Wicked Lit 2026: La Llorona and The Headless Horseman
Wicked Lit 2026 is a Halloween Theater Festival featuring two fully produced one-act plays: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, adapted from Washington Irving's short story...
Chance Theater
5522 E. La Palma Ave.Anaheim, CA 92807
Upcoming Shows
Review: APPLAUSE at The Group Rep
Applause has too much heart and is simply too much fun to be bogged down by its shortcomings, so audiences should take advantage of catching this gem while they can.…
Review: OC's Segerstrom Center Welcomes HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD
In the fantastical, visually-enchanting stage play HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD—the theatrical continuation of J.K. Rowling's beloved magical saga—the idea of revisiting the past is embraced as its central theme, which in turn shifts the focus away from the mischievous school adventures tha…
Review: MUSE/IQUE DEFIANTLY JONI: A SINGER/SONGWRITER BARES HER SOUL at Mark Taper Forum
The concert offered an intimate tribute to Joni Mitchell's unique genius, offering a revelatory look at the cultural milieu and musical streams that fed into her art, and then poured out of her Laurel Canyon home and into her unique ways of mixing other genres and artists into her music – or inspi…
Review: ANATOMY OF A BACK by Kick Boom Theater at Electric Lodge
John Wuchte and his Kick Boom Theater ensemble of five actors and two onstage musicians (Wuchte on percussion and Sarah Green on guitar) continue their exploration of live percussion scoring the actors’ movement, gestures and stylized dialogue during Anatomy of a Back at the Electric Lodge in Veni…
Review: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT at Musical Theatre West
Musical Theatre West's brand new presentation of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT marks the fifth time the 74-season-old institution is revisiting this ubiquitous musical, this time starring hunky Broadway alum and America's Got Talent standout Brian Justin Crum. For all intents and purp…
Review: MEAN GIRLS at Wisteria Theater
Even in Los Angeles, in the midst of a spectacular live theater renaissance, there are few theaters in town doing musicals with as much deep excellence and sheer joy as Wisteria Theater.…
Review: MEXODUS at Pasadena Playhouse
When we hum along, dance, applaud or whatever (folks in the up close Get Down section probably have more opportunity to, you know, get down), the connection to the story and to its themes feels that much more immediate.…
Review: PAINTED PONIES Starring Rachel Sorsa at Ruskin Group Theatre
Sorsa’s extraordinary talent in enveloping Pam as if she was inside her soul, along with Elina de Santos minimally invasive direction by keeping Sorsa seated on the couch center stage to tell her story into her cell phone, will keep your sharp focus on Ian McRae’s monologue honoring human resili…
Review: IF/THEN at the Zephyr Theatre
What did our critic think of IF/THEN at Zephyr Theatre?…
Review: World Premiere E=MC² EINSTEIN THE MUSICAL Often Trades Depth for Silly Songs
I want to praise the quality of the large cast for their dedication to bringing so many authentic characters to life onstage while changing costumes, accents and physicality often in the blink of an eye. But with so much interesting history to be explored about a man who was often quoted, and misquo…
Past Shows
Sanctuary City
On the Fyda-Mar Stage… In the aftermath of 9/11, two teenagers in Newark, New Jersey, navigate the precarious terrain of adolescence while grappling with the looming...
OTR: Saint Vegas
In this memory play, Ben returns to the hot Galveston summer of his thirteenth year when a complicated and dangerous teenaged girl, Fresca, moved in...
The Messenger
On the Cripe Stage… What does it cost to stay silent? What does it take to finally speak?From the playwright who brought you Matinicus: The Story of...
OTR: A Punk AF
Holly is mad, you might even say angry as hell. But as a 40-something well-established career woman, she can’t just go around screaming, now can...
Once
On the Cripe Stage… Get ready to experience the heart and soul of Once! This intimate musical, based on the Academy Award-winning film, tells the story of...
OTR: A Long Time Ago in a Dark Yard at Night
A Long Time Ago in a Dark Yard at Night follows two friends from a small Texas town who take divergent paths in life as they...
