If you leave Manhattan and go East, you’ll eventually hit Brooklyn and Queens. Keeping going and you’ll hit Nassau County and Suffolk County, making up Long Island. New York City is our backyard, our playground. Yes, Broadway is only a trip on the Long Island Rail Road away, but we have a great array of both professional and community theaters to catch a show a little closer to home. I’ve chosen to highlight three of each, but you can see a list of all theaters here.
Professional Theater
1. John W. Engeman Theater – Located in Northport, the Engeman “brings Broadway to Main Street” multiple times a year with their mainstage productions and concerts featuring some of Broadway’s biggest stars. Their current production is South Pacific, starring Broadway’s Rob Gallagher as Emile de Becque, a role he understudied in the recent Broadway revival. Their next season kicks off with Nunsense at the end of the summer. I’ve attended a few performances at this venue and love its intimacy and comfort, in addition to the talent onstage.
2. Gateway Playhouse – Located in Bellport (but occasionally using a theater in Patchogue), Gateway is the oldest of the professional theaters on Long Island. Their just-finished production of Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein starred John Bolton, recently seen in A Christmas Story: The Musical on Broadway. Their next production is Singin’ in the Rain, beginning in late July. As an audience member, I’ve always come out of their shows feeling like I’ve gotten my money’s worth; the productions are big and exciting.
3. Bay Street Theatre – Located on Long Wharf in Sag Harbor, Bay Street features not only mainstage productions, but a variety of year-round programs including Literature Live!, a summer college internship program, workshops, and kids theater camp. Their current production is The Mystery of Irma Vep, with A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum to follow. I love its array of programming with events of different ages and concentrations.
Community Theater
1. Cultural Arts Playhouse – With two locations (Roslyn and Plainview), CAP produces adult productions, children’s theater performances, and offers theater education for ages 7 to 18. Currently home of a theatrical summer camp, past performances have included Hair, Les Miserables, and the regional premiere of Carrie. Thirteen kids from this playhouse have gone on to appear on Broadway.
2. BroadHollow Theatre Company – With three locations (Elmont, East Islip, and Lindenhurst), BroadHollow offers a theater experience all over the island at any time. The current production of Monty Python’s Spamalot finishes up a run in East Islip before moving to Elmont on July 13th. Next productions include Miss Abigail’s Guide to Dating, Mating & Marriage in Lindenhurst, Les Miserables: School Edition in East Islip, and Butterflies are Free following up in Elmont. All three locations also feature children’s theater. Whatever your tastes, BroadHollow has a show for you.
3. SoLuna Studio – Located in Hauppauge, SoLuna offers productions and a wide array of classes. Upcoming productions include Hair and Sweeney Todd and teens get their own production with Seussical. Musical theater classes are offered for youth, teens, adults, and those with special needs, in addition to dance and fitness classes. Offering an experience for thespians of all ages, SoLuna is a fantastic place to work on your craft.
You don’t need Broadway to see and partake in quality theatrical productions. Whether it’s on Long Island or around your county back home, there are many ways for people to get a full show-seeing experience. One of the biggest pieces of advice for aspiring performers is to train and get experience, and everything is a learning experience — why not start on your home turf?