New York City may have a world-famous theater district, but it’s certainly not the only performing arts hub worth building a trip around.
As a New York native, I was lucky enough to grow up seeing shows. “The Phantom of the Opera” was a birthday tradition for years, until its historic Broadway run ended in April 2023.
But travel changed how I thought about theater: a study-abroad semester introduced me to the West End, while later trips pushed me deeper into my “love theater, will travel” era.
Beyond Broadway, these are five destinations theater lovers should have on their go list.
In this article
London, England
Perhaps the most obvious non-NYC choice, but a necessary inclusion nonetheless. London’s West End is renowned for a reason.
The city’s performing arts history dates back centuries: Theatre Royal Drury Lane has been a site for entertainment since 1663, and its current building opened in 1812.
In total, the West End is commonly counted as having 39 theaters, with more than 240 across wider London. The Lyceum Theatre was the longtime home of “The Lion King,” and the massive London Palladium is another among the most notable.
Several of the most successful shows in musical-theater history also originated in London, including Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Les Misérables,” and ABBA’s jukebox hit “Mamma Mia!”
Washington, D.C.
While many travelers head to the U.S. capital for its monuments and museums, theater belongs on the itinerary, too.
The Kennedy Center is the city’s biggest performing-arts anchor, presenting more than 2,000 events each year across genres.
But D.C.’s theater scene extends well beyond one institution, with major venues including the National Theatre, Warner Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, Arena Stage, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, and Folger Theatre.
Arena Stage gives the city especially strong theatrical bona fides. The company helped pioneer the regional theater movement and has seen major productions move on to Broadway lives, including “The Great White Hope,” “Dear Evan Hansen,” and “Next to Normal.”
Ashland, Oregon
Four-and-a-half hours south of Portland, Ashland is proof that a relatively small city can still be a major theater pilgrimage. (Plus, it’s also a nice counterpoint to the bigger-city stops on this list.)
The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (which, despite its name, stages Shakespeare alongside classics, contemporary work, and new plays) operates three theater spaces: the 601-seat Angus Bowmer Theatre, the 270-to-360-seat Thomas Theatre and the 1,190-seat outdoor Allen Elizabethan Theatre.
The festival’s impact stretches far beyond the Pacific Northwest. Lynn Nottage’s “Sweat” had its world premiere at OSF in 2015 as part of the American Revolutions program, co-commissioned with D.C.’s aforementioned Arena Stage, before going on to a larger national life and ultimately winning the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo makes a compelling theater trip because its stage scene stretches far beyond Broadway-style shows, with productions and traditions travelers simply will not see anywhere else.
Kabuki-za, in Ginza, anchors one of Japan’s essential theatrical traditions: Kabuki, a 400-year-old form known for stylized acting, music, dance, elaborate costumes, and bold makeup.
Tokyo Takarazuka Theater is the Tokyo home of the all-female Takarazuka Revue, while the New National Theatre, Tokyo presents opera, ballet, dance, and drama across three venues.
The Imperial Theatre has also hosted major musicals, including “Les Misérables,” “Elisabeth,” and the Japanese sensation “Endless Shock.”
Considered the country’s first Western-style theater, it’s currently closed while being demolished and rebuilt, with an estimated reopening set for 2030 (so you may want to save this theater stop for your longer-term travel plans).
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Buenos Aires makes the list as one of the world’s great theater cities. Because yes, there’s more to theater beyond the typical North America-and-Europe circuit.
Argentina’s capital has more than 400 theater venues, between the marquee-lit Avenida Corrientes (the Broadway of Buenos Aires, bustling with a cluster of theaters and late-night crowds) and the city’s smaller alternative spaces.
Visitors can find classic musicals (“Annie” is currently running at Teatro Broadway), comedies, dramas (including a straight stage adaptation of “Rocky,” blessed by Sylvester Stallone himself), tango shows, children’s productions, and variety performances.
The essential prestige stop is Teatro Colón, the city’s grand opera house. Opened in 1908, the historic landmark is celebrated for its architecture and acoustics and has hosted major artists including Maria Callas and Luciano Pavarotti.
The Shortcut
Broadway is iconic, but London, Washington, D.C., Ashland, Tokyo and Buenos Aires each have a distinctive theater scene.
London and Buenos Aires bring the most “theater district” energy, while Ashland and Washington, D.C. show how regional theater can shape major productions.
Tokyo is the biggest change-of-pace pick, pairing Broadway-style musical theater with Japanese traditions like Kabuki and Takarazuka.
Las Vegas has way more than gambling and deserves an honorable mention on this list for its always-on lineup of live stage performances.
