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San Francisco Theater & Best of Broadway: Calendar of San Francisco Shows for 2024 & 2025

Jill on a windy day at the Golden Gate Bridge

by Jill Loeffler  •

The San Francisco theater scene offers hundreds of shows every year including musicals, plays, and traveling Broadway performances.

With more than a dozen theaters in SF, you will find a wide variety of productions from dramas to comedies.

You can choose to see a performance at one of the larger theaters with popular shows such as "Hamilton," "Les Misérables," and "Come from Away."

You can also catch a show in a smaller, more intimate theater, such as the SF Playhouse in Union Square.

San Francisco Orpheum Theater

You will find the shows traveling from Broadway to SF on stage at the Orpheum Theatre, the Golden Gate Theatre, and some at the Curran.

These shows bring along their sets and actors and are higher priced performances. They are similar to the set up you would see in New York.

The other theaters on my calendar also offer some well-known performances with smaller sets, actors sourced specifically for those runs, and less expensive ticket prices.

They offer world premiers, pre-Broadway shows, locally written pieces, and many other world class performances.

Did you know? "Wicked" started its run in San Francisco before it opened on Broadway in NY. The first performances were at the Curran Theatre in 2003.

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

Top San Francisco Broadway Musicals & Plays

The following list of San Francisco theater performances includes top Broadway musicals and plays such as "My Fair Lady," "Wicked," "Jesus Christ Superstar," and "Lion King."

Hamilton

hamilton-160.jpg

Dates: 11/27/24 - 1/5/25

Location: Orpheum Theatre

Tickets: TicketmasterTicketNetwork

The groundbreaking musical Hamilton is back! Don't miss this award-winning play that has taken the nation by storm.

Based on the biography of US founding father Alexander Hamilton, it is a story of honor, love, and legacy told through a clever and catchy score that combines hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway.

Shrek

shrek the musical

Dates: 12/6 - 12/8

Location: Golden Gate Theatre

Tickets: Find tickets for all performances

Shrek is the story of a loveable ogre, his hilarious donkey, and a princess he is attempting to rescue.

It's the story of how to love ourselves and one another. It features all new, original direction and choreography. 

This show runs for 2 hours with on intermission. No children under 5 allowed and it's best for those 10+.

Mean Girls

Mean Girls 2024

Dates: 12/19 - 12/22

Location: Golden Gate Theatre

Tickets: Find tickets for all performances

Growing up in the African savanna did not prepare Cady Heron for what it would be like to try and survive in the suburbs of Illinois. 

After starting school, Cady quickly gets entangled with a group of popular girls run by Regina George. Cady decides to bring Regina down and finds out the consequences of trying to dethrone the lioness. 

This show runs for 2 hours and 30 minutes with on intermission. No kids under 5 are allowed and it's best for 10+.

Beetlejuice, The Musical

Beetlejuice Logo

Dates: 12/24 - 12/29

Location: Golden Gate Theatre

Tickets: Find tickets for all performances

This fun musical is based on Tim Burton's hit film. 

It follows the story of a unique teenagers that befriends a dead couple and a wild haired demon in stripes.

With a fun score and amazing set, this crazy (and sometimes inappropriate) show will make your day! 

It's best for those 10 and older and also has some very strong, mature language. 

Some Like It Hot

Some Like It Hot

Dates: 1/7/25 - 1/26/25

Location: Orpheum Theatre

Tickets: Find tickets to all performances

This award-winning musical will take you back to the Prohibition days with big music and a razzle-dazzle atmosphere.

The story revolves around two Chicago musicians on the run from the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters after them, they embark on an exciting, life-changing journey across the country on train.

The costumes and choreography of this spectacular musical are not to be missed!

Annie

Annie

Dates: 2/6 - 2/9

Location: Orpheum Theatre

Tickets: On sale soon

Annie returns to the stage this February in San Francisco. Catch this high-energy and hopeful story about young orphan Annie.

She has a lot of determination, optimism and strength for her hard knocks life.

Catch this classic on stage at the Orpheum Theater. The show runs from 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission. Children under 5 not allowed.

