Bay Area Theater Calendar: San Francisco, North Bay, San Jose & More

The Bay Area theater calendar includes performances in San Francisco, the North Bay, San Jose, Oakland, and more. You will find a variety of options from large Broadway productions to wonderful shows at smaller local theaters. 

Below you will find a schedule of top performances for each region within the greater Bay Area, as well as details on where to find more productions and how to get the best tickets.

Disclaimer: I receive a small commission from some of the links on this page.

San Francisco

You will find dozens of shows in San Francisco every week. This is where you will find most of the big Broadway productions such as Wicked, Hamilton, and The Book of Mormon.

If you want to see a full list of shows, click here for a detailed theater calendar for San Francisco.

Tickets to upcoming productions in San Francisco.

San Jose

Another city with a popular Bay Area theater calendar is San Jose, just over an hour south of SF. Here you'll find several musicals, Broadway hits, and smaller shows throughout the year. All shows are at The Center for Performing Arts at 255 Almaden Boulevard in San Jose.

Below are some of the top shows on the San Jose theater calendar for this season.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical 

Dates: 10/28 - 10/30

Tickets: TicketNetwork

Carole King is one of the most prolific and successful songwriters of her generation, penning hits for a wide range of artists including Aretha Franklin, The Beatles, and James Taylor. Beautiful – The Carole King Musical tells the story of her rise to fame, from her days as a teenage songwriter to her time as a chart-topping recording artist.

Along the way, King faced a number of challenges, including rejection, heartbreak, and personal turmoil. But she never gave up on her dream of making beautiful music, and ultimately found success on her own terms.

It is acclaimed as one of the best jukebox musicals ever written and continues to celebrate the legacy of one of pop music’s most enduring artists.

The Book of Mormon

Dates: 11/22 – 11/27

Tickets: Ticketmaster | TicketNetwork

The Book of Mormon is a musical comedy that tells the story of two young Mormon missionaries who are sent to Uganda to convert the locals. The musical satirizes organized religion, but it also has a message of tolerance and acceptance. The book was written by Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the creators of South Park, and the music was composed by Robert Lopez, who also wrote Avenue Q.

The musical opened on Broadway in 2011 and won nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The show has been praised for its witty writing, catchy songs, and irreverent humor. If you're looking for a musical that will make you laugh out loud, The Book of Mormon is definitely worth checking out.

My Fair Lady

Dates: 2/21 – 2/26, 2023

Tickets: TicketNetwork

My Fair Lady is a musical based on the play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. The play centers around the character of Eliza Doolittle, a working-class girl who is trying to improve her station in life. To this end, she agrees to be taught how to speak like a lady by Professor Henry Higgins.

The musical follows their journey as Eliza attempts to learn the intricacies of proper speech, and Higgins tries to turn her into a sophisticated lady. Along the way, the two characters fall in love with each other, but their different backgrounds threaten to keep them apart.

Ultimately, My Fair Lady is a fun and wonderful story about social mobility and finding love in unexpected places.

1776

Dates: 5/16 - 5/21, 2023

Tickets: TicketNetwork

John Adams, and others, decide that they no longer want to live under the rule of the British empire. Adams tries to get the Continental Congress to declare independence so this country can have freedom and allow for freedom to ring.

We all know the ending, but now you can know the beginning and more. This show runs for 2 hours and 20 minutes with one intermission. It is recommended for ages 10 years old and over. 

Beetlejuice

Dates: 8/1 – 8/6, 2023

Tickets: TicketNetwork

This musical is a stage adaptation of the 1988 Tim Burton film of the same name. The story follows the ghost of a teenage boy named Beetlejuice, who is trying to haunt the home of his former girlfriend, Lydia Deetz.

However, Beetlejuice finds himself competing with the Maitlands, the current occupants of the house, as well as with Lydia's new boyfriend, Adam. The musical features songs written by Eddie Perfect, with a book by Scott Brown and Anthony King.

The show made its Broadway debut in 2019 and has been nominated for numerous Tony Awards.

Tina – The Tina Turner Musical

Dates: 8/29 – 9/3, 2023

Tickets: TicketNetwork

The Tina – The Tina Turner Musical is a musical based on the life of the singer Tina Turner. The musical follows Tina's journey from her humble beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee to her meteoric rise to fame as one of the world's most iconic performers.

Along the way, the musical showcases some of Tina's most famous hits, including "River Deep – Mountain High," "Proud Mary," and "What's Love Got to Do with It." The musical also captures the highs and lows of Tina's personal life, from her abusive marriage to Ike Turner to her triumphant comeback in the 1980s.

Ultimately, The Tina – The Tina Turner Musical is a celebration of a true legend and her incredible story of strength and resilience.

East Bay, Berkeley & Oakland

The Bay Area theater calendar for the East Bay includes performances in Berkeley, Oakland, Walnut Creek, and other cities. Many of these shows are an easy to get to on BART public transportation. Here are the top upcoming shows. 

