Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, "Sweat" is the scorching new play from Lynn Nottage ("Ruined") that "The New York Times" called "keenly observed and surprisingly funny ... throbs with hea... [more+]

Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, "Sweat" is the scorching new play from Lynn Nottage ("Ruined") that "The New York Times" called "keenly observed and surprisingly funny ... throbs with heartfelt life. " In the industrial town of Reading, Pennsylvania, a group of friends spend their days on the factory floor and their nights sharing drinks, secrets and laughs. But then layoffs and picket lines begin to erode their trust, and they find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight for self-preservation. Based on Nottage's extensive research and interviews with residents of Reading and arriving at A.C.T. in San Francisco after a heralded Broadway run, "Sweat" is a searing reflection of America's economic decline. [less-]

A holiday mash-up for the entire family, "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" is an internationally touring contemporary work set to Tchaikovsky's timeless music. "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" will feature MC Kurtis B... [more+]

A holiday mash-up for the entire family, "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" is an internationally touring contemporary work set to Tchaikovsky's timeless music. "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" will feature MC Kurtis Blow, one of hip hop's founding fathers, opening the show with a short set before rapping the introduction. Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" is a full-length production performed by a supercharged cast of a dozen all-star dancers, DJ and an electric violinist. Through the spells cast by the mysterious Drosselmeyer, Maria-Clara and her prince, Myron, travel back in time to the moment when her parents first meet in a nightclub. Digital scenery transforms E.T.A. Hoffmann's story of a palace of sugarplums into a romance set in 1980s Brooklyn. The dance work celebrates love, community and the magic of New Year's Eve, and is coming to Oakland's Paramount Theatre. [less-]

A mother's love and the spoils of war collide in this family affair. Black Repertory Group Theater's New Arts Experience presents "No! Not My Son". It's a poignant look at the highs and lows of a fami... [more+]

A mother's love and the spoils of war collide in this family affair. Black Repertory Group Theater's New Arts Experience presents "No! Not My Son". It's a poignant look at the highs and lows of a family and community caught in the grip of drug addiction. Preston Thomas has returned from the Vietnam War and brought some demons home with him. To escape the death and destruction he's witnessed, he turns to drugs and his friends and family each have their own way of dealing with his situation. [less-]

Improvisation, my dear Watson! At Synergy Theater's "The Improvised Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", an entire mystery is created from audience suggestions. From there, Sherlock and Watson conjure a co... [more+]

Improvisation, my dear Watson! At Synergy Theater's "The Improvised Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", an entire mystery is created from audience suggestions. From there, Sherlock and Watson conjure a colorful and off-the-cuff solution. The hilarious homage to the master sleuth finds the world's most brilliant detective using his mile-a-minute mind to solve makeshift murder and mayhem at Walnut Creek's Lesher Center for the Arts. Astounding, you say? Not at all, my friend. It's elementary. [less-]

The "musically thrilling" award-winning, undie-rock, comedy-pop duo The Skivvies -- featuring Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley -- make their Feinstein's at the Nikko debut with "I Touch My Elf". In this... [more+]

The "musically thrilling" award-winning, undie-rock, comedy-pop duo The Skivvies -- featuring Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley -- make their Feinstein's at the Nikko debut with "I Touch My Elf". In this outrageous San Francisco evening, Molina and Cearley will perform stripped-down, mashed-up versions of holiday favorites playing cello, ukulele, glockenspiel, melodica and other zany instruments while wearing their underwear. Broadway hunk Nick Adams ("Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", "La Cage Aux Follies", "Wicked", "A Chorus Line") joins them with additional guest stars to be announced at a later date. "The Wall Street Journal" called the show "smart, sophisticated ... ingenious," while "Out" magazine says "an unusual explosion of satire and sultry, while "The New York Times" dubbed The Skivvies "a hot musical comedy duo specializing in unexpected arrangements, incongruous mashups, and of course highly toned displays of skin." [less-]

