‘Love Letter’ To New Hope: Bucks County Playhouse Producers Announce Farewell Season

The trio that has run the show at Bucks County Playhouse since 2014 is preparing for one final curtain call.

Producing Director Alexander Fraser, Executive Producer Robyn Goodman, and Producer Josh Fiedler have announced the 2026 season is their last, but they aren’t slipping out the stage door quietly.

The 2026 lineup features five mainstage productions, including a world premiere and several musical revivals. It also celebrates the country’s 250th anniversary.

The season opens Feb. 19 with the world premiere of “Starstruck,” which features a score by Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls and a book by Beth Malone and Mary Ann Stratton. Lorin Latarro, a member of the Playhouse’s Artistic Council, will direct and choreograph the production.

The schedule continues with Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” which is directed by Eric Rosen.

The summer programming includes “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific,” which is staged by Denis Jones, followed by a production of Jonathan Larson’s “Rent,” which is directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber in her Playhouse debut.

The final production under the current leadership team will be “Holiday Inn: The New Irving Berlin Musical,” directed by Hunter Foster.

“This season is our love letter to the community that has been our artistic home,” Fraser said. “We are incredibly proud of the work we’ve created here and the audiences who have championed it.”

The departing trio joined the New Hope institution 12 years ago. During their tenure, they were credited with expanding the theater’s national profile and establishing an Artistic Council to develop new works.

Since 2014, the theater’s annual operating budget has grown from $2 million to $12.1 million, with annual visitors now exceeding 100,000, according to the Playhouse.

“As we look ahead to new leadership, we hope this season reminds everyone why the Playhouse matters and why its future is so promising,” Goodman said.

Fiedler added that the productions for 2026 were chosen to reflect “the humor, struggle, imagination and resilience that define the human experience.”

Casting for the upcoming season is being handled by Paul Hardt.

Subscriptions and single tickets are currently available through the Playhouse website BucksCountyPlayhouse.org or by calling 215-862-2121.

The details of the upcoming season are listed below:

STARSTRUCK

February 19 – March 21

Directed and choreographed by Lorin Latarro 

“Starstruck” is a sharp and surprising new musical comedy set in the mountain town of Sawtooth, Idaho, where the night sky looms large and the stars have never felt closer. Astronomer Cyd DeBerg is determined to secure Dark Sky Reserve status for the town — but not if bar owner JD’s neon sign has anything to say about it. When a nationally known NPR podcaster arrives to cover the conflict, small-town tensions lead to revelations about connection, change, and unexpected attraction. With a book by Tony Award–nominee Beth Malone and Mary Ann Stratton and music by Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, “Starstruck” shines as a luminous new musical that sparkles with heart.

CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF

April 23 – May 23

Directed by Eric Rosen 

Tennessee Williams’ Pulitzer Prize–winning masterpiece returns to the stage in a searing new production. On a steamy night in the Mississippi Delta, the family gathers to celebrate Big Daddy’s birthday as Maggie “the Cat” fights to save her marriage to Brick. Beneath the surface, secrets, lies, and simmering betrayals threaten to erupt. This iconic American drama remains as electrifying and sexy today as when it first debuted.

RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN’S SOUTH PACIFIC

June 18 – July 26

Directed and choreographed by Denis Jones 

Rodgers & Hammerstein’s legendary wartime romance — with historic roots in Bucks County — returns in honor of the nation’s 250th anniversary. Set on a lush island paradise during World War II, the musical follows a young nurse who falls for a charming plantation owner as the world around them edges toward war. Featuring beloved classics including “Some Enchanted Evening” and “Younger Than Springtime,” “South Pacific” remains one of Broadway’s most enduring love stories.

RENT

August 13 – September 13

Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber 

Jonathan Larson’s groundbreaking musical returns to the Playhouse in a dynamic new staging by Tony-nominated director/choreographer Jennifer Weber. Set in Manhattan’s East Village, “Rent” follows a group of artists searching for connection, meaning, and truth against the backdrop of gritty New York in the 1990s. With iconic songs including “Seasons of Love,” “La Vie Bohème,” and “Light My Candle,” Rent is a celebration of love, community, and chosen family.

HOLIDAY INN: THE NEW IRVING BERLIN MUSICAL

November 19 – January 3

Directed by Hunter Foster 

Celebrate the joy of every season with Holiday Inn, the Broadway musical inspired by the classic film. Featuring over 20 Irving Berlin hits — including “Blue Skies,” “Heat Wave,” and the Oscar-winning “White Christmas” — the show follows the owner of Connecticut farmhouse who transforms it into an unlikely holiday-first entertainment haven. With showstopping dance numbers and heartwarming romance, “Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn” is a festive treat for the whole family.