The New London Barn Playhouse is thrilled to announce its plans for the 2021 summer
season, when we proudly welcome back a live audience for a “Summer Under the Stars.”
The never-been-done-before season, starting on Tuesday, June 29, will take place under an open-air tent in Ivey Field on the campus of Colby-Sawyer College, located less than a mile from the Barn Playhouse. The five-performance line-up features exciting concert-style shows, in rotating repertory, and the season finale of Always…Patsy Cline.
The first show of the season is an original revue: Shining On, Broadway and The Barn. Broadway is reopening in New London! Barnies belting out the best show tunes in this original revue filled with legendary songs and contemporary showstoppers from our favorite Broadway musicals.
Next up is A Grand Night for Singing, an evening of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Join us for A Lovely Night, featuring familiar melodies and lesser-known musical works from the iconic songwriting duo, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. This revue is a romantically refreshing reinterpretation of beloved golden age tunes, making it Some Enchanted Evening and promising Something Wonderful for everyone!
Then it’s the concert version of Anything Goes. Outrageousness onboard an ocean liner with a cast of crazy characters caught up in toe-tapping tomfoolery. “It’s Delightful, it’s Delicious, it’s De-Lovely!” You’ll get a kick out of this abridged concert version of Cole Porter’s 1934 classic. On this boat …God knows, Anything Goes!
And the World Goes ‘Round: The Songs of Kander and Ebb will be the fourth rep production in the line-up. Start spreading the news….New York, New York is coming to New London! From the brilliant songwriting team that brought us Cabaret, Chicago and Kiss of the Spider Woman comes a tuneful tribute filled with lyrical gems and hilarious hits. The music of Kander and Ebb is sure to “Razzle Dazzle” you!
These first four shows will be done in rotating repertory, meaning there is a different show each night. Over the course of one week, you can see all four shows.
Finally, Always … Patsy Cline will round out the 2021 season under the tent, the only performance that will run consecutively, from Wednesday, August 25, through Sunday, September 5.
This show pays tribute to country music sensation, Patsy Cline and is based on the true story of Patsy’s relationship with her lifelong fan and friend, Louise Seger. You’ll hear honky-tonk hits like I Fall to Pieces, Crazy, Walking After Midnight, and so much more!
The Barn Playhouse proudly welcomes back a live audience for a “Summer Under the Stars,” celebrating the return of our musical summer season in a unique outdoor seating. A large open-air tent will live on Ivey Field behind the Center for Art and Design at Colby-Sawyer College for the summer.
We have been and will continue to closely follow the Governor’s Economic Re-Opening Task Force guidelines and the safety protocols as we maintain collaboration with the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts. All staff and patrons will be required to wear masks throughout their time in the tent, and will have easy access to hand sanitizer and other cleaning products. The sides of the tent will remain open at all times for proper airflow.
In addition, our 2021 Children’s Theater Series will present four outdoor performances designed and performed by our Junior Intern Company. These productions will entertain families and audiences of all ages.
This year’s season will include Whodunit?: A Comedic Musical Mystery, Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, Jack’s Tall Tales – an original play written by the Junior Interns — and finally, Disney’s High School Musical.
The Junior Intern Company at the Barn Playhouse are young performers and designer/technicians ages 12 through 18. This year’s company will be selected through an audition and interview process in May and will work in rehearsal and production from Monday, June 21 through Saturday, August 21.
The Education Department at the Barn Playhouse also runs six weeks of Summer Camps for young artists ages six through 11, with each week centering on a different theme. Our first week, Virtual Playhouse, is an online opportunity for learning remotely from all over the world.
The rest of the summer will provide outdoor, in-person learning opportunities. This year’s themes are Barnies on Tour, The Roaring Twenties, Making History, and Weird Science. Our final week, Barn Academy, is a chance for those young artists to create and perform a small
production. Camps run from Monday, July 5 through Friday, August 13.
Tickets for the 2021 season “Summer Under the Stars” go on sale on Monday, April 26 at NLBarn.org or by calling the box office and leaving a message. The box office will open for the season later in May.
About the New London Barn Playhouse
The New London Barn Playhouse is the oldest continuously operating summer theater in New Hampshire. The barn, built in 1820, is on the state’s Register of Historic Places.
During the summer season the Barn employs over 100 staff members, making it the third largest employer in New London. Approximately 1,500 artists apply and audition from across the country for performing, technical, and education positions each summer.
In the past 10 years the Barn has been the winner of the coveted New England Theater Conference Moss Hart Award for Theatrical Excellence and has been nominated for over 100 New Hampshire Theater Awards. The New London Barn Playhouse is an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.