From the top-quality live musical guests to its exceptional Southern cuisine, Biscuits & Blues is the perfect San Francisco spot to enjoy a night of down-home entertainment nearly every night of the w... [more+]

From the top-quality live musical guests to its exceptional Southern cuisine, Biscuits & Blues is the perfect San Francisco spot to enjoy a night of down-home entertainment nearly every night of the week. Located in the heart of the theater district, this intimate venue hosts the best regional and national blues and jazz acts in a comfortable, close-up setting that's open to all ages. Voted America's No. 1 blues nightclub by The Blues Foundation and the Bay Area Blues Society, it's also known for serving up some of the best fried chicken in the entire region, not to mention California wines, microbrews and specialty cocktails. [less-]

Experience San Francisco's Downtown hot spot for salsa, bachata and urban Latin dancing. Every Saturday night, San Francisco's Cadillac Bar features the hottest DJs, featuring Chuy Gomez, Tony O, Muar... [more+]

Experience San Francisco's Downtown hot spot for salsa, bachata and urban Latin dancing. Every Saturday night, San Francisco's Cadillac Bar features the hottest DJs, featuring Chuy Gomez, Tony O, Muaricio, Andres Antonio, Walt Digz and many more. You can even get a dance lesson from seasoned instructors Noelanie and Ruth. [less-]

BMA Award winner Niecey Robinson and friends celebrate Halloween with the historic Bal Theatre in San Leandro. Experience the music of Chaka Khan, Prince, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and more. Niec... [more+]

BMA Award winner Niecey Robinson and friends celebrate Halloween with the historic Bal Theatre in San Leandro. Experience the music of Chaka Khan, Prince, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight and more. Niecey Robinson is a six-time Bay Area Music Award winner and has opened and performed with Tony Tone Toni, The Whispers, Patty Labelle and many other greats. Get ready for a night of treats and live music. Come dressed in costume and win prizes. [less-]

For some 30 years, Cobb's Comedy Club has been one of the hottest venues on the stand-up circuit, hosting both up-and-comers and established comics. Known for developing some of the country's top perf... [more+]

For some 30 years, Cobb's Comedy Club has been one of the hottest venues on the stand-up circuit, hosting both up-and-comers and established comics. Known for developing some of the country's top performers -- including stars like Robin Williams, Patton Oswalt and Margaret Cho -- the club's famed showcases feature the funniest rising comics in the Bay Area and beyond, many of whom already boast major TV credits. A fixture in San Francisco's famous North Beach, Cobb's offers a complete dinner menu and full-service bar for a complete evening of entertainment. [less-]

"Beach Blanket Babylon", San Francisco's hilarious pop culture musical revue, is the perfect night out with friends. Celebrating more than 16,000 performances and seen by more than six million people ... [more+]

"Beach Blanket Babylon", San Francisco's hilarious pop culture musical revue, is the perfect night out with friends. Celebrating more than 16,000 performances and seen by more than six million people from around the world, this internationally acclaimed production continues to delight audiences at Club Fugazi in San Francisco's North Beach district with its spectacular costumes and outrageously gigantic hats. Entering their 45th year, "Beach Blanket Babylon" follows Snow White as she takes a fast-paced journey around the world in search of her "Prince Charming." Along the way she encounters a star-studded, ever-changing lineup of hilarious political and pop culture characters, including Donald and Melania Trump, Kim Jong-un, Taylor Swift, Colin Kaepernick, Wonder Woman, Sarah Huckabee, Vladimir Putin, Ivanka Trump and Jared, Lady Gaga, Prince, Barack and Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Harvey Weinstein, Bernie Sanders, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Oprah, Prince Harry and Meghan, and the Golden State Warriors. [less-]

Shelton Theater celebrates 25 years in San Francisco with the Bay Area premiere of Tennessee Williams' black comedy play "Baby Doll". The story follows a virgin child bride and her alcoholic husband i... [more+]

