1679 Best Performing Arts Venues in USA

Historic Benefit Street is an appropriate location for the oldest continuously running little theater in the United States. The Players have been taking the stage every year since 1909 and at the Barker Playhouse since 1932---a pretty good run for an amateur theater group. The actors may not get paid, but performances are nothing short of professional: talent fairly leaps off the stage at the former church built in 1839. Past shows have included everything from Shakespeare to Christmas plays, original works by Providence playwrights to Stephen Sondheim musicals.

A long-established community theater, having launched such actors as Montgomery Clift and Paul Reubens, this troupe performs comedies, special events, live concerts, and musicals.

The professional theater in residence at UNC, PlayMakers Repertory's productions range from old-time radio dramas to large-scale musicals, using a variety of ingenious sets.

Known for its support of new work by American playwrights, this Off-Broadway theater was the first home for eventual Broadway hits such as Grey Gardens and Wendy Wasserstein's Heidi Chronicles.

Near UNC Charlotte, this amphitheater hosts some of the biggest acts that come to town, from the Dave Matthews Band to the Backstreet Boys. With big acts comes heavy traffic, before and after concerts.

Launched in 1966, the Poetry Project has been a source of sustenance for poets (and their audiences) ever since. This place has seen performances by Eric Bogosian, Allen Ginsberg, Amiri Baraka, Sam Shepard, Patti Smith, Anne Waldman, Jim Carroll, Philip Glass, and many others. Current readings feature artists of a similar caliber.

Bend's popular ski, bike, run, and kayak or canoe race is held in May.

Polish music, food, dancing, and a cultural village comprise this festival, held on the third full weekend of June.

Enjoy summer theater with the Port Polson Players. The high-quality amateur troupe puts on musicals, comedies, and dramas in a beautiful 1930s log theater.

This mid-September fest features onstage discussions with Hollywood stars, documentary and narrative films, and the ever-popular outdoor screenings on Taylor Street in front of the 1907 Rose Theatre. More than 100 films are screened over three days at eight venues.

The city's baroque group performs music composed before 1840 on period instruments in a season that runs October to April. Performances are held at Reed College's Kaul Auditorium, First Baptist Church, and Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

This well-respected opera company performs five or six productions a year, most of them Downtown at Keller Auditorium or the Newmark Theatre, but also occasionally across the river at the Hampton Opera Center.

This company mounts theatrical productions on its two stages September through May. Recent productions have included lots of new plays, mixed in with well-known works and musical shows.

Downstairs, it's a lively place for a meal (open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), with tables facing Commercial Street that offer great people-watching. Upstairs, you can expect even jauntier—and often playfully raunchy—entertainment in the nightly cabaret offerings and popular drag shows on weekends.

Founded in 1986, the Powder River Symphony continues to perform on a regular basis at the Cam-Plex Heritage Center, a 960-seat auditorium within the Cam-Plex. The orchestra is composed of area musicians of all ages, and they play everything from Beethoven to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Prescott's popular Bluegrass Festival takes place downtown at Courthouse Plaza in June.

Musicals and dramas, plays for children, and a concert series are put on by the Prescott Center for the Arts. The association's gallery also presents rotating exhibits by local, regional, and national artists.

Typically held at the end of July, this three-day festival uses music, dance, and food (plus a parade) to celebrate the many nationalities and cultures that make up the Price community. It's right on the heels of the statewide Pioneer Days festivities, which is always on July 24.

A 65-foot catamaran built specifically for Maui's waters, the Pride of Maui has a spacious cabin for live entertainment, a dance floor, and a large upper deck for unobstructed sightseeing. Evening cruises include Polynesian dance performances, top-shelf cocktails, and an impressive spread that's cooked onboard and includes baby back ribs, stir-fried vegetables, and shoyu chicken, plus seasonal desserts.

Most recently a movie theater, this thoroughly restored 1928 venue is the community center for the performing arts. It's worth a look, even if it's "dark."

Proctor's Theatre, a 1926 vaudeville theater with chandeliers, balconies, and 2,700 seats, is one of the crown jewels of the capital region. Year-round schedules include Broadway shows performed by national touring companies; concerts; dance performances; and second-run movies. A recent expansion added the GE Theatre, with a huge screen.

The 3,100-seat center, which opened in 1928 as a Loew's State Theater, hosts concerts, national tours of hit Broadway shows, and other large-scale performances and events. Major renovations to this building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, restored the stage, lobby, and arcade to their original splendor. The mighty Wurlitzer organ is a particular source of pride.

This year-round 110-seat venue provides excellent theater, showcasing many new works including original productions and plays from diverse American voices. In addition, they host dance performances, readings by playwrights, and workshops with special guests (Lisa Lampanelli and Harvey Fierstein among them.)

A visit to the city's last single-screen movie house, hidden in a residential area of Uptown, is a reminder of the days when neighborhood movie theaters offered entertainment as well as air-conditioned relief from the summer heat. The Prytania shows first-run crowd-pleasers, plus the occasional smaller independent feature and classic film. Concessions sells coffee, soft drinks, alcoholic beverages, and snacks up front. Prytania Theatre also has a larger, multi-screen venue downtown.

The city's symphony performs all types of music, from pops to classical. Concerts are held at the Hoag Recital Hall on the Colorado State University–Pueblo campus.

The Pull-Tight Players formed in 1968 and set up shop in their current location in 1985. They produce six main-stage shows each year in their intimate theater on 2nd Avenue, which in years past has been everything from a church to a grocery store. Between the small size of the theater and the popularity of the productions, it’s best to get tickets in advance.

Marionettes have been used to enact classic children's stories like The Tortoise and the Hare, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz at this storefront theater since 1990. A friendly puppeteer preps the young audience on theater etiquette before each show. Afterward, theater education continues with a Q&A. Performances are twice a day on weekends only; call or email for reservations.

In a space on Cannon Street, this local troupe produces timely comedies and thoughtful classics throughout the year, as well as special holiday performances.

This annual festival of contemporary LGBTQ+ cinema takes place in a variety of venues around the city. qFLIX Philadelphia hosts other film-related events throughout the year.