2024 Summer Events Guide

From one-of-a-kind live music to children’s theatre, there is something for everyone at Brucemore this summer!

Hello Summer

Dates: May 31 & June 1

Time: 7:30 PM

Tickets: Adult – $25 ($20 for donors); Student – $20 ($15 for donors)

Through spoken word, dance, and music, Hello Summer moves from the cold of winter to the freedom of summer to explore mental wellbeing.

Featuring poets Ruth Thomas and co-producer Kelsey Bigelow, dancers Maddy Benidt and Madi Brauer, with music by Kelsey Madsen, Tim Arnold, and Gerard Estella.


Music at the Big House

Discover new music with this one-of-a-kind series. Debuting in 2024, this experimental program will share the talents of musicians performing diverse musical genres. Produced by local music professionals and set against the iconic backdrop of the Queen Anne Victorian mansion, this will be an evening of musical entertainment you can only experience at Brucemore. 

Tickets range from $30 for individual seats to $110 for a table of up to 4 people. Please use the links below for full details. Brucemore donors receive a discount.

In the Round – June 21 & 22

Time: 7:30 PM

The first ever Music at the Big House will take place around the mansion’s circle drive… as this evening brings to you a songwriters’ round featuring Jim Coates, Marcy Each, Gerard Estella, Marc Jannsen and Ben Schmidt. Through anecdotes and demonstrations, you’ll experience what it’s like to be part of an old-fashioned songwriting showcase. The night will be filled with original music performed by each artist, and reinvented group numbers of fan favorites.

Themes of the Digital Age – September 13 & 14

Music in the Courtyard

Rooted in over 20 years of tradition, Brucemore’s Music in the Courtyard series returns with two special shows! Relax outdoors amongst good company and enjoy listening to music under the stars. Music in the Courtyard is part of the Artisan Studio live performance series, supporting Iowa-based singers, songwriters, and technicians in their personal and professional pursuits.

Tickets range from $30 for individual seats to $140 for a table of up to 5 people. Please use the links below for full details. Brucemore donors receive a discount.

All performances start at 7:30 PM.

What’s in a Name – August 29-31

Time: 7:30 PM

Seriously – what’s in a name? The answer can be more profound, and sometimes more surprising than you think, from the name of a lover to the name of a drifter. Join singers Nassor Cooper and Precious Kimbrough with saxophonist Hank Welter and backed by Brucemore Boys & Friends to explore the stories and tales of names that moved mountains and changed lives.

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise – September 5-7

Time: 7:30 PM

Come see what we cook up with some of the best musicians and performers in a big melting pot of styles and forms. This show, created specifically for Brucemore, is one weekend only. In the setting of this Iowa treasure, enjoy the camaraderie of fellow community and the talent of people you know – and don’t yet know – and be surprised, surprised, surprised by what they do!


A Brucemore Night Out Cocktail Party

Relax and reconnect with friends and neighbors at Brucemore! Join us for a cocktail party with excellent food, delicious drinks, good company, and easygoing ambience. Your ticket includes food, drinks, and fun – the best combination!

Date: Friday, June 14, 6:00-9:00 PM

Tickets: $75 per person

*This event is for ages 21+.


Artisan Studio Showcase

The Artisan Studio at Brucemore is dedicated to creating a vibrant community by supporting the musicians, artists, writers, and other artisans. Each year, several artists are invited to work with the Studio on a project that will help them to develop their skills and advance in their career. Our Artisan Studio Showcase series offers a chance to meet the artist, hear their story, and support their work.

Marcy Each – July 16

Time: 7:00 PM

Tickets: Adult – $20 ($15 for donors); Student – $10 ($5 for donors)

The first 2024 Artisan Studio Showcase kicks off with singer-songwriter Marcy Each telling stories through her original songs. Her first album was recorded in Nashville and her most recent album, which is being recorded right here on the Brucemore estate with co-producers Jim Coates and Brucemore Artisan-in-Residence Gerard Estella. Bring your own chair (or blanket), picnic, and beverage to enjoy great music under the stars on the Artisan Studio Lawn.

Brigid Martin – August 2

Time: 7:00 PM

Tickets: Adult – $20 ($15 for donors); Student – $10 ($5 for donors)

Through her work with the Artisan Studio, Brigid Martin is writing a new musical that explores themes of artistry, relationships, and sacrifice, while questioning definitions of success and how those definitions can affect our view of art and life as a whole. Join us for this Artisan Studio Showcase event to see the premiere of Brigid’s new show in a staged concert reading.


Ballet Des Moines Summer STEM Tour

The Ballet Des Moines Summer STEM Tour is coming to Brucemore this June! Enjoy performances from A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Love Letters along with family-friendly STEM activities during this FREE event.

Date: June 7

Time: STEM activities at 5:00 PM, performance at 6:30 PM

Art at Brucemore: Friday Night Out

Join us for a Friday Night Out with the Iowa Ceramics Center and Glass Studio at Brucemore. This workshop is for guests 21+ and participants are welcome to BYOB.

During this workshop, participants will sculpt a beautiful, fluted vase using various hand-building techniques and tools to create texture and movement in their creation. This project is perfect to personalize your potted plants!

Date: June 28

Time: 6:00 PM


TCR Outdoors at Brucemore

Theatre Cedar Rapids will be back at Brucemore this summer! Enjoy amazing theatre in our scenic Peggy Boyle Whitworth Amphitheater

All ticket purchases for TCR Outdoors at Brucemore performances are processed through the TCR box office. Brucemore donors may contact us to receive a discount code to use on tickets.

TCR Contact Information:

102 3rd Street SE
Cedar Rapids, IA 52401
319-366-8591
tickets@theatrecr.org

Box Office Hours:
Monday-Friday, 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus – July 5-21

Time: 6:30 PM

Tickets: Youth 2 and under – $13; Youth 3-12 – $18; Adults – $29

Whatever you do, don’t let the Pigeon star in his own musical production! With a script by Mo Willems, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! is even more fun than staying up late and having a hot dog party! It’s not easy being the Pigeon – you never get to do ANYTHING! But when the Bus Driver has a crisis that threatens to make her passengers (gasp!) late, maybe that wily bird CAN do something. Based on the #1 New York Times best-selling, Caldecott Honor award-winning “Pigeon” picture books.

Written by Mo Willems and Mr. Warburton, lyrics by Mo Willems and music by Deborah Wicks La Puma (Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play!).

The Light in the Piazza – August 9-25

Time: 7:30 PM

Tickets: Student – $25; Adult – $39

Winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Original Score, The Light in the Piazza will sweep you off your feet as it transports you to the summer of 1953 in sun-drenched Florence. Margaret Johnson, an elegant and strong-willed Southern woman, has taken her daughter Clara on a vacation to Italy. A fateful gust of wind blows Clara’s hat right into the hands of a young Italian gentleman, and it’s amore at first sight. But Clara isn’t quite what she appears, and soon they must all confront a secret that’s been kept in the shadows for far too long. With soaring operatic melodies, The Light in the Piazza is a story about mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, and the deeply intertwined emotions of love and loss.

Book by Craig Lucas, music and lyrics by Adam Guettel.


These events aren’t the only ways to experience Brucemore this summer! View our calendar for a full view of upcoming tours, classes, and events.