MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, WEST SIDE STORY, 1776 & More Lead Boston's July 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.

Much Ado About Nothing

Commonwealth Shakespeare Company - July 20th through August 7th, 2022.

Much Ado About Nothing is Shakespeare's hilarious tale of wits and wills, where love and justice nevertheless manage to prevail with vigorous joy! Directed by Megan Sandberg-Zakian, this production transports us back to the vibrant and colorful 1990s, a time when the Gulf War brought soldiers back in "victory" and pop culture brought us a treasure trove of trends to love. Get ready to explore Shakespeare's tale of jealousy, love, and self-discovery in a new light.

Performed outdoors on the Boston Common and FREE for all, Commonwealth Shakespeare Company brings this beloved family tradition back for another summer at the Parkman Bandstand, July 20th through August 7th.

For tickets: click here.

The Nutty Professor

Ogunquit Playhouse - July 1st through August 6th, 2022.

Based on the 1963 movie, a nerdy professor whose job is in jeopardy creates a formula to transform himself from outcast to influencer with hilarious consequences! This new musical comedy from Tony Award winners Rupert Holmes and Marvin Hamlisch will touch your heart and tickle your funny bone. Dan De Luca (Disney's Newsies), Elena Ricardo (Broadway's Beautiful), Jeff McCarthy (Broadway's Beauty and the Beast), and Klea Blackhurst (OP's Ragtime) headline this spectacular cast!

For tickets: click here.

Always... Pasty Cline

Cape Playhouse - July 6th through July 16th, 2022.

A music legend and pioneer in country music, Patsy Cline's unique stylings remain as relevant and popular today as they were over five decades ago. The original cross-over sensation, topping the country and pop charts, Cline paved the way for artists such as LeAnn Rimes, Shania Twain, and Carrie Underwood. Always... Patsy Cline is based on a touching true story affectionately told through letters written between Patsy and her biggest fan turned confidant, Louise Segar. A genuine bond of friendship, which began over a cup of coffee, lasted until Cline's untimely death in 1963. Told through down-home country humor, heartache and celebration, Always...Patsy Cline takes audiences through the ups and downs, from her breakthrough on live radio, to her rise to fame at the Grand Ole Opry. Featuring 27 unforgettable hits, including "Crazy," "Walkin' After Midnight," "I Fall to Pieces," and "Sweet Dreams," this musical memory book is a glorious tribute to the one-of-a-kind sound of Patsy Cline!

For tickets: click here.

West Side Story

Reagle Music Theatre - July 8th through July 16th, 2022.

West Side Story explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. Inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and set in 1950s New York City, their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence, and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching, and relevant musical dramas in Broadway history.

For tickets: click here.

A Beautiful Noise

Emerson Colonial Theatre - through August 7th, 2022.

The story of the legendary Neil Diamond comes to life on stage in a gripping and uplifting new musical featuring his hit songs "Sweet Caroline," "America," and "Cracklin' Rosie." Directed by Tony Award winner Michael Mayer (Spring Awakening, Hedwig and the Angry Inch), choreographed by Olivier Award winner Steven Hoggett (Once, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child), and written by four-time Academy Award nominee Anthony McCarten (Bohemian Rhapsody, The Two Popes), A Beautiful Noise debuts in Boston before heading to Broadway. Good times never seemed so good.

For tickets: click here.

The Producers

Firehouse Theatre - through July 17th, 2022.

The plot is simple: a down-on-his-luck Broadway producer and his mild-mannered accountant come up with a scheme to produce the most notorious flop in history, thereby bilking their backers (all "little old ladies") out of millions of dollars. Only one thing goes awry: the show is a smash hit! The antics of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom as they maneuver their way fecklessly through finding a show (the gloriously offensive "Springtime for Hitler"), hiring a director, raising the money and finally going to prison for their misdeeds is a lesson in broad comic construction. At the core of the insanely funny adventure is a poignant emotional journey of two very different men who become friends.

Get tickets: click here.

1776

American Repertory Theatre - through July 24th, 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.

Get tickets: click here.

Once

The Colonial Theatre - July 1st through July 16th, 2022.

From the very first note, Once draws you in and never lets go. Winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Book of a Musical, Once tells the story of a guy who gave up on love and music and the girl who inspired him to dream again. On the streets of Dublin, an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant are drawn together by their shared love of music. "Guy" is a singer and songwriter who spends his days fixing vacuums in the Dublin shop he runs with his father and his nights playing his music in local pubs. He is on the verge of giving up music altogether when "Girl," walks into the bar, hears him play and refuses to let him abandon his guitar. Over the course of one fateful week, an unexpected friendship and collaboration quickly evolve into a powerful but complicated love story.

For tickets: click here.

Seussical

Firehouse Theatre - through July 24th, 2022.

Now one of the most performed shows in America, Seussical is a fantastical, magical, musical extravaganza! Tony winners, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Lucky Stiff, My Favorite Year, Once on This Island, Ragtime), have lovingly brought to life all of our favorite Dr. Seuss characters, including Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, lazy Mayzie and a little boy with a big imagination - Jojo. The colorful characters transport us from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus to the invisible world of the Whos.

For tickets: click here.

God of Carnage

Cape Playhouse - July 20th through July 30th, 2022.

Winner of the 2009 Tony Award. "[A] streamlined anatomy of the human animal...delivers the cathartic release of watching other people's marriages go boom. A study in the tension between civilized surface and savage instinct, this play is itself a satisfyingly primitive entertainment." -NY Times. "Elegant, acerbic and entertainingly fueled on pure bile. It's Reza's sharpest work since 'Art'." -Variety. "Brutally entertaining...in another of Christopher Hampton's exquisite translations, [Reza] cannily manipulates social observations that appeal to vast audiences and creates characters that bring out the best in actors." -NY Newsday. "Reza has established herself as a master [of] magnificently constructed plays." -Entertainment Weekly.

For tickets: click here.

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