by Kristen Nevarez Schweizer
February 27, 2025
In the seaside city where palm trees give standing ovations and Broadway dreams are workshopped to life, San Diego’s Theatre Month returns March 1. The diversity of professional and community shows offered is a testament to the variety offered year-round.
For a decade now, Theatre Month has done more than just fill seats—it fosters a movement, a collective endeavor to spotlight the region’s cultural dynamism. This year, the San Diego Performing Arts League expands its efforts, rallying over 30 organizations for a month-long festival offering discounted tickets at $15, $30, or $45. Accessibility isn’t just about affordability, it’s about breaking barriers and ensuring that the magic of live performance finds its way to audiences old and new.
“There’s no other city that has sent as many productions to Broadway as San Diego,” notes SDPAL President Jay Henslee. “But beyond that, we have an ecosystem of artists creating stories that deserve to be witnessed.”
New for 2025, SDPAL is taking audiences beyond the proscenium with exclusive Instagram takeovers (@sdartstix), offering behind-the-scenes glimpses into rehearsals, design processes, and candid artist moments. It’s a digital curtain call before the live one, a bridge between those who create and those who watch.
Visit www.sandiegotheatremonth.com to see the entire list of offerings, but here are my top three choices from the lovely, long list of plays, musicals, improv, showcases, junior theatre, and more!
Motown: The Groove That Changed America
CCAE Theatricals
This new-ish theatre company started strong and continues to receive nods and trophies from the San Diego Theatre Critic Circle awards due to its high-caliber productions. If you’re seeking Broadway delight without the plane ticket, this is a bargain with seats offered at $15, $30, and $45 tiers.
The plot is in the title here. The D. Ben-Jamin’ Orchestra, featuring a live 10-piece string section will be joined by the Earth, Wind & Fire horns for a wall-of-sound 20-piece orchestra, backing a phenomenal cast of all-star vocalists.
Six Characters in Search of an Author
San Diego State University, School of Theatre, Television and Film
Prebys Stage
This absurdist play follows a fantastical cast of “characters” from an unfinished play who come to a theatre in hopes of having their story completed. When the Italian play opened in 1921, the curtain call became a riot, with the playwright sneaking out the side door to avoid the crowd. It’s a polarizing and memorable script that is still relevant over one hundred years later.
Admittedly, I am biased because I’m an Aztec alumnus, but I’ve found my city’s university theatre students bring contagious, newcomer enthusiasm to every performance. Year-round, local theatre lovers will get a solid show for a bargain price when they attend graduate student performances at San Diego State, UC San Diego, and the University of San Diego.
Curtains: The Musical Mystery Comedy
Coronado Playhouse
Full disclosure: I’m recommending this without having ever been to a show at Coronado Playhouse. I merely adore the script and score to the point of squealing.
Curtains is a musical murder mystery filled with comedy, romance, and intrigue. It is possibly the most pleasant musical that also includes multiple murders. It has a classic musical theatre vibe (including tap dancing, the play-within-a-play trope, and ‘50s fashion), but keeps the modern pace required to open on Broadway in 2007. The slapstick, screwball humor alongside the gorgeous score of the iconic duo Kander and Ebb. You’ll still be smiling and whistling the score the next day.
From powerhouse institutions like La Jolla Playhouse and Cygnet to intimate gems like Moxie Theatre and The Roustabouts, Theatre Month is an open invitation to rediscover the city’s artistic soul. Whether you’re a seasoned patron or a first-time theatergoer, there’s a seat waiting for you.
