This July, put on your dancing shoes—these five regional theater productions will have you high-kicking and pirouetting from coast to coast. From a celebration of peace and love to a Shakespearean romp in the great outdoors to a 50th anniversary production about the inner lives of hoofers “on the line,” here are five shows that remind us there’s nothing like live theater.
‘A Chorus Line’ at Barrington Stage, Pittsfield
No lines, no glory, just choreography eight shows a week: what are career dancers’ lives really like? Fifty years ago, Michael Bennett’s A Chorus Line answered this question and changed the musical theater game for good. Directed by Alan Paul, Barrington Stage’s anniversary production is sure to take the Berkshires by storm and will move to Rochester’s Geva Theatre in September. You’ll never hear “a 5, 6, 7, 8!” the same way again.
Performances through July 25, 2026.
‘As You Like It,’ at Hudson Valley Shakespeare, Garrison
“All the world’s a stage and all the men and women merely players” in As You Like It, part of Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s inaugural season in its new theater. Join royal outcast Rosalind and her cousin Celia as they journey through the Forest of Arden—in disguise, of course. Mistaken identity mishaps ensue, but this story might just (read: will) end in love. Shakespeare’s bucolic romantic comedy is set against the Hudson Highlands, for what’s sure to be a joyous evening.
Performances through September 18, 2026.
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‘Hair,’ Kokandy Productions, Chicago
It’s never too late to stick it to the man, and in an age of increased conservatism, the classic rock musical is more relevant than ever. Chicago’s finest musical theater storefront company, Kokandy Productions, lets the sun shine in at the Chopin Theatre mainstage, illuminating the lives and loves of 1960s flower children and the looming war that threatens their peaceful bubble—if infighting and angst don’t destroy it first. The Age of Aquarius is dawning soon…
Performances through September 13, 2026.
(Insider Tip: Mark your calendar—Kokandy’s acclaimed revival of Jekyll & Hyde returns September 8 through October 25 at Broadway Playhouse At Water Tower Place.)
‘Shakespeare in Love’ at Colorado Shakespeare Festival
Speaking of playwrights and muses…Will Shakespeare is broke and blocked in 16th-century England, while the merchant’s daughter Viola de Lesseps is unhappily engaged and desperate for an artistic outlet. When the two come together, a tale of star-crossed lovers is born, and the Globe Theatre will never be the same. Lee Hall and Paddy Cunneen’s musical adaptation of the Academy Award-winning film Shakespeare in Love enjoys an outdoor run this summer at the Colorado Shakespeare Festival.
Performances through August 1, 2026.
‘Crazy For You’ at Goodspeed Musicals, East Haddam
“Embrace me, my sweet embraceable you…” If you’re already humming along, road trip to Connecticut’s historic Goodspeed Opera House for Crazy For You. The multiple-Tony Award winner with an iconic Gershwin soundtrack (featuring “I Got Rhythm,” “Slap That Bass,” and many more) follows Broadway wannabe Bobby Child, who’s assigned to foreclose on a discarded playhouse in small-town Nevada. But what if he saved it instead—by putting on a show? (Annie lovers, take note: Goodspeed Musicals will present a 50th anniversary production that opens in October and the search for Sandy is on!)
Performances through August 16, 2026.
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