Olney Theatre Announces Outdoor Events For Summer, Including Free Options

Olney Theatre Center unveiled its schedule of over 25 summer programs to be held in its open-air Omi Pavillion on the Root Family Stage for the second edition of Olney Outdoors (July 7 - September 4, 2022).

Assembled by Kevin McAllister, Olney Theatre's Director of Curated Programs, the events include themed Cabarets (Friday nights), local Jazz performers (Saturday nights), and Family Programs (Saturday mornings) presented by some of the region's top companies. Highlights include the kick-off on July 7 with Dinner and Drag - we'll round up the most glamorous assortment of the DMV's food trucks before the tastiest divas from DC and Baltimore strut their stuff.

Other featured programs include a week-long run of National Players' production of Much Ado About Nothing (July 21-23), the theater's annual community celebration Summerfest (July 23), the third installment of Just Arts - A Celebration of Art and Activism (July 30) and an end-of-summer screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show (September 4). The original installment of Olney Outdoors prompted Bethesda Magazine to name it "Best Theatre Reopening" in their Best of Bethesda 2022 issue.

Tickets range from Free to $40 depending on the event and are available now at olneyoutdoors.com. Patrons can also opt for an All-Access Membership, which for $99, allows the member to see any performance at Olney from July 1 - September 30, 2022. More info on all membership options is available at olneytheatre.org/join

"This edition of Olney Outdoors really puts the focus on the diversity present in our community," said McAllister, who also serves as Olney Theatre's BIPOC Artist Advocate. "Mark G. Meadows assisted in curating the Jazz series, and I'm blown away by the variety and depth of talent right here in the DMV. Plus it's been fun to organize our cabarets around the works of specific artists and genres and then match up performers to those evenings. Like how much fun is it going to be to have a cabaret dedicated to Latin Music? Or have Tracy Olivera dig into the repertoire of Billy Joel? I'm really excited for the lineup of Donna Migliaccio at our Sondheim night. Our evening saluting Black Musicals is going to be the culminating event for the series with Tobias Young, Kelli Blackwell, and others to be announced soon."

"Our programs for Kids and Families have really stepped up this summer in variety and quality. Beginning with our Lin-Manuel Miranda-themed sing-along, and continuing with the amazing local companies presenting their work like GALA Hispanic Theatre, Only Make Believe, and Arts on the Horizon, parents are going to want to spend a lot of time at Olney. Plus who doesn't love a magic show with Reggie Rice?" said McAllister.

"Our Thursday night programs offer us the opportunity to try new things. Last summer, among the most successful things we tried, was an evening of Spoken Word Poetry. So we're doing that again and building a real community for it here under the guidance of Simply Sherri. This year we're trying an open-air Sip 'n' Paint, as well as a night of Italian Arias. It's fun seeing what connects with our growing audience."

As Olney Theatre continues to prioritize access, all Olney Outdoors events are part of the First Time Free initiative - where new patrons to Olney Theatre Center can claim 4 free tickets to their first event by using the code 1stTimeFree.

Schedule

Seating is general admission with options for picnicking, bleachers, and chairs. All events begin at 7:30 pm except where noted:

Thursday, July 7: Dinner and Drag
Friday, July 8: Cabaret - 70's Rock 'n' Roll - featuring Ines Nassara, Maria Egler and others
Saturday, July 9 (10:00 am & 12:00 pm): Songs of Lin Manuel Miranda
Saturday, July 9: Jazz@Olney - Akua Allrich
Thursday, July 14: A Night of Italian Arias
Friday, July 15: Cabaret - Tribute to Carole King - featuring Nova Y. Payton and Karen Vincent
Saturday, July 16: TBA
Saturday, July 16: Jazz@Olney - Sheyda Do'a
Thursday - Saturday, July 21-23: National Players present Much Ado About Nothing
Saturday, July 23 (All Day): Summerfest
Friday, July 29 (6:30 pm): Dining on Stories: A Community Potluck and Storytelling Event
Saturday, July 30 (11:00 am - 4:00 pm): Just Arts Festival
Friday, August 5: Cabaret - Latin Music Celebration
Saturday, August 6 (10:00 am & 12:00 pm): Arts on the Horizon presents Birds of a Feather
Saturday, August 6: Jazz@Olney - Danielle Wertz
Thursday, August 11: Poetry at Sunset
Friday, August 12: Cabaret - Billy Joel and Stevie Wonder
Saturday, August 13 (10:00 am - 12:00 pm): Only Make Believe presents Gamers
Saturday, August 13: Jazz@Olney - James Fernando
Thursday, August 18: Sip N Paint with Pinot's Palette
Friday, August 19: Cabaret - Celebration of Stephen Sondheim
Saturday, August 20 (10:00 am & 12:00 pm): GALA Hispanic Theatre presents: Cri-Cri: The Singing Cricket
Saturday, August 20: Jazz@Olney - Victor Provost
Saturday, September 3 (11:00 am only): Reggie Rice: Fool of Illusions
Saturday, September 3: Cabaret - A Celebration of Black Musicals
Sunday, September 4: Screening (8:15 pm): The Rocky Horror Picture Show

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