Experience the Performing Arts!
Explore our five performance series to discover a world of possibilities right here in the Great Lakes Bay Region.
Center Stage Theatre
Rising Stars: Footloose
JUN 28 - 30, 2023
OPENING NIGHT SOLD OUT!
Best Availability THU & FRI / JUN 29 & 30
On the Outdoor Stage
OPENING NIGHT SOLD OUT!
Best Availability THU & FRI / JUN 29 & 30
On the Outdoor Stage
Cut loose with this year’s Rising Star production of Footloose! The explosive movie musical bursts onto the live stage with dynamic new songs and dazzling choreography. Footloose celebrates the exhilaration of youth, the wisdom of listening to one another, and the power of forgiveness. Midland Center’s Rising Stars program brings together professional creatives from New York City and Broadway with the top youth talent from all over the Great Lakes Bay region.
Click here to learn more about the Rising Stars program and sign up for auditions on April 28.
Stage Adaptation / Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. Based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford
Music by Tom Snow / Lyrics by Dean Pitchford
Additional Music / Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman
Sponsored by 
2023/24 Season
It's finally here! Announcing our 2023/24 Spectacular Season. Subscriptions are currently open for new and renewing subscribers.
Single tickets for these events will go on sale MON, JUN 26.
Single tickets for these events will go on sale MON, JUN 26.
The Prom
AUG 2 - 11, 2023
On the Outdoor Stage
Following a hit Broadway run and feature film, THE PROM makes its Great Lakes Bay region debut in an all-new Center Stage production! Emma didn’t want to be a headline or the face of a movement; she just wanted to take her girlfriend to the prom. But just when it seems like she might persuade the hesitant PTA, four bumbling Broadway has-beens in search of relevance barge into Edgewater, Indiana to put a spotlight on the issue — and themselves. A hysterical and joyous new musical about big Broadway stars on a mission to change the world and the love they discover that unites them all, THE PROM captures all the humor and heart of a classic musical comedy while delivering a universal message of love and acceptance.
Music by Matthew Sklar
Book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin
Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
THE PROM is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide. 1180 Avenue Of The Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036 www.theatricalrights.com
On the Outdoor Stage
Following a hit Broadway run and feature film, THE PROM makes its Great Lakes Bay region debut in an all-new Center Stage production! Emma didn’t want to be a headline or the face of a movement; she just wanted to take her girlfriend to the prom. But just when it seems like she might persuade the hesitant PTA, four bumbling Broadway has-beens in search of relevance barge into Edgewater, Indiana to put a spotlight on the issue — and themselves. A hysterical and joyous new musical about big Broadway stars on a mission to change the world and the love they discover that unites them all, THE PROM captures all the humor and heart of a classic musical comedy while delivering a universal message of love and acceptance.
Music by Matthew Sklar
Book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin
Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
THE PROM is presented through special arrangement with and all authorized performance materials are supplied by Theatrical Rights Worldwide. 1180 Avenue Of The Americas, Suite 640, New York, NY 10036 www.theatricalrights.com
Doubt: A Parable
OCT 12 - 15, 2023
A provocative and gripping story of suspicion and scandal. Set in 1964, DOUBT could not be more contemporary in its examination of truth and consequences. When Sister Aloysius, a rigid Bronx school principal, accuses a progressive and engaging priest, Father Flynn, of having improper relations with a young male student, she inadvertently raises questions that force her to confront the foundation of her own moral certainty. Blunt yet subtle, manipulative yet full of empathy, DOUBT is a brilliant and beautifully balanced drama that draws power from ambiguity. In lean, potent and passionate language, John Patrick Shanley courageously leads us into the shadowy and elusive realm of human nature and ultimate truth.
By John Patrick Shanley
DOUBT is presented through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service.
This show contains adult content.
A provocative and gripping story of suspicion and scandal. Set in 1964, DOUBT could not be more contemporary in its examination of truth and consequences. When Sister Aloysius, a rigid Bronx school principal, accuses a progressive and engaging priest, Father Flynn, of having improper relations with a young male student, she inadvertently raises questions that force her to confront the foundation of her own moral certainty. Blunt yet subtle, manipulative yet full of empathy, DOUBT is a brilliant and beautifully balanced drama that draws power from ambiguity. In lean, potent and passionate language, John Patrick Shanley courageously leads us into the shadowy and elusive realm of human nature and ultimate truth.
By John Patrick Shanley
DOUBT is presented through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service.
This show contains adult content.
Irving Berlin's White Christmas
DEC 8 - 17, 2023
Based on the heartwarming classic film, IRVING BERLIN’S WHITE CHRISTMAS is a holiday favorite for the whole family. Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act. The two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which happens to be owned by Bob and Phil's former army commander. With a sparkling new book by David Ives and Paul Blake, this musical delight features 17 dazzling Berlin songs, such as “Blue Skies,” “I Love a Piano,” “How Deep is the Ocean,” and of course the perennial holiday favorite, “White Christmas”.
