MAMMA MIA! & More Lead Bay Area's Summer 2026 Top Theatre Shows

San Francisco / Bay Area is never lacking outstanding theatre, whether epic Broadway shows, engrossing dramas or bold fringe offerings. BroadwayWorld is rounding up our top recommended theatre every month.

Beauty And The Beast

Orpheum Theatre - July 24, 2026 through July 24, 2026

Get ready to secure your tickets to experience one of the greatest theatre productions ever, as a new sensational broadway musical, Beauty and The Beast is being performed at the Orpheum Theatre! You can be the guest of the Orpheum Theatre on Friday 24th July 2026 and be taken on an adventure of being true to your heart, songs and magic. Known around the world as a timeless tale of Belle and her encounter with the Beast, Beauty and The Beast brings the story to life on the stage in a magical production of original songs, stunning costumes and set designs. 

For tickets: click here.

anthropology

City Lights Theater Company - Now through June 07, 2026

In her immaculate Silicon Valley home office, Merril believes in patterns and systems. But her life as a hotshot coder and AI expert falls apart when her younger sister Angie vanishes on her way home from class. After the police abandon their search, Merril gathers the digital material her sister left behind — from texts and emails to online purchases and social media comments — and creates an AI composite. The virtual Angie is a comfort. Until it starts to reveal new details about the real Angie’s disappearance.

For tickets: click here.

“Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really”

San Francisco Playhouse - Now through June 27, 2026

San Francisco Playhouse will stage the Bay Area Premiere of Kate Hamill’s imaginative “Dracula: A Feminist Revenge Fantasy, Really.” This fierce new play turns Bram Stoker’s gothic horror classic on its head, driving a stake through the heart of toxic masculinity. With a gender-bending cast, sexy supernatural baddies, and Hamill’s signature piercing postmodern wit, this darkly comic drama skewers power dynamics and slays traditional women’s roles. San Francisco Playhouse Artistic Director Bill English directs a thrilling cast including San Francisco Playhouse Producing Director/ Co-Founder Susi Damilano as vampire slayer Van Helsing who is in pursuit of the titular monster, played by Bay Area theatre veteran Johnny Moreno. 

For tickets: click here.

In The Heights

Saratoga Civic Theater - Now through June 06, 2026

Seven years before creating the Broadway mega-hit Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda penned In the Heights—a vibrant love letter to New York City and the Washington Heights neighborhood where he grew up. This groundbreaking musical won four 2008 Tony Awards—including Best Musical, Best Score, Best Choreography, and Best Orchestrations—and received a Grammy nomination for its cast recording. At its heart, the story asks a universal question: Do I spread my wings to follow my ambitions, or stay rooted in the past?

The musical interweaves the dreams, hopes, and pressures of its many characters as they navigate tradition, identity, and the meaning of home. Usnavi, a charismatic bodega owner, guides the audience through the vibrant streets of Washington Heights, chasing his sueñitos (“little dreams”) alongside neighbors facing rising rents and uncertain futures.

With a pulsing score that blends hip-hop, salsa, merengue, and soul, In the Heights is a joyous, multi-generational celebration of community, culture, and the pursuit of a better life. South Bay Musical Theatre’s production will showcase outstanding local performers, many with personal ties to the traditions and heritage that inspire the story.

For tickets: click here.

Broadway Under the Stars - Mamma Mia!

Transcendence Theatre Company - August 13, 2026 through August 30, 2026

The global smash hit is coming to Sonoma for the very first time! Set on a sun-drenched Greek island, Mamma Mia! follows a young bride-to-be on a quest to discover the identity of her father — bringing three very unexpected guests from her mother’s past back into their lives. Fueled by ABBA’s greatest hits (including “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “The Winner Takes It All,” and more), this joyful tale of family, friendship, love, and second chances has captured the hearts of millions worldwide. With its large cast, explosive dance numbers, nonstop humor, and irresistible score, Mamma Mia! promises to be one of the biggest and most unforgettable productions in Transcendence history.

Mamma Mia! is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com

For tickets: click here.

Ride the Cyclone

City Lights Theater Company - July 16, 2026 through August 23, 2026

When a freak roller-coaster accident claims the lives of a Canadian choir group on a field trip, the teens end up in a truly bizarre purgatory. A mechanical fortune teller tells them that only one of them can be brought back to life. To win the ultimate prize, they must prove who deserves it the most…by telling their story through song. Full of edgy comedy and musical styles ranging from dance pop to vaudeville, this Off-Broadway musical has also gone viral on TikTok. “Simultaneously dark, funny, and poignantly life-affirming.” –Variety

For tickets: click here.