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas
Back by popular demand, it’s a holiday season filled with elegant wrapping paper, festive decorations, Christmas cookies with sprinkles – and of course, the tree! ...
Scrooge! The Musical
Scrooge! The Musical is a heartwarming and festive adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic novella A Christmas Carol, featuring music, lyrics, and book by Leslie Bricusse.Set in Victorian...
What the Constitution Means to Me
Heidi Schreck’s timely, hilarious, and deeply felt play breathes new life into our country’s most important document. Fifteen-year-old Heidi paid her college tuition by speaking...
NUCLEAR
ABOUT THE SHOW:NUCLEAR is a brand-new full-length play, commissioned by Manhattan Theatre Club and the Sloan Foundation, following the story of Ray, a rockstar of the...
Spring Awakening
Based on Frank Wedekind’s groundbreaking play, Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik’s brilliant rock score and searingly emotional book bring the story of sexual awakening, youth...
Punk AF
Holly is mad, you might even say angry as hell. But as a 40-something well-established career woman, she can’t just go around screaming, now can...
The Chinese Lady
In 1834, 16-year-old Afong Moy, the first Chinese woman to set foot in America, sailed into New York Harbor to be featured in a museum....
Fancy Nancy, The Musical
Making a triumphant return to the Chance, Fancy Nancy is back for another delightful adventure! Bring the family and watch as Nancy and her friends – Bree,...
Tea for Toofi
Tea for Toofi is a madcap farce written and directed by Ravi Kapoor, set in the 1980s Orange County. The story follows a retired computer...
Pyro: How to Blow Up a Life
Chance Theater presents a staged reading of Khanisha Foster's new play, Pyro: How to Blow Up a Life. The story follows Helen, portrayed by Tristan...
Such Small hands
Paul and Marie wake in the morning, Marie makes coffee, black, Paul asks for sugar, Marie says the sugar is out of reach and they...
Tick, Tick… Boom!
Chance Theater presents Tick, Tick… Boom!, a semi-autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson that explores the life of a young composer facing the challenges of turning...
at the very bottom of a body of water
Marina swims in a circle of routine: every week, she goes to her local fish store, buys a catfish, and makes soup. But this week,...
A Fantabulous Holiday Musical
» A Holiday Musical for the Whole Family Returns! Stay tuned for the announcement of a second holiday musical that is back by popular demand...
Jane Austen’s Emma, The Musical
On the Cripe Stage… Jane Austen’s enduring love story is brought to life as a romantic-comedy musical. The story revolves around Emma, a well-meaning, but disaster-prone...
Gloria
On the Cripe Stage… Style. Status. Success. A group of twentysomething editorial assistants are pursuing it all at one of New York’s most esteemed cultural...
OTR: A New Play by Dustin H. Chinn
From the writer of last season’s Colonialism is Terrible, But Phở is Delicious comes a brand new play that is so new that we don’t...
Sweeney Todd, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
On the Cripe Stage… In a barber shop above Mrs. Lovett’s struggling pie shop, Sweeney Todd plots revenge on the lecherous judge who wronged him...
OTR: Tenderness and Gratitude Number Four
OTR New Play Staged Reading
Fancy Nancy, The Musical
On the Cripe Stage… This TYA favorite returns to the Chance for the seventh time. Bring the family and watch as Fancy Nancy and her...
OTR: Boat Show
Staged reading of a new play by 2024 Resident Playwright Dustin H. Chinn
Alma
On the Fyda-Mar Stage… Alma and her daughter, Angel, made sixteen wishes long ago: good health, love, carne asada every day, perfect SAT scores, and...
Tiny Beautiful Things
On the Cripe Stage… Based on the best-selling book by Cheryl Strayed (now a Hulu series, starring Kathryn Hahn), Tiny Beautiful Things follows the relationships...
OTR: Call Your Mother
This new play will be presented as a reading. Readings are an essential part of the play development process. We are proud to offer this...
