When it’s hot outside, there’s nothing like an air-conditioned theater and a great play or musical to help you beat the heat.

Theaters around Lancaster County are opening new shows in July, from classics like “Cabaret,” “The Sound of Music” and “Anything Goes” to a jukebox musical about a 1950s girl group and a show about a politically charged 1980s chess match.

And there’s plenty for young audiences to enjoy, too. Here’s what’s opening, and continuing, on local stages in July

Opening

‘CHESS IN CONCERT’

• Where: Mount Gretna Playhouse, 200 Pennsylvania Ave., Mount Gretna.

• When: July 11-20, with shows at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, July 11 and 18; 7:30 p.m. Fridays, July 12 and 19, and Saturday, July 13; 2 p.m. Sunday, July 14; and 3 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 14.

• Details: This show, with music by Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus of ABBA and a book by Tim Rice, centers on a 1980s Cold War-era match between American and Soviet chessmasters; they battle over the board, and also for the love of a woman. This Gretna Theatre concert version of the show features 17 performers and a 20-piece orchestra from the Hershey Symphony.

• Admission: $39-$45.

• Info: gretnatheatre.org or 717-964-3627.

‘THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES’

• Where: Touring among Lititz Springs Park (July 21), Conestoga Valley High School (Aug. 8-11) and area churches and other parks (July 14-Aug. 5).

• When: The show runs July 14-Aug. 11, with a mix of matinee and evening performances.

• Details: In this jukebox musical, a four-member girl group sings at their high school prom in the 1950s in the first act, and at their 10-year reunion in the ’60s in the second act. Servant Stage Company presents this revue filled with tunes from the ’50s and ’60s.

• Admission: Pay what you will, but tickets are required for some of the performances.

‘CABARET’

• Where: Ephrata Performing Arts Center, 320 Cocalico St., in Grater Memorial Park, Ephrata.

• When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday July 25-Aug. 10, with an additional performance at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7, and a matinee at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 10.

• Details: American writer Cliff Bradshaw finds himself in a boarding house in 1930s Berlin, where he interacts with unusual characters like British expatriate cabaret entertainer Sally Bowles. Audiences will be transported to a bygone era in the seedy Kit Kat Klub, hosted by the mysterious Emcee, with the dark drumbeat of the Nazis’ rise to power always in the background. The show is filled with memorable tunes, from “Maybe This Time” to “Mein Herr” and “Cabaret.”

• Admission: $35-$54.

• Tickets and info: epactheatre.org or 717-733-7966, ext. 1.

‘ANYTHING GOES’

• Where: Susquehanna Stage at Marietta Center for the Arts, 133 W. Market St., Marietta.

• When: 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, July 26-27 and Aug. 2-3; 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 1; and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 28 and Aug. 4.

• Details: A musical tale of mistaken identities, missionaries and gangsters, an already-engaged heiress and the stock broker who loves her comes to life on a London-bound ocean liner in this 1930s song-and-dance classic. The audience will recognize Cole Porter tunes like “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “It’s Friendship” and the title tune, “Anything Goes.”

• Admission: $20-$27.

• Info and tickets: susquehannastage.com.

‘A GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY: THE BONNIE & CLYDE EXPERIENCE’

• Where: Aboard the Strasburg Rail Road, 301 Gap Road, Ronks.

• When: 5 p.m. July 5 to Sept. 1.

• Details: It’s the 1930s, and Strasburg is celebrating its mayor and his wife when Bonnie and Clyde and their gang come into town, fleeing the law. A bank will be robbed, someone will be kidnapped and the audience will need to help save the day. The show features a cast of professional actors, stunts, pyrotechnics and more.

• Admission: Coach car, show only $25-$35; dining, with meal included, $37.75-$55.

n Info and tickets: strasburgrailroad.com.

Opening for families

3 MUSICALS BY YOUTH PERFORMERS

• Where: Conestoga Valley High School, 2110 Horseshoe Road, Lancaster.

• When: Saturdays in July.

• Details: The young performers attending summer theater camps through Servant Stage Company will present youth editions of classic musicals as the culmination of their camp experiences. Shows are at 11 a.m. and 3 and 7 p.m. Saturdays, and admission is pay what you will. The shows, and the ages of the casts, are:

— “The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition,” ages 8-16, July 13.

— “Beauty and the Beast Jr.,” July 20.