IRVING BERLIN’S WHITE CHRISTMAS is an uplifting, wholesome musical to delight audiences of all ages. Don’t miss this holiday card come to life!
Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin
Book by David Ives and Paul Blake
Based Upon the Paramount Pictures Film Written For the Screen by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, and Melvin Frank
IRVING BERLIN’S WHITE CHRISTMAS is presented through arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.ConcordTheatricals.com
Based on the heartwarming classic film, IRVING BERLIN’S WHITE CHRISTMAS is a holiday favorite for the whole family. Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act. The two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which happens to be owned by Bob and Phil's former army commander. With a sparkling new book by David Ives and Paul Blake, this musical delight features 17 dazzling Berlin songs, such as “Blue Skies,” “I Love a Piano,” “How Deep is the Ocean,” and of course the perennial holiday favorite, “White Christmas”.
IRVING BERLIN’S WHITE CHRISTMAS is an uplifting, wholesome musical to delight audiences of all ages. Don’t miss this holiday card come to life!
Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin
Book by David Ives and Paul Blake
Based Upon the Paramount Pictures Film Written For the Screen by Norman Krasna, Norman Panama, and Melvin Frank
IRVING BERLIN’S WHITE CHRISTMAS is presented through arrangement with Concord Theatricals. www.ConcordTheatricals.com
Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike
APR 12 - 21, 2024
Three Siblings. One Hot Mess. Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia bicker and complain about life in their Bucks County farmhouse. Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike. Old resentments flare up. Thus begins an unforgettable family reunion filled with rivalry, regret, and all-too-true premonitions from a clairvoyant housekeeper. Will Vanya and Sonia ever find happiness? Will Masha sell the house out from under them? Will Spike ever put his pants on? This irresistible comedy of remorse and sibling rivalry is a wickedly wonderful mash-up of Chekhov’s famous ennui and modern-day concerns of celebrity, social networking, and age, resulting in a hilarious laugh-out-loud comedy! “Deliriously funny!” – The New York Times
Note: this show will be staged up close and personal with seating on the stage!
By Christopher Durang
VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE is presented through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service.
This show contains adult language.
Three Siblings. One Hot Mess. Middle-aged siblings Vanya and Sonia bicker and complain about life in their Bucks County farmhouse. Suddenly, their movie-star sister, Masha, swoops in with her new boy toy, Spike. Old resentments flare up. Thus begins an unforgettable family reunion filled with rivalry, regret, and all-too-true premonitions from a clairvoyant housekeeper. Will Vanya and Sonia ever find happiness? Will Masha sell the house out from under them? Will Spike ever put his pants on? This irresistible comedy of remorse and sibling rivalry is a wickedly wonderful mash-up of Chekhov’s famous ennui and modern-day concerns of celebrity, social networking, and age, resulting in a hilarious laugh-out-loud comedy! “Deliriously funny!” – The New York Times
Note: this show will be staged up close and personal with seating on the stage!
By Christopher Durang
VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE is presented through special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service.
This show contains adult language.
Next to Normal
MAY 17 - 26, 2024
An emotional powerhouse of a musical with a thrilling rock score, NEXT TO NORMAL takes an honest look at the sometimes harsh realities of life. A typical family to the outside world, the Goodmans secretly struggle in their suburban home as they deal with the unpredictability of their mother’s worsening mental health. As they navigate their changing world, they deal with the pressing contemporary issues of trauma, loss, mental health treatment, and what it means to be “normal.” This raw, exhilarating, and deeply moving musical about the realities of the modern American family asks us to examine how we love and care for ourselves and each other.
Music by Tom Kitt
Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
NEXT TO NORMAL is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
This show contains adult content.
An emotional powerhouse of a musical with a thrilling rock score, NEXT TO NORMAL takes an honest look at the sometimes harsh realities of life. A typical family to the outside world, the Goodmans secretly struggle in their suburban home as they deal with the unpredictability of their mother’s worsening mental health. As they navigate their changing world, they deal with the pressing contemporary issues of trauma, loss, mental health treatment, and what it means to be “normal.” This raw, exhilarating, and deeply moving musical about the realities of the modern American family asks us to examine how we love and care for ourselves and each other.
Music by Tom Kitt
Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey
NEXT TO NORMAL is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI.
This show contains adult content.
A Christmas Story: The Musical, 2022. Photo by The Mattesons Photography
The Sparrow, 2023. Photo by The Mattesons Photography
RENT, 2022. Photo by The Mattesons Photography
Little Women, 2022. Photo by The Mattesons Photography
More to Know
About Center Stage Theatre
Center Stage Theatre is a national award-winning volunteer theater program. Its performance season, draws tens of thousands of theater-goers from across the Great Lakes Bay Region and includes comedies, tragedies and musicals, from popular favorites to lesser-known titles.