Arts & Entertainment

From dazzling Broadway shows to a talented local artistic community, Springfield’s performing arts scene is more vibrant than ever before. Festivals, concerts, plays, musicals, opera and much more provide exciting performing arts entertainment year-round. 

If it’s old-world charm you’re looking for, Landers Theatre is the place to book your next theater experience. The historic venue—built in 1909 and rebuilt in 1921 after a devastating fire—is home to the Springfield Little Theatre, Missouri’s oldest and largest civic theater operation. Springfield Little Theatre produces a season of plays and musicals for some 60,000 patrons annually, but those aren’t the only options for theater-goers.

Find energetic, modern works on the cutting edge of theater production at the Springfield Contemporary Theatre. The non-profit production company in downtown Springfield performs more than 30 weekends per year.

The Gillioz Theatre on historic Route 66 has a full schedule of movies, concerts, opera, plays, comedians and other productions available year-round with new events added frequently. Along with all that, the Emmy Award-winning comedy talk show, “The Mystery Hour,” is filmed at the theater in front of a live audience.

Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts on Missouri State University’s campus is home to the Springfield Ballet and the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, southwest Missouri's largest regional, professional orchestra. Its size allows for national tours of Broadway productions.

Also at MSU, be sure to enjoy Tent Theatre, a summertime favorite since 1963. The high-quality productions feature collegiate stars alongside theatre professionals from around the country.