Tuacahn Amphitheatre

Tuacahn is the most unexpected venue you'll go to all year. A 1,920-seat outdoor amphitheater carved into Padre Canyon, with the back of the stage opening directly onto 1,500-foot red cliffs that turn vermilion at sunset. The productions are full Broadway scale — touring rights for The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Hairspray — with the kind of staging budget that lets them bring real animals onstage and recreate a flash flood with thousands of gallons of recirculated water.

May through October the outdoor season runs Tuesday through Saturday with a rotating bill of two or three shows. November through March they move into the indoor Hafen Theatre for holiday productions and a winter season.

Dress in layers — desert nights cool fast and the canyon traps wind. Bring a stadium cushion if you're sensitive to bench seating (rentals available at the box office). Parking is included; arrive 45-60 minutes before showtime to walk the canyon path between the box office and the amphitheater while the cliffs are still lit. Pair with dinner at Painted Pony or Cliffside in St. George; the drive back to the property is 50 minutes through quiet desert.