Looking for fall fun? Here are 35+ OKC shows to see, concerts to hear and dances to watch

Brandy McDonnell, The Oklahoman
Updated ·10 min read

From orchestral performances and choral concerts to stage plays and musical theater, the Oklahoma City metropolitan area puts on shows of all kinds in autumn.

The temperatures might be falling, but the performing arts calendar is heating up this fall, as many nonprofit orchestras and ensembles, university theaters and dance companies launch their 2023-2024 seasons.

Here are more than 35 performances that art lovers can look for coming soon in OKC:

Orchestral, chamber and choral music

'Musical Friends'

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26, Baugh Auditorium, Oklahoma Christian University, 2501 E Memorial Rd, Edmond.

Information: https://www.okorchestra.org.

Oklahoma Community Orchestra opens its 2023-2024 season with a concert showcasing music by Russian composers Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

'Gothic Midnight'

When and where: 8 p.m. Oct. 7, Civic Center Music Hall, 201 N Walker.

Information: https://www.okcphil.org.

The Oklahoma City Philharmonic continues its 35th anniversary season with a program including Johann Sebastian Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor," Franz Liszt's "Piano Concerto No. 1" and Hector Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique." Ukranian pianist Dmytro Choni will perform as soloist.

Pianist Sergio Monteiro is the director of piano at the Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University.
Pianist Sergio Monteiro is the director of piano at the Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University.

Brahms @ 190

When and where: 2 p.m. Oct 8 and Nov. 12, Oklahoma City University's Petree Recital Hall, 2501 N Blackwelder.

Information: https://www.facebook.com/SergioMonteiroPiano.

Pianist Sergio Monteiro celebrates Johannes Brahms's 190th birthday with a series of concerts.

Voctave

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 12, OCCC Visual and Performing Arts Center Theater, 7777 S May Ave.

Information: https://www.occc.edu/pas.

The 11-member vocal ensemble performs favorite songs from Disney movies and the Broadway stage as it brings its "The Corner of Broadway and Main Street" show to Oklahoma City Community College.

Canterbury Voices rehearses "Jubilate Deo," a choral work by composer Dan Forrest, at Oklahoma City University Monday, September 27, 2021.
Canterbury Voices rehearses "Jubilate Deo," a choral work by composer Dan Forrest, at Oklahoma City University Monday, September 27, 2021.

'Modern Masters'

When and where: 3 p.m. Oct. 22, Civic Center.

Information: https://canterburyokc.com.

Canterbury Voices launches its 2023-2024 season, the first in OKC for its new conductor and Artistic Director Julie Yu. The program will feature works by composers R. Nathaniel Dett, Ariel Ramirez, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Leonard Bernstein.

The Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 performs on Armstrong Auditorium's 25th annual Performing Arts Series on Oct. 24, 2023.
The Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 performs on Armstrong Auditorium's 25th annual Performing Arts Series on Oct. 24, 2023.

VOCES8

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24, Armstrong Auditorium, 14400 S Bryant Rd., Edmond.

Information: https://www.armstrongauditorium.org.

The Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble performs on Armstrong Auditorium's 25th annual Performing Arts Series.

'Goosebumps The Musical: Phantom Of The Auditorium'

When and where: Oct. 26-28, UCO Jazz Lab, 100 E 5, Edmond.

Information: https://www.ucojazzlab.com.

UCO Musical Theatre presents the new musical based on the classic book series by R.L. Stine.

'Chinatown to La La Land'

When and where: 8 p.m. Nov. 3-4, Civic Center.

Information: https://www.okcphil.org.

The OKC Philharmonic opens its Pops series with a cinematic program devised and conducted by Golden Globe-nominated composer Brian Byrne, an Irishman now based in rural Oklahoma.

Paris-based chamber ensemble Le Consort performs "A Journey Through Baroque Europe" at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7, 2023, at Armstrong Auditorium in Edmond.
Paris-based chamber ensemble Le Consort performs "A Journey Through Baroque Europe" at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7, 2023, at Armstrong Auditorium in Edmond.

Le Consort

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7, Armstrong Auditorium.

Information: https://www.armstrongauditorium.org.

The Paris-based chamber ensemble performs "A Journey Through Baroque Europe."