Hedwig and The Angry Inch
On the Cripe Stage… This groundbreaking Obie-winning Off-Broadway smash that took Broadway by storm tells the story of “internationally ignored song stylist” Hedwig Schmidt, a...
OTR: Lipstick Lobotomy
This new play will be presented as a reading. Readings are an essential part of the play development process. We are proud to offer this...
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas
What could be fancier than Christmas?Presents with elegant wrapping paper, festive decorations, Christmas cookies with sprinkles – and who could forget the tree? After all,...
The Secret Garden, The Musical
Based on the popular children’s book of the same name, The Secret Garden follows the story of Mary Lennox, a young British girl born and raised in...
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Fifteen-year-old math whiz Christopher Boone lives with his divorced dad in Swinton, a working-class town west of London. After being falsely accused of killing a...
OTR: Such Small Hands
Long-married couple Paul and Marie are the center of this moving new play about love, aging, selfishness, and selflessness. As Paul’s illness progresses, he can...
OTR: Norine & the King of Swatsville
In July of 1903, famed baseball player Edward “Big Ed” Delahanty was found dead at the base of the Niagara Falls gorge. Now, Ed’s widow,...
OTR: The Bed Trick
College freshmen Lulu and Marianne test their limits as they party through the school year, in search of their place in the world. Marianne, newly...
RENT
“VIVA LA VIE CHANCE”“extraordinarily well-cast”“the characters are all well-lived-in and the troupe’s chemistry shines with love, giving us many compelling moments”“Director Matthew McCray has assembled...
Fancy Nancy The Musical
This TYA favorite returns to the Chance for the sixth time. Bring the family and watch as Fancy Nancy and her friends Bree, Rhonda, Wanda,...
Matinicus: The Story of Abigail Burgess
Based on the true story of Abigail Burgess, a young lighthouse keeper’s daughter, living on a rock 25 miles off the coast of Maine, this...
Colonialism is Terrible But Phở is Delicious
WORLD PREMIERE!This biting comedy spans centuries, continents, and cultures in its three-part vignette structure. Beginning in 1880s Hanoi, the capital city of French Indochina, where...
Stand-Up Tuesdays
Get ready to laugh your Chance off at Stand-Up Tuesdays! Host Mark Christopher Lawrence taps into his extensive list of talented comedian friends and shares...
Cheese, The Musical - Staged Singing
This new play will be presented as a reading. Readings are an essential part of the play development process. We are proud to offer this...
Ride the Cyclone - Extended through March 5 by Popular Demand!
When life goes off the rails, we discover what really matters.Chance Theater’s critically-acclaimed California premiere of the bracingly funny, supremely inventive musical journey with more...
Exotic Deadly, or The MSG Play - Staged Reading
It’s 1999, and Ami is an awkward, Japanese American high school girl, just trying to stay as invisible as possible. But her world comes crashing...
Fancy Nancy Splendiferous Christmas
What could be fancier than Christmas? Presents with elegant wrapping paper, festive decorations, Christmas cookies with sprinkles and who could forget the tree? After all,...
Little Women - The Broadway Musical
From the novel that holds a special place in the heart of American literature, comes a new musical that proves this timeless story is still...
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Experience pro wrestling in a whole new light or perhaps for the first time in Kristoffer Diazs Pulitzer Prize-nominated play. Chad Deity follows the life...
A Thousand Maids: OTR Reading
In every artistic context, the imagery of a woman of color in a maids uniform will immediately spark controversy. A Thousand Maids looks at this...
We Ain't Ever Gonna Break Up - The Hymon & Parfunkle Story
We Aint Ever Gonna Break Up: The Hymon & Parfunkel Story is the first jukebox musical about, and featuring the songs of, a band that...
Green Day's American Idiot
Slinging razor guitars, thundering drums, and an anti-hero named Johnny. Not the prelude of typical entries in the canon of musical theatre. But these elements...
