35 Best Performing Arts in Massachusetts, USA

For Broadway-style dramas, comedies, and musicals, attend a production at the Cape Playhouse, the country's oldest professional summer theater. In 1927 Raymond Moore, who had been working with a theatrical troupe in Provincetown, bought an 1838 Unitarian meetinghouse and converted it into a theater. The opening performance was The Guardsman, starring Basil Rathbone. Other stars who performed here in the early days—some in their professional stage debuts—include Bette Davis (who first worked here as an usher), Gregory Peck, Lana Turner, Ginger Rogers, Humphrey Bogart, Tallulah Bankhead, and Henry Fonda, who appeared with his then-unknown 20-year-old daughter, Jane. Mainstage productions run from June to September and they offer children's programming in July and August. The playhouse is situated on the property of the Cape Cod Center for the Arts in Dennis Village. The campus also includes the Cape Cod Museum of Art, the Cape Cinema, and a restaurant.

The 200-acre summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Tanglewood attracts thousands every summer to concerts by world-famous musicians. The 5,000-seat main shed hosts larger concerts; the more intimate Seiji Ozawa Hall seats around 1,200 and is used for chamber music and solo performances. The hall is named for the renowned conductor, for years the BSO's music director, a job now held by the Latvian-born Andris Nelsons. Among the most rewarding ways to experience Tanglewood is to purchase lawn tickets, arrive early with blankets or lawn chairs, and enjoy a picnic under the stars. Except for the occasional big-name concert, lawn tickets cost only $21--$23. Inside the shed, tickets vary in price, with most of the good seats costing $50–$120. You can hear the same music for much less by attending an open rehearsal.

A classic Cape experience is the Wellfleet Drive-In Theater, located near the Eastham town line. Regulars spend the night in style: chairs, blankets, and picnic baskets. Films start at dusk nightly May–September, and there's also a standard indoor cinema with four screens, a miniature-golf course, and a bar and grill. It's also the home of the beloved Wellfleet Flea Market, held weekends late spring–mid-October.

The festival, a past Tony Award winner for outstanding regional theater, is Williamstown's hottest summer ticket. From June through August, the long-running event presents well-known theatrical works featuring famous performers on the Main Stage and contemporary works on the Nikos Stage.

This theater company has presented plays since 1929. Those on the Main Stage tend to be better-known works with established actors. A smaller theater mounts more experimental works, and some festival productions, including family-friendly shows and the holiday staple "A Christmas Carol" take place at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield.

This ArtsBoston outlet has two kiosk locations (Faneuil Hall Marketplace and Copley Square) that sell half-price tickets for same-day performances, as well as online ordering for select advance shows. Full-price tickets for local attractions like Boston Duck Tours, Freedom Trail Walking Tours, and New England Aquarium are available. On Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, show up a half hour before the booth opens.

Bop along with the Boston Pops and other free orchestral concerts and films at the Hatch Memorial Shell June through August.

The meticulously renovated 2,700-seat, Beaux Arts building has been lavished with $35 million worth of gold leaf, lush carpeting, and rococo ornamentation. It features lavish musical productions such as Newsies, Kinky Boots, and Boston Ballet's The Nutcracker.

Sunday evenings by the bay (July 4th through Labor Day) are filled with the sounds of the town-band concerts, held in the gazebo on the grounds of Drummer Boy Park. Bring your beach chairs, blankets, and a picnic for a lovely evening outing. The park is about ½ mile west of the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, on the western side of Brewster.

This organization brings Broadway shows to Boston in pre- and post-Broadway runs, including local mainstays Blue Man Group and Shear Madness, listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest running play in U.S. history. Call between 10 am and 5 pm on weekdays.

This group has presented early-music performances since 1980 and deserves much credit for early music's prominence in Boston's musical scene.

In 1950, actress Gertrude Lawrence and her husband, producer-manager Richard Aldrich, opened the Cape Cod Melody Tent to showcase Broadway musicals and concerts. Today, it's the region's top venue for pop concerts and comedy shows. Performers who have played here in the round include the Indigo Girls, Lyle Lovett, ZZ Top, Diana Krall, and the Beach Boys. Comedians including Nate Bargatze and Amy Schumer are also headliners.

