SAN DIEGO THEATER REVIEWS

Tallulah Bankhead once said, “Say anything about me, darling, as long as it isn’t boring.” The Roustabouts Theatre Company rose to that challenge with “Looped.” It is a delightfully funny play showcasing her humor and heartbreak, with a lead performance that Bankhead herself would agree is...

'Kimberly Akimbo' brings teenage angst, youthful enthusiasm, and a little bit of ice skating and committing a felony to Broadway San Diego at the Civic Theatre through October 13, 2024. ...

What did our critic think of SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY PERFORM WORKS BY MAHLER AND LARCHER at the Jacobs Music Center? There were only two pieces on the San Diego Symphony’s program for the second weekend of the new season, the first after the renovation of the Jacobs Music Center. But one of them was M...

Primary Trust, now playing at La Jolla Playhouse, is a lovely and meditative play that offers a portrait of the loneliness of living a life safe within self-drawn limits and how wonderful and sometimes painful it can be to open up your world to new experiences. “Primary Trust plays at La Joll...

“Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” is not just a bloody good time at the theatre but one of the best shows ever from San Diego Musical Theatre.  Playing through October 20th, do not miss this show about love, family, betrayal, and those delicious meat pies....

What did our critic think of SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY SHINES AT NEW JACOBS MUSIC CENTER OPENING! Shortly after the waterfront’s Rady Shell opened in 2021, I was standing in a short line behind San Diego Symphony CEO Martha Gilmer and complimented her on the Rady’s awesome state-of-the-art sound syste...

Drac is back just in time for San Diego's spooky season at the Old Globe, in the fast-paced, campy, silly, and sexy spoof “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.”  Dare I say, it’s a fang-tastic time at the theatre. Read our critic's take. ...

The Old Globe doubles down on bringing famous literary detectives to the stage with a comic twist. They follow their recent Sherlock adaption with the famously fastidious Hercule Poirot in “Agatha Christie’s Murder on The Orient Express.” With a stunning set design and a spirited cast, this wh...

“The Importance of Being Earnest” is a lighthearted production with a clever and comedic cast that joyfully delights in poking fun at the rules and protocols of Victorian society. “The Importance of Being Earnest” plays at Lamb’s Players Theatre through November 10th....

“Jersey Boys,” now playing at CCAE Theatricals through October 6th, invites you to New Jersey and asks, “Who loves you?” Judging by the audience, the answer is everyone....

“A View From The Bridge,” now playing at North Coast Repertory Theatre through October 13th, brings a classic to the stage anchored by powerful performances....

'Constellations' is touching, smart, funny, and heartbreaking. It is extraordinarily performed with clear, and compelling performances that go straight to the heart. “Constellations” plays through September 29th at Liberty Station....

Whether this is your first time or a return visit to the castle, Cygnet's 'Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show is a delightfully fun production with talented performers, strong vocals, fishnet stockings, and platform heels. ...

Dinner and theatre have always been a perfect pair, but “Fully Committed,” now playing at Scripps Ranch Theatre through September 29th, shows that there is just as much comedy and drama behind the scenes of the restaurant as there is on stage....

“8-Track: The Sounds of the ’70s” is a musical review that brings the colorful and varied song styles of the 1970s to life with a lot of love, musicality, and full of good-time summer vibes.  ...

“Velour: A Drag Spectacular” is a delightfully intelligent, funny, and visually dazzling theatrical fantasia. Playing through September 15th at the La Jolla Playhouse, this show celebrates the art of drag artistry with a lot of heart and humor....

“Cleopatra” offers everyone an audience with the charismatic Egyptian queen, as performed by Joy Yvonne Jones, through September 7th.  A joint production, this play opens Moxie Theatre’s 20th season and closes Loud Fridge Theatre Group’s second season with an adaptation of Shakespeare’s �...

Sherlock Holmes has had many pop culture reinventions over the years, from traditional to modern and edgy, and now in a fun and fast-paced gender-flipped pop culture-infused comedic parody that pays homage to Sherlock with lots of humor.  “Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson - Apt 2B” plays at the Old Glo...

At first glance, the world premiere of “Derecho” by Noelle Viñas at the La Jolla Playhouse may look like a play about politics, but it is more ambitious than that. With a strong cast, the play explores the complex tapestry of relationships between sisters, friends, and spouses and how even the ...

The Old Globe brings an epic two-show adaption of “Henry 6” to the stage with a fantastic cast to tell a story filled with intrigue, battles, and a pursuit for power that would forever alter England’s history. “Henry 6  Part One: Flowers and France” and “Two: Riot and Reckoning” are p...

Love can make you feel like you are soaring above everything, like life is a circus, and if your families don’t get along, a tricky balancing act as they fight.  “Duel Reality” by The 7 Fingers highlights all of these to the stage in their new artistic and acrobatic show inspired by “Romeo ...

“Tick, Tick, Boom!” is a musical love letter to artists and the choices they have to make to pursue their dreams in the face of adversity, self-doubt, and the potential of failure. As the show often ponders, which do you choose “fear or love?”  “Tick, Tick, Boom!” plays at Cygnet Theatr...

“The Beauty Queen of Leenane” by Backyard Renaissance finds humor in the darkest situations and plays through July 13th at 10th Avenue Arts. ...

Loud Fridge invites you to experience a Shakespearean classic with a comedic horror twist in “Twelfth Night of the Living Dead (Or What You Kill)” for free at the City Heights Performance Annex through July 7th....

“The Color Purple” brings Alice Walker’s novel of the same name to life with wonderful musical numbers and a talented cast playing at New Village Arts through July 21st....