'Folk Roots'

When and where: 8 p.m. Nov. 11, Civic Center.

Information: https://www.okcphil.org.

The OKC Philharmonic's Classics series continues with violinists Mark and Maggie O’Connor.

'Fantasy for Clarinets'

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14, First Baptist Church of Oklahoma City, 1201 N Robinson Ave.

Information: https://www.brightmusic.org.

Brightmusic Chamber Ensemble plays music by Mendelssohn, Mozart and more.

'OKC Philharmonic presents Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back in Concert'

When and where: 2 and 8 p.m. Nov. 25, Civic Center.

Information: https://www.okcphil.org.

The OKC Philharmonic performs John Williams’ iconic score live while the original 1980 film plays.

Russian pianist Ilya Yakushev will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30, 2023, at Armstrong Auditorium in Edmond.
Russian pianist Ilya Yakushev will perform at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30, 2023, at Armstrong Auditorium in Edmond.

Ilya Yakushev

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30, Armstrong Auditorium.

Information: https://www.armstrongauditorium.org.

The Russian pianist performs in honor of the 150th anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s birth, the 150th anniversary of Modest Mussorgsky’s piano suite "Pictures at an Exhibition" and the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”

Ballet and modern dance

Kaleidoscope Dance Company

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26-28, Mitchell Hall Theatre.

Information: https://www.uco.edu/cfad/mitchell-hall.

UCO's touring dance company performs at home.

Oklahoma City Ballet will perform award-winning choreographer Stephen Mills' dance adaptation of William Shakespeare's ghost story "Hamlet" Oct. 27-29, 2023, at Civic Center Music Hall.
Oklahoma City Ballet will perform award-winning choreographer Stephen Mills' dance adaptation of William Shakespeare's ghost story "Hamlet" Oct. 27-29, 2023, at Civic Center Music Hall.

'Hamlet' 

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 27-29, Civic Center.  

Information: https://okcballet.org.

Oklahoma City Ballet opens its Civic Center season with award-winning choreographer Stephen Mills' dance adaptation of William Shakespeare's ghost story.

Matthew Alvin Brown stars as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in Lyric Theatre's world-premiere production of Alan Olejniczak's fact-based play "Concerto."
Matthew Alvin Brown stars as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in Lyric Theatre's world-premiere production of Alan Olejniczak's fact-based play "Concerto."

Stage plays and musical theater

'Concerto'

When and where: Through Oct. 1, Plaza Theatre, 1725 NW 16.

Information: https://lyrictheatreokc.com.

Continuing its 60th anniversary season, Lyric Theatre is staging the world premiere of Alan Olejniczak's fact-based musical drama about the creation of Tchaikovsky's famed violin concerto.  

'Everybody'

When and where: Through Oct. 1, A. Max Weitzenhoffer Theatre, 563 Elm Ave., Norman.

Information: https://www.ou.edu/finearts/universitytheatre.

The University of Oklahoma stages a modern take on the 15-century morality play "Everyman."

From left, Emery Font, Izabella Stout, Rainey Denison and Ashlynn Stewart appear in a promotional photo for the University of Central Oklahoma Department of Theatre Arts's fall 2023 production of "August: Osage County."
From left, Emery Font, Izabella Stout, Rainey Denison and Ashlynn Stewart appear in a promotional photo for the University of Central Oklahoma Department of Theatre Arts's fall 2023 production of "August: Osage County."

'August: Osage County'

When and where: Through Oct. 1, Mitchell Hall Theatre, 100 N University Dr., Edmond.

Information: cfad.uco.edu.

The University of Central Oklahoma Department of Theatre Arts presents Tulsa native Tracy Letts' Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning drama.

'Junie B Jones Is Not a Crook'

When and where: Through Nov. 5, Children's Center for the Arts Theatre at OCU, 2501 N Blackwelder Ave.

Information: https://www.oklahomachildrenstheatre.org.

Oklahoma Children's Theatre stages Allison Gregory's play based on the best-selling book series by Barbara Park. The title is recommended for youngsters 5 and older.

Gerianne Prez, center, stars as Catherine Of Aragon Center, with the Boleyn Company of the North American tour company of the Broadway hit "Six."
Gerianne Prez, center, stars as Catherine Of Aragon Center, with the Boleyn Company of the North American tour company of the Broadway hit "Six."

