9 Best Performing Arts Venues in The Finger Lakes, New York

Touring Broadway shows and occasional musical performances are mounted at the Auditorium Theatre.

The 535-seat Dryden Theatre, on the grounds of the George Eastman House, shows classic, art-house, and foreign films most nights at 8 pm, with matinees on Sunday. It also hosts several film festivals each year.

Geva Theatre Center, the city's leading professional theater for resident shows and the largest regional theater in the state, presents about seven shows a year on its 552-seat Mainstage space. Its 180-seat Nextstage theater mounts edgier, more experimental productions.

The Hanger Theatre, some of the best regional theater in the Northeast, performs in a renovated airport hangar from June through August.Five plays, from comedies to musicals, are produced each summer, along with five children's productions.

The Kitchen Theatre Co. features contemporary dramas and some children's fare year-round. Its 73-seat theater is on the Commons.

The ornate 1928 Landmark Theatre hosts touring stage shows, dance performances, concerts, stand-up comics, and classic films. Ani DiFranco, Jerry Seinfeld, and the Moscow Ballet are among the past performers and shows at this 3,000-seat venue.

The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, a professional summer theater, produces up to six classic American musicals from late May to October.

The 1894 Smith Opera House presents stage productions, concerts, and films. The exterior of the theater, built by Geneva philanthropist William Smith, is Richardson Romanesque. The interior was gutted in 1930 and spruced up into an elegant movie palace with art-deco and baroque details. Along with Radio City Music Hall, it's one of the few remaining atmospheric theaters still in use. Films are frequently shown, and the stage has hosted George M. Cohan, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, and other performers. Tours are given by appointment.

Syracuse Stage, a professional regional theater, hosts at least seven productions at its 499-seat theater each year. Productions include musicals, dramas, and children's programs.