Live Performance

Theater in the Open proudly hosts Circus Smirkus'  2023 Big Top Tour: A Midsummer Night’s Circus! Enter an enchanted forest and let your imagination run away with the circus! Circus Smirkus brings magic and mayhem, love and chaos to the big top with the 2023 Big Top Tour: A Midsummer Night’s Circus. A cast of thirty talented youth get entangled in the dream-like woods where sprites contort in the trees and fairies fly through the air. Trouble ensues when they all cross paths with the king and queen of the fairies, their fantastical court, and the chief mischief-maker, Puck! This exquisite acrobatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy will leave you awe-inspired and utterly enchanted!

The Pops in the Park concert on is a celebration not only of the 400+ years of Gloucester history but of the 70+ years of the Cape Ann Symphony. With the majestic backdrop of Gloucester Harbor this free outdoor event will be a special evening of music. It is a gift from the Cape Ann Symphony to the city we love.

"Think Outside the Drum" is a fun, interactive, educational presentation for all ages that introduces 3 of the building blocks of music—rhythm, melody, and timbre. In just under an hour, the Grammy Award-winning musicians in Third Coast Percussion perform music from their repertoire while teaching kids to clap a rhythm from a piece by composer Steve Reich, sing a melody along with a marimba duo by composer Ivan Treviño, and understand the concept of timbre via a fun, interactive game.  Free, reservations are encouraged.

Friday nights all summer long, don’t miss family fun starting at 7:15 PM on the Salisbury Beach stage! It’s a night full of oldies music on the beach with DJ Ralphie B, including doo wop, Motown, and more. Special guest vocalist appearances make for an unforgettable performance of classic hits! Then from 9PM-10PM, DJ Jeff B will be playing music of today and leading kid-friendly activities – hula hooping, bubble fun, karaoke, dancing, and sing-alongs.