Summer Stages: BWW's Top Summer Theatre Picks - Rhode Island!

From Newport’s gilded mansions to Providence’s signature WaterFire, Rhode Island boasts a wealth of summertime events and attractions. The sunny season also ushers in must-see theater, from one-time special events to long-established returning favorites. Here is just a sampling of the 2012 summer arts scene in the Ocean State.

1. Rhode Island’s Theatre by the Sea, now in its fifth season under the direction of the Ocean State Theatre Company, continues a 78-year tradition of offering professional summer stock theater in South County. This season’s lineup begins on May 30 with Forever Plaid and includes The Sound of Music, 9 to 5: the Musical, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, and God of Carnage. TBTS also offers six Children’s Festival productions. For show times and ticket prices, log on to www.theatrebythesea.com or call the TBTS box office at (401) 782-TKTS (8587).

2. The world-renowned operatic quartet Il Divo stops in Providence on June 6. The Providence Performing Arts Center hosts Il Divo in concert for one night only. Visit www.ppacri.org for ticket information or call the box office at (401) 421-ARTS (2787).

3. From June 20-July 1, Mixed Magic Theatre presents When Mahalia Sings, a musical celebration of the life of gospel singer and civil rights activist Mahalia Jackson. This production will play a special limited engagement at the Lederer Theater Center, home of the Trinity Repertory Company. For tickets, call the Trinity Rep box office at (401) 351-4242 or purchase online at www.trinityrep.com.

4. Westerly’s Colonial Theater marks the 21st anniversary of its Shakespeare-in-the-Park Festival with Macbeth. The production runs from July 11-29, Tuesday-Sunday at 8pm. Macbeth will be staged in Wilcox Park and performances are free to the public. Contact The Colonial Theater by phone at (401) 596-7909 or visit the Company’s website at www.thecolonialtheater.org for further details.

5. 2nd Story Theatre presents A Few Good Men in June and will stage the production in the courtroom of the historic Bristol Statehouse on High Street. In July, the company brings Daphne Du Maurier’s haunting Rebecca to 2nd Story’s home on Market Street in Warren; the summer season closes with the classic love story Sabrina Fair in August. Visit www.2ndstorytheatre.com for more information or contact the box office at (401) 247-4200 for tickets.

Veronica Bruscini is an avid theatergoer with a passion for the written word. She occasionally steps behind the curtain as a puppeteer and stage manager, and she has worked as the assistant director for three productions sponsored by the Holocaust through the Arts educational initiative. Psalm 111:10.

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