Portland Ovations proudly announces an exhilarating new season of live performances and community-centered programs, now on sale to Ovations Members. Public ticket sales open Friday, June 27 at 11 AM. From Broadway national tours to world-renowned musicians, jaw-dropping spectacle, and genre-defying artistry, the 2025–2026 season is bursting with unforgettable experiences. Audiences can look forward to family-friendly favorites, chamber music legends, immersive storytelling, and much more.
Each season, Ovations curates a vibrant mix of live performances presented across a variety of Portland’s most beloved venues—from grand historic theaters to intimate, immersive spaces. Every event offers a distinct opportunity to experience the arts up close, connect with community, and create lasting memories. As a nonprofit cultural organization, Ovations is dedicated to bringing people together through the transformative power of live performance—on stage, in schools, and throughout our community.
“After much planning and with great anticipation, we are excited to share the 2025-26 season with audiences,” says Aimée M. Petrin, Ovations Executive and Artistic Director. “Icons and new voices in music, thrilling theater of varying styles, and dance that moves our spirit and shifts perspectives—all performed by artists hailing from or with connections to Ukraine, India, the U.K., China, Ethiopia, Canada, Guinea, Cuba, Iceland, the Philippines, South Africa, across the U.S. and right here in Dawnland.”
The season launches in October with We Are Water: A Northeast Celebration, an extraordinary evening of music and storytelling featuring world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma alongside acclaimed Indigenous artists Jeremy Dutcher, Mali Obomsawin, Chris Newell among others. This powerful collaboration sets the tone for a dynamic season that spans genres and generations. Broadway takes center stage with a show-stopping lineup including Tina – The Tina Turner Musical, Clue, Kinky Boots, Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, and the uproarious Monty Python’s Spamalot. Audiences can also expect high-energy spectacle from the gravity-defying FLIP Fabrique and the wildly entertaining Recycled Percussion, as well as the much-anticipated return of Cape Breton fiddling legend Natalie MacMaster.
Ovations Offstage brings the arts beyond the stage, connecting audiences and artists through immersive community programming. From free pre-performance talks and masterclasses to hands-on workshops, post-show Q&As, film screenings, and the ever-popular Drag Storytime series, Ovations Offstage invites people of all ages to engage more deeply with the performing arts. These experiences foster connection, creativity, and conversation, bringing the joy of live performance directly into classrooms, community centers, and public spaces across Greater Portland.
“Through our dynamic, inspiring, Offstage programs, we have the privilege of bringing the artists and artforms out into our community,” says Katelyn Manfre, Ovations Director of Community Programs & Partnerships. “Whether you want to get up on your feet in a dance workshop, read along with one of our book clubs, dive deep into a composer’s process, or just sit back and laugh at a classic film, we hope you’ll join us, and our 30+ community partners, at Offstage events this season!”
The robust School-Time Performance Series welcomes 10,000 students to the theater each year for unforgettable field trip experiences. This season’s lineup features a wide range of engaging and culturally rich performances, including Leonardo! A Wonderful Show about a Terrible Monster, Rennie Harris Puremovement, Recycled Percussion, Les Ballets Africains, The Peking Acrobats, Wabanaki Stories, Maddie’s Fridge, and Dig Up! A Dinosaur Expedition.
This spring, Antonio Rocha’s captivating solo performance Once Upon a Hill in Maine: The Pedro Tovookan Parris Story, will also be available to tour directly into schools, bringing this story of resilience, courage, and freedom to classrooms across the region.
“We have an electrifying season for schools and families planned for 2025-26,” says Liz Schildkret, Ovations Director of School & Family Programs. “You’ll find delightful adaptations of some fantastic books, heart-pounding spectacle, vital showcases of culture from around the world, an immersive STEM-based performance, and the triumphant return of our magnificent collaboration with Wabanaki artists, Wabanaki Stories. Be on the lookout for free workshop series for students and book giveaways, and free resources for educators. This season truly displays the power of the performing arts to engage and inspire audiences of all ages.”
“Live performance is the most potent, revelatory, and joyous way to gather in community,” says Petrin, “We look forward to welcoming all to the theater and beyond.”