THE LUNCHBOX

Berkeley Repertory Theatre - Now through June 28, 2026

The Lunchbox is a world premiere musical adaptation of Ritesh Batra's acclaimed film, directed by Tony Award-winner Rachel Chavkin. Set in Mumbai, it tells the story of a mistaken lunch delivery that connects a lonely housewife with a jaded office worker, leading to an exchange of handwritten notes that fosters an unexpected bond. With a score by Daniel and Patrick Lazour, the production explores themes of human connection and the significance of small gestures amidst the bustling backdrop of city life. The show will run from May 17 to June 28, 2026.

For tickets: click here.

The Phantom of the Opera

Orpheum Theatre San Francisco - Now through June 21, 2026

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is widely considered one of the world’s most beautiful and spectacular musicals. Since 1986, it has played to over 160 million people in 205 cities, 58 territories and 21 languages. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s romantic, haunting and soaring score includes “The Music of the Night,” “All I Ask of You,” “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again,” “Masquerade” and the iconic title song. It tells the tale of a disfigured musical genius known only as ‘The Phantom’ who haunts the depths of the Paris Opera House. Mesmerized by the talents and beauty of a young soprano, Christine, The Phantom lures her as his protégé and falls fiercely in love with her. Unaware of Christine’s love for Raoul, The Phantom’s obsession sets the scene for a dramatic turn of events where jealousy, madness, and passions collide.

For tickets: click here.

Back to the Future The Musical

San Jose Center for the Performing Arts - Now through June 07, 2026

Great Scott! Back to the Future, the beloved, cinematic classic is now a Broadway musical with its destination set for Houston in 2026. When Marty McFly finds himself transported back to 1955 in a time machine built by the eccentric scientist Doc Brown, he accidentally changes the course of history. Now he’s in a race against time to fix the present, escape the past, and send himself… back to the future. Winner of the 2022 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, when Back to the Future hits 88mph, it’ll change musical theater history forever.

For tickets: click here.

Jenn Colella: LIVE at the Nikko

Feinstein's at the Nikko - Now through June 05, 2026

Jenn Colella is a Tony Award-nominated and Grammy Award-winning actor whose career spans Broadway, television, film, and higher education. In this solo concert, Colella shares stories and insights from her 22-year career on Broadway, performing showstoppers from Come From Away, Chaplin, If/Then, SUFFS, and more. The show is part Broadway concert, part rock-and-roll revival, and part intimate comedy show, featuring pop and rock tunes that have shaped her journey.

For tickets: click here.

Hairspray

San Francisco Playhouse - July 10, 2026 through September 12, 2026

San Francisco Playhouse closes its 2025-26 season with Hairspray, the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical set in 1962 Baltimore, where teen Tracy Turnblad dreams of dancing on her favorite TV show and ends up taking on racial segregation along the way. The production features music by Marc Shaiman, lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, and a book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, with songs including "You Can't Stop the Beat," "Good Morning Baltimore," and "I Know Where I've Been." Bill English directs, with musical direction by Dave Dobrusky and choreography by Phoenyx Rose.

For tickets: click here.

The Sound of Music

San Jose Center for the Performing Arts - July 21, 2026 through July 26, 2026

For 65 years, THE SOUND OF MUSIC has been one of our “favorite things.” With its timeless story and irresistibly charming score, this Rodgers & Hammerstein classic isn’t just meant to be enjoyed—it’s meant to be shared. Now, a critically acclaimed North American tour brings the cherished musical to stages across the country to teach a new generation to sing. Directed by three-time Tony Award® winner Jack O’Brien (Hairspray), this vibrant and romantic tale of Maria and the von Trapp family will captivate audiences with its universal themes of love, resilience and the power of music. Featuring beloved songs like “Do-Re-Mi,” “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” and “Edelweiss,” THE SOUND OF MUSIC is the iconic tale of a spirited nun who chooses not to live behind closed doors—and, by following her heart, learns to climb every mountain. THE SOUND OF MUSIC features music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, suggested by The Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp. 2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the Oscar®-winning film, which continues to be one of the most successful movie musicals of all time.

For tickets: click here.

Looking to include your shows? Submit them to our listings here.