Downtown Norfolk is widely celebrated for its portside gastronomy and booming art scene, but what attracts most visitors to the historic city is its array of premier performance venues. The district has been an incubator for theater for centuries, boasting some of the most architecturally alluring sites in the region and hosting a robust series of Broadway performances every year. To further celebrate the city’s dedication to the arts, Norfolk is hosting a four-day Theatre Festival from Feb. 14–17 with a chance to enjoy stellar performances and behind-the-scenes experiences at universities, theatres and other notable locales.
“As the arts and culture destination of Hampton Roads, Norfolk is excited to bring the highest caliber of theatrical performances to our city for residents, visitors and the community to celebrate,” says Norfolk Mayor Kenneth Cooper Alexander.
The festival kicked off Thursday, Feb. 14 with a performance of Norfolk State University Theatre Company’s rendition of Once On This Island. Supplementary performances of the show will be held Saturday, Feb. 16 and Sunday, Feb. 17 at 2 p.m.
Other weekend performances include The Scarlet Letter by CORE Theatre Ensemble at Wells Theatre; Choir Boy presented by the Norfolk State University Theatre Company at Attucks Theatre; Broadway in Norfolk’s Wizard of Oz at Chrysler Hall; Generic Theater’s The Comedy of Errors at Selden Arcade; and The Secret Garden presented by the Virginia Stage Company at Norfolk Botanical Garden. An exclusive hands-on workshop will also be hosted on Sunday at Selden Arcade from noon to 5 p.m.
For a full schedule, tickets and details, visit NFKTheatre.com.
Grace Silipigni
Grace Silipigni is an elementary school Spanish immersion teacher based in Virginia Beach and a regular contributor to Coastal Virginia Magazine, covering a wide range of topics such as health and wellness, education and learning, food and drink, happenings and events, travel and getaways and more.
