Description:

If you want to be in the presence of greatness, spend an evening at the Cape Playhouse. Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Gertrude Lawrence, Lana Turner, Ginger Rogers, Humphrey Bogart, Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Hayes, Julie Harris, and Paulette Goddard among others have graced its stage over the years and surely haunt backstage and the eaves of today’s theater. What started as a dream for a visionary theater-lover in 1927 has become a Cape Cod institution for more than 80 years.

To me the Playhouse is an absolute “must do” when visiting Cape Cod. Constructed of wood with green and white awnings adorning its exterior, the whole interior of the Playhouse is wood–floor, walls, ceiling, and seats–and the lobby is covered in playbills and theater posters from years gone by. Set back off scenic Route 6A in Dennis, Massachusetts, the Playhouse is one of three historic properties on the campus, which includes the Cape Cod Cinema, and the Cape Cod Museum of Art.

The season begins in mid-June and runs through the end of August. Mostly featuring Broadway and off-Broadway musicals, the Playhouse also hosts the occasional comedy, comedic farce, or tongue-in-cheek mystery, plus a series of children’s theater offerings as well. Tickets may be purchased online or on property at the box office. There is plenty of on-site parking and a number of good restaurants nearby to combine dinner with a night at the theater, the perfect Cape Cod summer night on the town.