OLD CREAMERY THEATRE, Price Creek Event Center, Amana. (319) 622-6262. Church Basement Ladies. The first musical-comedy installment of the hilarious series inspired by the book Growing Up Lutheran. May 2–26. Once A Ponzi Time. Harold has helped his friends with their finances for years, but his pyramid scheme is starting to crumble. Shady investments and double-dealing abound in this fantastically funny financial farce by Joe Faust. June 6–30.
CIRCA 21 PLAYHOUSE, Rock Island, IL. Grumpy Old Men. Two aging neighbors have been feuding for more than fifty years, but when the charming Ariel moves in across the street, the rivalry is raised to hilarious new heights. Through June 1. Holiday Inn. Based on the classic film, this joyous musical features thrilling dance numbers, laugh-out-loud comedy, and a parade of hit Irving Berlin songs. June 7–July 20.
RIVERSIDE THEATRE, Lower City Park, Iowa City. (319) 338-7672. Henry IV Part I. Free summer Shakespeare arrives on the Festival Stage! Action, comedy, and history collide as Falstaff and King Henry vie for the destiny of Prince Hal, while the kingdom wards off an insurrection. June 14-23. Men on Boats. A wild and woke retelling of the 1869 journey to map unknown reaches of the new American west. Featuring a cast of 10. July 5-28 at Gilbert Street.
GIVING TREE THEATER, Marion. (319) 213-7956. The Legend of Georgia McBride. An Elvis impersonator is forced to develop a new act in order to pay the bills, and the laughs begin in this celebration of diversity you can dance to. PG-13. May 10–26. Puffs. For seven years, a certain boy wizard went to a certain wizard school and conquered evil. This, however, is not his story. This is the story of the Puffs, who just happened to be there too—a tale for anyone who has never been destined to save the world. June 7–July 14.
DES MOINES PERFORMING ARTS, Stoner & Temple Theaters, Des Moines. (515) 288-4700. Second City: It’s Not You, It’s Me. World-famous sketch comedy group takes shots at heartbreak and the mire of human relationships. April 30–May 19.
DES MOINES COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE, Des Moines. (515) 277-6261. The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Based on the Hugo novel, with songs from the Disney film. May 3–26. Ripcord. Practical jokes abound when Abby and Marilyn are forced to share a room at the Bristol Place Senior Living Facility. May 31–June 16.
REVIVAL THEATRE COMPANY & Coe College, Dows Theatre, 1220 First Ave. NE, Cedar Rapids. RevivalTheatreCompany.com. Chaplin, The Musical. A happily tuneful musical about the silent film legend—who had to become the most famous man in the world before he could find happiness by being his true self. May 30–June 2.
DES MOINES CIVIC CENTER, 221 E. Walnut St., Des Moines. (515) 246-2300. The Play That Goes Wrong. Broadway & London’s award-winning riotous comedy is a classic murder mystery, chock-full of mishaps and madcap mania. June 25–30.
THEATRE CEDAR RAPIDS, 102 Third St. SE, Cedar Rapids. (319) 366-8591. Ripcord. Pranks abound when Abby and Marilyn are forced to share a room at Bristol Place Senior Facility. Through June 16. Mama Mia. ABBA’s hits in a feel-good musical. June 19–July 19. Newsies. Teen-agers fight big publishing. June 28–July 21.
THEATRE MUSEUM OF REPERTOIRE AMERICANA, 405 E. Threshers Rd., Mount Pleasant. (319) 385-9432. This seasonal museum is dedicated to the preservation of memorabilia and artifacts of early repertoire theater. The collection includes painted curtains and scenic pieces; costumes and equipment; playbills, show cards, and advertising sheets; and an extensive research library of rare scripts, correspondence, production photos, and other original source materials. Of special interest is the large collection of videotaped interviews with actual “troupers” describing their professional and personal experiences. Opens Memorial Day weekend. Wed.–Sat. through Labor Day, or by appointment.
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA THEATRE, David Thayer, Theatre Building, Iowa City. (319) 335-1160.
IOWA STAGE THEATRE CO., Kum & Go Theater, Des Moines. IowaStage.org. Disgraced. 2013 Pulitzer Prize for drama. Amir is a successful lawyer distancing himself from his cultural roots. Emily, his wife, is white; she’s an artist, creating work influenced by Islamic imagery. When the couple hosts a dinner party for a colleague and her curator husband, friendly banter escalates into something far more searing. May 10–19.
IOWA CITY COMMUNITY THEATRE, Johnson Co. Fairgrounds, Iowa City. (319) 338-0443.
WASHINGTON COMMUNITY THEATER, 2227 250th St., Washington. (319) 653-5175. WCTheater.com. Once Upon a Mattress. The hilarious Princess & the Pea musical redux. June 21–30.
WATERLOO COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE, 224 Commercial St., Waterloo. (319) 235-0367. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf. Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem is an innovative combination of poetry, drama, music, and dance, weaving together the stories of seven women reflecting on what it means to be a woman of color, and what chances and choices they have. May 11–19.
DES MOINES METRO OPERA, Blank Performing Arts Center, 513 North D St., Indianola. DesMoinesMetroOpera.org. La Bohème. Join the bohemian revolution in the heart of Paris as a group of struggling artists strives to create beautiful art, find love, and ultimately live life to the fullest in this romantic operatic blockbuster, which features some of the most familiar and beautiful music ever written. June 28–July 21. Candide. Sparkling with wit and humor, the entirely irreverent Candide is part opera, part musical. Bernstein’s spectacular score draws on everything from European operetta to Latin American dance. June 29–July 20.
CITY CIRCLE ACTING COMPANY, Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, 1301 5th St., Coralville. Newsies. Teen musical. June 14–22.
La Bohème. Join the bohemian revolution in the heart of Paris as a group of struggling artists strives to create beautiful art, find love, and ultimately live life to the fullest in this romantic operatic blockbuster, which features some of the most familiar and beautiful music ever written. June 28–July 21. Candide. Sparkling with wit and humor, the entirely irreverent Candide is part opera, part musical. Bernstein’s spectacular score draws on everything from European operetta to Latin American dance. June 29–July 20.
CEDAR FALLS COMMUNITY THEATER, Oster Regent, 103 Main St., Cedar Falls. (319) 277-5283. The Drowsy Chaperone. A man puts on his favorite 1920s musical recording and becomes lost in the nostalgia of the age. Winner of five Tony Awards. June 14–23.
IOWA STAGE THEATER COMPANY, Salisbury House & Gardens, Shakespeare on the Lawn, Des Moines. SalisburyHouse.org. Macbeth. Shakespeare’s story of unadulterated ambition, black magic, and brutal chaos is set in medieval Scotland. June 12–16.
PYRAMID THEATRE COMPANY, Stoner Studio Theater, 221 Walnut St., Des Moines. (515) 243-1109. Too Heavy For Your Pocket. In 1961, when Bowzie Brandon gives up a life-changing college scholarship to join the Freedom Riders movement in the deep south, he has to convince his loved ones—and himself—that shaping his country’s future is worth jeopardizing his own. June 7–22. How I Learned What I Learned. August Wilson’s one-man show reflects on his life within the arts. Directed by Cloris Leachman Award nominee Tiffany Johnson. June 8–23.
DREAMWELL THEATRE, Public Space One, 120 N. Dubuque St., Iowa City. Dreamwell.com.
THE PLAYERS WORKSHOP, Burlington. (319) 753-6623.
ADLER THEATRE, 136 E. 3rd St., Davenport. (563) 326-8500.