Shelton Theater celebrates 25 years in San Francisco with the Bay Area premiere of Tennessee Williams' black comedy play "Baby Doll". The story follows a virgin child bride and her alcoholic husband in a revenge plot of seduction and justice. The film was created at the height of Williams' genius and reveals the master storyteller's vision of seduction, empathy and cruelty in the Deep South. This is your chance to see the lurid, controversial tale by the Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner who also wrote "A Streetcar Named Desire" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof", among other classics. [less-]

Celebrated satirist Will Durst has performed for three elected presidents (if you count Al Gore ... which Durst does) and appeared as a commentator on CNN, NPR and C-SPAN. Now, he's headed back to The... [more+]

Celebrated satirist Will Durst has performed for three elected presidents (if you count Al Gore ... which Durst does) and appeared as a commentator on CNN, NPR and C-SPAN. Now, he's headed back to The Marsh in San Francisco with "The Durst Case Scenario: Midterm Madness", his up-to-the-minute, lightning-paced comedic exploration of a changing America during the "Time of Trump." Hailed as "[q]uite possibly the best political comedian working in the country today" by none other than "The New York Times", Durst's cutting-edge commentary is pulled from the latest political headlines, and is always as timely and as irreverent as the president's latest 4:00 a.m. tweet. [less-]

In "BRAVO 25", named "Best Bet" by New York's Theatre Is Easy and winner of the ENCORE! Producers' Award at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2017, queer artist Eliza Gibson draws on her real-life expe... [more+]

In "BRAVO 25", named "Best Bet" by New York's Theatre Is Easy and winner of the ENCORE! Producers' Award at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2017, queer artist Eliza Gibson draws on her real-life experience as a social worker and therapist to bring to life an A.I. avatar and six humans in a support group unlike any you've ever seen! Amber the A.I. therapist is here. Broken hearts, addicts in recovery and a polyamorous lesbian await the arrival of Superintelligence, a grieving savant who likes donuts ... Wait, someone needs a piece of somebody's liver? Maybe it's time to return to our breath. See this award-winning play at The Marsh San Francisco's MainStage Theater. [less-]

"Time Out New York" raved, it's "a thrilling, gender-flipped slice of Manifest Destiny." This subversive tale of 10 men, four boats and two rivers contains none of the above. Pack your gear for this 2... [more+]

"Time Out New York" raved, it's "a thrilling, gender-flipped slice of Manifest Destiny." This subversive tale of 10 men, four boats and two rivers contains none of the above. Pack your gear for this 21st-century telling of 19th-century American explorer and one-armed Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell, who assembles a brawny band of soldiers, trappers and adventurers to explore the waterways of the American West. Inspired by Powell's actual travel log from 1869, Jaclyn Backhaus's nimble and ingenious script is provocative, laugh-out-loud theater, performed by a cast of women who infuse America's historic myths of male conquest with a sly blast of subtext. Catch "Men on Boats" at A.C.T.'s Strand Theater in San Francisco. [less-]

Actor-comedian Sinbad doesn't tell jokes so much as regale the crowd with hilarious stories about his childhood, parenthood and whatever else life throws at him. It's a style that has led him to be ra... [more+]

Actor-comedian Sinbad doesn't tell jokes so much as regale the crowd with hilarious stories about his childhood, parenthood and whatever else life throws at him. It's a style that has led him to be ranked by Comedy Central as one of the top 100 stand-up comedians of all time. Sinbad first gained fame on TV's "Star Search" and "A Different World", before appearing in such hit films as "Houseguest" and "Jingle All the Way". He has won multiple NAACP Image Awards and had several hit HBO stand-up specials, as well as an acclaimed Comedy Central special, "Where U Been?" [less-]

Megan Hilty returns to San Francisco for one night only with an all-new show including a little bit of "Smash", a couple of standards and a whole lot of Broadway. Megan is most recognized from her por... [more+]

