CREEDE – Creede Repertory Theatre (CRT) will open its 60th anniversary season in May. The season will be its first under new Artistic Director Emily Van Fleet and will include two musicals, a theatrical adventure comedy, a riveting drama, and more. CRT will open all its main shows before the end of June.  

The 2025 season opens May 24 at the historic Mainstage Theatre with “Xanadu.” The book is by Douglas Carter Beane with music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar. “Xanadu” follows the electrifying tale of Kira, a magical Greek muse who descends from the heavens of Mount Olympus to Venice Beach in 1980 on a quest to inspire struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time – the first roller disco. Based on the Universal Pictures film that starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly, this hilarious, roller skating, musical adventure is about following your wildest disco-pop dreams.  

Next, opening the Ruth Humphrey Brown Theatre (The Ruth) on May 31 is the fast-paced mystery adventure, “The 39 Steps” by Patrick Barlow from the novel by John Buchan. To put it mildly, Richard Hannay’s life is dull, but when a mysterious woman appears in his apartment one stormy night, he gets pulled into an epic caper of murder and mayhem. With all the thrills of a Hitchcock masterpiece and a dash of Monty Python, this fast-paced thriller hits the ground running with a cast of four portraying 150 characters. This is live theatre at its best. 

For the first time, CRT presents a musical in its intimate Ruth Humphreys Brown Theatre with “The Fantasticks.” Book and lyrics are by Tom Jones with music by Harvey Schmidt. This classic fable about a boy, a girl, their parents, and a love that grows with each season, returns to CRT for its 60th season. “The Fantasticks” inspires us all to remember a time when we allowed ourselves to be overcome with hope and enchantment. This musical masterpiece includes timeless songs like, “Try to Remember” and “Soon It’s Gonna Rain.” “The Fantasticks” opens June 21. 

The second production in the historic Mainstage is the drama “Silent Sky” by Lauren Gunderson, currently one of the most produced playwrights in America. The drama follows the true story of 19th-century scientist Henrietta Leavitt, whose breakthroughs in astronomy profoundly impacted the way we see the universe. After securing a position at the renowned Harvard Observatory, Henrietta is torn between family obligation and her soaring ambition. This luminously beautiful play celebrates the brilliance of women during a time of great scientific and social progress and how one woman’s determination forever altered the course of scientific history. An inspirational drama bursting with smart, infectious humor, “Silent Sky” opens June 28.  

“I am thrilled to bring audiences a season all about dreams and possibility, one that celebrates our 60-year history and invites folks to look ahead to CRT's bright future,” says Artistic Director Van Fleet of the anniversary season. “I hope audiences next year will leave the theatre with a renewed sense of wonder, inspiration, adventure, and possibility.” 

On July 13, Boomtown! Improv comedy returns for its 19th season on a new day and time, Sundays at 7 p.m. in The Ruth. Special events include a concert celebrating 60 years of Creede Repertory Theatre on July 18 in the Mainstage Theatre as well as the “Denim & Diamond Jubilee,” a fundraising event in honor of its 60th Season on Aug. 7 at The Stables event venue in Creede. 

Creede Rep Education continues its dynamic and far-reaching programs which serve over 35,000 students each year including the 23rd annual KID Show, providing students the opportunity to create an original play in a professional environment; day camps for all ages; and the 42nd annual Young Audience Outreach Tour, which brings an original, bilingual musical to students in grades K-6 across Colorado and the Southwestern US. 

Flex Passes for the 2025 season are currently on sale and will once again offer pass holders an exclusive booking window beginning Jan. 8 before single tickets go on sale to the general public on Feb. 3. For tickets, information, or to purchase 2025 Flex and VIP passes, visit www.creederep.org, call the box office at 719-658-2540, or email boxoffice@creederep.com.