There is something comforting about the familiar: A family tradition, the holidays, a scent that brings back a special memory, an annual vacation, or a favorite dish. We often crave the familiar, but once in a while, it feels good to shake things up! This season, we invite you to reimagine what you think you know. Perhaps you’ll even create some new traditions! In our 16th Mainstage series "Reframing the Familiar," we will explore fresh takes on classic films in The Shark is Broken, The Baroness, and Singin' in the Rain, and reconnect with traditions and history in The Ugly XMas Sweater and The Irish...and How They Got That Way. Our resident dance company, stop/time: dance theater, is also reimagining its future and will stage its final full-scale production, titled Our Show: The Stop/Time Story.

(click a show title to learn more)

THE SHARK IS BROKEN

Written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon
October 2 - 20, 2024

This “bitingly funny” comedy centers on the making of the blockbuster film JAWS and enjoyed overwhelming popularity on Broadway and in London’s West End. Take a deep dive behind the scenes of a great American movie as its stars, Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw wrestle with the frustration of constant filming delays because “the shark is broken!” Based on Shaw’s journals of the experience, this “hilariously brilliant” play lets you inside the creative process as it explores rivalry, anxiety, addiction, collaboration, and the bonds that can form when faced with adverse conditions and a boat that’s too small. 95 minutes, no intermission.

East Coast Premiere
THE UGLY XMAS SWEATER MUSICAL

By Dan Knechtges and Megan Larche Dominick
December 4 - 22, 2024

Blending the comedy style of The Office with the competitive spirit of Project Runway, THE UGLY XMAS SWEATER MUSICAL is a brand-new laugh-out-loud, interactive musical. In this not-so-everyday story, a group of employees must take desperate measures when they learn that their company is being bought out by an international conglomerate. In order to save their jobs, they have to come up with the best Ugly Christmas Sweater ever made. This interactive, laugh-out-loud musical is the perfect holiday treat for everyone. Wear your favorite ugly festive sweater, sing along if you wish, and celebrate the holidays with friends, coworkers, and family!

THE IRISH...AND HOW THEY GOT THAT WAY

By Frank McCourt
March 12 - 30, 2025

What’s so great about being Irish? Find out in this moving, uplifting, eye-opening musical history lesson full of charm and a bit of blarney. THE IRISH… AND HOW THEY GOT THAT WAY is an irreverent history of the Irish through the tumultuous 20th and 21st centuries through the eyes of Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Frank McCourt (Angela’s Ashes, ‘Tis, Teacher Man). McCourt’s razor sharp wit, coupled with his trademark bitter irony, and his boundless love for the Irish people are all underscored by glorious music extending all the way from the auld Irish folk ballads, through George M. Cohan’s patriotic love songs to America, World War II standards sung in movies, USOs and foxholes all over the world, and including the latest from contemporary Ireland’s U2.

World Premiere
THE BARONESS

A new comedy by Jacques Lamarre
June 4 - 22, 2025

Baroness Elsa Schraeder has arrived at the Von Trapp mansion to seal the deal: her engagement to Austria’s most eligible bachelor, Georg Von Trapp. What The Baroness doesn’t count on mucking up her plans: a yodeling and curtain-sewing failed nun. Refusing to let a dowdy governess get the better of her, The Baroness takes to her room to plot her revenge, when a certain telegram delivery boy climbs through her window. Don’t miss this hilarious new comedy by the writer of I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI, and one of the co-writers of CHRISTMAS ON THE ROCKS

SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

Screenplay by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Songs by Nacio Herb Brown and Arthur Freed
Based on the classic Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film, by special arrangement with Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures, Inc

July 16 - August 17, 2025

A wildly inventive re-imagining of “the greatest movie musical of all time” set at a screening of the iconic film that goes horribly wrong, until super fans swoop in and save the day! SINGIN' IN THE RAIN has all the makings of a Tinseltown tabloid headline – the starlet, the leading man and a love affair that could change lives and make or break careers! In silent movies, Don Lockwood and Lina Lamont are a hot item but, behind the scenes, things aren't always as they appear on the big screen! Meanwhile, Lina's squeaky voice might be the end of her career in "talking pictures" without the help of a talented young actress to do the talking and singing for her. Filled with unforgettable scenes, snappy dialogue, and a hit-parade score of Hollywood standards including “Make 'Em Laugh,” “Good Morning,” and of course, the title song, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is perfect entertainment for any fan of golden age movie musicals – but with a twist!

Add to your subscription:
OUR SHOW: THE STOP/TIME STORY

Farewell Performance!
Conceived, Directed and Choreographed by Darlene Zoller
January 29 - February 9, 2025

After 22 years in existence, director Darlene Zoller, along with the members of stop/time dance theater, have decided that show number 20 will be their final full-scale production. We ask you to come and take a trip down memory lane as the company explores their history and projects what the future holds for them. Their first show ever was titled MY SHOW: A Choreographer’s Story. Coming full circle, stop/time dance theater will present OUR SHOW: THE STOP/TIME STORY. stop/time dance theater never fails to entertain their audiences and this year will be no different. Singing, dancing and a storyline to tug at the heartstrings and send you home filled with hope and happiness.