After celebrating its 40th anniversary season last year, Warren’s Phantom Theater might have opted to ease up for the summer of 2026 season. Instead, they have chosen to push the throttle, announcing an ambitious and eclectic line-up of music, dance, and theater.
The season kicks off on Tuesday, July 14 with Denver-based (but Warren-rooted) dance band Jewel House will bring their soulful grooves and harmonies back to The Valley for another round following their Fourth of July performance in Warren Village. The concert is a benefit for HARP, the Harwood Auditorium Renovation Project. Frontman Colin Holter will be joined by sisters Ella and Abby Holter for a family reunion of siblings who credit Harwood Union for fostering their artistic careers.
Get out the cowboy hats and fiercest boots and head down to the Warren Town Hall for an epic night of Queer Country Line Dancing on Thursday, July 19, with a second offering on Thursday, August 20. No experience is necessary, and everyone is welcome! Last summer’s Valley premiere of this event was packed and joyous.
Cellist, singer, and composer, Helen Gillet defies genres with her innovative live looping, turning a one-woman show into a heartfelt musical mash-up of jazz, funk, classical and much more. Folks won’t want to miss this world-class musician performing on July 24 and 25.
Mid-summer is all about dance this year at Phantom. First, Bay area choreographer Randee Paufve presents two evenings of contemporary dance and discourse on August 7 and 8. Renowned for her exploration of women’s lives, Paufve and company captivate audiences with emotional storytelling and technical brilliance.
And on August 15 and 16, the BDB Dance troupe returns to Phantom. Led by choreographers Ann Bosse and MC DeBelina, they feature dancers from the vibrant Vermont dance community who take inspiration from modern life in pieces that are alternately lyrical, provocative and humorous.
Always a highlight of the season, Peter Anderson’s swinging trio mixes musical standards with vivid storytelling about jazz’s golden era. This year, saxophonist Anderson is joined by guitar virtuoso Adam Moezinia and acclaimed trombonist Sam Chess for one show only, on Friday, August 21.
Illusion, comedy and magic combine for two evenings bound to delight the entire family. The Saturday, August 22 show is for the young-at-heart, ages 8 and up, while Sunday, August 23’s edition will have a more grown-up vibe. Children are also invited to attend a workshop on Saturday afternoon.
On August 27, 28, and 29, Phantom Theater presents arguably the greatest American play, Our Town, in arguably the best summer theater venue in Vermont. Phantom favorite Pamela Rickard stars as the stage manager and David Grove directs an all-star local cast in an abridged version of the modernist classic.
Phantom’s annual participatory Moth Inspired Storytelling Event returns on August 30. Come to tell or listen to true stories told by neighbors and friends, with host national Moth storyteller Bobby Stoddard. This year’s theme is Passages, Transitions, and Moving On, and all proceeds go to Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice.
The season’s grand finale features Phantom favorite, cellist Miranda Henne, who will team this year with legendary fiddler Darol Anger and his quartet. Henne and Anger – who is a founding member of the Turtle Island String Quartet, and the David Grisman Quintet – will present three nights of genre bending music on September 12, 13, and 14.
More information for all shows is available at www.phantomtheater.org, and tickets are available at https://theaterengine.com/companies/1.
