Events & Shows

Who said a wedding couldn’t be this much fun?

The magic of ABBA’s timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, romance, and friendship.

Written by Catherine Johnson, Mamma Mia! has been entertaining audiences since its West End opening in 1999 and Broadway opening in 2001, winning five Tony Awards in 2002.

Mamma Mia! centers around bride-to-be, Sophie, trying to find her long-lost father to walk her down the aisle. Not knowing which of the three possible men from her mother’s diary to invite, she brings all three of them back to the island last visited 20 years ago. With ABBA classics like “Dancing Queen,” “Waterloo” and the title number, this smash hit musical is sure to have you dancing in the aisles!

Mainstage Content Advisory: The Playhouse does not rate subject matter as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have questions about content, age appropriateness, or other aspects of the show (ie strobe lights and other theatrical affects), please contact the ticket office at 515-277-6261.

NOTE: Mamma Mia! will be performed at the Staplin Performing Arts Center at Valley High School, 3650 Woodland Ave., West Des Moines, as the Playhouse Mainstage will be undergoing renovations.

Road Trip: Mamma Mia!

Map to Staplin Performing Arts Center, Valley High School, 3650 Woodland Ave.

All you really have to do is shine!

Set in a northern English mining town, against the background of the 1984 miners’ strike, Billy Elliot the Musical follows young Billy who stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class.

Based on the 2000 film Billy Elliot, while his widowed father and older brother strike with the miners, Billy secretly finds a passion for dance with the brassy local dance teacher and ballerinas. As Billy’s world becomes overwhelmingly violent, Billy hopes to escape, dreaming of becoming a professional dancer at the Royal Ballet School. While Billy’s loving grandmother encourages his dancing, Billy’s overprotective father and the world’s insensitivity to a situation where a poor boy can make it into a prestigious dance school may stop Billy from achieving his dream.

Mainstage Content Advisory: The Playhouse does not rate subject matter as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have questions about content, age appropriateness, or other aspects of the show (ie strobe lights and other theatrical affects), please contact the ticket office at 515-277-6261.

The performance at 2:00 PM on Sunday, Oct. 14 will have live audio description, provided by IRIS. Please contact our ticket office at 515-277-6261 if you would like to use this free service.

The goal of Curtain Crowd is to introduce young adults to the Playhouse, creating new audience members, volunteers, and donors. Membership is free and available online at https://www.dmplayhouse.com/curtain-crowd

You’ll receive an exclusive discount code prior to each show’s opening. Simply enter the code at the shopping cart, hit apply, and make sure your ticket price has been changed to $29 each.

Each Curtain Crowd ticket comes with a complimentary intermission drink (beer, wine, or non-alcoholic beverage). Simply stop by the table in the West Lobby (42nd Street entrance) and fill out the Curtain Crowd drink form.

Plus you’ll be invited to special events throughout the year!

It’s a sparklejollytwinklejingley time of the year!

“Elf” has quickly become a modern Christmas classic! Based on the 2003 film, “Elf – The Musical” tells the story of Buddy, a human raised as an elf at the North Pole. Buddy’s enormous size and poor toy-making skills soon make him realize he’s not fit to live at the North Pole.

Once realizing he’s a human, Buddy travels to New York City to find his true father and understand his past, only to learn that his father is on the naughty list! Buddy must reconnect with his dad and half-brother who doesn’t believe in Santa to embrace the true meaning of Christmas. Themes of love, friendship, and Christmas cheer follow Buddy on his big-city adventure in the regional debut of this holiday show for the whole family!

Mainstage Content Advisory: The Playhouse does not rate subject matter as sensitivities vary from person to person. If you have questions about content, age appropriateness, or other aspects of the show (ie strobe lights and other theatrical affects), please contact the ticket office at 515-277-6261.

The performance at 2:00 PM on Sunday, Dec. 16 will have live audio description, provided by IRIS. Please contact our ticket office at 515-277-6261 if you would like to use this free service.

They showed up for the free cookies and stayed, much to the town’s dismay.

From the best-selling children’s book, the Playhouse embarks on its 18^th year of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever. Perfect for young audiences, you won’t believe the mayhem – and the fun – when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on!

After the normal director of the local church’s Christmas pageant breaks her leg, a new director must take over. Stopping in for a visit after hearing about free snacks offered at the church, the Herdman kids, the most inventively awful kids in history, get cast in the show. Others involved in the show try to find a way to kick them out but when the show begins, will the Herdmans ruin the annual pageant or learn to share the true meaning of Christmas?

Children’s Theatre Age Intention: Playhouse children’s theatre productions are intended for ages 5 and up.

Saturdays, 1:30-2:30 PM*

Upcoming Dates
Sept. 29, 2018
Oct. 13, 2018
Oct. 27, 2018
Dec. 1, 2018
Jan. 26, 2019
Feb. 16, 2019
Mar. 30, 2019
Apr. 20, 2019

$5.00 per session (payable by check or cash at the door each session)

Join us for an exciting day of drama! Come to one session or come to all! Open to any student, Spectrum Stories is specifically designed to provide drama experiences that best support the development of pretend play, social interaction, and non-verbal communication. Each session is carefully designed to enhance creative expression of spectrum youth while supporting the profile marker needs of each participant. Developed with the guidance of Professor Gretta Berghammer of the University of Northern Iowa, and the Sturgis Youth Theatre, Spectrum Stories uses story, music, and art to bring imagination to life! Pre-registration online at dmplayhouse.com is encouraged but drop-ins are also welcome.

An additional emergency contact form is available at the door specifically for those who tend to elope. Parents are asked to remain in the building during class time, and may accompany their child into class if they wish.

Click here for the Spectrum-Stories-Social-Story – A pictorial guide explaining what to expect when attending these classes.

For more information, contact Robin Spahr, education director, 515-974-5365.

*Notice: NEW TIMES! Spectrum Stories times have been changed for the 2018-19 season to 1:30-2:30 PM.

The ants are busy, busy, busy all day long, working to gather enough food for the long, cold winter ahead. The grasshopper would rather play, dance and sing. What will happen when the icy winds blow?

Interactive Theatre Shows for Children Ages 4-6! Great for preschools, child care centers, kindergarten classes, and families. Join the Clubhouse at the Playhouse Gang each month as they dramatize a favorite story using their imaginations and the costume pieces and props they find in their Magic Trunk. A new story is presented each month, October through May. Children learn the Clubhouse pledge and secret handshake, and listen for the word of the day.

The performance at 10:45 AM will have live audio description, provided by IRIS. Please contact our ticket office at 515-277-6261 if you would like to use this free service.

Take a boy, his mother and a misunderstood giant. Throw in some magic beans and a cow. Did we mention there’s a goose that lays golden eggs? Join us for this familiar tale, which tells us what happened…according to the giant!

Interactive Theatre Shows for Children Ages 4-6! Great for preschools, child care centers, kindergarten classes, and families. Join the Clubhouse at the Playhouse Gang each month as they dramatize a favorite story using their imaginations and the costume pieces and props they find in their Magic Trunk. A new story is presented each month, October through May. Children learn the Clubhouse pledge and secret handshake, and listen for the word of the day.

The performance at 10:45 AM will have live audio description, provided by IRIS. Please contact our ticket office at 515-277-6261 if you would like to use this free service.