The Best Live Performances Near Ann Arbor for Families

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.

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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 2024-2025 seasons below.

For 2024-2025, we are excited to see A2 Civic Theatre return with their first Jr show since before the pandemic!

Ann Arbor Theater Plays from Local High Schools

• Huron Players
  • Fall Show – Romeo & Juliet
• Pioneer Theatre Guild
  • November 7-10 – Newsies
  • Dates TBA – A Wrinkle in Time
  • Date TBA – Future Stars 2025
  • May 1-4 – Spring Awakening
  • Dates TBA – Student Productions
• Skyline High School
  • November 15-17 – The Wizard of Oz
  • February 7-9 – Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein
  • May 2-4 – Spring Musical (TBA)
  • May 13-14 – Theatre II/III
• Dexter Drama Club
  • October 24-26 – Little Women
  • October 26-27 – Charlotte’s Web (Middle School)
  • November 21-24 – Student Directed, Performed, Student crew, and often student written
  • February 7-9 & 14-16 – Brigadoon
  • April 24-27 – Mamma Mia
• Lincoln Theatre
  • November 21-24 – Little Shop of Horrors
  • Jen & Feb – The Most Massive Woman Wins
  • May 8-11 A Vampire Story
• Saline High School
  • November 15-17 – The Laramie Project
• Chelsea High School Theatre Guild
  • October 19-20 – High School Musical
  • December 14 – The Gilded Gala
  • April 26-27 – Sherlock Holmes

Local Plays Near Us from Community Groups

• Young People’s Theater
  • December 13-15 – Seussical
  • May 16-18 – Elf The Musical
• Not Just for Kids at Michigan Theater
  • September 15 – Mr C Live Vol 2 – The World in Motion
  • October 16 – Wild Kratts Live 2.0
  • February 13 – A Year with Frog and Toad
  • April 12 – Dot Dot Dot: A New Musical
• A2 Civic Theatre
  • March 13-15 – Frozen, Jr
• Professional Youth Theatre of Michigan
  • December 13-15 & 20-22 Elf Jr
• Horizon Performing Arts
  • October 18-19 – Horizon’s Got Rhythm
  • April 2025 – Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella Youth Edition
  • July 2025 – Legally Blonde The Musical
• Saline Area Players
  • December 5-8 The Best Christmas Pageant Ever
• Dexter Community Players
  • Fall 2024: The Hunchback of Notre Dame with Pinckney Players
  • Winter 2025 – Matilda Jr
  • Spring 2025 – Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead
  • Summer 2025 – Mamma Mia!
• Chelsea Area Players (CAP)
  • Nov 15-17 – Fall CAP Jr is Tom ‘n Huck

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.

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

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