
Runs August 27-September 26
Mel Brooks’ uproarious musical follows an unscrupulous Broadway producer and his pushover accountant who attempt to mount a flop in order to con investors out of their money. But Springtime for Hitler isn’t the bomb they anticipate. James Gray, who was in The Producers on Broadway production two decades ago, directs and choreographs.

See Ogunquit Playhouse’s full summer lineup.

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Sharon Playhouse – Sharon, Connecticut

Founded in 1947, this red barn theatre is known for programming crowd-pleasers. Approximately two and half hours from Midtown Manhattan by car, it’s also accessible via Metro-North.

42nd Street
Runs July 25-August 9

Come on along and listen to the lullaby of Broadway! In this Tony-winning musical (which is actually better than the black-and-white movie it’s based on), a spunky chorus girl goes out a youngster but comes back a star after the leading lady gets injured. Carl Andress directs the ultimate backstage musical featuring iconic songs including “We’re in the Money,” “Shuffle Off to Buffalo” and the title tune.

See Sharon Playhouse’s full summer lineup.

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