The upcoming season at the Renaissance Theatre will include Broadway musical adaptations, concerts, education programs and symphony performances.
Something for everyone, in other words.
The staff at the Renaissance recently released its lineup for the 2025-26 season.
“This year’s lineup reflects the core of who we are: Committed to fostering greater human connection and understanding, to inclusivity and to amplifying the voices of those who need it most,” said Chelsie Thompson, president and CEO. “Whether it’s our youth theater programs, back-by-demand favorites like Jim Brickman or a large-scale collaboration between our Broadway artists and the Mansfield Symphony, everything we’re doing is designed to bring people together.”
Brickman is an American pop songwriter, pianist and radio host. He has earned two Grammy nominations for his albums “Peace” for Best Instrumental and “Faith” for Best New Age Album.
The Renaissance Theatre has plenty to offer in the 2025-26 season.
Brickman will be back with “HITS LIVE! and A Little Bit of Christmas,” delivering his blend of melodies and holiday favorites.
Renaissance season to include tributes to Taylor Swift, the Eagles
Audiences also can enjoy “Are You Ready for It? A Taylor Experience,” a tribute to Taylor Swift, or relive the sounds of one of the biggest groups of the 1970s, the Eagles, in “To the Limit: The Ultimate Eagles Experience.”
The Broadway Series will include the classics “The Wizard of Oz” in July, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” in February 2026 and “Mamma Mia!” in April 2026.
The fully staged performances will showcase local and regional talents in productions helmed by the Renaissance’s artistic team.
For the Symphony Series, the Renaissance will open with “Classical Mansfield: A Free Community Concert” in September.
The season will be characterized by the fusion of classical works and popular favorites. The Mansfield Symphony will present “Magical Mansfield: A Night of Wizards and Wonders” in October, the traditional “Holiday Pops” in December and “Side x Side: A Night at the Oscars with Beethoven” in March.
Concluding the season will be “Star Wars and the Planets: A Galactic Odyssey” in May.
“This season, we’re dreaming forward. It’s everything we love about the arts, all in one package. And honestly, we couldn’t do this without our community,” Thompson said. “Their support is what turns these ideas into something real on stage. Every ticket sold, every donation, every volunteer hour – it all helps us keep the curtain rising on this beautiful gem.”
From the return of “Broadway Camps” to productions by Mansfield Youth Theatre, including “Matilda,” students will get their chance to shine in the Education Series.
In addition, the Teddy Bear Concert Series will feature interactive storytelling concerts like “The Three Little Wolves,” “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”
Programs such as the Renaissance Youth Opera Theatre, the Mansfield Symphony Youth Orchestra and Youth Strings, Improv Underground and the MindSprouts Creative Writing Showcase will continue to foster creativity.
The Spotlight Series will start with “Nosferatu,” accompanied by the live and mighty Wurlitzer organ in October. The month will also feature the glow-in-the-dark spectacle “iLuminate” and a film screening of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
It will also include “The Nutcracker Ballet” presented by the Richland Academy of the Arts, “We Wish You a Jazzy Christmas” featuring the Artistic Jazz Orchestra and “Celtic Angels Ireland” in March.
Theatre 166 will offer ‘Dracula’
Theatre 166 will offer entertainment in a more intimate setting for the Innovation Series. The Gothic horror of “Dracula” will come to life this fall, while “She Loves Me” will bring holiday warmth in November.
Also, the Emerging Artists Festival will return with three new works-in-progress from playwrights around the world, who will hone their pieces and share them with local audiences through readings and feedback sessions.
“I hope people see themselves in this coming season. The arts don’t just happen, they’re made possible by the people who believe in them,” Thompson said. So we’re really hoping the community continues to show up, not only in the audience, but as champions for what the arts mean in Mansfield.”
Tickets for the upcoming season are on sale at rentickets.org or by calling or visiting the box office, 138 Park Avenue West, at 419-522-2726.
mcaudill@gannett.com
419-521-7219
X: @MarkCau32059251
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Renaissance Theatre announces season of concerts and plays