The curtain may be coming down on summer, but it’s going up on great shows around Des Moines! There are shows for kids of all ages, interests, and budgets throughout the fall season. Below we listed some shows taking place this fall that are great options for kids and families.
To find more entertainment happening in Des Moines this fall, sign up for our Weekend Fun Guide to get posts like this delivered to your inbox, visit the Events Calendar, and check out our Fall Fun Guide.
Note: The dates listed are performance beginning and end dates. Please call for specific performances dates and times within those ranges, as not all performances take place daily. And be sure to confirm dates, times, locations, and other information before heading to an event or activity, since circumstances may change.
Here’s your guide to finding family-friendly theater performances in Des Moines this fall:
September
It’s Only a Play – Tallgrass Theatre Co.
Tallgrass Theatre
September 6-22, 2024; Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm; Sunday at 2:00 pm
Recommended for ages 12+
Tickets are $33
It’s the opening night of The Golden Egg on Broadway, and the wealthy producer Julia Budder is throwing a lavish party in her lavish Manhattan townhouse. Downstairs the celebrities are pouring in, but the real action is upstairs in the bedroom, where a group of insiders have staked themselves out to await the reviews But don’t worry: This play is sure to be the hit they have all been hoping for.
Avatar: The Last Airbender in Concert
Des Moines Civic Center
Friday, September 13, 2024, at 7:30 pm
Recommended for ages 5+
Tickets are $28-74
Experience the beloved animated series’ soundtrack performed by a live orchestra, as Aang’s epic yourney comes to life on a cinema screen. Immerse yourself in an over two-hour show with a live orchestra bringing the show’s iconic musical score to life, in perfect harmony with highlights and favorite moments from the series. Taiko and Erhu will share the spotlight with violins and clarinets, while the series’ most beloved scenes play out on screen, bringing viewers into the Avatar world to experience the series’ most memorable moments with Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, Zuko, and more.
Jersey Boys – John Viars Theatre
Des Moines Playhouse
September 13-29, 2024; Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm
Recommended for ages 12+
Tickets $29-53
How did four blue-collar kids go from harmonizing under a streetlamp to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? The musical phenomenon, Jersey Boys, takes you behind the music of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons to their 40-year friendship and the songs that landed them on the top of the pop charts. Experience electrifying performances of timeless hits such as “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You,” and many more. You’ll be saying “Oh, What a Night!” Note: This musical contains authentic Jersey language.
Arsenic & Old Lace – Main Season
Ankeny Community Theatre
September 27 – October 6, 2024; Thursday and Friday at 7:30 pm, and Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm
Rated PG
Tickets TBD
Drama critic Mortimer Brewster’s engagement announcement is upended when he discovers a ghastly secret hidden in his aunt’s house. Between discovering his aunts’ morbid hobby, a brother who thinks he’s Teddy Roosevelt and another brother who turns up unwelcome. It’ll be a miracle if Mortimer makes it to his wedding! Arsenic and Old Lace is a classic black comedy about the only thing more deadly than poison: family.
October
Witch – Iowa Stage Theatre Company
Stoner Theater
October 4-13, 2024; Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00 pm
Recommended for ages 14+
Tickets are $40
An inventive retelling of a Jacobean drama, Jen Silverman’s sharp, subversive fable debates how much our souls are worth when hope is hard to come by. A charming devil arrives in the quiet village of Edmonton to bargain for the souls of its residents in exchange for their darkest wishes. Elizabeth should be his easiest target, having been labeled a “witch” and cast out by the town, but her soul is not so readily bought. As the devil returns to convince her – and then returns – unexpected passions flare, alliances are formed, and the village is forever changed. An inventive retelling of a Jacobean drama, this sharp, subversive fable debates how much our souls are worth when hope is hard to come by.
Back to the Future – Willis Broadway Series
Des Moines Civic Center
October 15-20, 2024; Tuesday through Saturday 7:30 pm, Saturday at 2:00 pm, Sunday at 1:00 and 6:30 pm
Recommended for ages 6+
Tickets are $40-180
Great Scott! Back to the Future, the beloved, cinematic classic is now a Broadway musical with its destination set for Des Moines in 2024. When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself… back to the future. When “Back to the Future” hits 88mph, it’ll change musical theatre history forever.
Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors – John Viars Theatre
Des Moines Playhouse
October 18-November 3, 2024; Wednesday through Saturday at 7:30 pm; Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm
Recommended for ages 13+
Tickets $29-53
Jonathan Harker gets more than he bargained for with his mysterious pretty-boy client. Dracula is single and his first choice for love – She’s just his type. – is Lucy, Jonathan’s fiancé. It’s time to break out the garlic wreaths, holy water, and crucifixes for this hilarious, slapstick comedy loosely based on the novel by Bram Stoker.
Shrek the Musical
Stephens Auditorium, Ames
Sunday, October 20, 2024; 6:00 pm
Recommended for ages 5+
Tickets start at $35
“Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek….” And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Yes, your favorite ogre is back in the hilarious stage spectacle based on the Oscar®-winning, smash hit, DreamWorks animated film. Tony Award-winning duo Jeanine Tesori (music) and David Lindsay-Abaire (book) revisit their first collaboration to deliver a more intimate and engaging experience – a joyful, colorful SHREK that leans into the humanity in all of us that celebrates our differences. With all-new original direction and choreography by Danny Mefford (Choreographer, Dear Evan Hansen) filled with lush orchestrations, this reimagined production brings the show back to its roots – giving it a new kind of love emphasizing the importance of loving ourselves and one another.