Berkeley Playhouse

• 9/9 - 10/16: In the Heights
• 11/4 - 12/23: Matilda the Musical
• 2/24 - 4/2: Fun Home
• 5/26 - 7/6: Becoming Robin Hood
• 7/15 - 7/23: Disney's Newsies

Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley

• Starts 11/4: Colonialism is Terrible, but Pho is Delicious
  
• Starts 1/27: Paradise Blue
• Starts 4/7: Cyrano
• Starts 6/16: Hurricane Diane

Berkeley Rep

• 8/13 - 10/2: Goddess
  
• 9/9 - 10/16, The Ripple, The Wave That Carried Me Home

Peninsula & South Bay 

In addition to San Jose, the Peninsula and other South Bay cities also offer great theater performances. 

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

• 11/30 - 12/24: Little Shop of Horrors
  
• 1/18 - 2/12: In Every Generation
• 3/8 - 4/2: FANNIE: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer
• 4/5 - 4/30: A Distinct Society
• 6/7 - 7/2: Steel Magnolias
• 7/12 - 8/6: Alice Bliss

Coastal Rep in Half Moon Bay

• 9/30 - 10/23: Agatha Christie's Murder on the Nile
  
• 12/1 - 12/18: Christmas in Oz

Pacifica Spindrift Players

• 10/21 - 10/30: 2 Across
  
• 3/24 - 4/2: Next to Normal

Hillbarn Theatre in Foster City

• 10/13 - 10/30: Clybourne Park
  
• 12/1 - 12/21: Elf, The Musical
• 1/26 - 2/12: Assassins
• 3/9 - 3/26: Perfect Arrangement
• 4/27 - 5/14: The Producers, A Mel Brooks Musical

Palo Alto Players

• 11/4 - 11/20: Disney's Beauty and the Beast
  
• 1/20 - 2/5, 2023: The Play That Goes Wrong
• 4/28 - 5/14: The SpongeBob Musical

North Bay

You will also find a full Bay Area theater calendar at stages all around the North Bay. This region hosts many smaller and first-time productions. The theaters are often more intimate, giving you the chance to get up close to the stage. In addition, you will find some larger outdoor productions each summer.

6th Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa

The 6th Street Playhouse is a renovated 107-year-old Del Monte cannery located in historic Railroad Square in Santa Rosa. The square now operates as a quaint little shopping area where you can grab coffee, dinner, or a glass of wine before or after the play.

This playhouse is home to two North Bay theater companies, which present everything from dramas to popular musicals to children's shows, from August through May. 

• 9/15 - 10/16: Cabaret
  
• 11/3 - 11/27: The River Bride
• 11/25 - 12/24: Scrooge in Love
• 1/26 - 2/26, 2023: Little Shop of Horrors
• 3/2 - 3/26, 2023: A Raisin in the Sun
• 3/30 - 4/30, 2023: Always...Patsy Cline
• 5/11 - 6/4, 2023: Smart People
• 6/1 - 6/25: Something Rotten! 

Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma

Cinnabar Theater was created by San Francisco Opera singer Marvin Klebe in 1970, when he and his family decided to transform a two-room schoolhouse in Petaluma into a lovely community space for performance and creative collaboration. 

You can catch North Bay theater performances--from Tony Award-winning musicals to contemporary plays--from September through June, as well as concerts and performances by Cinnabar's Young Rep group. Most shows are only performed on weekends.

• 10/14 - 10/30: Misery
  
• 1/6 - 1/22: Daddy Long Legs
• 2/3 - 2/29: Tiger Style!
• 4/7 - 4/23: Shipwrecked!
• 6/9 - 6/25: Tosca

Ross Valley Players

Ross is a very small town just west of San Rafael. There, in the 1930s, Beth Lloyd and a group of women founded the Ross Valley Players theater company as a way to cope with the Depression, later transforming an old rundown barn into theater it is today.

Throughout the year, the Ross Valley Players offer six plays, plus one full-length production of an original, provocative piece by a Bay Area playwright. Their work is diverse and aims to not only entertain, but to enliven the human spirit. Each new season starts in September and you can catch performances through August. Most shows are only performed on weekends.

• 9/9 - 10/9: Picnic
  
• 11/11 - 12/18: Gypsy
• 1/27 - 2/12: Reservations
• 3/17 - 4/16: Pride & Prejudice - The Musical
• 5/12 - 6/11: Native Gardens

Monthly Event Calendars

Are you looking for additional events in San Francisco and the Bay Area? Click the links below for a full calendar of events for each month.

More Performing Arts in the Bay Area

Opera: The SF Opera is another popular performing arts option. They have two seasons each year, one during the fall months and the other during the summer from June to July. They produce many classic operas, including Madame Butterfly, La Boheme, and Carmen. Click here for this season's SF Opera shows.

Ballet: The SF Ballet was the first company to perform the Nutcracker in the US, and they continue to delight audiences during their annual performances of this Christmas classic. They also offer a full season of shows from January to May. Click here for details on seeing this year's Nutcracker performances or one of their regular season shows.

Symphony: The SF Symphony performs throughout the year. Each month, they offer around a dozen shows. You will find classical performances, as well as nights when they play scores from a specific movie. Some of their other shows feature well known singers and conductors. Click here for a full schedule of SF Symphony shows this year. 

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