10 Best Performing Arts Venues in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Arden, formed in 1988, is known for premiering new works and offering a mix of classic drama, comedy, and musicals, with a special affinity for the works of Stephen Sondheim; the company has won many local Barrymore Awards. Its home is in Old City.

The Forrest is the place to catch Broadway blockbusters in Philadelphia. About eight high-profile shows are presented each season—think hits like The Book of Mormon, Bullets Over Broadway, Pippin, and The Sound of Music.

The oldest and most active African-American theater in Pennsylvania is nationally renowned. Performances are scheduled throughout the year, primarily from September through June.

Built in 1918 as the Shubert, the ornate 1,688-seat theater has had many stage greats, including Al Jolson, Helen Hayes, Katharine Hepburn, Sammy Davis Jr., Angela Lansbury, and Sir Laurence Olivier. Named after a local benefactor, the lavishly decorated Merriam hosts a full schedule of national tours of Broadway shows, modern dance companies, and solo performers, from the magicians Penn & Teller to tap dancer Savion Glover.

The Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe, known collectively as FringeArts, is a performing arts festival that takes over the city for approximately two weeks each September. Live Arts offers cutting-edge dance and theater from international and local groups, while the Fringe is a free-for-all of longtime established companies to fly-by-night operations that produce their own shows. Productions, once spread far across the city, are now concentrated at the org's headquarters at Columbus and Race streets.

Philadelphia and world premieres of works by contemporary American playwrights are performed here. In 2007 they moved to their new permanent home, the 365-seat Suzanne Roberts theater on the Avenue of the Arts.

Owned and operated by the Philadelphia Film Society, the Prince has evolved into a regular venue for movie screenings, though it also hosts concerts, cabaret, opera, comedy, and more.

For more than 50 years, this small off-Broadway–style theater, just off South Street, has mounted original plays. The main stage is for contemporary works; the smaller Red Room features cabaret and musical comedies.

Founded in 1809, this is the oldest English-language theater in continuous use in the United States. The schedule includes musicals, comedies, and dramas in a lovely 1,052-seat auditorium where almost every seat is a good one. Smaller stages showcase workshop productions of new plays, and are rented by other theater companies.

Under founding artistic directors Blanka and Jiri Zizka, the Wilma has gained favorable critical notices for innovative presentations of American and European drama. Its season runs from September to June.