Upcoming openings and current events from around northeast Ohio
Compiled by Elizabeth Weinstein
Great Lakes Theatre
Sunday in the Park with George | Sept. 26 – Oct. 12, 2025
Step into a mesmerizing world where art and life collide in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Pulitzer Prize-winning musical. Inspired by Georges Seurat’s iconic painting, this beautifully layered story follows the painter’s obsessive quest to finish his masterpiece as his relationship with his muse, Dot, begins to unravel.
A century later, Seurat’s great-grandson confronts his own creative crossroads, discovering unexpected ties to the past. With a luminous
score featuring classics like “Finishing the Hat,” “Sunday,” and “Move On,” this Tony and Olivier Award-winning production is a stirring meditation on creativity, connection, and the legacy we leave behind. A moving tribute to the sacrifices of artists and the beauty that endures through time.
Spaces Gallery
Everlasting Plastics | Sept 26, 2025 – Jan 17, 2026
This provocative group exhibition invites visitors to examine our complex and ever-growing entanglement with plastic. Featuring site-specific works by five artists and designers—Xavi Aguirre, Simon Anton, Ang Li, Norman Teague, and Lauren Yeager—Everlasting Plastics explores how this once-celebrated material now shapes, distorts, and threatens our environments and economies.
Curated by Tizziana Baldenebro and Lauren Leving, the exhibition reframes plastic not simply as waste, but as a symbol of cultural dependency and a call for urgent change. From Cleveland’s place in the global plastics industry to our proximity to Lake Erie’s fragile ecosystem, the show hits close to home. Through innovative installations and architectural perspectives, these artists reimagine how we think about, use, and move beyond plastics in daily life. Everlasting Plastics challenges us to confront a material legacy we can no longer ignore.
Playhouse Square – Keybank State Theatre
Hell’s Kitchen | Oct. 10 – Nov. 1, 2025
Set to the unforgettable music of Alicia Keys, Hell’s Kitchen is a high-energy, heart-filled coming-of-age story pulsing with the beat of 1990s New York. Inspired by Keys’ own teenage years but told through the eyes of 17-year- old Ali, the show follows a young woman yearning for freedom, purpose, and identity in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood.
With a protective mother at home and a newfound mentor who introduces her to the power of music, Ali’s world begins to open up. The score blends Keys’ biggest hits with brand-new songs, adding emotional depth and electrifying rhythm to every scene. Named a New York Times Critic’s Pick, this acclaimed Broadway musical is a powerful exploration of love, self-discovery, and the city that shapes us. Don’t miss this vibrant tribute to growing up, letting go, and finding your voice.
Cleveland Ballet
Dracula & Code of Silence | Oct. 24 – 25, 2025
Just in time for Halloween, Cleveland Ballet revives its thrilling production of Dracula — a gothic tale of passion, fear, and the supernatural — alongside Code of Silence, a contemporary tribute to the late choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett.
Through sweeping choreography and evocative music, Dracula transforms Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire into a haunting presence on stage, following Mina Murray, her devoted fiancé, and a team of vampire hunters battling the dark pull of the Count.
The evening begins with Code of Silence, a modern, emotionally resonant work reflecting Taylor-Corbett’s signature style and artistic impact. Together, these two ballets offer a powerful contrast of old-world drama and modern movement. Experience an unforgettable night where elegance meets eerie, and the past and present dance in perfect step.
Canton Museum of Art
Shattered Glass: The Women Who Elevated American Art | Nov. 25, 2025 – Mar. 1, 2026
This groundbreaking exhibition is the first original show at the Canton Museum of Art to spotlight only female artists—and the barriers they broke to shape American art. Shattered Glass brings together nearly 100 powerful works across a range of mediums, from historic pieces to contemporary voices, highlighting artists who overcame gender, racial, economic, and societal obstacles—including those who created under male pseudonyms.
Featuring trailblazers like Judy Chicago, Selma Burke, Audrey Flack, and Maija Grotell, the exhibition explores both the enduring impact of these artists and the invisible ceilings they shattered. Through compelling visuals and untold stories, Shattered Glass honors the resilience and brilliance of women whose contributions were too often dismissed
or ignored. With works on loan from across the country, this rich and revealing collection invites visitors to reconsider the history—and future—of American art.
