Adventure Theatre MTC
The theater presents professional productions for children and offers training for budding actors. During the 2023-2024 season, the shows Junie B. Jones: The Musical and Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical were the most popular.
7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, 301-634-2270, adventuretheatre-mtc.org
Arts Barn
The horse stable-turned-visual and performing arts center offers a stage for community performances of all types and classes for children and adults. Magic, comedy and improv shows, concerts, musical theater and dramas have all been presented here.
311 Kent Square Road, Gaithersburg, 301-258-6394, gaithersburgmd.gov
Bethesda Theater
Formerly an art deco movie palace, the venue was home to the Bethesda Blues & Jazz Supper Club until July 2023, when it rebranded to reflect the variety of genres that are featured there. The blues and jazz haven’t gone away, but now there are also Motown, R&B, rock and comedy acts. Some of the most popular shows have included Chanté Moore, Peabo Bryson, actress Lisa Ann Walter from Abbott Elementary and Broadway star Avery Wilson.
7719 Wisconsin Ave., Bethesda, 240-330-4500, bethesdatheater.com
BlackRock Center for the Arts
Established in 2002 as a home for performing and visual arts, the venue presents concerts by regional, national and international talent plus contemporary theatrical shows and its own professional productions. The 2023-2024 season included an in-house production of the musical The Color Purple, female Aerosmith tribute band RagDolls as well as dance, hip-hop and folk music performances.
12901 Town Commons Drive, Germantown, 301-528-2260, blackrockcenter.org
Cultural Arts Center–Montgomery College
The complex includes a 500-seat theater and concert hall, and a 116-seat lecture hall and lab theater space. See future professionals perfect their craft in student productions, or catch a regional or national touring act, such as the musical show Fairytales on Ice, which covered the stage with a synthetic “ice” surface, allowing performers to skate.
7995 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, 240-567-5775, mcblogs.montgomerycollege.edu/cac
The Fillmore Silver Spring
A spin-off of the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco, the 2,000-capacity venue honors its rock ’n’ roll heritage with vintage posters on the walls and large chandeliers hanging over the dance floor, a nod to the original. In the past year, notable acts included Santigold, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Porno for Pyros, GZA and Fishbone.
8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, 301-960-9999, fillmoresilverspring.com
F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre
The 428-seat theater is the home stage for community groups including Rockville Musical Theatre, Rockville Little Theatre, Rockville Civic Ballet, Victorian Lyric Opera Co. and Rockville Chorus. National touring groups also perform there occasionally.
603 Edmonston Drive, Rockville, 240-314-8690, rockvillemd.gov/382/f-scott-fitzgerald-theatre
Imagination Stage
Imagination Stage offers year-round professional theater for young audiences, as well as classes in acting, musical theater and dance for ages 1-18. A Year with Frog and Toad and The Very Hungry Caterpillar were the biggest hits in the 2023-2024 season.
4908 Auburn Ave., Bethesda, 301-961-6060, imaginationstage.org
Olney Theatre Center
A professional regional theater, Olney Theatre Center offers productions year-round. The 2023-2024 season saw many sold-out performances, including Fiddler on the Roof, Avaaz, Long Way Down and Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Its outdoor summer season includes cabaret, comedy, drag shows and concerts.
2001 Olney-Sandy Spring Road, Olney, 301-924-3400, olneytheatre.org
The Puppet Co. Playhouse
The theater presents professional puppetry productions based on fairy tales and classic children’s literature, plus a variety of Tiny Tots performances designed for children 18 months to 4 years old.
7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, 301-634-5380, thepuppetco.org
Robert E. Parilla Performing Arts Center
On the Rockville campus of Montgomery College, the center hosts concerts, dance and theatrical productions by student, community and touring groups. The 2023-2024 season included performances by Latin singer-songwriter Gina Chavez, Celtic rock band Tartan Terrors and a moderated discussion with actor Alan Cumming.
51 Mannakee St., Rockville, 240-567-5301, mcblogs.montgomerycollege.edu/reppac
Round House Theatre
Round House Theatre presents a six-show season of new plays, modern classics and musicals, including many world and regional premieres. The musical Next to Normal was the most popular show of the 2023-2024 season, and even had an extension to its run due to high demand.
4545 East West Highway, Bethesda, 240-644-1100, roundhousetheatre.org
Silver Spring Black Box Theatre
The intimate space is home to the Theatre Consortium of Silver Spring, which includes resident companies. The theater hosts everything from magic, improv and stand-up comedy shows to plays, concerts, dance shows and youth performances.
8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, 301-588-8279, silverspringblackbox.com
Silver Spring Stage
Silver Spring Stage is a community theater with a mission to present contemporary plays. It produces a season of full-length productions and a one-act festival. The 2023-2024 season included Dance Nation by Clare Barron, Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Assassins by Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman, as well as a holiday production of The Little Mermaid: A Family Pantomime by The British Players.
10145 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, 301-593-6036, ssstage.org
Strathmore
The Music Center presents major international folk, blues, pop, R&B, jazz, world and classical music, and show tunes artists. The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the National Philharmonic also perform there. In the 2023-2024 season there were 23 sell-out shows and some of the most popular included Sona Jobarteh, David Sedaris, Mandy Patinkin, Caetano Veloso, Nickel Creek and Rhiannon Giddens.
5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda
The Mansion, built in 1899, consists of the 100-seat Dorothy M. and Maurice C. Shapiro Music Room, a tearoom, The Shop at Strathmore and art galleries.
10701 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, 301-581-5100, strathmore.org
This story appears in Bethesda Magazine’s 2024-2025 Insider’s Guide.
