Shows Through the Years

In 1934, the Vancouver Park Board used funds donated by former Mayor W.H. Malkin to build a band-shell in his wife’s memory… and a summer tradition was born. Malkin Bowl was originally used for afternoon concerts until 1940, when a group of local theatre people formed a production company called ‘Theatre-Under-The-Stars’. Sadly, after twenty years of annual performances, increasing costs forced the original company to abandon Malkin Bowl. There was a gap in Vancouver’s arts scene until 1969, when a determined group of volunteers suggested a format that used largely volunteer casts and crews. Summer theatre returned to the park and has continued there ever since, despite challenges posed by cost, weather and a fire that nearly destroyed Malkin Bowl in 1982.

Our Shows (1969 — Present)

(1940 — 1968)

1969Carousel – Dunbar MT
Theatre In The Park
1970My Fair Lady – Dunbar MT
Oliver – Richmond MT
1971The Merry Widow
Hello Dolly! – DMT
The King and I – RMT
1972Brigadoon
Guys and Dolls
1973The Pajama Game
Oklahoma!
1974The Sound of Music
Anything Goes
1975South Pacific
Fiddler on the Roof
1976Camelot
Bye Bye Birdie
1977West Side Story
1978Annie Get Your Gun
H.M.S. Pinafore
1979No! No! Nanette
The Pirates of Penzance
1980The Mikado
My Fair Lady
1981A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Kiss Me, Kate
1982The Spirit of Malkin Bowl
1983(No Production)
1984Grease
H.M.S. Pinafore
1985Damn Yankees
Brigadoon
1986Oklahoma!
South Pacific
1987Anything Goes
Oliver!
1988West Side Story
Little Shop of Horrors
1989The King and I
The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas
1990The Pajama Game
Hello Dolly!
1991The Music Man
Guys and Dolls
1992La Cage Aux Folles
The Boyfriend
1993Carousel
Sweet Charity
1994West Side Story
Little Shop of Horrors
1995Annie Get Your Gun
1996The Sound of Music
Jesus Christ Superstar
1997Fiddler on the Roof
Bye Bye Birdie
1998Oklahoma!
Hair
1999West Side Story
2000Grease
South Pacific
2001Annie
Little Shop of Horrors
2002Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Kiss Me, Kate
2003The King and I
Anne of Green Gables
2004Crazy For You
Footloose
2005Can Can
Big, The Musical
2006(No Productions)
2007Grease
Oklahoma!
2008Jesus Christ Superstar
Annie Get Your Gun
2009Annie
Thoroughly Modern Millie
2010Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Singin’ in the Rain
2011Anything Goes
Bye Bye Birdie
2012Titanic
The Music Man
2013Legally Blonde
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
2014Shrek the Musical
Legally Blonde
2015Hairspray
Oliver!
2016Beauty and the Beast
West Side Story
2017Mary Poppins
The Drowsy Chaperone
2018Cinderella
42nd Street
2019Mamma Mia!
Disney’s Newsies
2020(No Productions, COVID-19)
2021(No Productions, COVID-19)
2022Something Rotten!
We Will Rock You
2023Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical
The Prom