You don’t have to travel to the big city to experience high-quality theatre productions. Lehigh Valley is home to many venues that bring in national tours, produce their own works, and more.
In Easton, groups will feel at home at the State Theatre Center for the Arts. This venue features major national tours of Broadway musicals, exciting special acts, and timeless concerts. The State Theatre Center for the Arts is also home to the FREDDY Awards. Held annually in May, the FREDDY Awards highlight local high school theatre productions in a Tony awards-type fashion. This program affects thousands of students, and inspires countless more. Each year, the award-winning FREDDY Awards are televised as one of the biggest events in Lehigh Valley.
For a smaller, but equally exciting venue, treat your group to a performance at Touchstone Theatre. Nestled on the south side of Bethlehem, Touchstone highlights many opportunities for those who wish to create their own works, including the annual Young Playwrights Festival. A not-to-be-missed event, Christmas City Follies takes the stage each December. This traditional variety show is a playful and sweet point of the holiday season.
The beautiful Nineteenth Street Theatre is home to Civic Theatre of Allentown. With a number of community productions performed each year, groups have access to many well-known plays and musicals performed by talented local artists. In addition to live theatre, Civic also hosts film screenings, educational courses, and more.
Throughout the year, your group can also enjoy touring shows and student performances at many colleges and universities in the area.
Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University plays host to many types of productions; from Broadway musicals, to orchestral performances, to professional full-length ballets. The large Baker Hall within the facility can accommodate over 900 patrons for a performance. Lehigh University choral and jazz ensembles also call the Zoellner Arts Center home.
Local colleges DeSales University and Muhlenberg College produce outstanding, professional-quality works throughout the year. Both locations offer a variety of productions in music, theatre, dance, and more.
In the summer months, you’ll find two professional residencies in Lehigh Valley.
The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival calls DeSales University home. Don’t be fooled, there is a lot more than just Shakespeare happening here. Varieties of shows range from traditional Shakespearean pieces, to musicals of classic and modern varieties, to plays of all shapes & sizes. Two children’s productions are also produced annually, which are sure to delight audiences of any age. The Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival is held annually from late May through early August.
On the campus of Muhlenberg College, you’ll find Summer Music Theatre in residence from June through July. Each year, two musicals are professionally produced and performed in the two larger theatres of the college. In addition, a children’s production is presented in the smaller Black Box Theatre.
Many of these venues offer group discounts on ticket prices. For more information, please contact the Discover Lehigh Valley team.