For more than 50 years, the South Shore Music Circus and it’s sister venue, the Cape Cod Melody Tent, have been presenting world-class entertainment in the scenic Massachusetts coastal communities of Cohasset and Hyannis.
The only two continuously-operated tent theatres in the round in the United States, the Music Circus and Melody Tent are owned and operated by the South Shore Playhouse Associates, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and supporting the arts, cultural and educational organizations throughout the communities of the South Shore and Cape Cod.
With a colorful history dating back to its humble beginning in 1932 in Cohasset, Massachusetts, one interwoven with the fabric of summer theatre history on the east coast, our theatres have emerged as popular destinations for patrons and performers alike, providing a relaxed ambiance and intimate theatre experience where no seat is more than 50 feet from the stage.
For more than 50 years, the South Shore Music Circus and it’s sister venue, the Cape Cod Melody Tent, have been presenting world-class entertainment in the scenic Massachusetts coastal communities of Cohasset and Hyannis.
The only two continuously-operated tent theatres in the round in the United States, the Music Circus and Melody Tent are owned and operated by the South Shore Playhouse Associates, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging and supporting the arts, cultural and educational organizations throughout the communities of the South Shore and Cape Cod.
With a colorful history dating back to its humble beginning in 1932 in Cohasset, Massachusetts, one interwoven with the fabric of summer theatre history on the east coast, our theatres have emerged as popular destinations for patrons and performers alike, providing a relaxed ambiance and intimate theatre experience where no seat is more than 50 feet from the stage.
The ensuing years have witnessed a variety of structural and performance changes from that experimental summer theatre of the past.
In 1975, the main theatre bowl was converted from old-fashioned wooden risers to an attractive, modern concrete structure, while staircases and aisle openings were redesigned, greatly improving audience access and sightlines. In 1977, the customary canvas chairs were replaced with more comfortable, permanent stadium seats. But it was in 1994 that the traditional canvas tent was replaced by a state-of-the-art vinyl one with a cupola offering a specifically-designed venting system ensuring a more comfortable entertainment experience for patrons and performers.
Over the years, the sound and lighting equipment have been upgraded to state of the art systems designed specifically for theatres-in-the-round. Seating capacity was expanded from 1,000 to 2,300 seats.
In March of 1990, the South Shore Playhouse Associates purchased the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis from William Carmen and have since made numerous improvements there, also including a new state-of-the-art vinyl tent with Cupola venting system, new seats, new stage and computerized lighting and sound systems.
The resident theatre company is gone, replaced by touring performers of world-class caliber, including Tony Bennett, Linda Ronstadt, Bill Cosby, the Irish Tenors, Vince Gill, the Moody Blues, Crosby Stills Nash, Carole King, Melissa Etheridge, Wynonna, Bruce Hornsby, Johnny Mathis, Kenny Rogers, B.B. King, Fuel, Alison Krauss and Union Station, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Jo Dee Messina, Alice Cooper, Willie Nelson, Hall & Oates, Chris Isaak, Hootie & the Blowfish, Blues Traveler, the Doobie Brothers, Joe Cocker, John Hiatt, Robert Cray, Lyle Lovett, Huey Lewis, the Beach Boys, KC & the Sunshine Band, the Indigo Girls, Ani DiFranco, Aimee Mann, Aretha Franklin, Little Feat, the Doobie Brothers, George Thorogood, Jonny Lang, Lisa Marie Presley, Hanson, Linda Eder, the Gipsy Kings and the Boston Pops.
Online South Shore Music Circus Cohasset, MA Tickets