The best plays and musicals on the Philly theater circuit this spring

The big touring Broadway shows coming our way this season are musicals. This month, it’s Hello, Dolly at the Academy of Music. April brings Dear Evan Hansen to the Forrest Theatre. In June, we get Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, also at the Academy of Music.

On Philly’s own theater scene, historical dramas abound, some reset in modern times. There’s also plenty of silliness — usually involving technology run amok. And as part of its upcoming Philip Glass festival (Feb. 16-March 14), the Annenberg Center world-premieres The White Lama, a multidisciplinary production with a score he co-composed.

Philly Theatre Week, underway now (through Feb. 16), offers 300 events hosted by 75 participating companies in a citywide theatrical extravaganza. Tickets are $30, $15, or free. Intriguing performances at the zero-dollar level include Team Sunshine Performance Corporation’s bilingual production Bienvenidos Blancos! /Welcome White People! (Feb. 14 and 15, Pearson Hall Theatre, Swarthmore).

Three noteworthy plays complete their runs this weekend — Thurgood at Walnut Street Theatre, The Children at People’s Light in Malvern, and Goodnight Nobody at Princeton’s McCarter Theatre Center, all ending Feb. 9 — and the season then continues with these:

Bedlam Theatre’s King Lear (through Feb. 16, Bristol Riverside Theatre). Visiting all-female cast from New York company takes on William Shakespeare’s epic tale of sorrow, madness, and forgiveness. (215-785-0100, brtstage.org)

Man of God (through Feb. 16, Interact Theatre Co. at the Drake). Four Korean-American girls on a mission trip discover a camera hidden in their hotel bathroom. (215-568-8079, interacttheatre.org)

The Vertical Hour (through Feb. 16, Lantern Theater Co.). Shifting alliances and family secrets abound in a cross-continental marriage. (215-829-0395, lanterntheater.org)

Describe the Night (through Feb. 22, Wilma Theater). Lies, history, conspiracy theories, Russia. Need we say more? Part spy thriller, part epic fantasy. (215-546-7824, wilmatheater.org)

Rachel (through Feb. 23, Quintessence Theatre Group at the Sedgwick Theater). When Rachel opened on April 25, 1917, this domestic drama about life in an African American family was the first play by an African American author with an all-black cast performed before an integrated audience. (215-987-4450, quintessencetheatre.org)

A Hundred Words for Snow (through Feb. 23, Inis Nua Theatre Co. at The Drake). When 15-year-old Rory’s father dies, she sets out to complete his dream expedition to the North Pole. (215-454-9776, inisnuatheatre.org)

Fool for Love (through Feb. 23, EgoPo Classic Theater). The current offering in EgoPo’s season of Sam Shepard plays, Fool for Love portrays the havoc wreaked by love. (267-273-1414, egopo.org)

Eleanor, An American Love Story (through Feb. 23, Media Theatre Co.). Another White House spouse who could have been president, had she been born in a different time. (610-891-0100, mediatheatre.org)

Crimes of the Heart (through Feb. 23, Montgomery Theater, Souderton). The youngest sister is out on bail after having shot her husband. That’s just the start. (215-723-9984, montgomerytheater.org)

I Heart Alice Heart I (through Feb. 29, Curio Theatre Co.). Two women named Alice kiss each other in a Dublin shopping center. A ruckus ensues. (215-921-8243, curiotheatre.org)

Abigail 1702/ A Twice Told Tale (through Feb. 29, South Camden Theatre Co.). Abigail Williams, the lead accuser in the Salem witch cases, must atone. (866-811-4111, southcamdentheatre.org)

A Woman of No Importance (through March 1, Walnut Street Theatre). Oscar Wilde’s satire masterfully mocks British society. (215-574-3550, walnutstreettheatre.org)

The Haunting (through March 1, Hedgerow Theatre, Rose Valley). Ghost stories by Charles Dickens, adapted for stage. (610-565-4211, hedgerowtheatre.org)

My General Tubman (through March 15, Arden Theatre Co.). World premiere by Philadelphia author Lorene Cary on Harriet Tubman’s legacy. The popular production has now extended its run, twice. (215-925-1122, ardentheatre.org)

One Man Star Wars Trilogy (Feb. 11-Feb. 15, Bucks County Playhouse) May the force be with Charles Ross as he condenses three Star Wars movie plots into one hilarious production. (215-862-2121, bcptheater.org)

Together Again for the First Time (Feb. 12-Feb. 23, 1812 Productions at Plays & Players). Philadelphia favorites Tony Braithwaite and Jennifer Childs create their own work inspired by classic comedy acts. (215-592-9560, 1812productions.org)

