"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-]

"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-]

Winner of the Tony and the Olivier Awards for Best Musical, "Crazy For You" has wowed audiences on Broadway, the West End and around the world, reclaiming the Gershwin songs into the perfect book musi... [more+]

Winner of the Tony and the Olivier Awards for Best Musical, "Crazy For You" has wowed audiences on Broadway, the West End and around the world, reclaiming the Gershwin songs into the perfect book musical. The show-stopping production will be an intimate version of the large-scale musical featuring the original Tony-winning choreography of Susan Stroman, recreated by Bay Area Musicals' Founder & Artistic Director, Matthew McCoy, who will also direct. A zany rich-boy-meets-hometown-girl romantic comedy, "Crazy For You" tells the story of young New York banker Bobby Child, who is sent to Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on a rundown theatre. In Deadrock, Bobby falls for spunky Polly Baker, the theater owner's daughter. But Polly takes an instant dislike to the city slicker, so Bobby vows -- through cunning, razzmatazz and a hilarious case of mistaken identity -- to win Polly's heart and save the theater. Filled with memorable Gershwin tunes like "I Got Rhythm," "Naughty Baby," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "Embraceable You," "But Not for Me," "Nice Work if You Can Get It" and "Someone to Watch Over Me," this show can be enjoyed at San Francisco's Alcazar Theatre. [less-]

Similar to "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", this fast-paced short-form improv show plays a series of improvised games and scenes based on audience suggestions. Laugh Track City is a great opportunity for t... [more+]

Similar to "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", this fast-paced short-form improv show plays a series of improvised games and scenes based on audience suggestions. Laugh Track City is a great opportunity for the cast and audience alike to have a fun and hilarious time at Made Up Theatre. [less-]

Improv is comedy without a net, where daredevil performers depend not only on the audience for suggestions, but also on their fellow performers for support and Lady Luck for inspiration. Done right, i... [more+]

Improv is comedy without a net, where daredevil performers depend not only on the audience for suggestions, but also on their fellow performers for support and Lady Luck for inspiration. Done right, it's not just hilarious -- it's astonishing. The American Improv Theatre (AIT) Players do it right. Come laugh and marvel as the Players spin entire scenes from suggestions. The show begins with some silly, quick-moving improv games (Think "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"). Then the Players raise the stakes with longer, more connected scenes so good they seem scripted. But they're not: Everything that happens at Black Cat Licorice Theater is discovered in the moment. [less-]

With over 30 million YouTube fans worldwide, San Francisco's Voices of Music is the most popular early music ensemble in the United States by a wide margin, and one of the most popular ensembles in an... [more+]

With over 30 million YouTube fans worldwide, San Francisco's Voices of Music is the most popular early music ensemble in the United States by a wide margin, and one of the most popular ensembles in any genre of classical music, in the world. Performed in beautiful cathedrals around the Bay Area, their authentic interpretations of virtuoso baroque concertos are an especially vibrant treat for the ears, as the small, tight-knit group present beguiling and even playful arrangements for violins, cellos, organ and other instruments. Interpreting works by masters ranging from Vivaldi to Bach, this spectacularly talented group of musicians will transport you to another time. [less-]

American Improv Theatre's all-female improv group, "Brick House", will make you laugh until you lips fall off. The San Jose troupe will entertain you with feats of improv never attempted by mere morta... [more+]

American Improv Theatre's all-female improv group, "Brick House", will make you laugh until you lips fall off. The San Jose troupe will entertain you with feats of improv never attempted by mere mortals. [less-]

With over 30 million YouTube fans worldwide, San Francisco's Voices of Music is the most popular early music ensemble in the United States by a wide margin, and one of the most popular ensembles in an... [more+]

With over 30 million YouTube fans worldwide, San Francisco's Voices of Music is the most popular early music ensemble in the United States by a wide margin, and one of the most popular ensembles in any genre of classical music, in the world. Performed in beautiful cathedrals around the Bay Area, their authentic interpretations of virtuoso baroque concertos are an especially vibrant treat for the ears, as the small, tight-knit group present beguiling and even playful arrangements for violins, cellos, organ and other instruments. Interpreting works by masters ranging from Vivaldi to Bach, this spectacularly talented group of musicians will transport you to another time. [less-]

You've seen plays, movies and TV shows, and the one thing they all have in common is ... the script. In "Closing Night", Fremont's Made Up Theatre throws the script out the window and makes up a play ... [more+]

You've seen plays, movies and TV shows, and the one thing they all have in common is ... the script. In "Closing Night", Fremont's Made Up Theatre throws the script out the window and makes up a play on the spot, based on a title from the audience. That's right. It's an actor's nightmare, but it's an improvisor's delight! Plus, you'll witness a unique and hilarious format to kick off the show. [less-]

