From musicals featuring tunes from just about every generation to intense dramas, from kings and queens to aliens and trailer park trash – and a few drag queens, too – San Diegans can choose from an eclectic selection of stage productions.
Now playing
The Who’s Tommy: The world’s first rock opera is now re-imagined for the 21st century! “The most exhilarating music ever written” (Los Angeles Times) will rock the Lyceum Stage this summer with our brand new production of the Tony Award-winning stage version of one of the greatest albums in history. This production stars openly gay singer B. Slade. Plays through Aug. 14 at the Lyceum Stage in Horton Plaza; sdrep.org.
Mixtape: Relive the music of Genesis, Peter Gabriel, Dire Straits, Journey, Paul Simon, The Cure, U2, Amy Grant, Duran Duran, the B52s, Tears for Fears, Billy Joel, Madonna, Sting, Michael Jackson – oh, you get the idea. Extended through Sept. 4 at the Horton Grand Theatre in downtown; lambsplayers.org.
Hershey Felder in Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein: With a story spanning the entire 20th century, Leonard Bernstein, one of America’s greatest musicians, broke through every artistic ceiling possible to become the world’s musical ambassador. Playing at the Old Globe Theatre, Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in Balboa Park; theoldglobe.org.
August
Sound of Music: The hills are alive – literally – as Patio Playhouse presents the beloved classic Rodgers and Hammerstein musical as part of its annual Plays in the Park series. Opens Aug. 5 at the Kit Carson Amphitheater in Escondido; pitpescondido.com.
Little Shop of Horrors: Seymour, a hapless loser, makes a Faustian bargain with a mean, green, man-eating plant to provide fresh meat in exchange for money, fame and the love of his life, Audrey. Just don’t feed the plants. Opens Aug. 6 at Cygnet Theatre in Old Town; cygnettheatre.com.
Ah, Wilderness: Set on the Fourth of July in a small town in Connecticut, Eugene O’Neill’s unabashedly romantic and sweetly funny play hearkens to a time when young love was defined by poetry and family life and included picnics and Sunday drives. Opens Aug. 7 at New Village Arts in Carlsbad; newvillagearts.org.
Mary Poppins: Featuring the irresistible story and unforgettable songs from one of the most popular Disney films of all time, plus brand-new breathtaking dance numbers and spectacular stage-craft, Mary Poppins is everything you could ever want in a hit Broadway show! The Broadway tour plays Aug. 10-21 at the San Diego Civic Theatre; broadwaysd.com.
Trying: Francis Biddle, former U. S. attorney general and chief judge of the Nuremberg trials, is trying in vain to finish his memoirs. When a bright young girl from the prairie is brought in to help, different views of the world collide. Opens Aug. 19 at Lamb’s Players Theatre in Coronado; lambsplayers.org.
Hairspray: Based on a hit cult movie, Hairspray bursts with original rock and roll songs and big dance numbers. Enjoy such hit tunes from the show including “Mama,” “I’m a Big Girl Now,” “You Can’t Stop the Beat” and “Welcome to the ’60s.” Opens Aug. 17 at the Moonlight Amphitheatre in Vista; moonlightstage.com
September
Edward II: No, it’s not Shakespeare. In Christopher Marlowe’s intense and swiftly moving account, Edward II forsakes everything for his passions and pays a tragic price at the hands of his conniving noblemen and queen. Opens Sept. 8 at Diversionary Theatre in Normal Heights; diversionary.org.
Pride and Prejudice: All of the wit and romance of Jane Austen’s classic 1813 novel come to life in this refreshingly fast-paced and engaging new adaptation. Opens Sept. 9 at OnStage Playhouse in Chula Vista; onstageplayhouse.org.
Lend Me A Tenor: Paying homage to the madcap screwball comedies of the 1930s, Lend Me A Tenor combines a chain-reaction of mistaken identity, plot twists, double entendres and the constant slamming of many doors to create one of America’s funniest farces. Opens Sept. 10 at North Coast Rep in Solana Beach; northcoastrep.org.
The Rocky Horror Show: The musical that became a movie and started a 35-year nonstop cultural phenomenon is back where it is meant to be seen – live on stage. Anyone for the time warp? Opens Sept. 15 at the Old Globe Theatre Conrad Prebys Theatre Center in Balboa Park; theoldglobe.org.
Evita: Argentina’s controversial first lady is reborn on stage by PaccoArts as part of the Plays in the Park series. Opens Sept. 16 at the Kit Carson Amphitheater in Escondido; pitpescondido.com.
Walter Cronkite is Dead: San Diego Rep stages the West Coast premiere of an intimate comedy that takes the vitriolic rhetoric of red state vs. blue state and asks us to view “the other” with our eyes wide open. Opens Sept. 17 at the Lyceum Space in Horton Plaza; sdrep.org.
Blue Man Group: Is it theater? Or music? Or comedy? The men in blue are best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows that combine comedy, music and technology into an intensely exciting and wildly outrageous show. No need to drive up to Vegas for this production. Opens Sept. 20 at the San Diego Civic Theatre; broadwaysd.com.
Mame: “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death!” So says the aunt we all wished we had, Auntie Mame. Opens Sept. 23 at Birch North Park Theatre; lyricoperasandiego.org.
October
Richard III: Cygnet takes on one of the bard’s epics. Follow Richard’s scheming, plotting and bloody path to the English crown in Shakespeare’s brilliant study of malevolent evil. One the most frightening, thrilling and funny characters ever written, the hunch-back king’s ride to the crown is one of Shakespeare’s most produced plays. Opens Oct. 22 at Cygnet Theatre; cygnettheatre.com.
Hair: The Public Theater’s new Tony-winning production of Hair is an exuberant musical about a group of young Americans searching for peace and love in a turbulent time has struck a resonant chord with audiences young and old. The Broadway tour opens Oct. 18 at the San Diego Civic Theatre; broadwaysd.com.
The Drowsy Chaperone: This hilarious show-within-a-show begins when a die-hard musical comedy fan dusts off his favorite cast album, a 1928 smash hit called The Drowsy Chaperone. The album magically bursts to life and the audience is instantly immersed in the glamorous, comical tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day. Opens Oct. 28 at Coronado Playhouse; coronadoplayhouse.com.
November
The Great American Trailer Park Musical: A comic fable about agoraphobia, adultery, spray cheese, road kill, hysterical pregnancy, kleptomania and strippers – or just real life. Opens Nov. 5 at the San Diego Rep in Horton Plaza; sdrep.org.
Come Fly Away: Twyla Tharp stages Come Fly Away with the music by Frank Sinatra. This one-of-a-kind experience combines the seductive vocals of “Ol’ Blue Eyes” with the sizzling sound of a live 14-piece big band and the thrill of Tharp’s choreography. Opens Nov. 8 at the San Diego Civic Theatre; broadwaysd.com.
Jesus Christ Superstar: In place of the recently cancelled musical Finding Neverland, La Jolla Playhouse is staging the acclaimed Stratford Shakespeare festival production of the musical Jesus Christ Superstar, directed by Playhouse Director Emeritus Des McAnuff. Opens Nov. 18 at the Mandell Weiss Theatre in La Jolla; lajollaplayhouse.com.
Play descriptions gathered from the theater Web sites.
