Plan Your Summer Getaway Around Must-See Shows
Keven Quillon and the cast of South Pacific at Goodspeed. Photo by Diane Sobolewski.
14 productions to see at lauded out-of-town venues in Hudson Valley, the Berkshires and beyond
—
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.
Boeing Boeing at the Boyd-Quinson Stage
Runs through August 3
Stage and screen vet Debra Jo Rupp (That ’70s Show, Becoming Dr. Ruth) headlines this high-flying farce about an American playboy in Paris (Christopher Innvar) juggling flight attendant fiancés with the help of his harried housekeeper in the swinging 1960s. But the advent of the Boeing jet and a visit from a long-lost friend send his sex life into a nosedive.
See Barrington Stage Company’s full summer lineup.
—
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.
See Bay Street Theater’s full summer lineup.
—
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 four stages in two nearby towns: Stockbridge and Pittsfield.
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Pipe Dream at The Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge
Runs July 26-August 31
Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s ambitious stage adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel Sweet Thursday, a sequel to Cannery Row, was a financial flop and is infrequently revived. So this is a rare chance to see this moving musical about a young homeless girl who’s taken in by a kindly brothel owner and falls for a marine biologist. A portrait of outcasts in post-World War II California, the show features a wonderful score, including the songs “All at Once You Love Her” and “The Next Time It Happens.”
See Berkshire Theatre Group’s full summer lineup.
—
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.
Sidekicked
Runs August 2-17
Kelly McAndrew stars as I Love Lucy second banana Vivian Vance in this solo bio show by Kim Powers. As she prepares to play Lucy’s BFF Ethel for the last time, she looks back on her life, career and offscreen frenemy, her costar Lucille Ball.
See Dorset Theatre Festival’s full summer lineup.
—
Goodspeed Musicals – Connecticut
South Pacific at The Goodspeed in East Haddam
Runs through August 11
Celebrated director Chay Yew (The Light in the Piazza at Encores!, Cambodian Rock Band) helms this revival of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s landmark musical about passion and prejudice on a lush tropical isle during World War II. Featuring twin love stories and a still-urgent message about intolerance and hate, the show boasts a stunning score, including the songs “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair,” “Bali Ha’i,” “Happy Talk” and the anti-racist anthem “You’ve Got to Be Carefully Taught.”
See Goodspeed Opera House’s full summer lineup.
—
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival – Cold Spring, NY
Approximately 75 minutes from Midtown Manhattan by car and also accessible via Metro-North, this company mounts classics and new takes on old favorites in an elegant, open-sided tent overlooking the Hudson River.
By the Queen
Runs through August 31
Award-winning playwright Whitney White reframes the infamous War of the Roses through the seen-it-all eyes of Queen Margaret. A raucous retrospective of a royal survivor, the script is inspired by Shakespeare’s Henry VI and Richard III.
Medea: Re-Versed
Runs through September 2
Admittedly, this world-premiere reimagining of mythology’s maddest mom is coming to NYC in September courtesy of coproducer Red Bull Theater. But you can see Luis Quintero’s high-energy, hip-hop take on Euripides’ ancient tragedy right now upstate.
See Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s full summer lineup.
—
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.
See Ogunquit Playhouse’s full summer lineup.
—
Shakespeare & Company – Lenox, MA
This venerable company brings classics by the Bard and others to life through top-notch productions and education programs. In fact, this is where Shakespeare in the Park regular Hamish Linklater got his start thanks to his mom, a founding member.
The Comedy of Errors
Runs through August 18
Enjoy Shakespeare’s romp of mistaken identity on the company’s lovely outdoor stage as two sets of twins separated at birth find love and long-lost family.
See Shakespeare & Company’s full summer lineup.
—
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.
See Sharon Playhouse’s full summer lineup.
—
Williamstown Theatre Festival – Williamstown, MA
About a three-hour drive from Midtown Manhattan, this Tony-winning fest is still in the process of reinventing itself after a much-publicized 2021 reckoning. While there are many intriguing one-offs, there’s only one full-fledged production this summer.
Pamela Palmer
Runs July 23-August 10
Endlessly clever playwright David Ives (Venus in Fur) fuses noir and romance in this world premiere about a wife who has an existential crisis and hires a gumshoe to investigate her marriage with unexpected results. Tony winner Walter Bobbie (Chicago) directs a cast of MVPs, including including Becky Ann Baker, Tina Benko and Clark Gregg.
See Williamstown Theatre Festival’s full summer lineup.
TDF MEMBERS: Go here to browse our latest discounts for dance, theatre and concerts.