Arts Center of Coastal Carolina’s 30th anniversary theater season

The Arts Center of Coastal Carolina is celebrating its 30th anniversary season with a full lineup of Broadway blockbusters, musical comedies, and family favorites.
The 2025–26 five-show mainstage season opens Sept. 24th with Come From Away, the Olivier Award-winning musical based on the true story of thousands of stranded airline passengers welcomed by a small Newfoundland town following the Sept. 11 attacks. The production runs through Oct. 26th and sets the tone for a season built around themes of community, resilience and joy.

The season continues with Frozen, Disney’s hit stage adaptation, running Nov. 26th through Dec. 28th. With its story of sisterhood and self-discovery, the production features classic songs along with new music.

2026 brings The Play That Goes Wrong, a fast-paced British farce set for Jan. 28th to Feb. 22nd. The physical comedy spoof follows a disastrous community theater murder mystery where everything that can go wrong, does.

Hairspray takes the stage in the spring, running April 22nd to May 24th. The musical follows teenager Tracy Turnblad’s effort to integrate a local television dance program in 1960s Baltimore and remains a favorite for its message of inclusion and high-energy score.

The season closes with Mean Girls, adapted from the 2004 Tina Fey film. Running June 24th through Aug. 9th, the musical is a sharp, humorous take on high school cliques, featuring a fast-paced script and original music.

“We are a professional producing theater—the largest of its kind in South Carolina,” said Andrea Gannon, vice president of marketing. “When you see a production on our stage, we’ve taken it from cast to curtain. What audiences experience here is unique to that show and cast.”

The Arts Center casts primarily out of New York City, with some exceptions for local talent, and houses performers locally for about three weeks of rehearsals before each production opens. Scenic and costume elements are built in-house by a team of more than 35 people. Gannon said the organization brings in directors from New York as well. One performer in the current Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which runs through Aug. 17th, is originally from Hilton Head but now lives and works in New York.

“Our shows don’t go on to tour or move to another city,” Gannon said. “They’re created right here for this community, for this unique space and time.”

The Arts Center offers season subscription packages starting at $295, with fix-, eight- and ten-show flex passes available. Subscribers receive early access to seat selection, no-fee ticket exchanges and discounts of up to $80 along with other perks. Single tickets are sold closer to each shows run. Prices vary by production, with discounts available for students, military personnel and groups.

Performances are held in the Arts Center’s 349-seat mainstage theater at 14 Shelter Cove Lane. In addition to producing five mainstage shows annually, the nonprofit supports arts education, outreach programs and special events throughout the year. It relies on a combination of ticket revenue, donors, sponsors and public grants.

For ticket information, visit www.artshhi.com or call 843-842-2787. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with extended hours on performance days.