Lancaster County is best known for its Amish buggies, bountiful farm markets and pastoral scenery. But there’s a lot more to experience than shoofly pies and silos. Scattered throughout the county is an eclectic array of live theater entertainment in both historic and high-tech venues. Some sites also host private events.
American Musical Theatre www.amtshows.com
Celebrity concert dates and original high-energy musical revues of Hollywood and Broadway favorites are this stage’s staples. Located on Route 30—nicknamed “Outlet Alley”—it celebrates an array of music styles, including country, gospel, oldies, dance and big band.
Fulton Theatre
www.thefulton.org
In all its restored Victorian grandeur, the Fulton stands in Lancaster City’s heritage district near the venerable Central Market. It’s one of the oldest continuously operating theaters in the country, and one of only three National Historic Landmark theaters. It began in 1852 as a concert and community assembly venue on the site of a pre-Revolutionary War jail. The Fulton’s history mirrors that of the American stage, including the Vaudeville era. Mark Twain, Buffalo Bill, John Phillip Sousa and Ethel Barrymore are some of the stage icons who have played the Fulton. Broadway musicals, comedies and dramas fill the bill.
Mount Hope Estate & Winery
www.parenfaire.com
Interactive theater—audience members are part of the shows—by members of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire’s Professional Actors’ Conservatory take place in a 207-year-old Mount Hope mansion. Wine tastings, comedy, drama, music and food are part of the lineup. Options include an evening with Edgar Allan Poe classics or a rollicking adventure in the pub with the Swashbuckler Pyrate Feaste.
Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
www.dutchapple.com
The show is just part of the fun package at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, where live orchestra and Broadway shows entertain guests. Now in its 20th year, the theater plays to over 150,000 guests annually. The theater seats 380 at a location in the heart of Lancaster County. A buffet of classic American fare accompanies the stage action.
Sight and Sound Theatres
www.sight-sound.com
Known as “Christian Broadway,” Sight and Sound stages play to about 800,000 patrons annually. High-tech productions are based on Bible stories and have included Noah—the Musical; Daniel—A Dream, A Den, A Deliverer; and Miracle of Christmas. The theater is known for larger than life shows on a 300-foot-long wraparound stage, where lavishly costumed actors and live animals deliver the action.
Underground Railroad Reenactment
www.livingtheundergroundrailroad.com
This interactive journey introduces participants to conductors, Freedom Fighters and the fear associated with finding a home for the night and escaping “catchers.” An authentic 1800s Southern-style buffet dinner is included.