— “The Sound Of Music: Youth Edition,” ages 8-16, July 27.

• Info: To reserve tickets, visit servantstage.org.

‘MATILDA: THE MUSICAL JR.’

• Where: Cavod Theatre, 641 W. Main St., New Holland.

• When: 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 27-28.

• Details: Matilda Wormwood is an intelligent, imaginative child, despite having a rough home life with parents who don’t understand her. She finds solace in reading and storytelling, and uses her magical powers to help her classmates rebel against some mean adults. This “junior” version of the musical is performed as the culmination of a two week camp for students ages 10-18.

• Admission: $13-$26.

• Info and tickets: cavod.org or 717-354-3355.

 ‘KNUFFLE BUNNY: A CAUTIONARY MUSICAL’

• Where: Mount Gretna Playhouse, 200 Pennsylvania Ave., Mount Gretna.

• When: 11 a.m. Saturday, July 20 and 27.

• Details: In this tale from a Mo Willems book series, Trixie leaves her beloved stuffed animal at the laundromat and must convince her father Knuffle Bunny needs to be rescued. Each family attending the show goes home with a free book.

• Admission: $10 plus fees.

• Info. and tickets: gretnatheatre.org or 717-964-3627

THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL: YOUTH EDITION

• Where: Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, 510 Centerville Road, Lancaster.

• When: July 16-Aug. 6. Shows at 11:30 and 12:45 p.m. (with optional lunch preceding the show) mostly on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

• Details: SpongeBob SquarePants, Patrick, Squidward and the whole Bikini Bottom gang work together to save their undersea world from a potential volcanic eruption.

• Admission: $19 for show only, $22 for lunch and show.

• Info. and tickets: dutchapple.com or 717-898-1900.

One night only

‘THE MUSIC OF QUEEN & JOURNEY’

• Where: Greenfield Park, across from the S. Dale High Leadership Center, 1861 William Penn Way, Lancaster.

• When: 8 p.m. Thursday, July 25, rain or shine; food trucks will be on site starting at 5 p.m.

• Details: Prima Theatre’s popular evening of rock anthems by the bands Queen and Journey, performed by a cast of three singers, returns in a free outdoor theatrical concert at Greenfield. There will be food trucks on site beginning at 5 p.m.; the concert starts at 8 p.m., rain or shine.

• Admission: Free.

• Info: lanc.news/QueenJourney24.

Continuing

— Willy Wonka opens his magical candymaking operation to kids who’ve found golden tickets in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” which closes out the Fulton Theatre’s main-stage season now through July 21. Info: thefulton.org or 717-397-7425.

— A director works to make sure the love story of Rose and Chadwick is told properly in this behind-the-scenes adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast.” This hourlong family-friendly production continues at the Fulton Theatre through July 20.

— “The Sound of Music,” the story of an aspiring nun, a widower naval captain and his seven children in Austria who bond over music and staying ahead of the rise of Nazi power, continues at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre. Matinee and evening performances; show only, or with a meal. For info and tickets: dutchapple.com or 717-898-1900.

— The Old Testament tale of “Daniel,” the biblical story of Daniel in the lion’s den, comes to life in epic form at Sight & Sound Theatres, Ronks, through Dec. 31. It will also be livestreamed in movie theaters Aug. 30-Sept. 2 through Fathom Events. Info and tickets: sight-sound.com.

— Two family-friendly shows, featuring music, comedy, magic and variety acts, continue at the Magic & Wonder Dinner Theatre, 3065 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise. “Jukebox Jive,” with music from the 1950s to ’80s, runs through Oct. 19, and “Magic & Wonder: Imaginarium,” a magic and variety show that takes audiences from circus to steampunk, continues through Nov. 2. Info: magicandwondershow.com or 717-323-3077.

— “The Confession,” Bird-in-Hand Stage’s musical about an Amish woman who seeks her identity after finding out she was adopted, runs through Aug. 3. The theater is temporarily performing at Revere Tavern, 3063 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise. Show only, or with a meal. Info: bird-in-hand.com/stage.

— “Ryan & Friends: All-Star Comedy,” featuring family-friendly comedy, music and ventriloquism by Ryan Bomgardner hosted by Bird-in-Hand Stage, continues through Oct. 19 (temporarily at Revere Tavern). Info: bird-in-hand.com/stage.