Fall Guide 2026: Theater, Dance and Opera

As much as I look forward to the arrival of autumn, there’s always a certain melancholy that surrounds the season. The days get shorter. The bright blossoms of summer fade, and even the colorful leaves eventually fall. But with the new season also comes a promising new arts calendar, packed with ambitious, thought-provoking theater, dreamy dance works and more. Here are just a few of the most intriguing performances to experience this fall.

Nashville Rep Presents John Proctor Is the Villain

Oct. 2-18

TPAC’s Johnson Theater

nashvillerep.org/john-proctor-is-the-villain

Kimberly Belflower’s acclaimed drama John Proctor Is the Villain was a huge hit on Broadway last year — it earned seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Play. Set in small-town Georgia, the piece centers on a group of high school girls as they study Arthur Miller’s classic play The Crucible, reconsidering John Proctor’s merits (and morality) through a modern feminist lens. For this performance, director Lauren Shouse has gathered a solid ensemble, including New York’s Lucas Calhoun. Smart, funny and surprisingly heartfelt, it’s the sort of show that’s bound to have audiences talking long after the curtain comes down.

Nashville Ballet Presents Nick Mullikin’s Giselle

Oct. 2-4

TPAC’s Polk Theater

nashvilleballet.com/giselle

Giselle is widely known as one of the ballet world’s most enduring — and technically demanding — works. Essentially a ghost story, Giselle follows a poor, brokenhearted peasant girl who joins the ranks of the dreaded Wilis — a vengeful group of ghosts who have all been betrayed by their lovers. This marks Nick Mullikin’s first full-length ballet as the company’s artistic director, and audiences can look forward to new choreography, fresh design elements and a “reimagined” conclusion. As always, the Nashville Symphony will be on hand to perform Adolphe Adam’s richly evocative score.

Nashville Opera Presents Tosca

Oct. 8 & 10

TPAC’s Jackson Hall

nashvilleopera.org/tosca

Puccini’s masterpiece Tosca comes to vibrant life at Nashville Opera this fall, balancing passion, politics and plenty of star power. The thrilling tale follows the jealous diva Floria Tosca as she struggles to save her lover from the corrupt police chief Scarpia and his henchmen. John Hoomes directs, and soprano Brittany Olivia Logan (a recent graduate of the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program at the Metropolitan Opera — and one of the hottest up-and-comers in the opera world) makes her much-anticipated role debut as the beautiful Floria Tosca.

Leïla Ka’s Triptyque: Bouffées, You’re the One We Love and Pode Ser

Oct. 23-24

OZ Arts

ozartsnashville.org/leila-ka

OZ Arts kicks off its 14th season with the U.S. premiere of French phenom choreographer Leïla Ka’s Triptyque: Bouffées, You’re the One We Love and Pode Ser. Offering “three powerful portraits of womanhood,” the performance takes on complex themes of resistance, liberation and self-discovery. Largely self-taught as a young dancer, Ka went on to work with legendary French choreographer Maguy Marin. Since then, she has been taking the dance world by storm, even choreographing the finale for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour. Lauded for balancing raw, visceral physicality with hip-hop and contemporary forms, Ka has been called France’s “most in-demand young choreographer.”

Fortuna the Time Bender vs. the Schoolgirls of Doom

Nov. 13-15

The Noah Liff Opera Center

nashvilleopera.org/fortuna

As you can probably tell from the outrageous title, Fortuna the Time Bender vs. the Schoolgirls of Doom is not your typical opera. In fact, it’s more of a comic book/superhero story, with music and libretto by Jason Powell. Set in quiet “Anyville,” this campy story finds our time-bending heroine Fortuna (and her nerdy sidekick Joe) doing battle against the evil Headmaster and his malevolent minions called — you guessed it — the Schoolgirls of Doom. Delivering a wild mashup of musical styles, it draws from the worlds of opera, Broadway, Hollywood and Gilbert and Sullivan — with a nice touch of ’80s soft rock.

KEDAGORO’s The Age Is Yours, My Liege! (A Tale of Proto-Japan)

Nov. 14-15

OZ Arts

ozartsnashville.org/kedagoro

OZ Arts welcomes acclaimed Japanese director and choreographer Reisa Shimojima and the daring artists of her dance-theater collective KEDAGORO straight from the international premiere of The Age Is Yours, My Liege! at New York’s Japan Society. Committed to the idea that “dance is a method for interpreting the world,” Shimojima has never been one to shy away from provocative works. And her rebellious spirit is on full display here. “Blending kinetic choreography with surreal theatricality and biting humor,” the work takes on Japan’s national identity and the origins of its imperial rule, while serving up everything from pastel princesses to an oversized hamster wheel.

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