This summer will be a season of firsts for Draper Arts Council. The world premiere of a new musical, live musical accompaniment to all shows and revamped lighting are among the new elements awaiting audiences in the 2026 season.

"We're breaking new ground," Thomas Sharkey, president of Draper Arts Council, said.

The season opens with Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “School of Rock: The Musical." Based on the 2003 movie, the musical tells the story of an out of work rock singer posing as a substitute teacher who transforms the students at an elite prep school into a rock and roll band. The show will be presented June 5 through 20.

"Hadestown: Teen Edition," Anaïs Mitchell’s jazzy, folk-opera retelling of the story of Orpheus and Eurydice opens July 31 and runs through Aug. 8. Adapted from the 2019 hit Broadway musical to be more age-appropriate, the show explores themes of love, faith and industry versus nature. Sharkey called it “uplifting.”

Erin Forchuk, producer of “Hadestown: Teen Edition,” explained how Draper Arts Council goes about selecting shows for the season. “The way we choose shows has kind of morphed over the years,” she said. “It used to be that we picked our season and then crossed our fingers and hoped we would have a director willing to work with us. Thankfully, we now have a ‘pool’ of directors that want to work with us and our beautiful venue.”

Currently, a producing member of the council works with a director to narrow down a list of shows that they would like to stage. Those choices are then presented to the other councilmembers for their feedback. "We discuss the content of the show and determine if it's appropriate," Sharkey explained. The council then votes on each production.

"Then we have to try and get licensing rights to the show," Forchuk said. "If we get it, then it’s a 'go.' If not, the process starts over. We can only seek licensing 18 months before opening night so it is a bit time constrained. We are already looking at potential shows for the 2027 season, even while we are in the throes of planning the current season."

The third production of the season, "Zorro: A New Beginning!" was selected in a somewhat different way. East Coast-based playwright, composer and actor John D. Smitherman was seeking an outdoor theater with just the right setting for the world premiere of his musical. As "Zorro" is set in Spanish-era California, he envisioned a rocky, western landscape. Draper Amphitheater fit the bill.

"Zorro: A New Beginning!" has a plot filled with swashbuckling swordplay, romance and comedy set to a score that blends a classic Broadway sound with Spanish style. It will be presented Sept. 11, 12 and 14. "This will be a first for us, an original, world premiere musical," Sharkey said. "It's also a personal first as I will be the producer."

He noted some additional firsts for the 2026 season. "This summer, all of our shows are going to have live music accompaniment," Sharkey said. "There will be no more tracks. ‘School of Rock’ features a rock band. Small orchestras will perform the scores for ‘Hadestown’ and ‘Zorro: A New Beginning!’

There have been some new upgrades to the performance space as well. “We are excited to be performing at the amphitheater which has new state-of-the art lights and a totally redone stage floor,” he added.

In addition to presenting three musicals, Draper Arts Council’s Youth Musical Theater Workshop will be held June 22 through July 2. Designed for kids age 6 through 14, the morning workshop allows kids to explore different aspects of the theater arts and build self-confidence. The program culminates in a free live performance on July 2 at Draper Amphitheater.

Auditions for “Zorro: A New Beginning!” will be held May 15 and 16. For more information about auditions and Draper Arts Council’s 2026 season, visit www.draperutah.gov/events-programs/draper-arts-council/. 

From left to right, Draper City Councilmember Tasha Lowery; Draper Arts Council Budget and Finance Chair Jocelyn Allred; Draper Arts Council Sound and Lighting Designer Tim Hutson; Draper City Councilmember Kathryn Dahlin; and Draper Mayor Troy Walker were photographed at the Draper Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast where Allred and Hutson were recognized. (Photo courtesy of Draper City)