Onstage Georgetown: October 2026
By • October 1, 2026 0 139
As fall rolls in, the beautiful foliage matches the impressive work now on view in theaters all across the DMV. If you want more local color, check out some of these multi-hued productions.
MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG
Through Nov. 1
Sondheim’s most melodious — albeit misunderstood — musical gets a top-notch revival from Signature Artistic Director Matthew Gardiner and a really well-cast company of many of D.C.’s finest. Jake Loewenthal, Maria Rizzo and James Whalen stand out among the locals and Melanie Field makes a deep impression as bff CAPS? Mary. But it’s Broadway guest artist Jason Gotay as Franklin Shepard who hits the home run, singing gorgeously and acting the backwards storyline as effectively as I’ve even seen it played — including Jonathan Groff, who won a Tony for the role. As always, musical director Jon Kalbfleisch and his orchestra — 12 strong in this production — perform the gorgeous score smoothly. See it while you can — the opportunity doesn’t come up very often.
SOMEWHERE OVER THE BORDER
Through Oct. 18
Mosaic brings back Brian Quijada, one-half of the award-winning duo who brought us “Mexodus,” which premiered at the Atlas Performing Arts Center over on H Street and went on to two successful off-Broadway runs. Inspired by the true story of his mother’s immigration in the 1970s, Quijada takes us on another musical journey, this time from El Salvador to America to the tune of cumbia, Mexican mariachi boleros, rock and hip hop. Like Dorothy in that “over the rainbow” musical, Reina travels north to the Mexican border, gathering friends and facing down dangers as she strives to build a better life for su familia. Tickets at .
COME FROM AWAY
Through Oct. 18
The heart-warming true story of how a small Canadian town cared for 6,579 airline passengers stranded there on 9/11 became a Broadway musical hit. Now it’s back at Ford’s in time for the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the day 38 commercial airplanes were diverted to the town of Gander, Newfoundland. Offering food, shelter and comfort to these strangers, our Canadian neighbors renewed hope and humanity in a time of darkness. Tickets at www.fords.org
THE SCORE
Through Oct. 25
Shakespeare Theatre Company kicks off its 2026-27 season with the kind of high-powered theater we’ve come to admire under Artistic Director Simon Godwin. This time, Brian Cox, star of HBO’s “Succession,” limns the role of Johann Sebastian Bach, a reluctant visitor to the court of Frederick II, then Europe’s most ambitious and dangerous leader (sound familiar yet?). Challenged by the King, Bach is forced to weigh the tyranny of an autocrat against his own artistic integrity (getting warmer?). Sir Trevor Nunn — the man who gave us “Cats” and “Les Miserables” — helms this production in Harman Hall, its first and only stop on this side of the pond.
CHICKA CHICKA BOOM BOOM
Through Oct. 18
Based on the popular children’s books, your kids will celebrate letters, words and imagination with infectious rhythms, funny puppets and lively dancing.
MEASURE FOR MEASURE
Through Nov. 1
Psalmayene 24 is back to direct one of the Bard’s more obscure plays, in which human nature collides with the letter of the law with potentially life-threatening consequences. In a morally lax city, can a corrupt official coerce a virginal nun to submit to his desires when her brother’s life may hang in the balance? It’s “Days of Our Lives” circa 16th-century Elizabethan England.
WISH YOU WERE HERE
Through Nov. 1
Salme’s getting married and her four best friends get her ready in a flurry of tulle and teasing about the wedding night ahead. But it’s 1978 in Karaj, on the eve of the Iranian Revolution, and over the next decade everything changes for these tightknit friends, their country and the futures they find for themselves. In another moment of upheaval in Iran, Sanaz Toossi (“English”) brings her trademark wit, insight and more than a few dirty jokes to this story of diaspora from the people who stay.
THE SECOND BEST SCHOOL SHOOTING
Through Nov. 4
As two best friends try to make sense of a school shooting, the confront a question for our times: how do you grieve when the world has mostly moved on? A U.S. premiere about grief, friendship and what happens when one tragedy is eclipsed by another.
BEATRICE LIKES THE DARK
Oct. 2 to Nov. 1
When Beatrice casts a spell for endless darkness, she discovers that even the things we fear most can become beautiful when brought into the light. From the acclaimed children’s book. comes an imaginative blend of magic, music, shadow play and storytelling and a celebration of curiosity, courage and connection.
MAYBE HAPPY ENDING
Oct. 6 to 11
Yes, it’s a show about South Korean robots. But it’s also a deeply moving of a chance encounter that sparks connection, adventure, and maybe even love and the winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Tony Award-winning director Michael Arden helmed this totally original new musical adventure that explores what it means to be human, even if you’re not.
THE FLYING LOVERS OF VITEBSK
Oct. 7 to Nov. 1
Before the paintings, poems and fame, Bella and Marc Chagall were two young dreamers whose love transformed the world around them. In this new musical, their journey from Jewish shetl into the vivid landscape of imagination, devotion and resilience takes shape, remining us how art and love can lift us beyond the gravity of everyday life, just like a Chagall painting.
BETRAYAL
Oct. 8 to 25
As her marriage to Robert comes to an end, Emma reconnects with Jerry, her former lover — and her husband’s best friend — as the action unspools backward in time. Domestic and dangerous, Harold Pinter’s startling play uncovers hidden truths, revealing how little we know about those we think we know so much about.
FRIDA … A SELF PORTRAIT
Oct. 8 to Nov. 8
On the eve of Frida Kahlo’s death, the pain and passion of her extraordinary life are laid bare, cracked open by Brazilian writer and performer Vanessa Severo. The powerful portal between Severo and the celebrated Mexican painter brings a sensual physicality and raw honesty to this portrait of one of the world’s most iconic artists at in STC’s Klein Theatre.
HUNDRED DAYS
Oct. 10 to Nov. 15
What if you only had 100 days to live? This new musical by those folk-punk darlings the Bengsons examines that rather unpleasant query with this heartrending true story about embracing uncertainty, taking a leap and loving as if your time was just about up.
ARE YOU NOW OR HAVE YOU EVER BEEN
Oct. 17 to Dec. 6
Tony Award-winning director Anna D. Shapiro helms this revival of Eric Bentley’s distillation of the real-life tragedies visited upon a group of important American artists facing an impossible choice — defend their integrity, protect their livelihoods or betray their friends and colleagues. Sadly, the self-righteous stain of the House Committee on Un-American Activities continues to shine its ugly glare beam on the good people of this nation.
MAMMA MIA
Oct. 27 to Nov. 15
ABBA fans rejoice! The musical that made “Dancing Queen” an earworm returns to the DMV on its current national tour and 25th anniversary. Will Sophie find out who her real father is just minutes before she does or doesn’t get married herself? Who cares?
Mark Edelman is a playwright who loves writing about theater. He is a lifetime member of the Broadway League and a Tony voter. Catch his monthly podcast at onstagedmv.org.
