Beetlejuice (photo by Matt Polk)
As Starlight winds down its season, many theaters kick off their 2026-27 seasons with new and returning plays and musicals as autumn descends on Kansas City with the gorgeous colors of falling leaves. Take a ride down your favorite boulevard to one of these local theaters!
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
Now through Sept. 13 | Music Theater Heritage in Crown Center
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s breakout hit and the world’s first and best-loved rock opera tells the somber tale of Jesus’ last days on earth and the band of disciples, followers and enemies who lived to tell the tale, this time to the tune of screeching guitars and rock and roll drums. Tickets at www.mthkc.com.
COME FROM AWAY
Now through Sept. 20 | Spencer Theatre at UMKC
On the 25th anniversary of 911, KC Rep opens its 2026-27 season with the remarkable true story of nearly 7,000 airline passengers from around the world who were grounded in the small Canadian town of Gander on that terrible day. Amid fear and uncertainty, empathy and resilience prevailed, affirming the principle that hope can arise in the most unexpected places. Tickets at www.kcrep.org.
DISNEY’S NEWSIES
Now through Sept. 13 | Starlight Theatre
Based on the popular film about charismatic newsboy Jack Kelly and the band of teenage “newsies” he led on a rebellion against mean old publisher Joseph Putlizer — falling in love with the villain’s top reporter in the process — this family-friendly musical features a score by Tony ® Award winning composer Alan Menken and a book by Broadway stalwart Harvey Fierstein. Tickets at www.kcstarlight.org.
EUREKA DAY
Now through Sept. 27 | City Stage at Union Station
When a mumps outbreak puts the board of directors of the Eureka Day School on their heels, forced to reexamine their vaccination policy, almost all hell breaks loose as everyone tries to do the right thing without offending someone else. Is it possible to make a decision about vaccinations that will please everyone? Find out. Tickets at www.kcactors.org.
HALLELUJAH GIRLS
Sept. 10 – Nov. 16 | New Theatre Restaurant
When an abandoned church goes on the market, a circle of friends turns it into a day spa, rediscovering their strength and the joy that comes from laughter in the process. Richard Karn, star of TV’s Home Improvement, holds down the fort (and his testosterone) in this new comedy. Tickets at www.newtheatre.com.
ELECTRIC POE
Sept. 14 – Nov. 1 | Coterie Theatre at Union Cemetery
Just in time for Halloween, the Coterie rolls out this seasonal favorite, staged for 60 creepy minutes in front of the “holding vault” at the nearby Union Cemetery, Kansas City’s oldest. Hold onto to your loved ones — it’s a scary ride. Tickets at www.thecoterie.org.
JITNEY
Sept. 17 – 26 | Just Off Broadway Theatre
KC Melting Pot Theatre opens its 12th Season with the cornerstone of August Wilson’s celebrated American Century Cycle. Set in a Pittsburgh gypsy cab station in the 1970s, the play follows drivers who built their own transportation business from the ground up, serving a community the official system refused to see. As urban renewal spreads and the city plans threaten to erase the block that has held them together, the drivers confront questions of fatherhood, loyalty and legacy, each staking a claim to what the future should look like and who gets to build it. Tickets at www.kcmeltingpot.com.
BEETLEJUICE
Oct. 2 – 4 | Starlight Theatre
Say the title three times and you’re in big trouble. The musical that refuses to die has been touring the country with occasional stops back on Broadway since it opened in 2019, following a tryout here at the National (talk about returning from the dead!). Based on Tim Burton’s film about an unusual teenager whose life changes when she meets a demon with a thing for stripes, this is one wacky musical. Tickets at www.kcstarlight.com.
JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN
Oct. 6 – 25 | Copaken Stage
Five young women fueled by pop music and fury find their voices as they study Arthur Miller’s political allegory The Crucible, which helps them shed light on some of the darkest secrets in their one-stoplight town. KCRep presents the first regional theatre production of this provocative, timely and ultimately empowering new play, nominated for the Tony® Award for Best Play. Tickets at www.KCRep.org.
BAT BOY THE MUSICAL
Oct. 8 – Nov. 1 | Music Theater Heritage in Crown Center
Half-boy, half-bat creature discovered in a cave, the eponymous minor embarks on an exploration of love, acceptance and identity in this off-Broadway hit musical. Spooky fun for the holiday season compliments of the folks at MTH. Tickets at www.mthkc.com.
RED LIKE FRUIT
Oct. 14 – 25 | Unicorn Theatre
The uneasy terrain of memory, complicity and voice in the post-#MeToo era animates the characters in this Edinburgh Festival Award winner. Why exactly did Lauren ask Luke to narrate her life and what does the process uncover for the both of them? Also, what’s true? Tickets at www.unicorntheatre.org.
SWEENEY TODD
Oct. 30 – Nov. 8 | Johnson County Arts and Heritage Center
Spinning Tree Theatre, a company devoted to providing access and opportunity to actors at all levels and stages of development, takes on the Tony® Award winning musical by Stephen Sondheim. In 19th-century London, a barber framed for a crime he did not commit returns to face his accusers and find his wife and daughter amid the squalor, stench and corruption of the era. Tickets at www.spinningtreetheatre.com.
Compiled by Mark Edelman
