Stages across the Charleston area abound with captivating, thought-provoking productions in theater, opera, music and dance. The Holy City’s vibrant array of productions has something for every taste, whether classical, contemporary or avant-garde. Compelling performance seasons and arts festivals spring up throughout the year from arts collectives and theater companies showcasing local, regional and international talents.
Here are 14 performing arts organizations offering diverse programming throughout the year. Charleston Jazz Charleston Jazz is a nonprofit organization centered around connecting local and global jazz communities through performance, education and outreach. Charleston Jazz Orchestra has staged ensemble concerts and full-scale performances throughout the city since 2008.
Every April, the multiday Charleston Jazz Festival presents eclectic performances at venues such as the Music Farm and Firefly Distillery. And don’t miss the annual summer concert series, The Art of Jazz, held at the Gibbes Museum of Art. Charleston Stage Charleston Stage theater company has been in residency at the Dock Street Theatre downtown since 1978.
Now in its 47th season, the inventive troupe has produced more than 320 shows, from classics such as “A Christmas Carol” and “My Fair Lady” to more macabre productions such as “Nevermore,” which follows the mysterious fate of Edgar Allen Poe. Charleston Symphony Orchestra The heritage of Charleston Symphony Orchestra dates back to 1936, and the group has become a leading arts organization in the Southeast. The Charleston Symphony is composed of 24 full-time musicians and more than 250 guest musicians.
Performances by Charleston Symphony span famous classical compositions and well-known operas at the Gaillard Center and Sottile Theatre, as well as outdoor community events such as Brass on the Grass at The Refinery. Colour of Music Festival The Colour of Music Festival spotlights Black classical musicians and composers to bring new dimensions to the canon of 20th-century classical and baroque music. Since its first series of concerts in Charleston in 2013, the Colour of Music Festival has presented productions in cities such as Atlanta; Columbia; Nashville, Tenn.
; and Sacramento. Every February, the Colour of Music Festival presents a series of chamber music and large-scale concerts at a handful of historic spots in Charleston. Flowertown Players Summerville’s community theater company Flowertown Players has been a go-to for thespians and enthusiasts since its founding in 1976.
Flowertown Players stages something for everyone, whether it’s a Broadway musical or a well-loved comedy. Past shows include “Miracle on 34th Street,” “The Little Mermaid” and “School of Rock.” Footlight Players As Charleston’s oldest theater company, the Footlight Players had their first series take place in 1932 at the Charleston Navy yard.
Now in its 93nd season, the Footlight Players have staged crowd-pleasing musicals, dramas and comedies at Queen Street Playhouse since 1986 in downtown Charleston. Footlight also produces an annual Speakeasy Series to stage intimate ensemble performances, transforming the playhouse lobby into a cozy cabaret. Today's Top Headlines Story continues below Charleston firm pays $22M for Festival Centre, signs entertainment venue as anchor A ship was abandoned near Johns Island.
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A year later, a family keeps fighting for Sara Beth. Clemson football announces death of former player Charleston County sends unpopular Johns Island road plan back to the drawing board ESPN College GameDay returning to Columbia Holy City Arts & Lyric Opera Holy City Arts & Lyric Opera (HALO) brings the world of opera into community settings. Founded in 2019, the company stages well-known musicals, unique chamber operas and off-the-beaten path experiences such as “Singers and Stanzas,” which presents original music written in collaboration with Lowcountry poets.
The Deninufay African Drum and Dance Company marches down King Street during the MOJA opening-day street parade, Sept. 28, 2023, in Charleston. MOJA Arts Festival Experience a multiday celebration of African American and Caribbean arts featuring dance, music and theater performances at the annual MOJA Arts Festival held at locations such as Dock Street Theatre, Gaillard Center and Charleston Music Hall.
The fall festival gives a platform to innovative voices in classical and alternative music, poetry and drama, and offers engaging discussion series and free outdoor concerts. New Muse Concerts Charleston violinist Lydia Chernicoff founded New Muse Concerts in 2019 to create alternative programming for classical chamber music performance. Themed events and intimate concerts are held at galleries, libraries and museums throughout the city, revealing the cultural and historical connections of divergent music traditions.
North Charleston POPS! Since 2012, the North Charleston POPS! orchestra crosses classical arrangement with contemporary pop music to present dynamic concert seasons at North Charleston Performing Arts Center and Coliseum. Each season is stacked with powerhouse vocalists performing genres spanning funk, Latin fusion, gospel and blues. Members of the North Charleston POPS! have performed with national touring Broadway shows “Wicked,” “Chicago” and “Phantom of the Opera.
” Palmetto City Ballet Ballet lovers have enjoyed lively seasons from the Palmetto City Ballet for more than 10 years. The professional dance company elevates well-loved classics, as well as creates new works and original musical compositions. The company collaborates with nationally recognized dancers and musicians to bring audiences alluring renditions of popular works such as “Dracula” and “The Nutcracker.
” PURE Theatre PURE Theatre started as an itinerant operation in 2003 before taking up residency in 2018 at the Cannon Streets Art Center in downtown Charleston. The performing arts company focuses on regional and world premiere work, staging more than 140 productions over the last 20 years. PURE Lab is a division of the theater company that develops original work and spotlights Charleston actors and playwrights with a premiere each spring.
Spoleto Festival USA This 17-day multidisciplinary performing arts festival is a spring staple for arts lovers and offers more than 100 performances across the Holy City. Since its founding in 1977, Spoleto gathers artists from all over the world to come together at various locations in Charleston to bring audiences engaging chamber and jazz music series, luxuriant performances by the Spoleto Festival Orchestra and world premieres in dance, opera and theater. The Void The Void theater company came on to the Charleston scene in 2022 as a space for queer, female and gender nonconforming actors and playwrights.
The traveling group pops up at various locations across Charleston, including a small visual art space called Hed Hi Studio. Past productions include inventive dramas dealing with themes of codependency and substance abuse..
