Mainstage:
The Fantasticks
Performance Dates: April 8 - 25, 2027
The Fantasticks by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones
A charming, timeless musical about young love, illusion, and growing up. Fantasticks is filled with wit, warmth, and unforgettable songs. Its simple storytelling opens into something surprisingly profound about what it means to really see the world (and each other). It’s the kind of show that feels like a memory you didn’t know you had.
ONCE book by Enda Walsh, music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova
August 13 – 30, 2026
*not included in season subscriptions
Due to popular demand, we are bringing ONCE back to the Murphey School stage! Join us for a remount of our 2025 production of this modern musical about a young immigrant woman and a Dublin street musician who form a bond through their shared love of music.
Come early to catch a pre-show music set each performance! Pre-show starts approximately 30 minutes before curtain.
ONCE is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
Learn more about ticket discounts (including $5 student tickets, educator discounts, military discounts, and Pay-What-You-Can day) on our Plan Your Visit page.
Have accessibility concerns? Review our options on the Accessibility page. Give us a call at (919) 834-4001 or email development@burningcoal.org to request accommodations or give feedback.
- The City of Raleigh Arts Commission
- The North Carolina Arts Council
- The United Arts Council of Wake County
- The Shubert Foundation
- 10th and Terrace Restaurant
- The Residence Inn of Downtown Raleigh
- The Classical Station
- DHIC
- Edible Art
- The Jandy Ammons Foundation
- Sarah Winter – Web Design
- The Warner Fund
- Smith Anderson Law
- Learn more about ONCE by checking out our STUDY GUIDE
- Check out the ONCE Digital Program
REVIEWS
- Triangle Theatre Review by Kurt Benrud
- Picture This Post by Amy Munice
- CVNC by Byron Woods
Moderate Profanity
Appropriate for audiences 13+
US-based Burning Coal Theatre company stages works that are experienced viscerally, unlike more traditional, linear plays where audiences are most often asked to observe without participating. Using the best local, national and international artists available, they produce explosive re-examinations of overlooked classics, modern classics and new plays that address ideas important to our community. They strive to achieve high-energy performances with minimalist production values. Burning Coal was founded by Artistic Director Jerome Davis and Managing Director Simmie Kastner. It began as an itinerant company, performing in spaces across the Raleigh, North Carolina area.