The National Theatre Live takes performances from the London stage to cinemas and performing arts centers worldwide. You can experience -- up-close and personal -- the best of British theater, shown i... [more+]

The National Theatre Live takes performances from the London stage to cinemas and performing arts centers worldwide. You can experience -- up-close and personal -- the best of British theater, shown in high definition on a giant screen. Now you can see Alan Bennett's "The Madness of George III" in National Theatre Live's first-ever broadcast from Nottingham Playhouse. In the years immediately after the American Revolution in the majestic court of England's King George III, the monarch is deteriorating into madness, yet remains determined to withhold political power from those around him. Written by one of Britain's best-loved playwrights, Alan Bennett ("The History Boys, The Lady in the Van"), this epic play was also adapted into a BAFTA Award-winning film following its stage premiere in 1991. The cast of this new production includes Olivier Award-winners Mark Gatiss ("Sherlock, Wolf Hall, NT Live Coriolanus") in the title role, and Adrian Scarborough ("Gavin and Stacey, Upstairs Downstairs, After the Dance"). [less-]

Behind a secret door near the intersection of North Beach and Chinatown lies a dimly lit subterranean realm teeming with colorful characters and overlapping storylines. This is "The Speakeasy", an int... [more+]

Behind a secret door near the intersection of North Beach and Chinatown lies a dimly lit subterranean realm teeming with colorful characters and overlapping storylines. This is "The Speakeasy", an interactive theatrical experience that'll transport you to a 1920s San Francisco watering hole full of bootleggers, bouncers, war veterans and barflies. As you wander throughout the multi-room environment, sipping cocktails, playing casino games, or simply observing, you'll stumble across all manner of conversations and interactions as a complex narrative web unfolds. The experience is always fresh, and there's a new theme for 2019: "Age of Scofflaws". [less-]

Truly a one-of-a-kind party band, Top Shelf delivers their own diversified and dynamic musical mélange of pop/soul favorites! Dazzling the music scene for years, they have an unparalleled passion and... [more+]

Truly a one-of-a-kind party band, Top Shelf delivers their own diversified and dynamic musical mélange of pop/soul favorites! Dazzling the music scene for years, they have an unparalleled passion and enthusiasm for entertaining and have been awarded the title of the Bay Area’s most popular "Corner Stone Dance Band!” Their name says it all; you’ll enjoy “Top Shelf Classics” including popular ’70s, retro ’80s and ’90s, Motown, classic soul and R&B. Top Shelf members have opened, performed, or recorded with some of the industry’s greatest icons (Temptations, Smokey Robinson, the Chi-lites, and more), and have dazzled audiences nationally and internationally for decades. Come on out to Redwood City's Club Fox and smile, laugh, sing along and dance the night away with Top Shelf, the 2013 Black Music Association of America’s “Best Live Performance.” [less-]

Journalist-turned-comedian Maureen "Mo" Langan, host of KGO Radio's "Hangin' With Langan", is one of the country's top touring comics. A finalist in the 2009 San Francisco International Comedy Competi... [more+]

Journalist-turned-comedian Maureen "Mo" Langan, host of KGO Radio's "Hangin' With Langan", is one of the country's top touring comics. A finalist in the 2009 San Francisco International Comedy Competition, she's opened for Steven Wright and Rosie O'Donnell and her growing list of TV credits includes "The Joy Behar Show", "Comics Unleashed", Fox's "Red Eye", "Gotham Comedy Live" and HBO. Her wry, sarcastic sense of humor serves her well, especially in her home base of New York, where she's a regular at the famed Caroline's comedy club. [less-]

A.C.T.'s acclaimed, music-infused adaptation of Dickens' beloved tale returns in a sumptuous production that's become one of the Bay Area's favorite holiday traditions. A large, lively cast tells the ... [more+]

A.C.T.'s acclaimed, music-infused adaptation of Dickens' beloved tale returns in a sumptuous production that's become one of the Bay Area's favorite holiday traditions. A large, lively cast tells the story of lonely old miser Ebenezer Scrooge, a bah-humbuggy sort who's shown a second chance by four ghosts who visit him one spooky and sleepless Christmas Eve. A classic story of redemption and forgiveness, "A Christmas Carol" captures the true spirit and magic of the holiday season, especially in this imaginative version written by A.C.T.'s artistic director emeritus Carey Perloff and alumnus Paul Walsh. [less-]

Northside Theatre Company presents its 36th annual production of the holiday classic "A Christmas Carol" with innovative style at the Olinder Theatre in San Jose. Hailed as "the best "Christmas Carol"... [more+]

