Rock ‘n’ roll reigns supreme in Circle Theatre’s 2026 season, which this year bears the tagline “Iconic.”
As artistic director Ashley H. White explains, “Our 45th season dives headfirst into exploring the power, pressure, and paradox of what we consider ‘iconic.’ Included in this season are shows, ideas, and icons that shaped generations. From Janis Joplin to LeBron James, from teenage obsession to family secrets, from Alanis Morissette to Elton John, and finally, the incomparable Jonathan Larson… These works of art crack open the things we cling onto and examine what is hiding underneath with fervor. Through ‘Iconic’, Circle Theatre aims to offer our patrons a season that is daring, electric, and deeply alive.”
The season begins with a bonus show in the theater’s Velvet Lounge lobby space: A Night with Janis Joplin.
The regional premiere, directed by White, is a concert-style tribute to the legendary rock and blues singer that also includes the voices of trailblazing women who shaped her sound, from Aretha Franklin to Bessie Smith. It runs January 29-February 14, 2026.
The official start to the season is the regional premiere of King James by by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Cherish Love Robinson.
The play is about the unlikely bond between two men brought together — and pulled apart — by their shared love of basketball and the rise of LeBron James. Pulitzer Prize finalist Joseph sets the piece over nearly two decades, tracing the evolution of their friendship alongside the highs and lows of a sports dynasty. It runs March 5-28, 2026.
Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking, Pulitzer Prize and Tony-winning rock musical Rent is up next, directed by Garret Storms with music direction by Vicky Nooe.
Set in the 1980s, it follows a group of young artists struggling to survive, create, and love in New York City under the shadow of poverty and the AIDS crisis. You might recognize the songs “Seasons of Love,” “One Song Glory,” and “Take Me Or Leave Me.”
Another regional premiere follows, with I’m Gonna Marry You Tobey Maguire by Samantha Hurley.
Directed by Alejandro Sauceado, this regional premiere is a darkly funny, poignant, coming-of-age play that follows a teenage girl in the early 2000s whose obsession with actor Tobey Maguire becomes a lifeline during a time of personal crisis. It runs August 20-September 12, 2026.
Alanis Morissette’s iconic 1995 album forms the score for Jagged Little Pill, a rock musical co-created by Diablo Cody.
A seemingly perfect suburban family confronts buried trauma, addiction, identity, and the struggle for authenticity in this regional premiere directed by White and music directed by Robinson. It runs June 25-July 18, 2026.
The season closes with The Leopard Play, or sad songs for lost boys by Isaac Gómez.
Directed by Sasha Maya Ada, this regional premiere is set in a small Texas town where a young man returns home to confront family secrets, generational trauma, and the ghosts of who he might have been. Blending magical realism with raw intimacy and the music of Elton John, it’s a deeply personal story about love, identity, and the longing to break free from cycles that bind us. It runs October 15-November 7, 2026.
More information and tickets can be found here.