10 best shows paired with (more than) 10 best dinner spots to keep you busy this spring

This season’s theater lineup in the Philadelphia region brings bold, sassy musicals (& Juliet, Some Like It Hot), smart plays about the immigrant experience (Young Americans, Endlings), dramas about love and loneliness (Birthday Candles, Primary Trust), classic crowd-pleasers (Dreamgirls, Rent), and an exciting world premiere adaptation of James Baldwin’s groundbreaking gay novel Giovanni’s Room.

Here are 10 productions we’re most excited to see this spring — plus nearby food and drink recommendations.

Playwright Lauren Yee has made a name for herself in the last decade with incisive, funny, and courageous works about assimilation, cultural identity, and the complex perils of authenticity. You may already have seen her writing work on Apple TV+’s epic adaptation of the literary masterpiece Pachinko. Luckily, Yee’s voice comes to Montgomery County this month with her road trip comedy Young Americans, which follows two cross-country treks two decades apart: one westward-bound with the newly engaged couple Jenny and Joe, the other heading back East with Joe and their adopted daughter Lucy.

Dinner rec: Norristown has plenty of options just a four-to-nine minute drive from the venue. For a quick, light bite, try a zep — a hoagie without lettuce — at Eve’s Lunch. Craving Mexican? El Limon serves up al pastor tacos and chorizo enchiladas. And if it’s tomato pie you’re after, Corropolese Bakery & Deli is a must visit before or after the show.

Theatre Horizon, 401 DeKalb St., Norristown, Pa., 610-283-2230 or theatrehorizon.org

Shakespeare gets a pop star makeover with a feminist twist on his celebrated romantic tragedy in this Tony-nominated jukebox musical written and produced by hitmaker Max Martin. This time, Juliet gets out of her forbidden relationship alive to pursue other adventures, all told through bubblegum pop hits from Britney Spears, Pink, Kelly Clarkson, and other stars. As potentially corny as the premise might sound, the book is cleverly funny thanks to the wit of David West Read, best known as an Emmy-winning writer and executive producer of Schitt’s Creek.

Dinner rec: Center City is brimming with great options for pre- and postshow dining. At Little Nonna’s, enjoy a cozy, low-lit space while savoring plates of bucatini cacio e pepe and pan-seared gnocchi.

Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St., Phila., 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org

The musical that made beloved Philadelphia actor-singer Sheryl Lee Ralph a Tony-nominated star in 1982 is back in town with unforgettable songs, incredible harmonies, and enviable fashion. The titular trio — modeled after 1960s groups like the Supremes and the Shirelles — experiences skyrocketing fame that lands them in the spotlight while simultaneously threatening their close bond. Gabrielle Beckford will play Deena, taking on the role Ralph originated (and Beyoncé popularized); Aveena Sawyer and Khalifa White will join her as Effie and Lorrell, respectively. Directed by choreographer Gerry McIntyre, the catchy show will surely be a dance-in-your-seat event.

Dinner rec: Prepare for all that dancing with an Italian meal at Giorgio on Pine, which offers a special menu for gluten-free diners. If you’re looking for seafood, head to Oyster House for oysters Rockefeller and chilled ceviche. End the evening with a nightcap at Dirty Franks.

Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut St., Phila., 215-574-3550 or walnutstreettheatre.org

“Have I wasted my life?” Ernestine Ashworth asks her mother — on just her 17th birthday. Of course she was only getting started. Noah Haidle’s heartwarming drama drops the audience into Ernestine’s birthday celebrations across decades of her life, up to 101, cycling through love and loss while she maintains a tradition of making her mother’s signature golden butter cake. People’s Light veteran Abigail Adams will direct this iteration with company member Teri Lamm at the center. The wholesome story delivers “a lesson on survival and a bold reminder to live each day with zest and adventure,” according to Variety’s review. We could use that feeling right about now.

Dinner rec: Enjoy fresh pastas like spaghetti with clams and rigatoni with beef rib at Restaurant Alba, or indulge in beef Wellington, snapper soup, and pretzel-crusted chicken schnitzel at General Warren. Either way, post- or preshow fine dining isn’t hard to find when you’re in Malvern.

People’s Light, 39 Conestoga Rd., Malvern, Pa., 610-644-3500 or peopleslight.org

The last time Blanka Zizka, the Wilma’s legendary cofounder, directed a play by Pulitzer finalist Rajiv Joseph in Philadelphia, it was a raving success. Five years after Describe the Night, the duo reunites for another incisive, disarmingly funny take on major historical events that blends fact and fiction. In Archduke, meet the goofy, impressionable teenage assassins who triggered World War I by killing Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. The satirical drama provides a provocative look at how promises of patriotic glory can exploit the most vulnerable and drive them to commit terrorist acts of epic proportions.

Dinner rec: Indulge in a $40 prix fixe dinner with Greek casseroles and lamb shank before the show at Estia Restaurant. After the show, sip on a grapefruit gin spritz or a vanilla espresso martini at Harp & Crown.