Northside Theatre Company presents its 36th annual production of the holiday classic "A Christmas Carol" with innovative style at the Olinder Theatre in San Jose. Hailed as "the best "Christmas Carol" in the Bay Area" by "Mercury News", Northside's production features impeccable staging and high-end production values. This stage adaptation of the Dickens classic captures all the power, humor and warmth that this ageless tale has to offer. This is the story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a lonely miser, who, through the help of spirits and visions from his past, present and future, finds a second chance to become a loving, generous and kind human being. [less-]

"The New Yorker" knows that "No one does a better choral Christmas than the virtuoso male voices of Chanticleer," and something magical always seems to happen at the storied ensemble's annual holiday ... [more+]

"The New Yorker" knows that "No one does a better choral Christmas than the virtuoso male voices of Chanticleer," and something magical always seems to happen at the storied ensemble's annual holiday concert. The 12-member chorus, beloved in the Bay Area and beyond, brings the season's power and mystery, warmth and intimacy to St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco. Shepherds compare notes, angels sing on high, a special baby is celebrated, his mother is praised and the whole Earth seems to come to life again. Candle-lit Gregorian chant will give way to the soaring motets of Palestrina, Corteccia, Sweelinck and Lassus with favorite carols. Jaakko Mäntyjärvi’s holiday story of Stefan the Stable Boy, written for Chanticleer and first heard two years ago, is back by popular demand, and a familiar gospel medley from the pen of Joseph Jennings will round out the evening. And of course, "A Chanticleer Christmas" would never be complete without Biebl’s stirring "Ave Maria." [less-]

Simon Russell Beale makes his epic return to National Theatre Live screens as a selfish, ill-equipped king in danger of losing his crown in this exciting new production of "Richard II". Directed by Jo... [more+]

Simon Russell Beale makes his epic return to National Theatre Live screens as a selfish, ill-equipped king in danger of losing his crown in this exciting new production of "Richard II". Directed by Joe Hill-Gibbins ("Little Revolution", "Absolute Hell"), "The Tragedy of King Richard the Second" is a story of power and privilege, of family and loyalty, of poetry and politics. But beneath all the pageantry is an aching examination of what it means to be fully human. Don't miss "The Tragedy of King Richard the Second", broadcasted in HD from the National Theatre in London, at the Hammer Theatre Center in San Jose. [less-]

Passion, politics and romance collide as William Shakespeare’s "Antony & Cleopatra", staged at London's Barbican Theatre, comes to the big screen courtesy of National Theatre Live. Ralph Fiennes and... [more+]

Passion, politics and romance collide as William Shakespeare’s "Antony & Cleopatra", staged at London's Barbican Theatre, comes to the big screen courtesy of National Theatre Live. Ralph Fiennes and Sophie Okonedo star as two of the greatest (and most doomed) lovers to ever walk the earth. This tragic historical drama of infatuation, power and betrayal are provocatively realized in this enticing interpretation which features a huge revolving set (including a swimming pool on stage), a big supporting cast and gorgeous costumes -- not to mention real snakes slithering on stage. Catch this National Theatre Live screening at the Hammer Theatre Center in San Jose and witness the fatal romance that destroyed a dynasty and transformed a republic into an empire. [less-]

You don’t have to fly to London to catch great West End theater, because National Theatre Live is bringing legendary playwright Alan Bennett’s latest work, "Allelujah!", to San Jose's Hammer Theat... [more+]

You don’t have to fly to London to catch great West End theater, because National Theatre Live is bringing legendary playwright Alan Bennett’s latest work, "Allelujah!", to San Jose's Hammer Theatre Center in HD. Bennett is the Tony-winning writer of plays like "The Madness of George III" and "The History Boys", and his sharply funny new play is “just what the doctor ordered” ("Daily Telegraph"). "Allelujah!" centers on a hospital on the brink of closing, and its most energetic patients: the old people's choir. Acclaimed director Nicholas Hytner re-teams for the 10th time with Bennett for this production, which you can catch larger-than-life on the big screen. [less-]

"City of Angels" is two shows in one. It is the interweaving of two plots -- one deals with the writing of a screenplay in the legendary Hollywood of the 1940's, while the other is the enactment of th... [more+]

"City of Angels" is two shows in one. It is the interweaving of two plots -- one deals with the writing of a screenplay in the legendary Hollywood of the 1940's, while the other is the enactment of that screenplay. The show boasts two musical scores. One provides the cast with numbers to help reveal certain emotions or to celebrate particular moments in the way that only music can. The "other" score was written to emulate pure movie soundtrack music, 1940's vintage. See "City of Angels" at Pacifica Spindrift Players Theatre. [less-]