A Midsummer Night’s Dream

About this Performance

Experience Shakespeare’s enchanting comedy as selected scenes from A Midsummer Night’s Dream are brought to life alongside Mendelssohn’s original incidental music, performed by the full orchestra, Elm City Girls’ Choir, and soprano soloist Lisa Williamson. Inspired by the celebrated concert interpretation narrated by Dame Judi Dench, this special performance will illuminate Shakespeare’s magical text with a dazzling combination of theater and symphonic music. In a virtuosic one-actor performance, two-time Tony Award winner James Naughton will move among the play’s lovers, fairies, royals, and wonderfully hapless players as selected scenes are woven through Mendelssohn’s beloved incidental music.

Meet the Guest Artists

James Naughton, a graduate of Brown University and Yale Drama School, won two Tony Awards for Best Actor in a Musical: for City of Angels in 1990, and Chicago in 1997.  He won the 1999 MAC Award as best male vocalist for his one-man concert show, Street of Dreams, presented by Mike Nichols.  In 2014, he recorded his Live from Lincoln CenterSpecial for PBS, James Naughton Sings Randy Newman.

He directed two Broadway productions, Arthur Miller’s The Price, which was nominated for a Tony, and Our Town, starring Paul Newman, which he also shot for Showtime.

His film credits include The Paper Chase, Cat’s Eye, First Wives Club, The Good Mother, The Glass Menageriewith Joanne Woodward, and The Devil Wears Prada.

On TV, he’s starred in Planet of the Apes, Who’s The Boss, Brooklyn Bridge, Ally McBeal, Damages, Gossip Girl, The Black List, and The Affair.  He’s recorded many books on tape and more than a few voice-overs.

Described by the Washington Post as “silvery of voice” and “a showstopper,” soprano Lisa Williamson has forged a wide-ranging career that has taken her from Muscat, Oman to Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall and the Indianapolis Brickyard.

On the opera stage, she has sung with Washington National Opera, The Glimmerglass Festival, Portland Opera, Opera Ithaca, Opera Theater of Connecticut, and Salt Marsh Opera, among others. As a concert artist, she has performed with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra, Missoula Symphony, and Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

From 2005 to 2010, she served as vocal soloist with the United States Coast Guard Band, giving over two hundred performances across thirty-four states and Japan, including twice performing the National Anthem at the Indianapolis 500.

In addition to her active performance career, Ms. Williamson is a sought-after clinician and private voice instructor of classical, musical theater, and contemporary voice. She serves as Assistant Professor of Voice at Ithaca College School of Music, Theater, and Dance.

The NHSO’s 2026-27 Season is sponsored by the English Family.

This concert is performed in honor of Inspirational Giving Awardee Anne Darbelnet Hale.

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• Ticket Information

  Order Online: Click Here!

  Order by Phone: (203) 693-1486 • Monday-Friday • 12-5pm.

  Order in Person: Tickets are available for purchase starting one hour prior to the concert in the lobby. We strongly recommend buying tickets in advance to avoid limited inventory and long lines.

  Pricing:
  Tickets to this concert start at $15 for adults.
  Kids under 18 go free with the purchase of an adult ticket.

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  Additional Discounts Available for This Performance:

  • College Students are $10 with ID. College student tickets are available in price sections B, C, and D.
  • Tickets for active military are free. Call us at (203) 693-1486 to learn more.
  • Groups of 10 or more receive a 20% discount. Call us at (203) 693-1486 or email BoxOffice@ElmCityTickets.org to book your group.

  All artists, programs, and venues are subject to change. No refunds.

• Parking at Woolsey Hall

  Parking Information Coming Soon! 

• Accessibility Information

  Ramp & Door Access

  There is a ramp on the Grove Street side entrance to the Schwarzman Center, equipped with push-button access for the door. There is also a wheelchair accessible entrance at the back of the building if entering from Hewitt Triangle, which also has push-button access. The doors to Woolsey Hall are kept open until showtime.

  Seating Options

  Wheelchair accessible seating is available on the first floor of Woolsey Hall. These seats have space considerations for wheelchairs or service animals. There is also companion seating available. If you are in need of mobility considerations with regard to seating, inquire about these options when contacting the box office or email boxoffice@elmcitytickets.org.

  Street Parking

  Woolsey Hall is surrounded by metered street parking. Paid street parking in the Woolsey Hall area is available on Grove, College, and Wall Streets, and is free after 9:00 pm. We recommend that you download the GoNewHaven parking app for easy meter pay – no quarters necessary! Directly outside of Woolsey, there is one (1) ADA spot on Grove Street, three (3) ADA spots on College Street, and one (1) space on Wall Street.

  Garage Parking

  Information about Garage Parking is available in a separate section on this event page. The NHSO provides a free shuttle with a wheelchair lift for the Grove Street Garage (65 Grove Street) and a discount for pre-purchased reservations to that garage.

  Public Transportation

  There are several bus lines that service the Schwarzman Center and the downtown New Haven area. The 224, 234, and 278 have a stop on College Street right outside of the Schwarzman Center. The 212, 213, 215, 224, 228, 229, and 234 service the stop at Temple Street and Grove Street, one block from the venue. Riders on lines 237, 238, 241, 243, 246, 254, 255, and 261 can deboard at the top of the New Haven Green at Temple Street and Elm Street. The 204, 206, 223, and 274 stop at Elm Street and Church Street.

  Click here to see a comprehensive map of the bus lines that service downtown New Haven.

  Restrooms

  There are bathrooms in the basement of the Schwarzman Center as well as on Floor and 3. Each floor that has a bathroom has two multi-stall restrooms and a single-user restroom. Each multi-stall restroom has an ADA compliant stall, and each single–user restroom is also ADA compliant. The multi-stall restrooms are labeled according to gender. We invite patrons to use whichever restroom best corresponds with their gender identity.

  Sensory Related Accommodations

  Sensory kits and earplugs are available at all of our concerts. Patrons can also request to borrow ear defenders for the duration of the concert. To obtain a pair, see a staff member or visit the welcome table.

  Large Print Programs

  Large print programs are available at all of our concerts and can be acquired from a staff member or visit the welcome table.

  Elevators

  Elevators are located on the outer rotunda on the first floor of the Schwarzman Center. You can use the elevator to reach any floor of Woolsey Hall; however, please note that only the first floor offers wheelchair accessible seating.

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• FAQs

  Click here to view Symphony FAQs!