Summer Theatre on Stage

Colorado Shakespeare Festival

While our own Denver Center Theatre Company is off for the season, there’s still plenty of theatre to choose from across the state. Whether you’re staying in the metro area or heading for the hills, make sure to check out the lineups from these companies.

COLORADO SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL – BOULDER

June 7 – August 10, 2025
Roe Green Theatre, University of Colorado Boulder

If & Juliet has you in the mood for Shakespeare, there’s no better lineup than the Colorado Shakespeare Festival. This year’s offerings include The Tempest, Richard II, and Doctor Faustus and DCPA audiences will recognize several cast members including Jordan Coughtry, (A Christmas Carol), Sean Scrutchins (Elephant & Piggie’s “We Are in a Play!”), and Matt Zambrano (The Taming of the Shrew).

  • The Tempest: On a mystical island, the exiled sorceress Prospera conjures a storm to unleash a reckoning on her betrayers, only to face a choice between vengeance and forgiveness in a tale of magic, love, and redemption.
  • Richard II: As King Richard II’s reckless rule leads him to war, the exiled Bolingbroke returns to reclaim his birthright, sparking a revolution that topples a monarchy and ignites decades of civil strife in Shakespeare’s searing portrait of power, legitimacy, and national identity.
  • Doctor Faustus: In Christopher Marlowe’s haunting tale of ambition and consequence, the brilliant but restless Doctor Faustus trades his soul to the demon Mephistopheles for forbidden knowledge and power, only to face the chilling cost of his bargain decades later.

CREEDE REPERTORY THEATRE

Now – Sept 20, 2025
Mainstage Theatre: 124 N. Main St., Creede
Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre: 120 S. Main St., Creede

Celebrating its 60th year, Creede Repertory Theatre (CRT) is a nationally recognized professional theatre known for its artistic excellence and adventurous spirit. CRT offers a dynamic mix of contemporary and classic productions each summer, drawing audiences from across the country to experience live theatre at 9,000 feet. Celebrated by USA Today as one of the top places to see theatre “way off Broadway,” CRT is a cultural gem nestled in the heart of the San Juan Mountains.

  • Xanadu (Mainstage Theatre): In this glittery musical comedy based on the film starring Olivia Newton-John, a Greek muse from Mount Olympus descends to 1980s Venice Beach to inspire the world’s first roller disco, only to fall in love and unleash a whirlwind of magical mayhem and disco dreams.
  • The 39 Steps (Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre): Based on the movie by Alfred Hitchcock, The 39 Steps is a fast-paced comic thriller, four actors hilariously portray over 150 characters as an ordinary man is swept into a whirlwind of murder, espionage, and Monty Python-style mayhem.
  • The Fantasticks(Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre): A timeless tale of young love, parental schemes, and the changing seasons of the heart, The Fantasticksenchants with its poetic charm and unforgettable songs like “Try to Remember” and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain.”
  • Silent Sky (Mainstage Theatre): In this luminous true story, 19th-century astronomer Henrietta Leavitt defies societal expectations and family duty to chart the stars, transforming our understanding of the universe and illuminating the overlooked brilliance of women in science.
  • Boomtown: Explosive Improv Comedy! (Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre): With 19 years of shenanigans under their belts, a group of 10 improv geniuses, once again storm the stage with chaos, mad energy, and a dash of insanity.

THEATRE SILCO

June – August 2025
460 Blue River Pkwy., Silverthorne

What started in 1993 as a capital expansion project for the Lake Dillon Amphitheatre and subsequent concert series has blossomed into a multi-disciplinary arts center serving the Dillon/Silverthorne area. Its professional, resident acting company now offers a selection of plays to the mountain community and beyond.

  • Steel Magnolias (June 10-July 13): In Truvy’s lively Louisiana salon, a tight-knit group of Southern women bond over beauty treatments, gossip, and laughter — until life’s unexpected trials reveal the true strength of their friendship.
  • What the Constitution Means to Me (July 11-Aug 3): In this Tony-nominated, Pulitzer Prize finalist play, a former teen debate champ hilariously unpacks the U.S. Constitution’s impact on generations of women in her family — rewriting history with heart, humor, and a mic drop.
  • Escape to Margaritaville (Aug 8-31): In this feel-good Jimmy Buffett musical, a carefree island singer’s laid-back life gets turned upside down when love, laughter, and a few too many margaritas crash his tropical paradise.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN REPERTORY THEATRE

June – August 2025
800 Grand Ave., Grand Lake

The Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre (RMRT) is a professional music theatre company known for producing high-quality Broadway-style shows in true repertory, rotating multiple productions throughout the summer and fall. With a history spanning over 40 years, RMRT draws top talent from across the country and has become a beloved cultural destination nestled at the edge of Rocky Mountain National Park.

  • Disney’s Frozen (Now-Aug 30): In this Tony-nominated Broadway spectacle, Disney’s Frozen brings Arendelle to life with dazzling magic, unforgettable songs like “Let It Go,” and a heartwarming journey of sisterhood, courage, and self-discovery.
  • Guys & Dolls (Now-Aug 29): Set in the vibrant streets of 1950s New York, Guys & Dolls is a Tony-winning musical comedy where gamblers, showgirls, and unexpected romance collide to the timeless tunes of Frank Loesser’s iconic score, including “Luck Be a Lady” and “Sit Down, You’re Rockin’ the Boat.”
  • Footloose (July 5-Aug 28): In this high-energy, Tony-nominated musical based on the hit film, Footloose tells the story of a city teen who shakes up a small town with electrifying dance moves, iconic songs like “Holding Out for a Hero,” and a rebellious celebration of freedom and self-expression.
  • Nunsense (Sep 5-Oct 4): In the uproarious musical Nunsense, the Little Sisters of Hoboken serve up heavenly hilarity and toe-tapping tunes in a delightfully irreverent talent show that proves a habit doesn’t always make the nun.

THEATRE ASPEN

June – August 2025
110 E. Hallam, Ste. 102, Aspen

Theatre Aspen is a professional theatre company nestled in the heart of Rio Grande Park, offering award-winning productions that blend Broadway talent with local artistry. Each summer, Theatre Aspen presents a vibrant mix of musicals, plays, and family-friendly shows in an intimate outdoor setting, making it a cultural highlight of the Rockies and a must-see for visitors and locals alike.

  • Driving Miss Daisy (June 12-28): Driving Miss Daisy is a poignant and humorous play that traces the evolving 25-year friendship between an elderly Jewish widow and her Black chauffeur in the American South, revealing how compassion and connection can bridge deep divides of race, class, and time.
  • MAMMA MIA! (July 5-Aug 2): MAMMA MIA! is a joyful, sun-soaked musical romp set on a Greek island, where a bride-to-be secretly invites three men from her mother’s past in a quest to discover her father’s identity — unfolding in a whirlwind of love, laughter, and ABBA’s unforgettable hits. 
  • Million Dollar Quartet (Aug 8-23): Million Dollar Quartet is a high-energy musical that brings to life the legendary night in 1956 when Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins came together for an impromptu jam session at Sun Records, capturing the birth of rock ’n’ roll through unforgettable performances and the story of the man who launched their career.