Check out our roundup of 10 top performances and plays in San Diego this August.
Edited by Lisa Kelley
Peter Pan
Through Aug. 6. Broadway’s high-flying musical whisks audiences away to a place where dreams are born and no one ever grows up! Peter and his mischievous sidekick Tinkerbell visit the Darling children’s nursery late one night, and with a sprinkle of pixie dust begin a magical journey. In the adventure of a lifetime, the travelers come face to face with a ticking crocodile, a fierce Indian tribe, a band of bungling pirates, and of course the villainous Captain Hook. Moonlight Amphitheater, 1200 Vale Terrace Dr., Vista. moonlightstage.com
Meteor Shower
Through Sept. 4. Steve Martin’s surprising new comedy takes an offbeat and absurdist look at the comic anxiety lurking just beneath the surface of modern marriage. Contains strong language. White Theatre at the Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, 619.234.5623. theoldglobe.org
Gypsy
Through Sept. 4. Indomitable stage mother Rose chases vicarious success and stardom as she pushes her daughters through the vaudeville circuit. When dainty June flees the act to elope, Rose vows to make introverted Louise into a star. Boasting one show-stopping song after another—like “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” and “Let Me Entertain You”—this classic musical was inspired by memoirs of the legendary burlesque dancer Gypsy Rose Lee. Cygnet Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St., Old Town, 619.337.1525. cygnettheatre.com
Junk: The Golden Age of Debt
Through Aug. 21. Pulitzer Prize-winning author, Ayad Akhtar goes back to the ‘80s with an origin story for the world that finance has given us, in this sexy and epic thriller about an upstart genius hell-bent on changing all the rules. Mandela Weiss Theatre at the La Jolla Playhouse, UC San Diego, 2910 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla, 858.550.1010. lajollaplayhouse.org
Free Speech! (While Supplies Last)
Through Aug. 21. This topical new show by La Jolla Playhouse offers an irreverent look at America’s electoral insanity. It features political satire made famous by Second City stars like Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert and Keegan-Michael Key. Mandela Weiss Forum at the La Jolla Playhouse, UC San Diego, 2910 La Jolla Village Dr., La Jolla, 858.550.1010. lajollaplayhouse.org
Beautiful-The Carole King Musical
Aug. 2-7. The Tony Award-winning musical tells inspiring story of musician Carole King’s remarkable rise to stardom. Follow her life from being part of a hit songwriting team with her husband Gerry Goffin, to her relationship with fellow writers and best friends Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in popular music history. Broadway/San Diego Civic Center, 3666 Fourth Ave., downtown, 619.654.3000. broadwaysd.com
Sing Along with Broadway
Aug. 5-6. As part of the San Diego Symphony’s Bayside Summer Nights, musical enthusiasts are invited to sign along to Broadway hits during this entertaining performance. Attendees can sing along with the orchestra and vocalists with music from Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady, Chicago, Mamma Mia!, Wicked and more. Embarcadero Marina Park South, 200 Marina Park Way, San Diego Embarcadero, 619.686.6200. sandiegosymphony.com
Arsenic and Old Lace
Aug. 12-28. Writer and notorious marriage detractor, Mortimer Brewster falls for girl-next-door Elaine Harper, and they tie the knot on Halloween. When the newlyweds return to their respective family homes to deliver the news, Brewster finds a corpse hidden in a window seat. With his eccentric aunts, disturbed uncle and homicidal brother, he starts to realize that his family is even crazier than he thought. Welk Resort Theatre, 8860 Lawrence Welk Dr., Escondido, 760.749.3000. welkresorts.com
Love’s Labor’s Lost
Aug. 14-Sept. 18. The King of Navarre and his three schoolmates vow to embrace their studies—and not embrace girls—for three whole years. But the instant they take that vow, the Princess of France arrives with her three beautiful attendants, and all bets are off. Lowell Davies Festival Theatre at the Old Globe Theatre, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park, 619.234.5623. theoldglobe.org
Titanic the Musical
Aug. 17-Sept. 3. Maury Yeston’s riveting and haunting musical based on the worst nautical disaster in history (and not the movie), depicts the final hours of the real-life people who set sail on the “unsinkable” Titanic. 1200 Vale Terrace Dr., Vista, 760.724.2110. moonlightstage.com
Cabaret
Aug. 23-28. The Tony Award-winning musical celebrates its 50th anniversary and features such memorable songs as “Cabaret,” and “Maybe This Time.” For mature audiences. Broadway/San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown, 619.570.1100. broadwaysd.com