Anastasia The Musical: Youth Edition – Mainstage
CAP Theatre, Altoona
October 25 – November 10, 2024; Friday at 7:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm.
Recommended for ages 5+
Tickets TBD
Anastasia: The Musical Youth Edition is a spectacular new musical about discovering who you are and defining who you’re meant to be. This 60-minute adaptation of the Broadway hit is specially tailored for young actors. From Tony winners Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty, and Lynn Ahrens, creators of such Broadway classics as Ragtime and Once On This Island, this dazzling show transports its audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing con man and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find a home, love, and family.
Sesame Street Live! Say Hello
Des Moines Civic Center
October 29, 2024, at 6:00 pm
Recommended for All Ages
Tickets are $30-71
Elmo, Abby Cadabby, Cookie Monster, and their friends from Sesame Street are coming to your neighborhood to say hello! In SESAME STREET LIVE! SAY HELLO, you can sing and dance with your favorite furry friends while enjoying fun surprises along the way. So put on your dancing shoes and make your way to where the air is sweet for this all-new celebration on Sesame Street!
November
Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster – Wellmark Family Series
Des Moines Civic Center
Saturday, November 2, 2024, at 11:00 am
Recommended for ages 5+
Tickets TBD
Leonardo is a terrible monster. He tries so hard to be scary, but he just… isn’t. Then Leonardo finds Sam, the most scaredy-cat kid in the world. Will Leonardo finally get to scare the tuna salad out of someone? Or will it be the start of an unlikely friendship? The plot thickens when this pair meets Kerry and Frankenthaler, an even scaredier-cat and her monster friend. Kerry and Sam need to make a big decision: will they just be scaredy cats or can they become friends?
Leonardo! uses hundreds of illustrated paper puppets, book pages, two-dimensional props, furry monster puppets, and songs to bring Mo Willems’ books to life. Manual Cinema wanted to re-create the experience of holding one of Mo’s book pages, which are big, bold, colorful, and full of visual rhythm, with a playful use of scale. Like all Manual Cinema productions, you’re invited to watch the big screen like a traditional movie or to watch the artists below as they create the story in real time. (There is no wrong way to watch the show!)
Charlotte’s Web – Seedling’s Children’s Theatre
Tallgrass Theatre
November 8-24, 2024; Friday and Saturday at 7:30 pm; Sunday at 2:00 pm
Recommended for ages 8+
Tickets are $10-20
Seedling’s Children’s Theatre at Tallgrass Theatre presents The Children’s Literature Association named this “the best American children’s book of the past two hundred years,” and Joseph Robinette, working with the advice of E.B. White, has created a play that captures this work in a thrilling and utterly practical theatrical presentation. All the enchanting characters are here: This is a beautiful, knowing play about friendship that will give your actors a great opportunity and your audience an evening of enchantment.
Last Stop on Market Street – Kate Goldman Children’s Theatre
Des Moines Playhouse
November 8-24, 2024; Friday 7:00 pm; Saturday and Sunday 1:00 and 4:00 pm.
Recommended for ages 5+
Tickets TBD
Last Stop on Market Street is a collaboration with Pyramid Theatre Company and City Voices.
Guided by his veritable force-of-nature Nana, CJ travels a little closer to his roots and sees that things are not always what they seem. Based on the Newbery Medal-winning book and with a spectacular, spirited score by Motown legend Lamont Dozier and his son Paris Ray Dozier, you’ll find yourself dancing in your seat as you enjoy this vibrant story about connecting to your community.
Tina – The Tina Turner Musical
Stephens Auditorium, Ames
Monday, November 11, 2024; 7:30 pm
Recommended for ages 13+
Tickets start at $35
An uplifting comeback story like no other, Tina is the inspiring journey of a woman who broke barriers and became the Queen of Rock n’ Roll. Set to the pulse-pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits, this electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters. This musical presents Tina’s journey against all odds to become one of the world’s most beloved artists of all time. Featuring her much loved songs, the Tina Turner Musical is written by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Katori Hall.
Goldie Rocks – Adventure Club House
Des Moines Playhouse
November 15, 2024; 9:45 am, 10:45 am and 1:30 pm
Recommended for ages 4-6
Tickets $6
Join the Adventure Clubhouse and the Playhouse Gang each month as they dramatize a favorite story using their imaginations and the costume pieces and props they find in their Magic Trunk. Is Goldie Rocks the perfect match for the Three Bears Band? Not too loud, not too soft, just rockin’!
December
Dear Evan Hansen
Stephens Auditorium, Ames
Thursday, December 5, 2024; 7:30 pm
Recommended for ages 13+
Tickets start at $35
Evan Hansen is a high school student who always feels like he’s on the outside looking in. Evan finally gets what so many of us are searching for—the chance to finally fit in. What follows is a poignant, funny, and powerful musical about how even though it can be hard, we can find each other—and ourselves—along the way.
The Elves & The Shoemaker – Adventure Club House
Des Moines Playhouse
December 13, 2024; 9:45 am, 10:45 am and 1:30 pm
Recommended for ages 4-6
Tickets $6
Join the Adventure Clubhouse and the Playhouse Gang each month as they dramatize a favorite story using their imaginations and the costume pieces and props they find in their Magic Trunk. Kindly elves help to make the holiday season magical for a shoemaker’s family.
