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Spring Arts Preview: Theater

Stages across the region are hosting everything from intimate productions to beloved Broadway favorites.

A group of men in period costumes sit and stand around a table on a dimly lit stage, with one man in a red vest standing and speaking.
“Red and Black,” Christian Mark Gibbs as Enjolras and company in Les Misérables.
Photo by Matthew Murphy

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2026 issue of Seattle magazine.

This spring’s theater lineup runs the gamut—from a Tony-winning drama at Seattle Rep to a velvet-roped cabaret in Capitol Hill and the return of one of Broadway’s biggest musicals. These productions offer a look at the range of work happening on local stages right now.

Hurricane Diane

Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Madeleine George, Hurricane Diane is a sharp criticism of the willful ignorance we often adopt when it comes to the climate crisis. The titular character, Diane, is a permaculture gardener with supernatural abilities thanks to her true identity—the Greek god Dionysus—who returns to modern-day Earth to help heal the planet. Her first encounter? A group of housewives…what could go wrong? Directed by Annie Lareau for Seattle Public Theater, “Hurricane Diane is a delicious, layered comedy that pokes at suburban women in New Jersey while dealing with some harsh global truths about ourselves, and our environment,” says Seattle Public Theater’s producing artistic director Amy Poisson.

Hurricane Diane runs March 18 – April 12 at Seattle Public Theater.

I Will Miss You When You’re Gone

The shattered glass project—a local theater company with the mission to amplify the voices of artists who have been marginalized on the basis of their gender or sex—is bringing the production I will miss you when you’re gone to Theatre Off Jackson. Written by Toronto-based Jessica Moss, this award-winning play tells the story of Celeste, who tries to contact her dead mother, Theresa, but instead is haunted by Evelyn. Evelyn died after jumping off an office building run by Robin, who just wants to button things up and move forward—until Theresa shows up. Directed by Adrian Prendergast, I will miss you when you’re gone is a tender, sad, and funny look at what it’s like to live in the isolating folds of contemporary society.

I Will Miss You When You’re Gone runs through March 21 at Theatre Off Jackson.

Hotel Gatsby Masquerade

Intiman Theatre’s cabaret artist-in-residence BeautyBoiz is transforming Capitol Hill’s Erickson Theater into an intimate lounge for the Hotel Gatsby Masquerade. Starring local performing group Purple Lemonade collective, this mysterious evening will feature a mix of one-person plays, drag and performance art, musical acts, and more. “Hotel Gatsby is pure after-hours alchemy—sweaty, glamorous, and gloriously unruly,” says Jose Abaoag, communications and development manager at Intiman. “BeautyBoiz, in collaboration with Purple Lemonade, turns Intiman into a velvet-roped fantasy where virtuosic movement, queer decadence, and nightlife collide. The Gregory Award–winning ensemble doesn’t just perform; they seduce the room.”

Hotel Gatsby Masquerade runs at Erickson Theater April 9–12.

Les Misérables

One of the most popular stage productions of all time, Les Misérables returns to Seattle as part of Seattle Theatre Group’s Broadway at the Paramount program. Here, British producer Cameron Mackintosh will present the acclaimed production of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s Tony Award-winning musical. Based on Victor Hugo’s novel of the same name and set against the political unrest of 19th century France, Les Misérables tells the story of redemption, love, sacrifice, and the transformative power of human connection.

Les Misérables runs April 7–19 at the Paramount Theatre.

Appropriate

One of the most talked-about plays of the past 20 years, Appropriate is making its local debut at Seattle Rep this spring. Directed by Seattle artist Timothy McCuen Piggee, the show introduces audiences to the Lafayette family, who, after their father’s death, arrive at his decrepit former plantation home to prepare for an estate sale. As they dig through cluttered piles and crowded rooms, the children uncover some uncomfortable secrets about their family’s racist past that force them to contend with the kind of legacy they want to leave behind. The winner of three Tony Awards, this piece of theater is smart, dark, and relevant. As Piggee puts it: “Do you like comedy? Do you like a thriller? Do you like spectacle? Do you like provocation? Then this is the play for you.”

Appropriate runs April 9 – May 10 at Seattle Rep.

Jesus Christ Superstar

The ultimate rock opera is hitting the 5th Avenue Theatre stage with a group of local performers at the helm. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar tells the story of the final week of Jesus’ life—from the perspective of Judas. The titular character will be played by 5th Avenue veteran Alexander Kilian, with Molly Sides, vocalist for Thunderpussy, as Mary Magdalene and Cameron Lavi-Jones, vocalist and guitarist for King Youngblood, as Judas. With its humanization of Jesus, this production debuted to criticism and praise alike, but its popularity has only increased over the years, with audiences connecting to universal themes such as sacrifice, love, and power.

Jesus Christ Superstar runs May 2–17 at the 5th Avenue Theatre.


This story is part of Seattle magazine’s Spring Arts series, which highlights theater, dance, film, and visual arts across the city.

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