The Rose Theater has announced the lineup for its 2026-27 season, featuring a variety of beloved stories, Broadway hits and theatrical adventures for the whole family.
The season also marks a special milestone: the 100th birthday of The Rose Theater’s historic building, which first opened in 1927.
The Rose Theater is one of the largest and most accomplished children’s theaters in the nation, striving to enrich the lives of children and families.
Around 70,000 guests attend shows at the Rose each year, and nearly 30,000 students visit the theater for field trips annually.
A press release stated the theater plans to bring back several audience favorites in celebration, while continuing to produce live theater for children and families.
The season opens in September with “Just Ask!,” a colorful new musical based on the children’s book by best-selling author Sonia Sotomayor. Featuring songs inspired by “Schoolhouse Rock!” and “Sesame Street,” the story follows a group of kids planting a community garden and discovering how their different abilities make their community stronger.
“’Just Ask!’ is a musical where every character shares about their own life experience, and where every character happens to have a disability. With multicultural music and joyful choreography, the story shows that what makes each of us unique is also what makes us strong,” Fran Sillau, playwright and director of the show, said in the press release. “As a person with a disability, The Rose has been a welcoming space for me and a creative home for over 30 years, helping me and many others find joy, an artistic voice, and a purpose in the world. I am overjoyed that ‘Just Ask!’ will kick off the 2026-2027 season and begin the 100th year of an iconic building that holds so many special memories for me and so many possibilities for the future.”
In October, the theater embraces Halloween fun with “Bunnicula,” a delightfully spooky musical based on the beloved book series by James and Deborah Howe. When a mysterious bunny appears in the Monroe family home and vegetables start turning ghostly white, Chester the cat and Harold the dog launch a hilarious investigation. The musical, which toured nationally with TheatreWorks USA, was written by Tony Award–nominated playwright Charles Busch.
The holiday season returns in December with the beloved classic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” based on the iconic 1964 stop-motion television special. Featuring favorite songs like “Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Silver and Gold,” and “The Most Wonderful Day of the Year,” the show will feature spectacular puppetry – including a towering 10-foot Bumble – and lifelike characters from the Island of Misfit Toys in a magical new staging of one of The Rose’s most popular productions.
In February, audiences will hop into the charming world of “A Year with Frog and Toad TYA,” the Broadway-hit musical based on Arnold Lobel’s award-winning books. The story follows two unlikely best friends as they journey through the seasons together, celebrating friendship, kindness, and the small joys of everyday life. The production was nominated for three Tony Awards, including Best Musical.
March brings a big-hearted fairy tale adventure with “Shrek The Musical TYA,” based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks film. Packed with humor, catchy songs, and unforgettable characters, the story follows Shrek, Donkey, and Princess Fiona on a journey of friendship and self-acceptance. With music by Tony Award winner Jeanine Tesori, this lively stage adaptation delivers laughs and inspiration for audiences of all ages.
In April, the bestselling children’s book “Giraffes Can’t Dance” leaps onto The Rose stage. Gerald the giraffe thinks he can’t dance – until he learns that sometimes you just need to find your own music. This joyful musical, originally premiered by The Rose Theater, returns with vibrant songs and characters in an uplifting celebration of individuality.
The season concludes in June with the epic theatrical adventure of Dreamworks’ “How to Train Your Dragon Jr.” Based on the hit film, the story follows Viking hero Hiccup and his dragon companion Toothless as they challenge the beliefs of their village and discover the power of courage and friendship. This ambitious production will feature more than 10 original, life-size dragon puppets and will be one of the first professional productions of the show in the country, creating a spectacular finale to the season.
“This season, we’re thrilled to open the doors to seven distinct, vibrant worlds,” Matt Gutschick, Artistic Director of The Rose Theater, said in the press release. “Each story we’re telling this season begins with a character who is somehow different from the world around them. And each one returns to the same enduring truth – that beneath our differences, we are more alike than we are unalike.”