The Ann Arbor theatre scene is lively. Several groups produce Ann Arbor theater shows for kids and families – or starring them.
I love taking my daughter to see live theater and concerts. The local productions are so much less expensive than the touring productions so we can see more performances. There are lots of options for family-friendly affordable Ann Arbor plays and concerts.
Family Friendly Theater Performances Near Ann Arbor
There are several types of live theater near Ann Arbor to take your kids to. There are productions by professional theaters geared towards children, there are performances by youth and students for all ages, and there are performances for all ages.
Michigan Theater’s Not Just for Kids offer plays in Ann Arbor geared towards preschoolers and elementary aged kids. Spinning Dot Theater typically offers a number of shows for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.
There are plenty of options for local youth to be involved in theater. In addition to the local schools, Young Peoples Theater and Professional Youth Theatre of Michigan have upcoming performances. In the past, Ann Arbor Civic Theater, Ypsilanti Youth Theater, and other community programs give kids the opportunity to perform on stage.
The Ann Arbor area also features a number of theater performances that are good for all ages including children, tweens, or teens.
Local plays and musicals near Ann Arbor are typically clustered a few times a year. The first round of youth theater performances are often in November with holiday shows in December. The next round of shows are usually in February/March with the “big” shows in late April and May.
Season Schedules
Typically high school and local theater groups announce the shows and dates in their season before announcing showtimes and starting ticket sales. We can’t add shows to our calendar without showtimes, so we are sharing the 2023-2024 seasons below.
Ann Arbor Theater Plays from Local High Schools
- Huron Players
- November 2-5 – Little Women
- February 1-4 – Beauty and the Beast
- Pioneer Theatre Guild
- November 9-12 – The Addams Fmaily
- January 26-28 – All American Boys
- February 10 – Future Stars
- May 2-5 – Mean Girls
- Skyline High School
- November 4-5, 10-12 The Pirates of Penzance
- January 19 – Senior One Acts
- February 14-15 – Theatre II (TBA)
- April 12-14 – Clue
- Dexter Drama Club
- October 26-29 – Murder On the Orient Express
- November 16-19 – Dexter Drama Directing Showcase
- February 9-11 & 16-18 – Frozen Jr
- April 25-28 Pippen
- Lincoln Theatre
- November 16-19 – Elf
- February 9 – Wonder Hat
- May 9-12 Radium Girls
- Saline High School
- November 3-5 – The Curious Savage
- March 15-17 – Beauty and the Beast
Local Plays Near Us from Community Groups
- Young People’s Theater
- November 16-19 – School of Rock
- May 17-19 – The Little Mermaid
- Not Just for Kids at Michigan Theater
- October 8 – Cat Kid: Comic Club The Musical
- November 11 – Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live: King for a Day The Grr-ific Musical
- December 8 – A Very Electric Christmas
- December 16 – The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System
- March 17 – Ada Twist, Scientist & Friends
- May 5 – Dog Man the Musical
- Professional Youth Theatre of Michigan
- October 5-8 – WIlly Wonka
- November 30-December 3- Newsies Jr
- Horizon Performing Arts
- October 19-22 – Avenue Q – They note the performance is rated R and not for kids.
- April 19-21 – James and the Giant Peach
- Saline Area Players
- November 30-December 3- Ho Ho Ho The Santa Claus Chronicles
- April 18-21 – Charlotte’s Web
- Dexter Community Players
- November 9-12 Disaster! The Musical
- Winter 2024 – Finding Nemo Jr
- April 11-14 – Company (For older teens & adults)
- Summer 2024 – Newsies
Upcoming Local Plays and Musicals
Check out the upcoming plays and musicals. Be sure to check the links for how to buy tickets and other box office information.
| Date/Time | Event | |
|---|---|---|
| 💙 | 04/18/2024 7:00pm | Charlotte's Web at The Well Church, Saline Michigan |
| 💙 | 04/19/2024 7:00pm | Charlotte's Web at The Well Church, Saline Michigan |
| 💙🎟 | 04/19/2024 7:00pm | James and the Giant Peach Jr at Riverside Arts Center, Ypsilanti MI |
| 💙🎟 | 04/20/2024 1:00pm | James and the Giant Peach Jr at Riverside Arts Center, Ypsilanti MI |
| 💙 | 04/20/2024 3:00pm | Charlotte's Web at The Well Church, Saline Michigan |
| 💙🎟 | 04/20/2024 7:00pm | James and the Giant Peach Jr at Riverside Arts Center, Ypsilanti MI |
| 💙🎟 | 04/21/2024 1:00pm | James and the Giant Peach Jr at Riverside Arts Center, Ypsilanti MI |
| 💙 | 04/21/2024 3:00pm | Charlotte's Web at The Well Church, Saline Michigan |
| 💙 | 04/25/2024 7:00pm | Pippin at Dexter High School, Dexter Michigan |
| 💙 | 04/26/2024 7:00pm | Pippin at Dexter High School, Dexter Michigan |
| 💙 | 04/27/2024 7:00pm | Pippin at Dexter High School, Dexter Michigan |
| 💙 | 04/28/2024 2:00pm | Pippin at Dexter High School, Dexter Michigan |
| 💙🎟 | 05/02/2024 7:00pm | Mean Girls School Edition at Pioneer High School, Ann Arbor Michigan |
| 💙🎟 | 05/03/2024 7:00pm | Mean Girls School Edition at Pioneer High School, Ann Arbor Michigan |
| 💙🎟 | 05/04/2024 2:00pm | Mean Girls School Edition at Pioneer High School, Ann Arbor Michigan |
| 💙🎟 | 05/04/2024 7:00pm | Mean Girls School Edition at Pioneer High School, Ann Arbor Michigan |
| 💙🎟 | 05/05/2024 2:00pm | Mean Girls School Edition at Pioneer High School, Ann Arbor Michigan |
| 💙🎟 | 05/05/2024 2:00pm-3:00pm | Not Just For Kids: Dog Man the Musical at Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor MI |
Ann Arbor Concerts for Families
In addition to the Ann Arbor Theater Performances for kids, there are also plenty of family friendly concerts around town. The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra offers performances throughout the year. UMS also offers multiple performance options. Don’t miss the annual AAPS Picnic Pops or Bands in Review featuring performances from each of the AAPS middle and high school bands.
The local universities are also great sources for local concerts. University of Michigan offers shows from their School of Music, Theatre, and Dance and University Musical Society. Eastern Michigan University and Concordia also produce shows.
Every summer there are also outdoor concert series that are great for families.
Upcoming Concerts
| Date/Time | Event | |
|---|---|---|
| 💙🎟 | 04/20/2024 7:00pm | Tales from the Realm of Pops at Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor MI |
| 💙🆓🎟 | 04/21/2024 11:00am | Celebrate Earth Day with Joe Reilly and Friends at Ypsilanti Freighthouse, Ypsilanti Michigan |
| 💙🆓🎟 | 04/21/2024 1:00pm | Celebrate Earth Day with Joe Reilly and Friends at Ypsilanti Freighthouse, Ypsilanti Michigan |
