Costa Mesa Theatre Newsroom

Cirque du Soleil raised its Big Top at the Laguna Hills Mall in preparation for the May 23rd opening of Cirque du Soleil ECHO - its newest Big Top production.

Set in the part of the 'real' Hawaii that tourists are unlikely to ever see, THE STAIRCASE—the World Premiere play from Noa Gardner directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch—is an admirable new play that features a superb acting ensemble, relatable themes, beautifully authentic cultural representation, and an intriguing (if slightly predictable) premise. Using many long stretches of orations to un-peel its surface layers, the play is mostly commendable in artistic execution and cultural specificity, but could, perhaps, use some more editing in its hopefully ongoing evolution.

A look at Cirque du Soleil's newest touring show, ECHO (playing in Laguna Hills May 23 through June 29), which features a high-tech, moving 'cube' to act as a background and acrobatic launch pad.

South Coast Repertory has announced its 2025-26 season, featuring the return of Million Dollar Quartet, the milestone 45th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and more.

American Coast Theater Company has announced the Orange County premiere of The Importance of Being Earnest: A Wilde New Musical, with music by Bret Simmons and book/lyrics by David Howard, a fresh and spirited adaptation of Oscar Wilde's classic comedy.

The Rose Center Theater will present a highly anticipated Gala Performance of Something Rotten! on Saturday, June 28, 2025, at 6:30 PM. This exclusive event will feature an evening of world-class entertainment, delicious dining, and local talent.

What happens when two desperate playwrights try to outshine Shakespeare by inventing the musical? Total theatrical mayhem-and a whole lot of laughter. The Rose Center Theater will present the Broadway smash hit Something Rotten!, running June 27 through July 20, 2025, in Westminster, CA.

The award-winning multi-hyphenate artist Colette Gregory returns to her Chicago home with her acclaimed one-woman show, Black Best Friend, as part of Steppenwolf's LookOut series June 12-14, 2025.

South Coast Repertory has announced the casts and creative teams for its renowned Pacific Playwrights Festival. The highly anticipated showcase of new works, part of the theatre's new-play development arm—The Lab@SCR—begins Friday, May 2 and runs through Sunday, May 4.

On Monday night, the Orange County theater community gathered once again to celebrate excellence in live performance at the 4th Annual OC Theatre Guild Awards.

One More Productions at The GEM Theatre will present the musical, ORDINARY DAYS! Directed and Musically Directed by Damien Lorton, this production will run in May. Learn more!

Now ten years old, HAMILTON—which was birthed during a more welcoming time when such a creative, innovative endeavor felt like a step in necessary progress—still lives up to its initial hype, but also now feels more groundbreaking and particularly poignant than ever before.

The Curtis Theatre and Begins and Ends with 'A' Productions will present 'These Shining Lives,' written by Melanie Marnich and directed by Amanda Hallman. Learn more!

With a notable career that spans stage and screen, musically-gifted actor Cheyenne Jackson delivered a wonderfully charming, wickedly hilarious OC solo debut set during his three-night run at Segerstrom Center for the Arts' Samueli Theatre from April 10-12, 2025. Backed by the superbly talented Willy Beaman behind the piano, Jackson not only showcased his impressive, Broadway-honed singing chops but also his knack for touching and comedic storytelling, providing OC with a program that was as magnificent as it was swoon-worthy—with plenty of emotion, laughs, and ribald cheekiness generously served in between.

The Catalina Museum for Art & History will present the 38th Annual Avalon Silent Film Showcase, one of the longest-running celebrations of silent film in the world. This year's event spans two days, Friday, May 16 and Saturday, May 17, 2025, offering rare screenings, live music and expert commentary in two iconic Avalon venues.

South Coast Repertory has announced two of the country's most prestigious regional theatres are coming to together to produce the world premiere of Fremont Ave. by Reggie D. White.

South Coast Repertory will bring the singularly unique voice of Hawaiian playwright Noa Gardner to theatregoers with the world premiere of The Staircase. Learn more here!

For Musical Theatre West's new, winning large-scale production—now on stage at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach through April 13, 2025—director Kari Hayter and a company of terrific performers have revived the musical in an expected, true-to-the-classic staging, bursting with the color and aura of a storybook fairy tale come-to-life. While, sure, nothing necessarily new is presented in MTW's vibe, this lively, genuinely spirited presentation reminds old and new fans exactly why the show—for many theatergoers—continues to be a beloved show decades after it first conjured itself on stage.

 Irvine Barclay Theatre, one of Orange County’s top performing arts venues, will kick off its 35th season of bringing top-tier artists to Southern California with a community celebration of music and dance.

Joshua Rubin, a master of both modern and historical clarinets, collaborates with several of his esteemed musical colleagues on “Waves in Bloom,” a concert exploring the fascinating intersection between classical composition and electronic innovation.

Vanguard University's Theatre Arts Department has revealed the upcoming production of Journey to the Center of the Earth, a thrilling adventure based on Jules Verne's classic novel. Learn more!

The Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach invites the community to help make the arts more accessible through its Masters at Giving program. Learn more here!

Laguna Art Museum has announced a significant expansion in youth accessibility, admission is now free for all visitors ages 19 and under. New support given by attendees to the 43rd Annual California Cool Art Auction Paddle Raise t extends this benefit to remove financial barriers for teens and young adults.

The Golden West College Theater Arts Department, under the direction of Martie Ramm, will present the Tony Award-winning musical The Secret Garden.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from experiencing RENT - IN CONCERT—a symphony orchestra-backed concert version of Jonathan Larson's iconic musical which recently played to a full-capacity crowd for a one-night-only performance on March 15, 2025 at OC's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa—is that this Tony and Pulitzer-Prize-winning 1996 show truly deserves to always have a full symphony orchestra playing its memorable score. Aided by a talented ensemble led by Coby Getzug, Abigail Barlow, and Frankie Rodriguez, this beautifully-presented music showcase proved to be an entertaining evening.