Bowie Center for the Performing Arts

Bowie Center for the Performing Arts

Address: 15200 Annapolis Rd, Bowie, MD 20715
The Center is immediately adjacent to Bowie High School and shares a parking lot with the Public Library.

Phone: (301) 805-6880

Website: http://www.bowiecenter.org/index.html

The Bowie Center for the Performing Arts is jointly owned and operated by Prince George’s County Public Schools, Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, the City of Bowie and the Bowie Regional Arts Vision Association (BRAVA). There are a wide variety of performances including music, dance and theater. This site lists the theatrical performances.

Upcoming shows:


Born to Swing, The Jazz Musical at the Bowie CPA, May 13

Harris & Harris Productions presents:
Born to Swing, The Jazz Musical
by Adrienne Lillette Harris
featuring MzChele Harris

Saturday, May 13, 2023 at 6:30pm

Location: Bowie Center for the Performing Arts.

The musical BORN TO SWING tells the story of the 85-year career of renowned concert pianist, composer/arranger, entertainer and philanthropist Lillette Harris (later known as Lillette Jenkins). It also tells how she and her husband, Actor & Comedian Bud Harris, in 1945 were the first Blacks to own Lillette’s Rhythm Club, a Nightclub, Casino, and Hotel in Sparks-Reno Nevada during the racially charged Jim Crow era. While performing concerts around the world she also entertained the troops for four years in the USO during World War II. She later recorded five separate jazz and gospel albums that are still selling. Films, TV, Broadway and Off-Broadway shows as Musical Director are also part of her legendary career.

Lillette has shared the stage with music legends who were friends like Nat “King” Cole, who after recording the song “Lillette” dedicated it in her honor. Just to name a few she also shared the stage with greats like Cab Calloway, Lena Horne, Billy Joel, Ray Charles, and Duke Ellington who nicknamed her “Queen of the Keys.” BORN TO SWING is penned by her daughter, Publicist & Producer Adrienne Lillette Harris, as a love letter to her mother who died from Alzheimer’s disease at the age of 96 in 2020. Adrienne remarks: “In spite of her diagnosis, my mother could play the piano for up to three days before she passed away.” Lillette spent her final years in Columbia, Md with her two daughters and family.

Song Stylist and Actress MzChele Harris is cast as Lillette’s alter ego in the play and narrates the story brilliantly through visuals, music and dance. She is accompanied by some of the best musicians and dancers that Maryland has to offer. Don’t miss this awesome tribute!

BORN TO SWING debuts Mother’s Day weekend Saturday, May 13th at 6:30 p.m., at the Bowie Performing Arts Center, where it will be taped for later broadcast.

Lillette’s Foundation for the Arts Inc. will be making a donation from the musical to the National Alzheimer’s Association in the name of Lillette.

Tickets: $45 – $65. Click here.

Bowie Center for the Performing Arts, Bowie Maryland, Born to Swing The Jazz Musical, Harris and Harris Productions, Adrienne Lillette Harris, MzChele Harris, Born to Swing


Butterfly, the Story of a Life Cycle at the Bowie CPA, May 16-17

Arts on Stage presents:
Butterfly, The Story of a Life Cycle

Tuesday, May 16, 2023 at 10:15am and 12:00 noon
Wednesday, May 17, 2023 at 10:15am and 12:00 noon

Location: Bowie Center for the Performing Arts.

NEW DATE: Back by Popular Demand!!! A wondrous view into the insect world seen on the big stage! We will follow Mari a Monarch Butterfly as she grows from her tiny egg then through her caterpillar state, next make the amazing metamorphosis in the chrysalis and finally on her incredible 1500 mile journey to Mexico. With all her insect companions she will learn about her symbiotic relationship with Milkweed, she depends on it for food a home and her unique form of defense against predators. This production uses GIANT puppetry! The audience feels like they have been shrunk down to insect size!

Tickets: $9. Click here.

Tags: Bowie Center for the Performing Arts, Bowie Maryland, Arts on Stage, Butterfly The Story of a Life Cycle, Puppets


Rotten Apple at the Bowie CPA, Sep 16-17

BLNK Entertainment Presents:
Rotten Apple
by Barry Battle

September 16 – 17, 2023
Saturday, September 16 at 7:00pm
Sunday, September 17 at 4:00pm

Location: Bowie Center for the Performing Arts.

A man tormented by failed dreams is unwittingly given an opportunity to relocate his family to The Big Apple. His struggle between passion and family draws thin when a Rotten Apple enters their lives. Blinded by selfishness, will the foundation of which he’s built his home withstand or implode?

Tickets: $75 – $90. Click here.

Tags: Bowie Center for the Performing Arts, Bowie Maryland, BLNK Enterntainment, Rotten Apple, Barry Battle


@@@@@@@ hide @@@@@@@

Friends Who Smash presents Views From Forever at the Bowie CPA, Oct 30

Friends Who Smash presents
Views From Forever
starring Alfred and Sherrell Duncan

Sunday, October 30, 2022 at 3:00pm

Location: Bowie Center for the Performing Arts.

Tickets: $40-$50. Click here.

Tags: Bowie Center for the Performing Arts, Bowie Maryland, Friends Who Smash, Views From Forever, Alfred Duncan, Sherrell Duncan


@@@@@@@@ end hide @@@@@@@@@

@@@@@@@ hide @@@@@@@

Ballet Theater of Maryland presents The Nutcracker at the Bowie CPA, Nov 25-26

The Game Changer: Stage Play
Margaret P. Bean, Playwright, Producer & Director

Saturday, November 25, 2017 at 7:00pm
Sunday, November 26, 2017 at 2:00pm

Location: Bowie Center for the Performing Arts.

Spend your holiday weekend at the Center as our partners, The Ballet Theater of Maryland, returns with The Nutcracker. For ticket info please visit http://balletmaryland.org/Performances/TheNutcracker/BowieCenterforthePerformingArts/tabid/113/Default.aspx

Tags: Bowie Center for the Performing Arts, Bowie Maryland, The Nutcracker, Ballet Theater of Maryland, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky


The National Ballet Company presents The Nutcracker at the Bowie CPA, Dec 5-8

The Nutcracker

Thursday, December 5, 2019 at 10:30am
Friday, December 6, 2019 at 10:30am
Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 7:00pm
Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 3:00pm

Location: Bowie Center for the Performing Arts.

The National Ballet, Inc., Maryland’s oldest professional ballet company continues its tradition of winter holiday performances with the holiday favorite The Nutcracker. All performances are open to the public and run from December 5-8 2019 at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts. Weekday morning performances are geared toward arts in education with special discounts for school groups. All performances are open to the public.

Audiences of all ages will enjoy the magic wonderland of sweets in a Christmas dream of Tchaikovsky’s traditional Nutcracker. Many local children who are students of the National Ballet Institute for the Arts and others have been given the opportunity to begin realizing their dreams of dancing in a professional production as they appear as toy soldiers, candy canes, and bon-bons. The children dance along side an international cast of professional dancers from as far away as Japan and China.

Tickets: $25 to $35. Click here.

Tags: Bowie Center for the Performing Arts, Bowie Maryland, The Nutcracker, The National Ballet Company, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky


@@@@@@@@ end hide @@@@@@@@@

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s