1776, HEAD OVER HEELS, RIVERDANCE & More Lead Boston's May Theater Top 10

Boston is never lacking outstanding theatre, whether epic Broadway shows, engrossing dramas or bold fringe offerings. BroadwayWorld is rounding up our top recommended theatre every month.

Head Over Heels

The Umbrella - now through May 8th, 2022.

Head Over Heels is the bold new musical comedy from the visionaries that rocked Broadway with Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Avenue Q and Spring Awakening. This laugh-out-loud love story is set to the music of the iconic 1980's all-female rock band The Go-Go's, including the hit songs, "We Got the Beat," "Our Lips Are Sealed," "Vacation," Belinda Carlisle's "Heaven is a Place on Earth" and "Mad About You." A hilarious, exuberant celebration of love in all of its infinite varieties, Head Over Heels follows the escapades of a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction-only to discover the key to their realm's survival lies within each of their own hearts.

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Disney's Beauty and the Beast

Falmouth Theatre Guild - now through May 15th, 2022.

Step into the enchanted world of Broadway's modern classic, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, an international sensation that played a remarkable 13-year run on Broadway and has been produced in 37 countries worldwide. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature, the stage version includes all of the wonderful songs written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice. The original Broadway production ran for over thirteen years and was nominated for nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

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The Wizard of Oz

Wheelock Family Theatre - through May 1st, 2022.

Based on the beloved novel and Classic Motion Picture, The Wizard of Oz follows the story of a young girl, Dorothy, as she finds the true meaning of home. She and her best sidekick, Toto (a charming, scruffy little dog), find themselves in the magical land of Oz and encounter characters of splendor and tasks of the highest magnitude. Audiences fall for Dorothy and her trusted companions as they battle their way to their highest desires knowledge, love, courage and home.

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Black Super Hero Magic Mama

American Repertory Theatre - now through May 21st.

Factory worker friends in this impoverished American town, laugh, talk, and drink their cares away, despite the constant threat of company shutdowns. When promotions and layoffs are rumored, tensions and jealousy begin to rip apart their community. An intense examination of race, class and the human costs of capitalism, Sweat captures the ever-present battle between human needs and business against a pivotal time in this American Rust Belt town. Can friendships and family endure when all hopes of economic stability and mobility disappear? Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play, Sweat is a landmark achievement of American theater.

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Common Ground Revisited

Huntington Theatre Company - begins performances May 27th.

This riveting and intricately woven world premiere play brings Bostons history to life in the 1960s and 70s, culminating in three families experiences in court-mandated busing. Diverse in both race and class, what can these families experiences tell us about our own time? Especially when Boston Public Schools are more segregated in 2021 than they were in 1974. Common Ground Revisited is inspired by Anthony Lukas landmark Pulitzer Prize winning book, which The New York Times praises as an epic of American city life. Developed with ArtsEmerson, this unique work comes from Obie Award winners Melia Bensussen and Kirsten Greenidge, reteaming for the first time since their acclaimed Huntington production of Luck of the Irish.

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1776 The Musical

American Repertory Theatre - beings performances May 17th, 2022.

They knew they would make history, but not what history would make of them. Fed up with living under the tyranny of British rule, John Adams attempts to persuade his fellow members of the Continental Congress to vote in favor of American Independence and sign the Declaration. But how much is he willing to compromise in the pursuit of freedom? And who does that freedom belong to? Jeffrey L. Page and A.R.T. Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director Diane Paulus direct a new production of the Tony Award-winning musical, reexamining this pivotal moment in American history with a cast that reflects multiple representations of race, gender, and ethnicity.

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South Pacific

Capitol Center - May 15th

Winner of 10 Tony Awards, the beloved score's songs include "Some Enchanted Evening," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair," and "There is Nothin' Like a Dame." Rodgers and Hammerstein's SOUTH PACIFIC is a unique contemporary theatrical experience about all the dreamers among us who are searching for their own Bali Ha'i.

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Riverdance

Boch Center - May 10th through May 13th, 2022.

See RIVERDANCE as you've never seen or heard it before in the new 25th Anniversary production! For over 25 years, nothing has carried the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of RIVERDANCE. In a powerful and stirring re-invention of this beloved favorite, renowned composer Bill Whelan brings this mesmerizing, Grammy Award®-winning soundtrack back to life, completely revitalized for the first time since those original orchestral recordings. Producer Moya Doherty and Director John McColgan have produced an amazing new 25th Anniversary production with innovative and spectacular lighting, projection, staging and costume design, and an all-new finale number which will blow audiences away.

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Blue Man Group

Charles Playhouse - now on stage.

Blue Man Group is comedy, theater, rock concert and dance party all rolled into one. This wildly popular phenomenon delivers an outrageous, multi-sensory experience you'll never forget. Don't miss the show that has captivated 35 million people worldwide. Blue Man Group-enemy of monotony, remedy for boredom, promoter of overjoy and elation.

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Swan Lake

Boston Ballet - begins performances May 26th.

Renowned as a classical masterpiece,Swan Lake enthralls audiences with its coveted principal roles and iconic corps de ballet. Revel in the technical precision and emotional tonality of dozens of dancers, brilliantly transformed by Perdziola's impeccable costume design. Swan Lake's darkly poetic story brings the best of classical ballet to the stage.

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