Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre Announces Dynamic 2025–26 Season Lineup

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre has unveiled its much-anticipated 2025–26 season, promising a vibrant mix of musical comedies, literary classics, and timeless favorites designed to captivate audiences of all ages.

The season opens in October with the hit Broadway musical Something Rotten!, an irreverent, laugh-out-loud Shakespearean spoof set in 1590. Created by Grammy Award-winner Wayne Kirkpatrick, alongside Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, the show follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom as they attempt to outshine William Shakespeare by inventing the world’s first musical. Hailed by Time Out New York as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years,” this crowd-pleaser sets the tone for an imaginative and eclectic season.

For the holidays, Civic revisits a festive fan favorite: A Christmas Story, The Musical. Returning after its popular 2022 run, this nostalgic production brings to life the beloved tale of 9-year-old Ralphie Parker and his pursuit of the ultimate Christmas gift—an Official Red Ryder BB gun. With its heartwarming humor and familiar setting of 1940s Indiana, it’s a perfect outing for families during the holiday season.

In early 2026, Civic introduces two fresh stage adaptations of literary classics. February brings The Great Gatsby to the Tarkington’s Knebel Stage, adapted by Simon Levy. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic tale of wealth, desire, and illusion in the Jazz Age will be rendered in all its opulent splendor.

March takes audiences to the more intimate Studio Theatre for The Scarlet Letter, adapted by Kate Hamill. Known for her energetic reimaginings of literary works, Hamill breathes new life into Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic, focusing on the defiant and resilient Hester Prynne as she challenges societal expectations in Puritan New England. Both plays will also include weekday student matinees tailored to align with school curricula.

Civic’s season will conclude with the beloved musical Fiddler on the Roof. Winner of nine Tony Awards, this enduring classic tells the story of Tevye, a Jewish milkman grappling with tradition, faith, and change in early 20th-century Russia. With iconic songs like “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Sunrise, Sunset,” the production promises to be an emotional and uplifting finale to a memorable season.

Season subscriptions go on sale May 28 and can be purchased through CivicTheatre.org or by contacting the Box Office at the Allied Solutions Center for the Performing Arts at 317.843.3800 or tickets@thecenterpresents.org.

With something for every theater lover—from musical comedy to dramatic literature—Civic’s 2025–26 season is not to be missed.