ABOUT THE SEASON
This 2026-2027 season, as we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of our country’s birth, the Chattanooga Theatre Centre invites you on a journey through The American Experience. From the revolutionary sparks of our founding to the bustling sidewalks of New York City, and even to the remote airstrip of Gander, Newfoundland, where global paths crossed in a moment of crisis, our stage becomes a mirror reflecting the diverse, complex, and resilient spirit of a nation and its neighbors. Through the lens of this season’s productions, we explore the threads that bind us: the courage of strangers in Come From Away, the hard-fought ideals of The American Revolution, the nostalgic Southern roots of See Rock City, the pursuit of the American Dream in West Side Story and how it is reimaged in You Can't Take It With You. These stories are more than just entertainment; they are a tapestry of our shared history, our struggles, and our triumphs.
We invite you to step into the Theatre not just as spectators, but as active participants in a larger dialogue. Come experience these stories and join the conversation about what it truly means to be a part of this collective journey. Whether through laughter, reflection, or song, let’s explore these stories together - one performance at a time.
COME FROM AWAY
September 11 – September 27, 2026 | Adult Musical - Main Stage
Come From Away is based on the true story of the time when the isolated community of Gander, Newfoundland, played host to the world. What started as an average day in a small town turned into an international sleepover, when 38 planes, carrying thousands of people from around the globe, were diverted to Gander’s airstrip on September 11, 2001. Undaunted by culture clashes and language barriers, the people of Gander cheered the stranded travelers with music, an open bar and the recognition that we’re all part of a global family.
The Entire American Revolution (In 40 Minutes or Less!)
September 26 – October 4, 2026 | Youth - Circle Theatre History Comedy
History has never been so fun... or so fast! Flying through the major points of America’s quest for independence, this fast-and-loose comedy plays like a highlight reel of history in hilarious fashion! From the Boston Tea Party to the Battle of Bunker Hill (Did you know it was really Breed Hill?!) to the crossing of the Delaware and onward to the British surrender at Yorktown, the historical meets the hysterical in this one act delight!
SEE ROCK CITY
November 6 – November 22, 2026 | Adult - Circle Theatre Drama
Picking up a year after the ending of Arlene Hutton's critically acclaimed Last Train to Nibroc, this tender and funny sequel follows May and Raleigh through the end of World War II and introduces the characters of their two mothers-in-law. A medical condition keeps Raleigh from military service, and he is forced to sit idly on the porch, watching the cars drive by, as May supports them both as a high-school principal. Faced with daily rejection letters for his writing, constant criticism from his mother and taunts of cowardice from townspeople, Raleigh fights to find meaning in his new life. When tragedy strikes the family and May loses her job to returning soldiers, she discovers she must make an unimaginable sacrifice to save her relationship with Raleigh. This tender portrayal of married life, set against the backdrop of World War II, shows the best of the human spirit and its ability to overcome any and all obstacles. The second play of a trilogy, and the recipient of the MacLean Foundation's “In the Spirit of America” Award, SEE ROCK CITY stands alone as a very funny, touching and universal portrayal of a young couple very much in love.
Harry Connick Jr.’s The Happy Elf
December 4 – December 20, 2026 | Youth/Adult Musical - Main Stage
A new musical comedy by the Grammy Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated composer and lyricist, Harry Connick, Jr.'s The Happy Elf tells the tale of Eubie the Elf, a lovable fellow who wants to spread Christmas joy throughout the town of Bluesville. Hoping to introduce a new generation of children to the joys of jazz, Connick has crafted a musical landscape against which Eubie's story unfolds.
Schoolhouse Rock Live!
February 13 – February 21, 2027 | Youth Musical - Main Stage
A pop culture phenomenon comes to the musical stage in Schoolhouse Rock Live! The Emmy Award-winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math and more through clever, tuneful songs is not only making a small-screen comeback, it's lighting up stages everywhere – from school multi-purpose rooms to university and regional theatres all around the country.
Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
March 12 – March 21, 2027 | Adult - Main Stage Classic
Julius Caesar is a historical tragedy by William Shakespeare, first performed around 1599, that dramatizes the conspiracy to assassinate the Roman dictator Julius Caesar and the subsequent civil war. The play explores themes of power, betrayal, and honor, focusing on the moral conflict of Brutus, who joins the plot to save the Roman Republic from Caesar's perceived tyranny, only to see Rome plunged into chaos after the assassination. Key moments include the "Ides of March" assassination, Mark Antony's powerful funeral oration, and the final battle where the conspirators are defeated.
The Complete History of America (abridged)
April 2 – April 18, 2027 | Adult - Circle Theatre Comedy
600 years of history in 6000 seconds … history will never be the same! From Washington to Watergate, yea verily from the Bering Straits to Baghdad, from New World to New World Order – THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF AMERICA (ABRIDGED) is a ninety-minute rollercoaster ride through the glorious quagmire that is American History, reminding us that it's not the length of your history that matters — it's what you've done with it!
You Can’t Take It With You
April 30 – May 16, 2027 | Adult - Main Stage Comedy
Grandpa Vanderhof lives “just around the corner from Columbia University – but don’t go looking for it.” Grandpa is the paterfamilias of an extended, loving and eccentric family which includes a daughter who fancies herself a romance novelist; her husband, an amateur fireworks expert; a xylophone player/leftist leaflet printer; an untalented ballerina; a couple on relief; and a ballet master exiled from Soviet Russia. When Grandpa’s granddaughter Alice, an attractive and loving girl who is still embarrassed by her family’s eccentricities, falls for her boss, Tony, a handsome scion of Wall Street, she fears that their two families – so unlike in manner, politics, and finances – will never come together. And that’s when the fireworks begin...
During a disastrous dinner party, Alice’s worst fears are confirmed. Her prospective in-laws are humiliated in a party game and the house is raided by the FBI. Frustrated and upset, Alice intends to run away to the country, until Grandpa and Co. – playing the role of Cupid – manage not only to bring the happy couple together, but to set Tony’s father straight about the true priorities in life. After all, why be obsessed by money? You can’t take it with you…
West Side Story
July 16 – August 1, 2027 | Adult Musical - Main Stage
From the first notes to the final breath, West Side Story is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time. Arthur Laurents' book remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. The score by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim are widely regarded as among the best ever written. The world's greatest love story takes to the streets in this landmark Broadway musical that is one of the theatre's finest accomplishments.