Get Acquainted with Peoria Players Theatre on Sunday, July 20! Join us for our annual event which introduces the public to the upcoming season, both on the stage and behind the scenes. Meet our directors, catch a sneak preview of the shows, find out more about auditions and how you can help backstage, and sign up for your chance to win some excellent door prizes. The front doors will open at 1:30 pm, and the program begins at 2:00, with a meet-and-greet reception to follow. Admission is free. Check out our 2025-2026 lineup below:
BEETLEJUICE, JR.
Summer Youth Theatre
Directed by Travis Olson
Produced as the Peoria Players Summer Youth Theatre, the ghost-with-the-most comes to the stage in Beetlejuice JR., the frightfully funny musical based on the beloved motion picture turned Broadway phenomenon. With music and lyrics by Tony Award-nominee Eddie Perfect and a book by Tony Award-nominated pair Anthony King and Scott Brown, Beetlejuice was nominated for eight 2019 Tony Awards including Best New Musical. A viral "sucks-yes" on social media, this musical struck a chord with young theatre lovers who adored its unabashed humor and emotional honesty. Created for the generation that made it a hit, Beetlejuice JR. is a wacky theatrical party for all! Beetlejuice, JR. is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International.
Performances:
August 6, 7, 8 & 9 - 7:30 pm; August 10 - 2:00 pm
Ticket Sales:
July 14
MEMPHIS
Directed by Bryan Blanks
Inspired by actual events, Memphis is a story of love, music and social justice set against the backdrop of a vibrant musical era. Challenging segregation and the status quo, a white radio DJ who wants to change the world falls in love with a black singer who is ready for her big break. Come along on their incredible journey to the ends of the airwaves - filled with laughter, soaring emotion and roof-raising rock 'n' roll. Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Memphis features a Tony-winning book by Joe DiPietro and a Tony-winning original score with music by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan.
Performances:
September 5, 6, 11, 12 & 13 – 7:30 pm
September 7 & 14 - 2:00 pm
Ticket Sales:
August 25
RENT
Directed by Susan Hazzard
Based on Giacomo Puccini’s La Boheme, Rent is a rock opera that tells the story of 8 friends’ need for connection in a world that has thrown them away. Set in the East Village of NYC at the height of the AIDS Epidemic, this group of artists and musicians experience desperation, loneliness, loss, lust and love all while coping with survival. Together they discover how to fight for liberation when a win doesn’t seem possible. The soundtrack is heavily influenced by rock music, incorporating elements of pop, show tunes and even tango. This blend reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of the characters and is a critical component of the musical's impact.
Performances:
October 3, 4, 9, 10 & 11 – 7:30 pm
October 5 & 12 - 2:00 pm
Ticket Sales:
September 22
ANNIE
Directed by Mary Ellen Ulrich
This musical is the heartwarming story about Annie, the little girl who embodies resilience and hope. She's a spunky and optimistic orphan girl who, despite a challenging start in 1930s New York, manages to charm everyone and search for her parents. She is known for her positive attitude, her ability to find joy in difficult circumstances, and her enduring belief in a better future.
Performances:
November 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 & 15 – 7:30 pm
November 9 & 16 - 2:00 pm
Ticket Sales:
October 27
YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
Directed by Steve Hausler
This musical adaptation of the Mel Brooks comedy film of the same name follows the story of Dr. Frederick Frankenstein as he attempts to prove his eccentric grandfather's genius in bringing life back to a corpse. The show features a mix of musical numbers, slapstick humor, and spoofs of classic horror tropes, often with a raunchy and irreverent tone.
Performances:
January 30, 31, February 5, 6 & 7 – 7:30 pm
February 1 & 8 - 2:00 pm
Ticket Sales:
January 19
BRIGHT STAR
Directed by Madison Motyl
Inspired by a true story and featuring the Tony-nominated score by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, Bright Star tells a sweeping tale of love and redemption set against the rich backdrop of the American South in 1945-46 with flashbacks to 1923. When literary editor Alice Murphy meets a young soldier just home from World War II, he awakens her longing for the child she once lost. Haunted by their unique connection, Alice sets out on a journey to understand her past -- and what she finds has the power to transform both of their lives. With beautiful melodies and powerfully moving characters, the story unfolds as a rich tapestry of deep emotion. An uplifting theatrical journey that holds you tightly in its grasp, Bright Star is as refreshingly genuine as it is daringly hopeful.
Performances:
March 6, 7, 12, 13 & 14 – 7:30 pm
March 8 & 15 - 2:00 pm
Ticket Sales:
February 23
42ND STREET
Directed by Daniel Olsson
One of show business’s most classic and beloved tales, 42nd Street tells the story of Peggy Sawyer, a talented young performer with stars in her eyes who gets her big break on Broadway. Peggy’s rise from showgirl to star is the stuff of show business dreams. 42nd Street is full of crowd-pleasing tap dances, popular musical theatre standards, and show-stopping ensemble production numbers.
Performances:
April 24, 25, 30, May 1 & 2 – 7:30 pm
April 26 & May 3 - 2:00 pm
Ticket Sales:
April 13
ON GOLDEN POND
Directed by Howard Gorman
Retired couple Ethel and Norman Thayer are spending their 48th summer at their vacation home on Golden Pond, in the woods of Maine. Their delightful summer routine--fishing, picking strawberries, enjoying old mementoes, listening to the loons call--is given a bitterly comedic edge by Norman’s unreliable memory and cantankerously morbid statements. When their daughter Chelsea visits for Norman’s 80th birthday, bringing her boyfriend Bill and Bill’s teenage son, Billy Jr., the whole family must come to grips with Norman and Chelsea’s mutual bitterness, while Norman blossoms with his chance to mentor young Billy. The turbulent relationship between father and daughter, the generation gap between young and old, and the difficulties of a couple in the twilight years of a long marriage, all combine in a play that effortlessly illustrates the hilarious, heartbreaking, human moments of which life is made.
Performances:
May 22, 23, 28, 29 & 30 – 7:30 pm
May 24 & 31 - 2:00 pm
Ticket Sales:
May 11
You may also like the following events from Peoria Players:
- This Saturday, 19th July, 08:00 am, Peoria Players Work Day in Peoria
- Next month, 6th August, 07:30 pm, Beetlejuice, JR. in Peoria
- This October, 3rd October, 05:00 pm, Auditions for Peoria Players' YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN in Peoria
Also check out other
Entertainment events in Peoria,
Arts events in Peoria.
