Musicals

Los Angeles – October 05, 2026 -- THIS IS CRAZY!, a benefit play exploring mental illness and family survival, arrives at The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills for a single performance on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, with tickets on sale now.

The show previously debuted in New York, drawing talent including Jane Fonda, Edie Falco, and Mark Ruffalo, and raised nearly $500,000 for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). One hundred percent of proceeds from the Los Angeles performance and afterparty will again go to NAMI.

The Los Angeles cast features Marisa Tomei and Rosanna Arquette.

The ensemble also includes Lois Smith, Rudy Pankow, Rob Morrow, Rachel Hilson, Colette Hayes, Luke Ferrari, and Olivia Oguma, with additional names still to be announced.

Kansas City, Mo. – September 25, 2026 -- The Historic West Bottoms district kicks off Halloween season with Boo in the Bottoms, running October 2-4 during First Friday Weekend, before the neighborhood's haunted attractions Beast and Edge of Hell open their 2026 season on the night of October 2.

More than 30 stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues across the 13-block district will be open, mostly from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, with hours varying by business.

Daytime shoppers hunt vintage finds while costumed characters roam the streets

Visitors can trick-or-treat at participating stores, take photos with family-friendly haunt characters, and gather at fire pits for s'mores and seasonal drinks from the Full Moon Street Bar, available Friday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Haunt characters will appear Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 3 p.m.

Temple, Texas – September 21, 2026 -- Historic dance halls across Texas continue to function as active community gathering spaces, according to insights from Lorinda Baum of Bos Barn Dance Hall in Temple, Texas.

Small towns built dance halls as shared community spaces

Many of these buildings were constructed when towns needed simple venues for families to gather. Dances, celebrations, and fundraisers held there gradually tied the structures to the people and towns around them.

Live country music keeps neighbors connected today

Residents still visit dance halls for live music while spending time with friends and neighbors. Baum notes that songs performed at these venues can bring back memories of earlier dances, family celebrations, and evenings spent with familiar faces.

Rochester, N.Y. – September 19, 2026 -- Eight circus companies take over downtown Rochester this weekend as the ESL Rochester Fringe Festival launches CIRCUS IN THE CITY, the first large-scale outdoor circus event of its kind in Western New York. The free performances run Friday, September 18 and Saturday, September 19, with shows at Parcel 5 from 5 to 10 p.m. and Gibbs Street from 5 to 9 p.m.

The broader ESL Rochester Fringe Festival continues through September 26, marking its 15th season with 715 performances across 297 productions at 45 venues in 12 days.