Outside Mullingar (Feb. 12-March 1, Delaware Theatre Co.). A rom-com set in rural Ireland starring two clueless lovelorn farmers. (302-594-1100, delawaretheatre.org)

Babel (Feb. 13-March 8, Theatre Exile). A talking stork, lesbian moms, and the power to build your own baby — a Philadelphia premiere by local playwright Jacqueline Goldfinger. (215-218-4022, theatreexile.org)

Love (Feb. 14, Tiny Dynamite at Manayunk Brewing Co.). Love scenes, love poems, love essays — every ticket comes with pizza and a beer. (215-399-0088, tinydynamite.org)

Everything is Wonderful (Feb. 14-March 8, Philadelphia Theatre Co.). Philadelphia premiere. A heartfelt drama about forgiveness and secrets. Interestingly, the play involves an Amish family. (215-985-0420, philadelphiatheatrecompany.org)

One Man Stranger Things (Feb. 15-Feb. 16, Bucks County Playhouse). A parody of the popular Netflix series. (215-862-2121, bcptheater.org)

Hello, Dolly! (Feb. 19-March 1, Academy of Music). She’s looking swell in this Tony Award-winning best musical revival. (215-893-1999, kimmelcenter.org)

Popcorn Falls (Feb. 25-March 29, Walnut Street Theatre Independence Studio on 3). Can one play save a town’s beloved waterfalls from being turned into a sewage treatment plant? (215-574-3550, walnutstreettheatre.org)

Turn (Feb. 26-29, Kimmel Center). M’Balia Singley finds themes in Shakespeare’s tragedy Othello that connect with her experience as a black woman in America. (215-893-1999, kimmelcenter.org)

Renaissance in the Belly of A Killer Whale (Feb. 26-March 3, Wilma Theater). Theater, music, song, and spoken word fuse to tell the story of Harlem’s gentrification. (215-546-7824, wilmatheater.org)

Ship (Feb. 26-March 15, Azuka Theatre at the Drake). Out of rehab, Nel seeks a former classmate who tried and failed to grow the longest fingernails in the world. (215-563-1100, azukatheatre.org)

Shakespeare in Love (Feb. 26-March 29, People’s Light). In this stage adaptation of the movie, Shakespeare’s passionate affair with his muse inspires Romeo and Juliet. (610-644-3500, peopleslight.org)

The Steward of Christendom (Feb. 28-March 15, Irish Heritage Theatre at Plays & Players). A Lear-like Thomas Dunne, ex-superintendent of the Dublin Metropolitan Police, tries to cope with his role during the War for Independence against the British. (irishheritagetheatre.org)

The Agitators (Feb. 28-March 22, Theatre Horizon, Norristown). Susan B. Anthony, a white suffragist wanting to win the vote for women, meets Frederick Douglass, who wants to win the vote for African Americans. Allies? Sometimes. (610-283-2230, theatrehorizon.org)

Bingo Night with Patsy (March 4-March 8, Christ Church Neighborhood House). A South Philly politico opines from her front stoop. (215-592-9560, 1812productions.org)

Oedipus El Rey (March 7-March 22, Teatro Del Sol at the Arden Theatre Co.). Bilingual production of Sophocles’ Greek tragedy, set in Los Angeles. (215-925-1122, ardentheatre.org, teatrodelsol.org)

Sleuth (March 10-March 29, McCarter Theatre Center, Princeton). An Agatha Christie parody. (609-258-2787, mccarter.org)

Cabaret (March 10-April 12, Bristol Riverside Theatre). Wilkommen to a 1929 Berlin nightclub as the Nazis rise to power. (215-785-0100, brtstage.org)

The Best Man (March 10-April 26, Walnut Street Theatre). Gore Vidal’s intensely political game of cat and mouse involving two presidential candidates with the same politics, but very different approaches. (215-574-3550, walnutstreettheatre.org)

Baby (March 11-March 29, Media Theatre Co.). Why can such a little creature turn the world upside down? (610-891-0100, mediatheatre.org)

‘Night, Mother (March 12-April 4, Isis Productions at Christ Church Neighborhood House). Pulitzer Prize-winning drama locks a mother and daughter in a push-pull debate. (isisperforms.com, 609-220-7537)

A Streetcar Named Desire (March 12-April 12, Arden Theatre Co.). Tennessee Williams’ masterpiece about love, sisters, and their men. (215-925-1122, ardentheatre.org)

