Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2020, The Central Park Five takes us to New York City in the late 80s—when five Black and Latino teenagers were falsely accused of rape and assault, and coerced into confession, during a terrible incident that gripped the nation, and still strikes our hearts. 

After serving prison sentences, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise were exonerated through DNA evidence. This courageous work speaks to the injustices and experiences they endured.

The Central Park Five is sung in English with live English captions. 

Tickets start at $35. In addition to the ticketed performances at the Newmark Theatre, digital access will be available for a limited time on Portland Opera Onscreen.

Captions: For patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing, each performance (whether virtual or in person) includes live English captions projected above the stage, or streamed virtually on the screen.

Audio Description: For patrons who are blind or have low-vision, the Sunday matinee performance will include a live audio description of the action and dialogue onstage.

If you require wheelchair accessible and/or companion seating, or have any other hearing or vision needs, please call us to purchase tickets so that we can ensure your visit to the theatre is an excellent one.

Updated COVID-19 Attendance Policy

All ticket holders, regardless of age, are required to show proof of full COVID vaccination or a negative test result from a COVID PCR test (taken within 72 hours of performance time) for entry into the theatre. Self-administered tests are not accepted.

“Fully vaccinated” means that ticket holders have received their final vaccination dose of either the two-dose regimen of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of Johnson & Johnson at least 14 days before your performance date. Audience members aged 18 and over must present a photo ID. Booster shots are highly recommended. You can schedule one here.

All patrons, regardless of age, test results, and vaccination status, are required to wear masks inside the theatre at all times (expect when consuming food or beverages). Our of respect for the agreements we've made with our union artists, musicians, and staff members: masks will be required for attendees to all performances of The Central Park Five, even if state-wide mask mandates expire. If you prefer not to wear a mask, we invite you to view the production digitally.

Please see the complete updated COVID-19 Attendance Policy regarding admittance and attendance, as well as details regarding flexibility for ticket holders.