The Playhouse on Rodney Square - 6abc Loves The Arts

Feb. 24, 2016 (WPVI) -- The historic Playhouse on Rodney Square in Wilmington, Delaware is one of the smallest theatres on the Broadway circuit. But in the next month alone, they have two blockbuster shows on the calendar.

The Playhouse was built more than 100 years ago by The du Pont Company to provide world-class entertainment for the company's workers, "to provide the kind of cultural experiences that they were used to in other larger cities that they may have relocated from," says Executive Director Mark Fields, "it was part of an ongoing commitment that the du Pont family and the du Pont company have had to Wilmington."

Since the beginning, the theatre has attracted some of Broadway's biggest shows and artists, "Lena Horn, Joel Gray, Raymond Massey, Tyrone Power, Edward G. Robinson, Lucille Ball, Anthony Quinn, the list is really pretty epic," says Fields.

This season kicked off with hits like Annie and Chicago and there's more to come in March.

"We're doing Mamma Mia featuring the music from Abba," says Fields, "and Blue Man Group, that very strange theater piece with the guys who are made up entirely blue, and they play percussion and comedy and music and a little bit of circus; it's a little bit of everything."

Fields says the theatre's intimate setting is one of its biggest charms. There are just 1200 seats, "you're really in the same room with the performers and you can see the expressions on their face," says Fields, "you can feel the energy coming off the stage as an audience member, and the artist can feel it coming from the audience."

Mamma Mia is at the Playhouse March 4-6. Blue Man Group takes the stage March 18-20. For tickets and show times, go to www.DupontTheatre.com.