Othello (March 12-April 19, Lantern Theater Co.). Othello’s an outsider who inspires the love of a daughter of Venice’s elite. (215-829-0395, lanterntheater.org)

The White Lama The Improbable Legacy of Theos Bernard (March 13-March 14, Annenberg Center). Part of the Annenberg Center’s three-week Philip Glass celebration, the multidisciplinary White Lama features a score played live by Tenzin Choegyal and Philip Glass. (215-898-3900, annenbergcenter.org)

Other World (March 13-April 11, Bucks County Playhouse). Two friends find themselves transported into a video game world. A musical. (215-862-2121, bcptheater.org)

Les Misérables (March 17-29, Academy of Music). With new staging and dazzlingly reimagined scenery, still celebrating the resilience of the human spirit. (215-893-1999, kimmelcenter.org)

Hold These Truths (March 18-April 19, People’s Light). The true story of a Japanese Quaker in conflict with the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II. (610-644-3500, peopleslight.org)

Chapter Two (March 24-April 19, Act II Playhouse, Ambler). Neil Simon’s semi-autographical comedy about love and second chances. (215-654-0200, act2.org)

Curse of the Starving Class (March 25-April 12, EgoPo Classic Theater). Wrapping up EgoPo’s season of Sam Shepard plays is this drama about a family on the brink of ruin. (267-273-1414, egopo.org)

Esther Choi and the Fish That Drowned (March 25-April 12, Simpatico Theatre at the Drake). World premiere by Philadelphia playwright Stephanie Kyung Sun Walter involves an Asian grandfather’s haunted dry-cleaning shop on Cheltenham Avenue. (267-437-7529, simpaticotheatre.org)

The Dreams and Madness Repertory (March 25-May 10, Quintessence Theatre Group at Sedgwick Theater). A three-play package: Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Pedro Calderon de la Barca’s Life is a Dream, and Albert Camus’ Caligula. (215-987-4450, quintessencetheatre.org)

Junie B. Jones: The Musical (March 27-April 11, Walnut Street Theatre). Practice makes perfect, in life and in school. For kids. (215-574-3550, walnutstreettheatre.org)

The Niceties (March 27-April 19, InterAct Theatre Co. at the Drake). An academic disagreement over slavery’s role in the Revolutionary War blows up. 215-568-8079, interacttheatre.org)

[SIGN FELT] Sad Boys in Harpy Land (April 2-April 4, Fringe Arts). New work embraces and mocks the one-woman show. (215-413-1318, fringearts.com)

The Marvelous Wonderettes (April 2-April 26, Montgomery Theater, Souderton). Thirty classic ‘50s and ’60s chart-toppers hit all the right notes in this off-Broadway hit about a girl group. (215-723-9984, montgomerytheater.org)

Kiss of Addixion (April 3-4, Power Street Theatre Co. at Teatro Esperanza.) We meet King Oz in his fever dream — a play about people and communities impacted by health injustice. (powerstreettheatre.com)

Jesus Christ Superstar (April 7-April 12, Academy of Music). Resurrected here in Philadelphia. (215-893-1999, kimmelcenter.org)

Dear Evan Hansen (April 7-May 3, Forrest Theatre). When composer and lyricist Benj Pasek, now 34, attended Friends Central in Wynnewood, a classmate died, inspiring this deeply personal musical. (215-893-1999, kimmelcenter.org)

Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat (April 8-June 7, Arden Theatre Co.). Feline mayhem. (215-925-1122, ardentheatre.org)

Orphans (April 9-May 3, Theatre Exile). Two North Philadelphia brothers kidnap a grifter and find a father figure. (215-218-4022, theatreexile.org)

The Wolves (April 10-May 3, Philadelphia Theatre Co.). What do wolves have to do with nine young women on a competitive high school team? Wait and see. (215-985-0420, philadelphiatheatrecompany.org)

A Delicate Balance (April 14-May 17, Walnut Street Theatre Independence Studio on 3). Edward Albee’s Pulitzer Prize- winning drama about friendship, fears, and secrets. (215-574-3550, walnutstreettheatre.org)

Million Dollar Quartet (April 15-May 10, Delaware Theatre Co.). The quartet? Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, and Carl Perkins. Good music guaranteed. (302-594-1100, delawaretheatre.org)

Mamma Mia (April 15-June 14, Media Theatre Co.). A perennial musical favorite. (610-891-0100, mediatheatre.org)

Legal Tender (April 16-April 18, Fringe Arts). Kyle Dacuyan’s new work on consumer culture, labor, and borders. (215-413-1318, fringearts.com)

