Jan. 4, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
Get ready to groove with the sounds of Motown courtesy of this group direct from Detroit and featuring former members of The Capitols, The Miracles and The Temptations. The All-Stars will perform hits by The Temptations, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and more. This DPO Rockin’ Orchestra concert will be conducted by DPO Artistic Director Neal Gittleman. 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Schuster Center, 1 W. Second St., Dayton. $14-$119. 937-228-3630 or daytonperformingarts.org.
Molly Kearney
Jan. 9, Clark State Performing Arts Center
The “Saturday Night Live” and University of Dayton theater alum returns to the Miami Valley. Kearney, the first non-binary “SNL” cast member, began performing stand-up comedy on Put-In-Bay island and was later selected for Comedy Central’s “Up Next” and performed at the 2019 Clusterfest in San Francisco. The Cleveland native’s screen credits include the Amazon series “A League of Their Own” and the Disney series “The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers.” 7:30 p.m. Thursday in the Kuss Auditorium of the Clark State Performing Arts Center, 300 S. Fountain Ave., Springfield. This show will have a small audience seated close to the stage and includes complimentary desserts. $10-$20. 937-328-3874 or pac.clarkstate.edu.
Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto
Jan. 10-11, Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra
Pianist Ian Parker will be spotlighted for Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto, widely considered among his greatest works. The concert, under the direction of the aforementioned Gittleman, also features composer Elena Ruehr’s “Sky Above Clouds, inspired by the paintings of Georgia O’Keefe, and Brahms’ Symphony No. 3. 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Schuster Center, 1 W. Second St., Dayton. $8-$109. 937-228-3630 or daytonperformingarts.org.
“Ghost: The Musical”
Jan. 10-Feb. 9, La Comedia Dinner Theatre
Based on the hit Academy Award-winning 1990 film starring Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore and Whoopi Goldberg, “Ghost: The Musical” tells the love story of Sam and Molly. After his untimely death and being trapped between two worlds, Sam vows to keep Molly from danger through the help of storefront psychic Oda Mae Brown. Dave Stewart and Glen Ballard’s original score includes the classic hit “Unchained Melody” famously heard in the film. This local premiere will take place Thursdays-Sundays at La Comedia Dinner Theatre, 765 W. Central Ave., Springboro. $39-$75. 937-746-4554 or lacomedia.com.
“Six”
Jan. 14-19, Dayton Live
Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. The six wives of Henry VIII have a lot to say and they tell it like it is with passionately empowered contemporary pizzazz. Songwriters Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss won the 2022 Tony Award for their pop-driven original score recalling the likes of Celine Dion, Britney Spears and Rihanna. “Six,” performed without an intermission and within the context of a singing competition, leaps forth as more of a glorified concert than a traditional musical theater showcase, which is a huge part of its appeal. 7:30 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday at the Schuster Center, 1 W. Second St., Dayton. $69-$209. 937-228-3630 or daytonlive.org.
“Cats”
Jan. 16-19, Muse Machine
More than 140 young people across the Miami Valley will participate in the Muse Machine’s 40th student musical. Andrew Lloyd Webber and T.S. Eliot’s iconic, Tony Award-winning account of a group of felines vying to be reborn to a new life will be reimagined by Muse in a fun, exciting way. Emmaline Slauenwhite, a senior at Bellbrook High School, notably portrays the aging Grizabella and deliver the signature ballad “Memory.” 7 p.m. Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Friday, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday at the Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St., Dayton. $29-$81. 937-228-3630 or daytonlive.org.
“Die Mommie Die!”
Jan. 17-26, Beavercreek Community Theatre
Described as a “mix of Greek tragedy and Hollywood kitsch,” Charles Busch’s play is a comic melodrama evoking the 1960s “Grande Dame Guignol” films that starred Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Lana Turner. The story concerns ex-pop singer Angela Andrews who poisons her film producer husband in order to be with her younger lover, leaving her two children to avenge their father’s death. 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays at BCT, 3868 Dayton-Xenia Road. $18-$20. 937-429-4737 or bctheatre.org.
“Avenue Q”
Jan. 24-Feb. 9, Dayton Playhouse
Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx and Jeff Whitty’s hilariously naughty, R-rated, puppet-driven, Tony Award-winning musical comedy tells the story of Princeton, a recent college graduate searching for purpose while living in his rundown New York City neighborhood. Songs include “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” “The Internet Is For Porn,” “I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today” and “You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You’re Makin’ Love).” 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays at the Playhouse, 1301 E. Siebenthaler Ave., Dayton. $18-$20. 937-424-8477 or daytonplayhouse.com.
“Insidious: The Further You Fear”
Jan. 30, Dayton Live
Based on the film franchise of the same name, this immersive live horror experience offers an all-new story filled with dark, sinister terror. The production, performed without an intermission and including familiar characters such as the Bride in Black, the Wheezing Man and the Red Face Demon, is also hosted as a live show by the “real” Specs and Tucker, the actual paranormal investigators who inspired the original movie. 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Victoria Theatre, 138 N. Main St., Dayton. $46-$104. 937-228-3630 or daytonlive.org.
“The Minutes”
Jan. 31-Feb. 16, Dayton Theatre Guild
Melissa Ertsgaard directs the local premiere of Tracy Letts’ comedy concerning power and small-town politics. The play also exposes “the ugliness behind some of our most closely held American narratives, asking each of us what we would do to avoid becoming history’s losers.” 8 p.m. Fridays, 5 p.m. Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays at the Guild, 430 Wayne Ave., Dayton. $13-$20. 937-278-5993 or daytontheatreguild.org.
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