'Six'

When and where: Sept. 26-Oct. 1, Civic Center.

Information: https://www.okcbroadway.com.

OKC Broadway brings to Oklahoma City the Tony-winning Broadway hit, which reimagines the six ill-fated Tudor queens who married Henry VIII as pop stars.

'Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street'

When and where: Sept. 29-Oct. 1, OCU's Kirkpatrick Auditorium.

Information: https://www.okcu.edu/music/opera-music-theater/2023-2024-season.

OCU's School of Theatre opens its 2023-2024 season with Stephen Sondheim's bloody Victorian musical.

Macey Trussell with Painted Sky Opera performs on the Little Theatre stage at the Civic Center Grand Reopening Celebration in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. She will star in Painted Sky's Sept. 29-30 production of "The Turn of the Screw."
Macey Trussell with Painted Sky Opera performs on the Little Theatre stage at the Civic Center Grand Reopening Celebration in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, June 14, 2023. She will star in Painted Sky's Sept. 29-30 production of "The Turn of the Screw."

'The Turn of the Screw'

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29-30, Civic Center Music Hall's Little Theatre.

Information: https://www.paintedskyopera.org.

For its final 2023 performance, Painted Sky Opera will return to the historic Little Theatre, which was almost completely gutted and overhauled as part of the recently completed $17 million in renovations to the Civic Center, to stage Benjamin Britten's Victorian ghost story.

Theatre Crude Fringe Festival

When and where: Oct. 5-14, inside Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park's black-box theater, 2920 Paseo.   

Information: https://www.theatrecrude.org.

The fifth annual locally produced fringe festival will run 10 days and include 42 in-person performances from 16 multidisciplinary performance groups. Performers will bring disciplines such as comedy, musical theater, dance, improvisation, solo performance, opera and more.

'The Last Night of Ballyhoo'

When and where: Oct. 5-22, Jewel Box Theatre, 321 NW 36.

Information: https://www.facebook.com/jbtheatre.

OKC's longest continually running community theater, the Jewel Box Theatre is closing its 65th season with Alfred Uhry's 1997 Tony-winning tale of antisemitism in the South.

Richard Thomas plays Atticus Finch in the touring cast of "To Kill a Mockingbird."
Richard Thomas plays Atticus Finch in the touring cast of "To Kill a Mockingbird."

'To Kill a Mockingbird'

When and where: Oct. 10-15, Civic Center.

Information: https://www.okcbroadway.com.

Aaron Sorkin's record-breaking adaptation of Harper Lee's 1960 Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece will land in Oklahoma City as part of OKC Broadway's 2023-2024 season.

'The Antelope Party'

When and where: Oct. 12-22, Oklahoma Contemporary's Te Ata Theater, 11 NW 11.

Information: https://www.okcrep.org.

Oklahoma City Repertory Theater will open its 2023-2024 season by venturing into the world of Bronies and Pegasisters. Eric John Meyer's dark comedy centers on a rural Pennsylvania group of adult fans of the animated series "My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic" whose enchanted role-playing is disrupted by fear and paranoia. 

Rhonda Clark looks at set shop before rehearsal for "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" at the new Carpenter Square Theatre in Oklahoma City, Thursday, June, 29, 2023.
Rhonda Clark looks at set shop before rehearsal for "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" at the new Carpenter Square Theatre in Oklahoma City, Thursday, June, 29, 2023.

'Kodachrome'

When and where: Oct. 13-Nov. 4, Carpenter Square Theatre, 1009 W Reno.

Information: https://www.carpentersquare.com.

Carpenter Square Theatre continues its 40th season in its new home with Adam Szymkowicz's romantic comedy-drama.

'Cabaret'

When and where: Oct. 13-15 and 20-22, Sooner Theatre, 101 E Main St., Norman.

Information: https://www.soonertheatre.org.

Norman's Sooner Theatre presents John Kander and Fred Ebb's iconic musical.

'Heathers the Musical'

When and where: Oct. 13-22, Elsie C. Brackett Theatre, 563 Elm Ave., Norman.

Information: https://www.ou.edu/finearts/universitytheatre.

OU performs the musical based on the 1988 movie.