Wilma Theater, 265 S. Broad St., Phila., 215-546-7824 or wilmatheater.org

After an off-Broadway run that dazzled critics and earned playwright Eboni Booth the Pulitzer in 2024, Primary Trust arrives in Princeton as a coproduction with Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, helmed by acclaimed director Timothy Douglas. Kenneth is a loner in a small town who regularly knocks back mai tais at a bar where he rarely speaks to anyone. Starting a new job as a bank teller, he begins opening up, making new friends while breaking the fourth wall to invite viewers into his tortured mind where childhood trauma lingers. It’s not a spoiler to say it ends on an uplifting note.

Dinner rec: Share flatbreads, branzino, chicken Parm, and more at the cozy family-style tables inside Agricola Eatery, just eight minutes from the venue. Or venture into Ayat’s Princeton location for a Palestinian feast featuring za’atar margarita pizza, lamb chops, maklouba (upside down six-layer dish of chicken, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower, eggplant, and rice), and shrimp kebabs. If Kenneth has you craving cocktails, head over to the Dinky Bar & Kitchen next door.

McCarter Theater Center, 91 University Place, Princeton, N.J., 609-258-2787 or mccarter.org

Before releasing her semiautobiographical film Past Lives — a 2024 best picture Oscar nominee — writer/director Celine Song penned plays. Endlings, like Past Lives, examines an immigrant writer looking to reconnect with her Korean roots, through a play about haenyeos, female divers who have harvested seafood for generations. The narrative alternates between the New York playwright agonizing over commodifying her identity and the impressive elder seawomen representing the last practitioners of their historic, adventurous heritage. Like those expert excavators, Song comes up with treasures.

Dinner rec: Delco’s dining scene is underrated with some great restaurants in Media. Enter the medieval-looking dining hall at Towne House restaurant and you’ll find rabbit pot pie, oyster stew, and croquettes. Then, there’s broth-filled soup dumplings and Sichuan-spiced shrimp at Dim Sum Mania. If you’re inspired by the play, Seoul Korean BBQ and Hot Pot and Pocha Street are Korean restaurants nearby.

Hedgerow Theatre, 64 Rose Valley Rd., Media, Pa., 610-565-4211 or hedgerowtheatre.org

Whether you’ve heard this soundtrack once or a hundred times, Rent never gets old. Set in 1980s New York, Jonathan Larson’s brilliantly crafted tearjerker based loosely on Puccini’s iconic opera La bohème is about a group of bohemians navigating encroaching gentrification and the devastating AIDS epidemic. The rock musical breaks your heart before putting it back together with rousing songs about love, pain, and resilience — and plenty of absurdly hilarious asides. Arden artistic director Terrence Nolen teams up with Steve Pacek, who last year codirected Theatre Horizon’s production of Larson’s autobiographical musical tick, tick…BOOM!, to direct this new immersive staging.

Dinner recs: In Old City, Royal Boucherie offers classic French cuisine just a block from the Arden Theatre — perfect for a preshow dinner. Try escargot, steak frites, branzino, and finish with crème brûlée topped with summer berries. After the show, unwind at the loungy, neon-lit Bleu Martini, where you can sip on fruity, buzzy cocktails like a blueberry schnapps and floral vodka mix or a vanilla, cherry, and orange Bulleit cocktail. Or, if you’re craving pizza, head to Angelo Pizza for a slice.

Arden Theatre, 40 N. Second St., Phila., 215-922-1122 or ardentheatre.org

The uproarious Tony-winning musical based on the 1959 film of the same name lands in Center City this season. Some Like It Hot has transformed into a gender-bending big band production with a nonbinary character at the center, which made awards history in 2023 when J. Harrison Ghee became the first nonbinary actor to win the Tony Award for best leading actor in a musical. Tavis Kordell steps into the standout role of Jerry/Daphne on this first national tour. In the story, two jazz musicians dress up as women to escape Chicago gangsters; tap dancing, singing, and falling in love along the way all while showcasing stellar choreography and killer costumes.

Dinner rec: High Street Restaurant & Bar isn’t too far from Forrest Theatre. Head there for pastas with duck ragu and pizzas with fennel sausage. And for a late night snack, Masala Kitchen has got you covered with kati rolls.

Forrest Theatre, 1114 Walnut St., Phila., 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.org

The highly anticipated world premiere adaptation of James Baldwin’s 1956 novel opens in Mount Airy with exclusive permission from the monumental author’s estate. The classic tragedy — the namesake for the Gayborhood’s historic LGBTQ+ bookstore — has rarely been adapted before. Tackling the challenge are Paul Oakley Stovall, who penned Quintessence’s 2023 play about trailblazing poet Phillis Wheatley, and actor/playwright Benjamin Sprunger. Baldwin’s vivid, timeless prose provides rich material for live theater from the very first line: “I stand at the window of this great house in the south of France as night falls, the night which is leading me to the most terrible morning of my life.”

Dinner rec: Reserve a seat at one of Philly’s best restaurants, Jansen, with a preshow dinner and splurge on elegantly plated dishes (think beef Wellington and charred cabbage steak) — be sure to get the chocolate love cake for dessert. And if casual dining with hearty platters of Ethiopian food is more your vibe, head to Salam Cafe for beef stew, spicy lentils, and baklava to finish.

Quintessence Theatre at the Sedgwick Theater, 7137 Germantown Ave., Phila., 215-987-4450 or quintessencetheatre.org