Open Air Theatre

Previous shows at the Open Air Theatre

A half century ago, a group of local citizens joined together to form The Washington Crossing Association of New Jersey, a community advocacy group dedicated to support, preserve, and enhance the park’s historical, educational, and recreational programs, which were designed to meet the growing needs and interests of the surrounding towns.

Over the past fifty years, the Association has staffed and given guided tours of the Nelson House, a working 18th century home, the Flag Museum, which displays a commemorative panorama of the Battle of Trenton, and the Johnson Ferry House, a residence that once housed George Washington during the Revolutionary War. The group initiated a community picnic to celebrate Flag Day, and served hot cider to the crowds of people who came to observe the Christmas Day re-enactment of General Washington and his troops crossing the Delaware.

In 1964, the Open Air Theatre was built in part by the efforts of the Washington Crossing Association, whose auspices include the management of theatre and its amenities. The beautiful setting and the rich heritage of Washington Crossing State Park provides the atmosphere and ambience which makes coming to a theatrical production an occasion to be enjoyed by the entire family. The Association invites you to visit the Nature Center and to picnic with friends before the show, or perhaps, follow the “Continental Walk” tracing the path of General George Washington, which led to the founding of our nation.

Here is a list of the shows which have been performed at the Open Air Theatre over the years:

2006
Dance Asia	ArtsPower
The Last Five Years	Jason Robert Brown
The Tempest	Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey
Hansel & Gretel	Storybook Musical Theatre
My Fair Lady	Actors' NET
My Way, a Tribute to Sinatra	Weber-Prianti Productions
Radio Gals	Hedgerow Theatre

2005
Much Ado About Nothing	Shakespeare '70
1776	Actors' NET
Once Upon a Mattress	Playful Theatre
Annie Get Your Gun	Yardley Players
Into The Woods	The Pennington Players
The Wizard of Oz	Stars in the Park

2004
Twelfth Night	Shakespeare '70
Swing	Newtown Arts
Secret Garden	Playful Theatre
Tom Sawyer	Yardley Players
South Pacific	The Pennington Players
Oklahoma	Stars in the Park

2003
Richard III	Shakespeare 70
Footloose	Newtown Arts
Camelot	Playful Theatre
Fame	The Pennington Players
Oliver	Yardley Players
Meet Me In St. Louis	Stars in the Park

2002
A Midsummer Night's Dream	Shakespeare 70
Bye Bye Birdie	Newtown Arts
Fiddler on The Roof	Playful Theatre
Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat	Yardley Players
Jekyll & Hyde	The Pennington Players
The Music Man	Washington Crossing Repertory Company

2001
The Tempest	Shakespeare 70
A Chorus Line	Newtown Arts
The King and I	Playful Theatre
Brigadoon	The Pennington Players
The Sound of Music	Yardley Players
Annie	The Stars in the Park

2000
Henry the IV Part I	Shakespeare 70
Grease	Newtown Arts
The Wizard of Oz	Playful Theatre
Children of Eden	The Pennington Players
The Sound of Music	Yardley Players
Carnival	Princeton Opera

1999
Macbeth	Shakespeare 70
Damn Yankees	Newtown Arts
Oklahoma	Playful Theatre
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum	The Pennington Players
Man of La Mancha	Princeton Opera
Anything Goes	Yardley Players

1998
The Taming of the Shrew	Shakespeare 70
Guys and Dolls	Stars of the Park
Carousel	Playful Theatre Productions
Hello Dolly	Yardley Players
The Secret Garden	Princeton Opera
Once Upon a Mattress	The Pennington Players

1997
The Winter's Tale	Shakespeare 70
Cinderella	Playful Theatre Productions
Bye Bye Birdie	Newtown Arts
Gypsy	The Pennington Players
Annie Get Your Gun	Yardley Players
South Pacific	Princeton Opera

1993
Twelfth Night
Hair
The Chocolate Soldier
West Side Story
Cabaret
The Mikado

1992
A Comedy of Errors
Naughty Marietta
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Hello Dolly
Robin Hood
Pirates of Penzance

1991
As You Like It
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Carousel
Oklahoma
Cinderella
Grease

1989
A Midsummer's Night Dream



The King and I
West Side Story

1996
Merry Wives of Windsor	Shakespeare 70
Brigadoon	Playful Theatre Productions
Into the Woods	The Pennington Players
Meet Me in St. Louis	Yardley?
Annie	Newtown?
Fiddler on the Roof	Princeton Opera

1995
Much Ado About Nothing
The Music Man
Camelot
Nunsense
Jesus Christ Superstar
The Sound of Music

1994
Measure for Measure
The Wizard of Oz
Oliver
Anything Goes
The Fantasticks
The King and I

1987
Macbeth
The Merry Widow
Godspell
Carnival
Brigadoon
The Wizard of Oz

1986
Measure for Measure
The Fantasticks
Pirates of Penzance
Peter Pan
The Music Man
Annie Get Your Gun

1985
Much Ado About Nothing
Man of La Mancha
The Student Prince
The Mikado
South Pacific
Jesus Christ Superstar

1984
The Taming of the Shrew
Li'l Abner
Show Boat
Once Upon a Mattress
HMS Pinafore
Oliver

1983
Twelfth Night
The Sound of Music
Oklahoma!
Fiddler on The Roof
Kiss Me Kate
My Fair Lady

1982
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Guys and Dolls
The Mikado
West Side Story
Damn Yankees
The Disappointment

1978
Godspell
Camelot
Kismet
The Taming of the Shrew
Bye Bye Birdie
Arms and the Man

1975
Crossing!
Guys and Dolls
HMS Pinafore
As You Like It
Annie Get Your Gun
Die Fledermaus

1973
1776
The Way It Was 1620-1800
Macbeth
The King and I
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
The Marriage of Figaro

1972
Kismet
Carmen
You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Aida
Teahouse of the August Moon

1969
Sound of Music
Faust
We Bombed in New Haven
Cuttalossa
Sunshine '69
Camelot