HONGO: OTR Staged Reading
Gifted scientist Dr. Mirian Reyes has discovered a method of using mycelium cells to heal damaged brains. So when her radically progressive son, Dagoberto, is...
Fancy Nancy The Musical
This TYA favorite returns to the Chance for the fifth time. Bring the family and watch as Fancy Nancy and her friends Bree, Rhonda, Wanda,...
Matinicus: A Lighthouse Play
Matinicus: A Lighthouse Play is based on the true story of Abigail Burgess, a young lighthouse keepers daughter, living on a rock 25 miles off...
Cry It Out
Dirty diapers, breast pumps and 2 a.m. feedings, are enough to give anyone sleepless nights Not to mention the need for a strong cup of...
Crimson Lit - Scarlet Letter Setlist
You’re not going to want to miss the staged reading of the updated version of this brand new pulpy riot grrrl musical adaptation of The...
The Empress of Oz
There’s no place like a No MSG Added sketch show where we seek to define the BRAIN, HEART, COURAGE, and HOME of being Asian American. Jump onto...
The Empress of Oz
There’s no place like a No MSG Added sketch show where we seek to define the BRAIN, HEART, COURAGE, and HOME of being Asian American. Jump onto...
Next To Normal
See the groundbreaking smash hit musical that won the Pulitzer Prize and three Tony Awards during its acclaimed run on Broadway. With a thrilling contemporary...
They Could Give No Name: OTR Staged Reading
This new play will be presented as a reading. Readings are an essential part of the play development process. We are proud to offer this...
Exotic Deadly, or The MSG Play - Staged Reading
It’s 1999, and Ami is an awkward, Japanese American high school girl, just trying to stay as invisible as possible. But her world comes crashing...
A Charlie Brown Christmas
Everyones favorite holiday classic comes to life in the all-new stage adaptation! Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they...
Striking 12
Striking 12 is a unique hybrid of riveting musical theater and an electrifying pop-rock concert. It tells the story of a grumpy, overworked New Yorker...
Yellowman
The Pulitzer Prize Finalist Yellowman makes its Orange County premiere this Fall at Chance Theater. A celebration of language and the human spirit, Yellowman is...
The Queer Couch
Zayn, Nola, and Tia are three friends at Kennedy College who are each having trouble moving past the misery and humiliation of their high school...
FeaturedEdges
Before they wrote Dear Evan Hansen, La La Land, The Greatest Showman, Dogfight, and many other modern musical classics, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul wrote...
Shooter!
Professor Leia is befuddled by the task of ushering undergrads into the dramatic principles of playwriting and life lessons simultaneously. When a student brings in...
Little Women: The Broadway Musical
Little Women: The Broadway Musical brings the classic coming-of-age novel to the stage, filled with drama, romance, humor and song. Rambunctious Jo, practical Meg, sweet...
Boom
“Sex to change the course of the world…” With this line from a personal ad, marine biology grad student Jules lures journalism student Jo to...
West Side Story
More than fifty years ago, a show about rival gangs in New York City changed musical theater forever. As powerful and timely today as ever,...
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After the Blast The Broadwater Second Stage (8/05-8/13) |
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Catch Me If You Can Colony Theatre (9/17-10/18) |
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E=MC² Einstein The Musical Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center (7/03-7/26) |
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Emily Skinner: In Concert Feinstein's at the Nikko (8/14-8/15) |
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Fool for Love Santa Monica Playhouse (7/23-7/26) |
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Gershwin and the Golden Age Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts (The Soraya) (10/11-10/11) |
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John Lloyd Young Feinstein's at the Nikko (8/21-8/22) |
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One Foot in Front of the Other Santa Monica Playhouse (8/02-8/02) |
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Jazz Vocalist Sidney Jacobs Appears at Sierra Madre Playhouse, 8/2 Sierra Madre Playhouse (8/02-8/02) |
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A Faery Hunt and Their Animal Friends Kindred Spirits Care Farm (12/06-12/06) |