Megan Hilty returns to San Francisco for one night only with an all-new show including a little bit of "Smash", a couple of standards and a whole lot of Broadway. Megan is most recognized from her portrayal of triple threat Ivy Lynn in NBC's hit musical drama "Smash", as well as several other guest and recurring roles on television. Hilty was last seen on Broadway in Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of "Noises Off". She made her Broadway debut as Glinda in "Wicked", also performing the role in Los Angeles and on the national tour. Other Broadway and NYC credits include "9 to 5: The Musical", "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" and "Annie Get Your Gun". She has released three solo recordings: "It Happens all the Time", "Megan Hilty Live at the Cafe Carlyle" and "A Merry Little Christmas with Megan Hilty". Now see this chanteuse hit the stage at Marines' Memorial Theatre. [less-]

"The Resting Place" is a provocative and intense look at an American family in a cloudburst of crisis. Filled with raw humor, piercing darkness and fierce love, this new play from Ashlin Halfnight add... [more+]

"The Resting Place" is a provocative and intense look at an American family in a cloudburst of crisis. Filled with raw humor, piercing darkness and fierce love, this new play from Ashlin Halfnight addresses familial obligation, guilt and our own complacency and culpability in wrongdoing, asking: How do we reconcile our love for someone with the knowledge of their horrifying transgression? Catch the world premiere of "The Resting Place" at San Francisco's Magic Theatre. [less-]

Laugh City features Oakland's top stand-up comics who have appeared on Comedy Central, "Conan", Hulu, Netflix, "Chelsea Lately" and Showtime and a rotating list of hosts and openers who are regulars a... [more+]

Laugh City features Oakland's top stand-up comics who have appeared on Comedy Central, "Conan", Hulu, Netflix, "Chelsea Lately" and Showtime and a rotating list of hosts and openers who are regulars at Punchline, Laugh Factory and Comedy Store. Enjoy a full bar, including signature cocktails, and a post-show DJ spinning hip-hop, dance hall, Latin music and throwback jams. Laugh City is walking distance from the 12th & 19th St. Bart and a handful of late-night eateries. A night at Laugh City is always a spirited night of fun and laughter. [less-]

Forget the usual dinner-and-a-movie and head out for a night of laughs instead. Punch Line Comedy Club, San Francisco's longest-running stand-up venue, presents Comedy Allstars, featuring a rotating l... [more+]

Forget the usual dinner-and-a-movie and head out for a night of laughs instead. Punch Line Comedy Club, San Francisco's longest-running stand-up venue, presents Comedy Allstars, featuring a rotating lineup of hilarious stand-up comics from the Bay Area and beyond, including top local headliners to up-and-coming stars and comedians with national TV credits. With stars such as Robin Williams, Ellen Degeneres, Rosie O'Donnell, Drew Carey, Chris Rock and more having cut their comedy teeth at the Punch Line, you never know when you're going to see the next big name in comedy. [less-]

Spend New Year's Eve with Paula Poundstone as the famed stand-up slices and dices her way through a showcase of keen cultural commentary at San Francisco's Nourse Theater. Famed for a quick mind that ... [more+]

Spend New Year's Eve with Paula Poundstone as the famed stand-up slices and dices her way through a showcase of keen cultural commentary at San Francisco's Nourse Theater. Famed for a quick mind that always manages to come up with the perfect quip, Poundstone is a master of riffing off of a crowd. It's also why she's been the perfect panelist for NPR's "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me!", and why she became the first woman to be invited to perform at the White House Correspondents' dinner. Her new podcast for Maximum Fun, "Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone", is a comedy field guide to life, adding humor while hosting leading experts to help us navigate the 21st century. Ever since breaking through in 1990 with her acclaimed HBO special "Cats, Cops and Stuff", Poundstone has been a sought-after headliner whose winning, spontaneous style makes even big audiences feel like they're part of an intimate cocktail party with hilarious friends. [less-]