Summer Stages: BWW's Top Summer Theater Picks for Orange County/Costa Mesa!

Yes, Summer in Orange County, California is often marked with escalating temperatures, the Laguna Beach Arts festival, and heavy beach traffic, but you can still escape the heat by jumping into an air-conditioned theater... where O.C. stages are still buzzing with excitement (except those that have ended their season). Everywhere from Costa Mesa and Fullerton to Santa Ana and Irvine (and even our county-line neighbors in La Mirada and Long Beach), there are lots of stage goodies to fill your live theater cravings.

Below is a listing of our Top 2016 Summer Must-See picks for the O.C., plus a few other noteworthy shows to check out around the area, too!

Did we miss a show in our list? Send me a tweet at @cre8iveMLQ with the hashtag #OCTheater and tell me what YOU are looking forward to seeing this summer!

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1. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (National Tour)
Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
July 19 - 31

The Hills Are Alive once more in this brand new national tour production that is finally making its way to the O.C. after more than a year on the road. Directed by three-time Tony Award-winning director Jack O'Brien, one of the most beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals of all time will revive memorable songs "My Favorite Things," "Do-Re-Mi," "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," "Edelweiss," and, of course, the title song for a new generation to sing along. www.SCFTA.org

2. HELLO, DOLLY!
3-D Theatricals at the Plummer Auditorium, Fullerton
July 15 - 31
(Also at Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, August 5-7)

Orange County's big-budget, Broadway-caliber musical theater company will soon be saying goodbye to the OC as it transitions to become the resident theater company of Cerritos. But before it says farewell, 3DT will once again say hello to matchmaker Dolly Levi in this charming, ubiquitous Jerry Herman classic. www.3dtshows.com.

3. BUYER & CELLAR
Laguna Playhouse, Laguna Beach
NOW - June 26

Emerson Collins (The People's Couch, Sordid Lives) stars as Alex, a young man who decides to take a job working in the Malibu basement, uh, "shopping mall" of the one and only Barbra Streisand. This outrageously funny, one-man comedy by Jonathan Tolins makes its OC debut. www.lagunaplayhouse.com

4. CABARET (National Tour)
Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Costa Mesa
August 9 - 21

Roundabout Theatre Company's Tony Award-winning sexy, sultry revival of the Kander and Ebb Broadway classic makes a triumphant return to the OC with Queer As Folk's Randy Harrison as the Emcee. www.SCFTA.org

5. A CHORUS LINE
Chance Theater, Anaheim
July 1 - 31

One Singular Sensation! The classic Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical favorite will get an intimate theater revival in Anaheim. www.ChanceTheater.com

6. GYPSY
Theatre Out, Santa Ana
NOW - July 2

Orange County's LGBTQ Theater company will revisit the Sondheim and Styne classic musical in a brand new intimate production. www.TheatreOut.com

7. B'WAY@15: MUSICALS OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM
Presented by MenAlive - Orange County Gay Men's Chorus
Irvine Barclay Theatre, Irvine
July 22 - 23

To celebrate the chorus' historic 15th Anniversary, MenAlive will be presenting a song-and-dance spectacular filled with music from Broadway's biggest hits from the past 15 years, including showstoppers from THE BOOK OF MORMON, KINKY BOOTS, AVENUE Q, LEGALLY BLONDE, SPRING AWAKENING, SOMETHING ROTTEN, and, yes, HAMILTON. www.ocgmc.org

8. DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS
Musical Theatre West, Long Beach
July 8 - 24

The con is on! Davis Gaines and Benjamin Schrader star as two con artists working the French Riviera. This Tony Award-winning musical comedy based on the Steve Martin / Michael Cain film features music from THE FULL MONTY's David Yazbek. www.musical.org

9. Disney's THE LITTLE MERMAID
Presented by McCoy Rigby Entertainment
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, La Mirada
June 3 - 26

Disney's enchanting "Under the Sea" animated film about Hans Christian Anderson's dreamy mermaid comes to life on stage with memorable music from Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater. www.lamiradatheatre.com

10. Free Movie Mondays!
Segerstrom Center for the Arts - Outdoor Plaza, Costa Mesa
Mondays, July 7 - August 4

Back for another summer, Segerstrom Center for the Arts will once again offer its popular series of al frésco FREE-for-all outdoor movie screenings in the plaza for five consecutive Monday nights. Guests are encouraged to bring beach chairs and other easily portable seating items, snacks, and picnic suppers. This year's series begins with Grease on July 11 followed by Selena (July 18), Elf (July 25), Ferris Bueller's Day Off (August 1) and Labyrinth (August 8). www.SCFTA.org

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Also worth checking out:

The Great American Trailer Park Musical, now - July 3
Costa Mesa Playhouse
costamesaplayhouse.com

The Music Man -- June 17 - July 17
The Little Mermaid -- July 9 - July 17
Mysterium Theater at the La Habra Depot
mysteriumtheater.com

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, June 8 - July 3
International City Theatre
www.ictLongBeach.org

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde -- now - June 25
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance -- July 8 - August 14
Maverick Theater
mavericktheater.com

Bye Bye Birdie, June 16 - July 10
One More Productions/GEM Theater
onemoreproductions.com

How to Succeed in Business (Without Really Trying) -- July 2 - August 6
Reasons to be Pretty -- July 7 - August 20
Long Beach Playhouse
lbplayhouse.org

M*A*S*H, July 22 - August 13
Huntington Beach Playhouse
hbplayhouse.com

Pageant of the Masters, July 7 - August 31
Festival of Arts Laguna Beach
www.foapom.com