Among the beautiful redwood trees in Oakland’s Joaquin Miller Park sits Woodminster Amphitheater, an open-air theater that stages a series of musicals every summer. This year, the season’s titles are more kid-friendly than usual, so we thought we’d announce these dates for your calendar.
2019 Woodminster Summer Musical Season
In 2019, the shows will be
Newsies | July 5-14 | Discount tix at Goldstar.com
Billy Elliot | August 2-11
Into the Woods | August 30-September 8
Get details about showtimes and ticket prices here >>
Kids not old enough for this type of show? I urge you to go on a date night. It’s a lovely setting, and in-the-know people seemed to have enjoyed a picnic dinner before entering the amphitheater. My husband and I dined at Marzano on Park Blvd before driving over to the theater, where we discovered that we had been missing out on this magical summer tradition every year until now. I can’t wait to go back this summer to see a show with my 12- and 14-year olds.
What to expect when attending Woodminster Summer Musicals
Although it’s a beautiful time of year in the Oakland Hills, it will be chilly when the sun goes down, so bring a jacket, hats, and even a lap blanket. Wear shoes you can walk in easily as you may walk on a dirt path from your car to the amphitheater entrance.
Pro tip: Park your car facing the direction you’ll want to be heading when leaving the park after the show.
There are no restrictions on bringing your own food and beverages. You may eat in your seats or at nearby picnic tables. The picnic areas outside the amphitheater are first come, first serve, but there are about 60 reservable tables inside the amphitheater (you won’t watch the show from the table, but rather have a picnic dinner at 6.30 and then make your way to your seat for the 8 pm showtime) available for $10 in advance. More details are here >>
This would be a fun teen birthday idea for a musical theater-lover and a couple of friends. (See discounts section below to understand pricing for kids.)
Discounts on Newsies, Billy Elliot, and Into the Woods at Woodminster Amphitheater
- Buy your adult tickets at the door and accompanying kids under 16 enter free
- Buy adult tickets online in advance, and get reserved seats for your kids for 75% off the price of your tickets. Note that you may also buy adult tickets online, arrive and get your child ticket for free at the door when you show your advance purchase ticket, but the child will be seated as close to you as possible, which might not be close enough for your comfort.
- Discount for patrons between 17 and 30 years old is 50% off
- Newsies discount has been posted at Goldstar.com >>
