A National Historic Landmark located in Washington Square West, and recently declared the official State Theatre of Pennsylvania, the Walnut Street Theatre offers very popular theatrical fare. With its centuries-old bricks attractively exposed in places, you can actually touch the theater’s history.
Once owned by the great classical actor Edwin Booth (John Wilkes’ brother), Walnut’s legacy is preserved in the lobby’s excellent display of photos and memorabilia. Currently, classic musicals like My Fair Lady or The Sound of Music, popular comedy like Neil Simon’s Brighton Beach Memoirs and the occasional drama make up its season. The repertory’s wide appeal is reflected in the size of the theater’s subscription audience, which is the largest of any regional theater company in the world.
Upcoming Productions
- In the Heights
September 3, 2013 – October 20, 2013
The Walnut opens its 205th season with Broadway’s Tony Award-winning Best Musical about chasing your dreams and finding your true home, In the Heights. This exhilarating musical tells the universal story of a vibrant community in New York’s Washington Height’s neighborhood – a place where the coffee from the corner coffee shop is light and sweet; the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythm of three generations of music. With a gripping story and incredible music and dance, In the Heights is a groundbreaking 21st century musical and the next chapter in the classic American story.
- Elf
November 5, 2013 – January 5, 2014
Celebrate the holiday season with Elf, the hilarious musical adapted from the hit film by the writers of Annie and The Wedding Singer. This is the charming tale of Buddy, a young orphan who mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. He is raised unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, he embarks on a journey to New York City with dreams to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Audiences will love this Broadway musical for the holiday season!
Insider Tip
Show up at the box office at 6 p.m. and you might get lucky! “Tix at Six” offers remaining tickets at half price. Or call ahead to reserve one of the 22 upper balcony seats priced at only $10.
Regular box office hours:
- Monday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
- Tuesday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. on non-performance dates; 10 a.m. – showtime on performance dates
- Sunday: Closed on non-performance dates; 12 p.m. – showtime on performance dates
Address & phone:
825 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 574-3550
