Encore, Encore! Live Theater & Concerts for Ann Arbor 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 2025-2026 seasons below.

Note: we are in the process of updating this article for 2025-2026

Ann Arbor Theater Plays from Local High Schools

• Huron Players
  • Fall Show – Clue (October 23 & 25)
  • Winter Show – Into the Woods (February 5-8)
  • Spring Show – Ride the Cyclone (April 24-26)
  • HP Finale! – May 30
• Pioneer Theatre Guild
  • Fall Musical – The Spongebob Musical (November 6-9)
  • Future Starts 2026 (Features performers from all AAPS high schools) (January 17)
  • Winter Play – Hamlet (February 6-8)
  • April 30-May 3 – Chicago (Teen Edition)
  • Student Productions (May 16)
• Skyline High School
  • Fall Play – Leaving Iowa (November 14-16)
  • Winter Show – TBD (February 6-8)
  • Spring Musical – Cinderella (May 1-3)
  • Theater 2/3 Show (TBD)
• Dexter Drama Club
  • Macbeth (High School) (October 23-26)
  • 3D Series (High School & Middle School (November 20-23)
  • Cat in the Hat (Middle School) (February 7 & 14)
  • Seussical (High School & Middle School) (February 6-14)
  • Signin’ in the Rain (High School) (April 30-May 3)
• Lincoln Theatre
  • November 21-23 – The Little Mermaid
• Saline High School – No 2025-2026 Announcements Found
  • November 15-17 – The Laramie Project
• Chelsea High School Theatre Guild –
  • Fall Musical – White Christmas (October 18-19)
  • The Gilded Gala (December 13)
• Milan High School
  • Fall Play – The Odd Couple (November 20-22)

Local Plays Near Us from Community Groups

• Young People’s Theater
  • Fall – Beetlejuice – Grade 7-12 (October 16-26)
  • Fall – You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown – Grades K-6 Cast – (November 13-23)
• Not Just for Kids at Michigan Theater – Needs 2025-2026 Update
  • Stuntboy, In the Meantime (November 23)
• A2 Civic Theatre
  • Fall Jr Theatre – Junie B Jones (October 16-19)
  • Spring Jr Theatre – The Thirty-Three Little Pigs (March 6-8)
• Professional Youth Theatre of Michigan
  • Winter Show – Matilda Jr (December 5-14)
  • Winter Teen Company – Hadestown (March 13-22)
  • Winter Kids – 101 Dalmatians Kids (March 20-22)
  • Spring Musical – The Little Mermaid Jr (May 22-31)
  • Summer Musical – Anything Goes (August 28-September 6)
• Horizon Performing Arts
  • Fall Show – A Year with Frog and Toad (October 10-12, 17-19)
  • Spring Show – Merrily We Roll Along (March 5-8)
  • Early Summer Show – Disney’s Frozen Jr (June 2026)
  • Late Summer Show – Urinetown the Musical (August 2026)
• Saline Area Players
  • Holiday Show – A Seussified Christmas Carol (December 4-7)
• Dexter Community Players
  • Winter 2025 – Christmas Cabaret
  • Spring 2026 – Inherit the Wind
  • Summer 2026 – Macy & the Pirate
• Chelsea Area Players (CAP) – Needs 2025-2026 Update
  • Fall CAP Jr Play – A Super Groovy Night’s Dream (November 14-16)

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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