Several impressive productions, from original works to the classics, are staged every year in this indoor Arts and Crafts–style theater set way back in the woods. There are popular outdoor shows for kids offered on weekday mornings during the summer, as well as puppet shows.

Chatham's summer town-band concerts—a tradition that began in the 1940s—begin at 8 pm on Friday and draw thousands of onlookers. As many as 500 fox-trot on the roped-off dance floor, and there are special dances for children and sing-alongs for all.

Back in the day, stars such as Helen Hayes and Al Jolson appeared at this 780-seat 1903 theater; now restored, it hosts live music, theater and popular traveling shows. A second stage, the Garage, hosts $5 comedy nights and programs for children.

This show, the longest continuously running play north of Boston, transports audience members to Bridget Bishop's witchcraft hearing of 1692. After hearing historical testimonies, the audience cross-examines the witnesses and decides whether to send Bridget to trial or not. Actors respond in character, revealing much about the Puritan frame of mind. Each show is different and allows audience members to play their "part" in history.

Originally built in 1832 as a Quaker meetinghouse, this gem has been fully restored and is now home to year-round entertainment and enrichment. Current movies are shown here, as well as live theater, comedy, and other performing arts. Theater workshops are available for all ages.

This dazzling waterfront museum hosts experimental electronic, jazz, and world musicians, often in partnership with World Music/CRASHArts or Berklee College of Music. Expect the unexpected—concerts might contain a mix of disparate instruments, fusions of melody and spoken word, or DJs grooving electronica mashups. There are early evening concerts, and an open-air summertime series.

This huge ticket outlet handles top and trending tours of country, rock, and arena shows at major Boston venues such as TD Garden, Xfinity Center, Gillette Stadium, House of Blues, Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, and Paradise Rock Club. Transactions are conducted online.

Catch a performance by Arlo Guthrie or the Paul Taylor Dance Company at the center's stunning 1905 theater. The year-round schedule includes theater, music, dance, comedy, and film.

Martha's Vineyard Playhouse operates year-round, producing professional productions showcasing diverse work and developing new plays through staged readings, workshops and world premieres on the intimate Patricia Neal stage. Music, poetry, art and drama classes are offered for adults and children in this historic theater in downtown Vineyard Haven. Each summer season, the theater stages vibrant Shakespeare productions and original plays for children in the outdoor Tisbury Amphitheater. 

Recognized as one of the country's leading independent film showcases, MFA Film presents more than 500 screenings a year including foreign and classic films. They also host ten annual festivals including the Boston Jewish, French, Iranian, and Palestine film festivals. Theatergoers can grab snacks and drinks at the nearby Taste Café and Wine Bar, which is also a great spot for postfilm discussions.

A music hall since 1852, The Orpheum Theatre today is a very faded yet beloved occasional forum for local and national performers (like Sara Bareilles, Mark Knopfler, Bonnie Raitt, and The Wiggles) who pack its 2,000 seats.

At more than 170 years old, this midsize historic theater has hosted everything from vaudeville and film to opera and concerts. To visit the Orpheum today, you must have a ticket to an event.

From mid-June through late September, the Payomet Performing Arts Center of Truro presents a wide range of concerts, plays, films, music, and classes inside a big tent at Cape Cod National Seashore. Past performers have included Tom Rush, the Cowboy Junkies, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo. There's also a kids' circus camp, and Cirque by the Sea professional circus shows for families.

Downstairs, it's a lively place for a meal (open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), with tables facing Commercial Street that offer great people-watching. Upstairs, you can expect even jauntier—and often playfully raunchy—entertainment in the nightly cabaret offerings and popular drag shows on weekends.

One of the few self-governing ensembles playing today, Pro Arte performs under the batons of Kevin Rhodes, Gisèle Ben-Dor, and additional colleagues. It presents adventurous programs of classical and modern works at Sanders Theatre, All Saints Brookline, or First Church in Cambridge.