Musical Theater

There’s the magic of theater, and then there’s theater about magic. Community Players latest production, “Matilda The Musical,” has both. The production runs through July 31 at Community Players, with antics galore and a few optical illusions that will, above all, remind you of the power kids have.

We don't usually think of the "Sound of Music" as a dark story. But a new production by MIOpera focuses on us-versus-them situations in the classic musical showing June 24-26 at the Astroth Center auditorium at Heartland Community College.

It’s been 13,140,000 minutes, give or take, since “Rent” first premiered on Broadway in 1996, and hit songs like “Seasons of Love” and “La Vie Boheme” changed the musical theater landscape in immeasurable ways. Now, Jonathan Larson’s enduring rock musical is traveling the country on a farewell tour, stopping at the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts on Nov. 21 for one night only.

Set sail this Thursday, Aug. 1, as Prairie Fire Theatre opens Gilbert and Sullivan’s “HMS Pinafore” at Community Players Theatre.This comic opera parodies…