Introducing the 2025-26 Season!

The Turn of the Screw:
​A Musical
October 2 – 27, 2025

Written by Matt Conner (Music) and Stephen Gregory Smith (libretto & lyrics), The Turn of the Screw received its world premiere at Creative Cauldron in 2015, as part of the “Bold New Works for Intimate Stages” initiative. This musical adaptation of the Henry James classic ghost story  was hailed by critics as “hypnotic and unnerving.” The story follows a governess who takes a position caring for two children on a remote country estate. She soon experiences eerie encounters and becomes convinced that her wards are being haunted by the spirits of two former employees.  Told through the musical genius of Conner and Smith, Creative Cauldron’s revival of this chilling psychological thriller will keep audiences on the edge of their seats!

2025 Holiday Cabarets
December 8 - 18, 2025

Creative Cauldron tops off our holiday celebration every year with this special Holiday Cabaret Series.  Enjoy some of Creative Cauldron’s favorite performers, as well as some talented newcomers.  They’ll perform in our intimate cabaret setting with special table seating options that include wine, beer or your favorite beverage. Don your holiday finery and be prepared to sing along to your favorite songs. This series is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. Get in the festive spirit or shake off some holiday blues with these seasonal cabarets that blend creativity and classics! Final line up TBA, curated by Matt Conner.

Twelve Dancing Princesses
Doce Princesas Bailarinas
​March 13 – 29, 2026​

A Learning Theater Production. A group of princesses, each more beautiful than the last, are locked in their room each night, but in the morning, their dancing shoes are completely worn through as if they had been dancing all night! Unable to find the cause, the King promises that anyone who can solve the mystery may choose one of his daughters to wed.  Join our Learning Theater Ensemble as a brave young soldier reveals the secret and a magical dancing kingdom.  This enchanting adaptation of this classic Grimm tale features Spanish language elements and original music by Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith.

Peter Pan and Wendy
November 7 – 23, 2025

Second star to the right and straight on till morning!  With that simple phrase we return to the imaginative world of J.M. Barrie’s Neverland with a fresh new musical adaptation.  When Wendy meets Peter, the little boy who refuses to grow up, the adventure for the Darling children begins.  With a few magical thoughts they learn to fly and Peter leads them on an adventure of a lifetime! Soon they meet mermaid divas, a brave band of Neverland warriors, and, of course, those rascally pirates led by the dastardly Captain Hook. Featuring a full musical score by Matt Conner and Stephen Gregory Smith, and Spanish language infusion, this is a show that will capture the imagination of young and old alike!

Passport Music Festival
January 9 - Feb 1, 2026

Creative Cauldron’s annual music festival has become one of the most diverse and eagerly anticipated events of the season.  Featuring some of the most talented and diverse musicians in the DMV and beyond, it is always billed as an opportunity to “tour the world without ever leaving Falls Church.”  Curated by WAMMY award-winning artists Ken Avis and Lynn Veronneau, it features musical styles and genres from folk, Latin, jazz, blues along with global musical traditions.

Bold New Voices Festival
April 10 – May 2, 2026

Creative Cauldron’s “Bold New Voices” initiative supports the development of new plays or musicals written by women or women identifying writers. Join Creative Cauldron for a series of professionally staged readings and help us choose the final selection for our 2026-27 Season “Bold New Voices” production.

Madeline's Christmas
December 5 – 21, 2025

A Holiday tradition at Creative Cauldron! “In an old house in Paris, covered in vines, lived 12 little girls in two straight lines.” And with that familiar phrase, author and illustrator Ludwig Bemelmans sets in motion the adventures of the brave and resourceful Madeline! In this musical adaptation, Madeline’s schoolmates and tutor are all sick in bed on Christmas Eve, unable to go home for Christmas to be with their families. So it’s Madeline to the rescue! And with the help of a magical rug merchant she takes her friends on a Christmas journey they will never forget. 
​Based on the book by Ludwig Bemelmans
Book & Lyrics by Jennifer Kirkeby
Music by Shirley Mier

Snapshots:
​A Musical Scrapbook
Feb 12 - March 8, 2026

An original new musical featuring the beloved songs from Academy Award-winning composer Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Godspell), Snapshots: A Musical Scrapbook is a touching and authentic look into how we fall in love and the poignant power of trusting our hearts and memories. Sue has her bags packed, her farewell note written and the resolution to leave her husband, Dan, after decades of their lives entwined. Finding herself in their dusty, suburban attic for a final goodbye to the life they led, Sue is startled when Dan arrives home early from his all-consuming job. Surrounded by a lifetime of memories and phantoms of their former selves, Sue and Dan embark on a cerebral journey to the past, rediscovering their true love that remained hidden in a lifetime of Snapshots.

Little Women: The Musical
May 14 – June 7, 2026

Based on Louisa May Alcott's beloved classic, this Civil War era story of love and family stands the test of time. Little Women follows the adventures of sisters, Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March as they navigate adolescence, each determined to live their lives on their own terms.  Jo is trying to sell her stories for publication, but publishers reject them, until she finally begins to weave the personal story of herself and her sisters’ experience growing up in Civil War America. The powerful score of this Tony Award-nominated musical soars with the sounds of personal discovery, heartache and hope – the sounds of a young America finding its voice. ​