An explosion of shows in the month of love
2/4/2026
Miguel Harth-Bedoya leads the Orchestra over Valentine’s Day weekend, featuring Tchaikovsky’s beautiful “Romeo and Juliet.” He also leads a free maestro class with attendees receiving a free ticket to the concert. Photo credit: Des Moines Symphony
We’re past the January scarcity of performing arts opportunities, finally pushing into a February filled with a variety of alluring options. From a classic murder mystery to a sassy re-interpretation princess musical to Pooh and Oliver. Add an internet-based twist on Jane Austen and the national touring hit, “Kimberly Akimbo,” and theatres are coming alive. Additional offerings from the Des Moines Symphony, Ballet Des Moines, and the Central Iowa Wind Ensemble mean that love is definitely in the air this February. At least, love of performing arts.
Some shows of special note
February renews many performing arts groups’ seasons. With Valentine’s Day infusing the entire month with love, especially the love of the arts, the calendar looks like a cultural Whitman’s Sampler with its variety.
When Agatha Christie’s name is bandied about, theatre-lovers pay attention. The Playhouse produces the longest-running play in the world, “The Mousetrap.” This murder mystery promises a delectable denouement after a decades-long absence from central Iowa stages.
Family fare brings Winnie the Pooh (Des Moines Young Artists’ Theatre) and Oliver (CAP Theatre) to engaging life. Elders should take advantage of such shared experience live theatre opportunities when such companies as these two are producing shows.
Tallgrass Theatre Company continues its stellar programming with a sassy, attitude-filled musical, “Disenchanted!” Princesses strip away their veneer of demureness, giving audiences a jocular journey through a fairy tale world.
Still stretching its aesthetic range, Ankeny Community Theatre brings a modern, internet-laced interpretation to patchwork of appeal in “Pride @ Prejudice.” Jane Austen even intervenes through her letters as internet interplay is anchored by love and humor.
Lightning on stage, not in a bottle
“The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” breaks from the usual tradition of Kate Goldman programming of shows about an hour long. This is a full-length Broadway musical. From the advance buzz circulating in central Iowa, this column wanted to precede its early-March run with plenty of notice for patrons to capture a seat for what promises to be an epic musical immersion into an alluring retelling based on Greek mythology.
Rick Riordan’s initial volume of his Percy Jackson and the Olympian series in 2005 became a middle grade children’s fantasy action-adventure novel sensation. Adapted to cinema (2010), then to the stage (2023), the Playhouse is one of the largest community theatre producers of this show in Iowa. In it, teenager Percy Jackson discovers he is a demigod and embarks on a quest to find Zeus’s stolen lightning bolt to prevent a war among the gods. “Center Stage” asked director, David VanCleave, about the special appeal for the Kate Goldman Family Series.
Center Stage: What makes directing a Kate Goldman show special?
David VanCleave: The Kate Goldman Family Series has a long history of being the first theatre experience for many young audience members, which can be such a transformative moment with lasting impacts. It’s also common to see multiple generations come together to see a show, allowing us to play a role in core family memories. That’s an extreme honor. The Kate Goldman series was my first theatre experience as an audience member (1999), actor (2000), and director (2012), so it will always hold a special place in my heart. I’ve also watched my nieces and nephews come alive in the audience, dancing along with actors without a care in the world. There’s nothing more magical than that.
Center Stage: Talk about KGFS shows based on children’s literature.
David VanCleave: Plays based on literature have a built-in jumping off point for the production team. The original literature can help inspire the look and feel of the world of the play and provide valuable insight on the play’s themes and character motivations. There’s also a different energy when audiences are already fans of the characters — they’re not just watching a play; they’re visiting their friends. Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson series has a huge and passionate fandom — something that was clear throughout auditions. Not only was it the largest turnout I’ve seen, but the actors connected with the material in really profound and personal ways. It’s also been a delightful challenge thinking of various easter eggs to include in our production — specific costume details, staging choices, etc. that fans will recognize immediately. ♦
John Busbee produces The Culture Buzz, a weekly arts and culture radio show on www.kfmg.org, covering Iowa’s arts scene with an inclusive sweep of the cultural brush. He received the Iowa Governor’s Arts Award for Collaboration and Partnership in the Arts. He has performed in more than 100 musicals, including many leading roles.
