Each summer, many of our guests enjoy fabulous live theater performances here on the Cape – it’s one of the things Cape Cod is known for! The Cape’s theaters and playhouses have released their 2018 summer season line-ups and needless to say, there is an abundance of fantastic performances to experience!
From opening night to the final performance, theatrical productions are still very much alive in the twenty-first century. While television, movie theaters, and streaming all have their place in modern society, live theater offers something truly special. Each performance is unique, slightly unpredictable, and touches the audience in ways that the screen simply cannot, never mind the fact that it’s been around for thousands of years.
Here are a few of the offerings heading our way this Summer. Book your room today at Brewster By the Sea Inn and take in a play or musical during your visit!
The Cape Playhouse– Dennis, MA (7 min. away)
Where Broadway Goes To Summer
For over 90 years, the renowned Cape Playhouse, America’s oldest professional summer theater, has been bringing professional entertainment to Cape Cod. The Cape Playhouse has attracted a long list of famous actors since its beginning in 1927.Before air conditioning, New York was unbearable in the summer. The theaters would close, and people escaped the heat by traveling to the coastal resorts. By offering actors the prospect of paid summer work in a professional theater away from the heat of New York City, The Cape Playhouse’s founder, Raymond Moore, convinced the big-name stars to come perform at his new theater. Today, tens of thousands of people travel from all over to experience such world-class entertainment. (And as we understand it, many of the actors and actresses from the Cape Playhouse stayed at Brewster By The Sea Inn during the 1960’s and 1970’s!)
- June 12 – 23: Steel Magnolias
A group of Louisiana women bond and gossip at a local beauty shop while following the marriage and motherhood of one of the customer’s daughters. - June 26 – July 7: Sylvia
A middle-aged couple’s world is turned upside-down when the husband brings home a dog running loose in Central Park. - July 10 – 21: Million Dollar Quartet
A legendary night in 1956 when Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins & Johnny Cash jam together in Memphis. - July 24 – August 4: Altar Boyz
Musical comedy about a fictional Christian pop group with one nice Jewish boy. - August 7 – 18th: South Pacific
Follows the lives of US military men, nurses, and residents of a Polynesian island during WWII. Based on James Michener’s book. - August 21 – September 1: Clue
Six guests, a butler and a maid gather for a dinner party when the host turns up dead. Soon, the guests race to discover the killer before it’s too late.
The Cape Rep Theatre– Brewster, MA (9 min. away)
Founded in 1986 by artists who wanted to develop a company dedicated to creativity and professionalism, The Cape Rep Theatre tries to choose entertaining plays and musicals that are challenging and unique. The Theatre houses two historical buildings (The Cape House of which portions date to 1790 and The Barn, built in the late 1800’s), as well as an indoor and outdoor theater.
- May 9 – June 3: Merrily We Roll Along
Based on the original play by George S. Kaufman & Moss Hart, this smash hit follows three best friends over the 20-year span of their artistic careers. - June 27 – July 21: The Tuna Goddess
Brand new play about Alex, a girl who grew up fishing with her father and returns to settle his estate, including the boat. - August 1 – August 26: Mama Mia!
Hilarious story about a mother, daughter, and three possible dads. Set on a Greek island paradise and told through the music of ABBA.
The Cape Cod Theater– Harwich, MA (16 min. away)
Founded by respected drama teacher, Betty Bobp, whose dream was to create a theatre that would provide theatrical opportunities for individuals of all ages, the Cape Cod Theatre Company has been providing quality live theater performances for 67 years.
- May 24 – June 17: Wrinkles, The Musical
A celebration of women and aging - June 28 – July 15: Beauty and the Beast
Based on Disney’s Academy Award-winning animated feature - July 20 – August 5: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Based on the famous novel, a winning combination of adventure and humor - August 10 – August 25: The Emperor’s New Clothes
About two weavers who promise an emperor a new suit of clothes
Monomoy Theater– Chatham, MA (20 min. away)
Monomoy Theater’s unique mission is to employ young theatre artists from professional training programs alongside professional directors and guest artists, providing creative and rewarding experiences and entertainment for artists and audiences alike. This summer, Monomoy Theatre is going for laughs with a season of comedy:
- June 19 – 20: Guys and Dolls
The Frank Loesser musical based on Damon Runyon characters about a female missionary and shady guys trying to finance a floating crap game. - July 3 – 7: Scapino
A Moliere adaptation by Frank Dunlop and Jim Dale - July 10 – 14: Brandon Thomas’ Charley’s Aunt
About college students who get a friend to pose as an aunt. - July 17 – 21: Present Laughter
About a self-absorbed actor - July 26 – 28 & July 30 – August 4: Little Shop of Horrors
The Alan Menken-Howard Ashman musical about a lovelorn flower-shop clerk and a man-eating plant. - August 7 – 11: Shakespeare’s As You Like It
About love and mistaken identity. - August 14 – 18: Neil Simon’s Lost in Yonkers
About a mentally challenged woman who lives at home with her mother. - August 21 – 25: You Can’t Take It With You
By George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart – about a wacky family of free-thinkers.
Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater – Wellfleet, MA (30 min. away)
This professional theater offers an alternative theater experience not found elsewhere in the region.
- May 30 – June 22: This is Our Youth
Presents a living snapshot of the moment between adolescence and adulthood as it follows three very lost young souls over forty-eight hours in the big city. - June 27 – July 20: Five Times in One Night
About couples discovering truths about themselves and each other while navigating the rocky terrain of romance – from Adam and Eve to the only humans left on a post-apocalyptic planet. - July 25 – August 17: An Act of God
God presents his archangels with a new set of Ten Commandments and reveals the mysteries of the Bible in 90 minutes. - August 22 – September 15: Raging Skillet
One woman’s story of cooking her way through some of life’s biggest challenges in NYC.
