By Kristen Nevarez Schweizer
February 2, 2026
After the December holiday shows end, theatres can crack their knuckles and begin anew. February is when art makers shake off tinsel and dive into the heart and heft of their seasons.
Choices in February feel sharper, risks more interesting, the reward for showing up a little higher. Laid together, they sketch a portrait of a theatre city fully awake, and I personally can’t wait to dive in.
Cygnet Theatre — Somewhere Over the Border (Opens February 18, 2026)
Cygnet has quietly become San Diego’s most emotionally precise musical house, and Somewhere Over the Border fits that reputation beautifully. Inspired by the emotional architecture of The Wizard of Oz, this original musical reframes the immigrant journey through humor, music, and a kind of aching hope. It is intimate, lyrical, and very “Cygnet” in the best way. This is the kind of show audiences talk about in the parking lot because they are not quite ready to go home yet.
La Jolla Playhouse — The Recipe (Opens February 10, 2026)
La Jolla Playhouse remains our national pipeline theatre, and The Recipe feels like exactly the kind of world premiere they do best. Centered on Julia Child before she became Julia Child, the piece is about ambition, appetite, and finding your voice later than expected. It is charming without being precious and smart without being smug. Plus, Norbert Leo Butz is in it!
Diversionary – Straddle (Opens February 28, 2026)
Diversionary adds a necessary jolt to February with Straddle. The synopsis: It’s Dodie and Vita’s anniversary again. And this year’s celebration feels an awful lot like last year’s. And the year before that. One couple asks, “how do you keep things hot when it’s all been done before?” True to Diversionary’s mission, the play refuses easy answers. It’s spare, provocative, and the kind of work that thrives in February.
Broadway San Diego — Beetlejuice (Opens February 24, 2026)
Every season needs a chaos pick, and February’s belongs to Beetlejuice. Loud, self-aware, and unapologetically theatrical, this touring production turns the Civic Theatre into a haunted funhouse. It is equal parts rock concert and cartoon fever dream. This is the show you take your friend who says they don’t like musicals.
MOXIE Theatre — A Conversation with Edith Head (Opens February 20, 2026)
Get a dose of old-Hollywood glamour with a sharp modern edge. A Conversation with Edith Head, starring Susan Claassen, channels the legendary costume designer through her own words. This unsentimental look showcases how one woman claimed authority inside institutions not built for her. With eight Academy Awards® and more than 1,100 films, Edith Head feels less like a historical figure here and more like a timely reminder of what it takes for women to lead, be seen, and leave their mark
San Diego Musical Theatre — How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Opens February 6, 2026)
Frank Loesser’s satire of corporate ambition is sharp, tuneful, and endlessly relevant. Plus, San Diego Musical Theatre can be counted on for bold, diverse casting choices, such as DeAndre Simmons leading Sweeney Todd and Johnisa Breault starring as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Tackling How to Succeed with Frankie Errington as J. Pierrepont Finch is promising.
The Old Globe — Hedda Gabler (Opens February 7, 2026)
This is Ibsen without the museum glass, presented as a living argument about power, boredom, and desire. The Globe excels at reminding us that classics endure because they are uncomfortable, and has invested in Katie Holmes’s star power to make sure we all show up.
New Village Arts Theatre — The Apiary (Runs through February 22, 2026)
The play is set in a future where scientists must race to save the last surviving honeybee colonies. It blends dark humor and ethical dilemmas as buried histories surface alongside fragile ecosystems. Check out Culture Geek Beth Accomando’s recent visit to New Village Arts below!
There you have it…
With San Diego Theatre Month right around the corner, consider February your warm-up lap for another great year of drama.
