Theatre Under the Stars

For more than 80 years, Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) has been lighting up the crown jewel of Vancouver—Stanley Park—with summer evenings of endless entertainment. 

Back in 1940, Theatre Under the Stars started when a group of local theatre people formed to produce professional-quality musicals during the summer. Over recent decades, TUTS has staged both classics like Guys and Dolls, Hello Dolly!, Mary Poppins, and 42nd Street and contemporary Broadway favourites like Shrek the Musical, Legally Blonde, Mamma Mia!, and We Will Rock You. Along the way, it’s become a beloved Lower Mainland tradition, delighting generations of locals and tourists alike under the stars in the pastoral outdoor setting of historic Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park.

So much more than just a night at the theatre, TUTS interweaves a kaleidoscope of elements—setting, scenery, concessions, and quality art—into a fun, encompassing experience that is much greater than the sum of its parts. Nestled among awe-inspiring Douglas firs, the company is uniquely suited to Vancouver and reflects some of the city’s most collectively embraced values: exuberance, expression, nature, and youth. 

The latter is especially important to the organization, as it is not only a presenter of shows, but a creator of opportunities for young performers. The number of careers and life-long relationships with art fostered on the Malkin Bowl stage are countless. Our annual productions are delivered by over 200 volunteers drawn from the community, requiring a broad variety of skills from board members to ushers to technical crew to cast and musicians.

Over the years, the outdoor theatre has kept innovating, today offering everything from VIP experiences to Exchange Insurance. And it’s overcome some of the challenges that have come over the decades, including a fire that almost destroyed Malkin Bowl in 1982 and, of course, the COVID pandemic, which shut the theatre down for the summers of 2020 to 2021.

Theatre Under the Stars acknowledges that its work takes place on the traditional and unceded lands of the Coast Salish First Nations, including the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.