'The Wonder'

When and where: Oct. 13-29, 3rd Act Theatre, Shoppes at Northpark, 12040 N May Ave.

Information: https://www.3rdacttheatreco.com.

Directed by Kate Adams, 3rd Act Theatre Company will present the Sooner State premiere of Oklahoma playwright Maggie Lou Rader's American Midwest Gothic ghost story, inspired by the first documented case of spiritual possession in America.

'Bluey's Big Play'

When and where: Oct. 17-18, Civic Center.

Information: https://www.okcciviccenter.com/events.

OKC Broadway is bringing the new theatrical adaptation of the Emmy Award-winning children’s television series to Oklahoma City.

'Orfeo ed Euridice'

When and where: Nov. 2-5, Reynolds Performing Arts Center, 560 Parrington Oval, Norman.

Information: https://www.ou.edu/finearts/universitytheatre.

OU Opera stages Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera based on the ancient Greek tale.

Disney's 'Tarzan'

When and where: Nov. 2-4, OC's Baugh Auditorium.

Information: https://www.oc.edu/events/homecoming-musical-tarzan.

For homecoming, Oklahoma Christian University will perform the stage musical based on the Disney animated movie.

'The Light in the Piazza'

When and where: Nov. 3-5, OCU's Burg Theatre.

Information: https://www.okcu.edu/music/opera-music-theater/2023-2024-season.

OCU presents the Tony-winning musical about an eventful 1950s Italian vacation for a Southern mother and her daughter.

'Born with Teeth'

When and where: Nov. 9-19, inside Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park's black-box theater, 2920 Paseo. 

Information: https://www.okshakes.org.

Oklahoma Shakespeare is staging the Oklahoma premiere of Liz Duffy Adams' hot new play, about a fictional faceoff between English playwrights William Shakespeare and Christopher “Kit” Marlowe. 

'Looking for Tiger Lily'

When and where: Nov. 16-18, Oklahoma Contemporary's Te Ata Theater.

Information: https://www.okcrep.org.

Written and performed by Anthony Hudson, aka "the human vessel for Portland’s premiere drag clown Carla Rossi," the show, part of OKC Rep's season, uses song, dance, video and drag to put a queer spin on the ancestral tradition of storytelling.

Sylvia Milo's one-woman show "The Other Mozart" tells the true, forgotten story of Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart, the sister of Amadeus, a prodigy, virtuoso and composer, who performed throughout Europe with her brother to equal acclaim but whose work and story faded away, lost to history.
Sylvia Milo's one-woman show "The Other Mozart" tells the true, forgotten story of Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart, the sister of Amadeus, a prodigy, virtuoso and composer, who performed throughout Europe with her brother to equal acclaim but whose work and story faded away, lost to history.

'The Other Mozart'

When and where: Nov. 16-17, OCCC Bruce Owen Theater.

Information: https://www.occc.edu/pas.

Sylvia Milo brings back to OKC her one-woman show telling the forgotten true story of Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart, the sister of Amadeus, a prodigy, virtuoso and composer, who performed throughout Europe with her brother to equal acclaim but whose work and story faded away, lost to history.

'Pietà/Suor Angelica'

When and where: Nov. 17-19, OCU's Kirkpatrick Auditorium.

Information: https://www.okcu.edu/music/opera-music-theater/2023-2024-season.

OCU will stage the Oklahoma premiere of Jake Landau's "Pietà," written to be paired with Giacomo Puccini's "Suor Angelica."

'Clue: Onstage'

When and where: Nov. 24-Dec. 16, Carpenter Square Theatre.

Information: https://www.carpentersquare.com.

Carpenter Square's 40th season continues with the farcical murder-mystery adapted from the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn.

Gloria Estefan accepts her Icon award at the 2023 RIAA Latin Honors, held Sept. 19, 2023, in Washington, D.C.
Gloria Estefan accepts her Icon award at the 2023 RIAA Latin Honors, held Sept. 19, 2023, in Washington, D.C.

'On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio & Gloria Estefan'

When and where: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 30, OCCC VPAC Theatre.

Information: https://www.occc.edu/pas.

OCCC's 2023-2024 season of touring attractions brings the biographical musical to OKC for one night only.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Performing arts in OKC: Shows you can watch for fall 2023