Cape Fear Regional Theatre’s 2026-27 season promises to be a momentous one in many ways. Since 1962, the Theatre has been entertaining Fayetteville audiences with high-quality theatre, featuring both local and “out of town” talent. This upcoming season promises to be no different, with a lineup of shows that will bring new and familiar stories to the stage.
CFRT will kick off its 26-27 season with Bright Star, a bluegrass musical by Steve Martin and Edie Brickell. The story follows Alice Murphy as both a rebellious and adventurous teenager and 20 years later as a successful literary editor. Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, it is a story of love, heartbreak, and redemption. Bright Star is sure to captivate audiences with its heart-warming story and high-energy music.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever will return to the CFRT stage, celebrating its 35th anniversary. For many in the Fayetteville community, the story of the Herdman kids and how they almost ruined the annual Christmas pageant is the official beginning of the holiday season. While staging a show with 100+ kids over 4 separate casts is no small feat, this annual tradition is perfect for the whole family.
Although we never know if North Carolina's weather is going to give us any snow during the winter, CFRT’s stage is set to become a winter wonderland in January 2027 as the curtain rises on Disney’s Frozen. Based on the 2013 animated film, the live stage version has been astounding audiences since its Broadway debut in 2018. Unique and impressive visual effects combine with a soaring score and uplifting story to provide an unforgettable theatre experience.
Up next in CFRT’s lineup is the comedy One Man, Two Guvnors. The play is an adaptation of The Servant of Two Masters, an 18th-century farce by Carlo Goldoni. Featuring CFRT favorite and Education Director Marc de la Concha, the play will be sure to have audiences in stitches as Francis (the “one man” mentioned in the title) keeps his two mobster bosses apart.
The season will wrap up with Big Fish, a fantasy musical that is full of spectacle, high-energy music and humor. Based on a novel by Daniel Wallace and the 2003 Tim Burton film, Big Fish follows the life of Edward Bloom, a traveling salesman who tells larger-than-life stories that captivate everyone around him. As his son, Will, embarks on a journey to understand the man behind the myth, Big Fish explores the power of storytelling, family bonds, and the search for identity.
In addition to this exciting line-up of shows, the team is looking forward to moving back to their location at 1209 Hay Street as they complete their massive building project. There is still time to support this endeavor as the theatre has announced The Final Million Dollar Match, “a $1,000,000 fund created by The Arts Council of Fayetteville/Cumberland County, The Junior League of Fayetteville, Larry & Julianne Bass, Betsy Hubbard, and Mary Flagg & Jim Haugh that will DOUBLE the impact of any new gifts of $10,000+ (payable over five years) made to the campaign before September 1, 2026.” For more information, go to www.cfrt.org/capital-campaign/support-act-2.
Season Tickets are on sale now. The Early Bird special runs through July 17 and provides 30% savings. For more information, go to cfrt.org or call the box office at 910-323-4233.