Galilee: A Staged Reading (April 17-19, Theatre Horizon, Norristown). In this play, it’s water, not fire, affected by climate change in Australia. What will the future hold? (610-283-2230, theatrehorizon.org)

Folk (April 22-May 10, Inis Nua Theatre Co. at The Drake). A foulmouthed nun, a lonely man, and a pregnant teenager connect in this warmhearted play with songs. (215-454-9776, inisnuatheatre.org)

Everybody (April 22-May 16, Curio Theatre Co.). Each actor must learn all the roles, because for every performance, the actors randomly draw the characters they’ll be playing for that show. Whew! (215-921-8243, curiotheatre.org)

No Child (April 22-May 17, Arden Theatre Co.). Playwright Nilaja Sun struggles to lead a class in a city public school. A solo show. (215-925-1122, ardentheatre.org)

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (April 23-May 10, 11th Hour Theatre Co. at Christ Church Neighborhood House). Rolling Stone described Hedwig as the “Best Rock Musical Ever.” (267-987-9865, 11thhourtheatrecompany.org)

Tyndale Place (April 23-May 17, 1812 Productions at Plays & Players). Life in the ‘50s suburbs, second in a trilogy of comic musical period pieces by Jennifer Childs and Monica Stephenson. (215-592-9560, 1812productions.org)

Terminus (April 24-May 16, South Camden Theatre Co.). A mixed-race grandson and his white grandmother care for each other, but the sins of the past haunt her and test his love. (866-811-4111, southcamdentheatre.org)

Back to the Warning Track (April 24-May 17, Eagle Theatre, Hammonton). In a world premiere by Louis Mascolo, a Phillies fan comes into an accidental small fortune. That’s the good news. But the play’s not over. (609-704-5012, eagletheatre.org)

A Room at the Flamingo Hotel (April 29-May 17, Azuka Theatre at The Drake). This world premiere by Philadelphia playwright Lena Barnard involves a country where art is king — he’s literally a statue. (215-563-1100, azukatheatre.org)

The Dance of Death (April 30-May 17, Philadelphia Artists’ Collective at the Franklin Inn Club). August Strindberg’s psychological comedy about the unfairness of divorce and child custody. (267-521-2210, philartistscollective.org)

The Refuge Plays (May 8-June 7, McCarter Theatre Center). Gail, Joy, Ha-Ha, and Grandma Early share a home and more. (609-258-2787, mccarter.org)

The Bodyguard (May 12-July 12, Walnut Street Theatre). And we-e-eeeee will always love this. Romantic thriller with the best-selling soundtrack of all time, live on stage. (215-574-3550, walnutstreettheatre.org)

Athena (May 9-May 31, Theatre Horizon, Norristown). Friendship and competition spar in this fencing comedy. (610-283-2230, theatrehorizon.org)

Bayard Rustin: Inside Ashland (May 13-June 7, People’s Light). A world premiere, this musical offers a glimpse into the openly gay civil rights activist’s transformative moment. (610-644-3500, peopleslight.org)

Boy Project (May 14-May 17, Fringe Arts). New work by Nell Bang-Jensen — Philadelphia youth team with professional actors to tell their stories. (215-413-1318, fringearts.com)

Pippin (May 19-June 14, Act II Playhouse, Ambler). The iconic musical masterpiece from the composer of Godspell and Wicked. (215-654-0200, act2.org)

Once On This Island (May 21-June 21, Arden Theatre Co.). The hardships of forbidden love and the beauty of storytelling. (215-925-1122, ardentheatre.org)

The Misanthrope (May 21-June 28, Lantern Theater Co.). Moliere’s classic satire set in modern-day Washington, D.C. (215-829-0395, lanterntheater.org)

Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons Lemons (May 26-June 6, Inis Nua Theatre Co. at Fergie’s Pub). So relevant today — a play about new Hush Laws limiting each individual to 140 words daily. (215-454-9776, inisnuatheatre.org)

Is God Is (May 26-June 14, Wilma Theater). Sisters fulfill their mother’s dying wish as they seek vengeance against their father. Half hip-hop, half spaghetti western. (215-546-7824, wilmatheater.org)

Nate the Great (May 29-June 6, Walnut Street Theatre). Kids can watch Nate solve a mystery. (215-574-3550, walnutstreettheatre.org)

Steal Her Bones (May 29-June 21, InterAct Theatre Co. at The Drake). Who owns our legacy after we’re gone? (215-568-8079, interacttheatre.org)

janevonbtheater@gmail.com