thursday, march 28
Born Yesterday
Set in the Washington, D.C. of the ’40s, this entertaining tale of a wealthy junk dealer and his “showgirl girlfriend” has a plot line that could be culled from today’s headlines. Harry does business by making deals with insiders, and his girlfriend doesn’t fit in with Washington society. So Billie Dawn gets assigned to a ‘tutor,’ a smart reporter whose passion is museums, literature and uncovering the Capitol’s dirty little secrets. See what a little tutoring does for the showgirl, the reporter and the high stakes of Harry’s financial deals!
AVO Playhouse, 303 Main Street in Vista, 7:30 p.m., tickets $30, 760-724-2110, moonlightstage.com
friday, march 29
Mack & Mabel
A musical that involves the tumultuous romantic relationship between Hollywood director Mack Sennett and Mabel Normand (transformed from a waitress to an artist’s model and cinema star), who became one of his biggest stars. In a series of flashbacks, Sennett relates the glory days of Keystone Comedies, when he discovered Normand and cast her in dozens of his early “two-reelers”, through his creation of Sennett’s Bathing Beauties and the Keystone Cops to Mabel’s death from tuberculosis in 1930.
Community Actors Theatre, 2957 54th Street in San Diego, 8 p.m., tickets $16, 619-264-3391, communityactorstheatre.com
saturday, march 30
The Further Adventures of Hedda Gabler
What happens to our favorite literary figures after the curtain falls and the last page turns on their story? Is it really The End? Moments after her nightly death, Hedda Gabler and Mammy (yes, that Mammy) head out in search of a more fulfilling ending, encountering a host of the greatest characters of stage, page and screen along the way. Jeff Whitty, one of the twisted minds that brought you Avenue Q , takes the heroines and audience on a comedic journey in search of life beyond the original authors’ wildest dreams.
Diversionary Theatre, 4545 Park Blvd. in San Diego, 8 p.m., preview tickets $25, 619-220-0097, diversionary.org
sunday, march 31
Steppin’ Out With Ben Vereen
The show highlights Vereen’s unique artistry, combining a tribute to Broadway and Frank Sinatra. Featuring hit songs such as “Defying Gravity,” “Stand By Me” and “My Way,” Steppin’ Out with Ben Vereen is a contemporary yet timeless journey. The New York Times dubbed him “an old-school song and dance man who never lets up. He wins you over with his sheer energy, good will and showbiz know-how.”
La Jolla Playhouse, Sheila & Hughes Potiker Theater, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive in San Diego, 2 p.m., tickets from $40, 858-550-1010, lajollaplayhouse.org
monday, april 1
Place of Promise: stories of San Diego
The History Center’s permanent exhibition on San Diego history is already at its halfway mark! Witness history in the making as the History Center develops and builds this four-phase project. Now is a great time to come for a visit as phases one and two are currently open.
San Diego History Center, 1649 El Prado, Suite 3 in Balboa Park, open from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., adult admission $6, 619-232-6203, sandiegohistory.org
tuesday, april 2
Murder In The Cathedral
Archbishop Thomas Becket, brutally murdered in Canterbury Cathedral in December 1170 defending his church against the intrusions of King Henry II, became a Christian martyr and Saint at whose tomb Henry was forced to pay penance. Did Henry order the murder or did his knights take matters into their own hands? Based on the T. S. Eliot play, the opera covers the last month of Becket’s life as he struggles with politics, religion and temptation.
San Diego Opera, Civic Theatre, Third Avenue and B Street in San Diego, 7 p.m., tickets from $45, 619-533-7000 , sdopera.com
wednesday, april 3
Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
Nora’s life is on the upswing. Her husband got a promotion, and their financial struggles are over at last. But when a man from her past reappears, bent on bringing a dangerous secret to light, everything changes: her marriage, her family, even her relationship to the world around her.
Sheryl & Harvey White Theatre, Conrad Prebys Theatre Center, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park, 7 p.m., tickets from $29, 619-234-5623, theoldglobe.org
