Queens Theatre is launching its 2026-27 season in October with an exciting array of cultural performances that aim to reflect the diversity of “The World’s Borough.”
The theater, located in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, will bring cultures, traditions and artists from around the world all season long, featuring a robust mix of Latin music and dance, jazz, theater, family programming, global traditions and cultural celebrations.
It also marks a renewed effort to deepen Queens Theatre’s connection with the communities it serves, while keeping live performing arts accessible and affordable.
“Queens Theatre exists to serve this community, and this season is a true reflection of our mission,” said Julia del Palacio, executive director of Queens Theatre. “Queens is one of the most diverse places in the world, and we want the people who live here to see themselves, their cultures, and their experiences represented on our stages.”
Tickets, which begin below $30, are available now at QueensTheatre.org/Events.
Highlights of this season’s lineup include Colombian twin sisters Las Áñez; Calpulli Mexican Dance Company’s Día de Muertos; Xiomara Laugart: Tribute to Celia Cruz; international entertainer Charo; illusionist Vitaly: An Evening of Wonders; and “The Monkey King: A Kung Fu Musical,” presented in celebration of Lunar New Year.
Calpulli Mexican Dance Company’s Día de Muertos.Photos courtesy Queens Theatre
Jazz takes an expanded presence at Queens Theatre this season, as well, with performances by Allan Harris, Tammy McCann and Jumaane Smith, among others.
Harris will bring “The Poetry of Jazz” as part of the “Jazz is at Queens Theatre” series. McCann will celebrate some of the genre’s most influential women with “The Legendary Ladies of Jazz,” featuring special guest David O’Rourke, long-time guitarist of the late Cassandra Wilson. Smith, on the other hand, will bring the sounds of New Orleans to the stage with “Sweet Baby!”
Dance programming includes Calpulli Mexican Dance Company’s Día de Muertos celebration and Darrah Carr Dance’s Irish-inspired St. Patrick’s Day performances. It will also bring the rhythms of San Jose Taiko, which blends the powerful, traditional art of kumidaiko — ensemble drumming — with contemporary rhythms like jazz, Afro-Cuban and rock.
This year, Queens Theatre’s New Play Development program will feature stories about Queens.
Now in its 25th year, New Play Development presents free public readings by emerging playwrights. The program invites audiences into the creative process through talkbacks, building on a history of more than 200 readings, workshops and productions.
Titan Theatre Company returns to Queens Theatre with Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town,” opening this fall. Other readings and productions by local companies will be added to the calendar.
“The Monkey King: A Kung Fu Musical,” will come to the Claire Shulman Theater in January, bringing the family-friendly adventures of the first-ever female Monkey King as she battles against Heaven and Earth’s most treacherous foes to save her tribe and achieve immortality. The original play, written by husband-and-wife team Kimbirdlee and Jonathan Fadner, will feature a mix of classical and rock music and kung-fu style choreography.
The Monkey King: A Kung Fu Musical, an original play produced by husband-and-wife team Kimbirdlee and Jonathan Fadner.Photos courtesy Queens Theatre
Family programming also remains a major part of the season, with several Rock and Roll Playhouse performances created especially for young audiences, along with Lightwire Dino-Light, which brings dinosaurs to life through electroluminescent artistry and imaginative storytelling.
Cultural celebrations are woven throughout the calendar, including programming recognizing Día de los Muertos, Lunar New Year, Mardi Gras, Dominican Independence Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Mother’s Day and the Cherry Blossom Festival. It will also present a Valentine’s Day Special featuring Uptown Royalty, Liza and Willie.
Queens Theatre’s B-Side Series will further expand opportunities for audiences and artists to connect through free, multidisciplinary open-stage programming. Designed to make the community part of the artistic experience, rather than simply an audience for it, the series creates an inclusive space for people of all abilities and experience levels to participate, share their creativity and engage in artistic expression.
“We want someone who has never walked through our doors before to look at this season and feel like there is something here for them,” Palacio said. “Whether it’s the music they grew up with, a tradition their family celebrates or an artist they’re discovering for the first time, we want audiences to see themselves reflected on our stages.”
Las Áñez, an acclaimed avant-garde vocal duo from Bogot formed by Columbian twin sisters Juanita and Valentina Áñez Rothmann.Photos courtesy Queens Theatre
Designated performances also offer services such as American Sign Language interpretation, audio description, open captioning and touch tours. Relaxed and sensory-friendly performances provide additional accommodations, including modified sound and lighting, quiet areas, and greater flexibility for audience movement and noise.
“As a Disabled artist myself, this work is personal,” said Megan Simcox, manager of Audience Development and Accessibility at Queens Theatre, and an alumna of TFA Professional Actor Training Program. “That means thinking beyond what happens on stage and removing barriers wherever we can, so audiences of all abilities can experience live performance, feel welcome in our space, and be part of the community we’re building here.”
Queens Theatre officials said accessibility and affordability go hand in hand at the venue, where creating a welcoming space means removing barriers to the performing arts while presenting programming that speaks to the borough’s multicultural and multigenerational communities.
“Experiencing great live performances shouldn’t feel out of reach,” said Dr. Cameron Hernandez, Acting President of the Queens Theatre Board of Directors and President and COO of Mount Sinai Queens. “We have made a conscious effort to remain affordable throughout the years because accessibility is fundamental to our mission.”
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