Minding Your Business- The Cape Playhouse

The Cape Playhouse in Dennis is embarking on its 99th summer season this year, and according to Artistic Director Eric Rosen, it is going to be an unforgettable one. 

“The whole season is really, really strong,” he says. With a line up that includes “Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story,” “Rent,” “Anastasia the Musical,” “Come From Away,” and “Joan,” audiences are in for a memorable summer at the iconic theater.

Rosen is gearing up for a busy few months with actors coming and going at the Playhouse all summer long. 

“When actors talk about the Playhouse, they talk about how much they just love the campus and the history or how beautiful it is here and what an incredible place to make theater in the summer,” he said. The actors rehearse in New York City in the months leading up to the show before heading to the Cape. Typically the entire cast arrives four days prior to opening night, and as Rosen notes, “We have three days in the theater and then we start. They all arrive on a Sunday and we start performing on Wednesday. It’s really fast!” Each show runs about three weeks, and then they start all over and get ready for the next one.

Up first in the summer lineup is “Buddy – the Buddy Holly Story,” running from June 4 to 21. Rosen says audiences will get a glimpse into what Buddy Holly’s life was like at a moment in music history. “We have an incredible cast of actors and musicians for ‘Buddy’ in the same vein as last year’s ‘Million Dollar Quartet,’ which was so good,” he said. 

The Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning show “Rent” will hit the stage from June 25 to July 12, directed by Rosen’s former protege Chip Miller. 

“I am excited about all of it,” says Rosen. “Each show has a personal connection to me. I am directing ‘Anestasia,’ and it’s fun to make something I know that the audience will love.” “Anastasia” will run from July 16 to Aug. 2.

The production of “Come From Away” will run throughout the month from Aug. 6 to 30 and is based on a true story from Sept. 11. Kelly Devine directs this Playhouse production, which was nominated for a Tony Award for the choreography in the show’s original run. Rosen notes that Devine pulled together a sort of reunion cast of people who have either done the show on Broadway or the national tour. 

“It is such a beautiful and moving and fun show,” he said.

Rosen is also looking forward to “Joan,” which will only be the second production so far of the show and will be directed by Tye Blue. 

“It’s being produced in partnership with Melissa Rivers, Joan’s daughter,” said Rosen. “We’ve been wheeling and dealing with her in auditions and talking all the time. It is so exciting to be doing a new work at the Playhouse. We haven't historically done many brand new shows here, and to have our hands in only the second production of this play is ambitious.”

Rosen is overjoyed and optimistic as he looks ahead to the 2027 Cape Playhouse centennial year.

“I am a huge theater history buff, and to know that I’d be running the oldest continuously operated summer theater in America at a time that it is turning 100 years old is incredibly cool,” he said.

Check out the Cape Playhouse website for tickets and the entire lineup, and get ready for a fantastic summer of theater!

The Cape Playhouse

820 Main St., Dennis

capeplayhouse.com

508-385-3911