Back to the Future: The Musical

Back to the Future Musical

Dates: 2/12/25 - 3/9/25

Location: Orpheum Theatre

Tickets: Find tickets to all shows

Get ready, this iconic and beloved film has now been adapted for the stage! 

In this familiar science fiction tale, a time machine transports Marty McFly back to 1955, where he will accidentally change the course of history.

Now an exciting musical, you'll have a blast as you watch him race against time to set things straight. You'll also enjoy hit songs from the movie, including "The Power of Love," "Johnny B. Goode," and "Back in Time."

Ain't Too Proud - The Life and Times of the Temptations

Aint Too Proud

Dates: 2/25 - 3/2

Location: Golden Gate Theatre

Tickets: On sale soon

This hit musical is all about the tough journey of The Temptations. They started on the streets of Detroit and worked hard before they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Sign along to their classic hits such as "My Girl," "Just My Imagination," and "Get Ready" as you hear all about their rise to stardom.

The show runs 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission. Children under 5 are not allowed.

Chicago

Chicago

Dates: 3/4 - 3/9

Location: Golden Gate Theatre

Tickets: On sale soon

This hit musical has it all - fame, fortune, and all that jazz! 

Live the story of Cook County Jail's most infamous murderer as you sing along to some of the top hits from this show. 

Chicago is Broadway's longest running musical - entertaining audiences for 27 years! 

This show runs for two hours and thirty minutes with one intermission. No kids under 5 allowed. This one is best for those 13 and older.

Parade

Parade Musical

Dates: 5/13/25 - 6/8/25

Location: Curran Theater

Tickets: Find tickets to all shows

In 2023, this riveting play won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical, and the tale is indeed timeless.

In this beautiful rendition, Parade brings to life the struggles of a young Jewish couple in a Georgia community. When the husband is accused of an unthinkable crime, the couple's faith is tested.

Let yourself be swept up in the scenes of love, justice, devotion, and humanity that make this musical so memorable.  

A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical

A Beautiful Noise Musical

Dates: 6/3/25 - 6/22/25

Location: Golden Gate Theatre

Tickets: Find tickets for all shows

Don't miss your chance to see the untold true story of how Neil Diamond went from Brooklyn kid to American icon.

This musical memoir was created in collaboration with Neil Diamond himself, resulting in a beautifully uplifting and upbeat experience set to the tunes that made him a rockstar.

You can't help but feel inspired  as you watch this young man's career take off, from hit after hit to sold-out shows, Grammys and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

& Juliet

& Juliet Musical

Dates: 7/1/25 - 7/27/25

Location: Orpheum Theatre

Tickets: Find tickets to all shows

Have you ever wondered what would have become of Juliet had she not ended it all for Romeo? This smart and hilarious musical takes you on that journey.

Enjoy this fun, new take on a classic love story, brought to life with modern pop hits, including "Since U Been Gone," "Roar," and "Can't Stop the Feeling," just to name a few. 

Come find out what Juliet does with her second chance at life and love.

Additional San Francisco Theater Performances

Noel Coward's Private Lives

Dates: 9/12 - 10/6

Location: Toni Rembe Theater

This reimagining of the classic musical Private Lives takes us to 1930s Argentina to witness Coward's wry, "intimate comedy in three acts." Featuring passionate tango dancing, the drama gets even saucier.

Get ready for all sorts of sparks to fly when a divorced couple finds themselves in adjacent hotel rooms, each on a honeymoon with their new spouse. It turns out their love isn't really dead.

Ride the Cyclone

Dates: 9/20 - 10/27

Location: New Conservatory Theatre

The strange and exciting story of six members of a Canadian chamber choir who wake up in limbo after a rollercoaster ride to a place far, far away.

They are greeted by a fortune teller who asks each one to tell a story. What does the winner get? A chance to return to their life.

It's a look at what really fulfills your life and which lives are worth saving.

The Play That Goes Wrong

Dates: 9/21 - 11/9

Location: SF Playhouse

Imagine a cross between Monty Python and Sherlock Holmes, on stage, with everything going wrong. This comedy is a 1920s whodunit that will have you in stitches. 

Opening night of The Murder at Haversham Manor is a hilarious disaster with the actors tripping over everything, an unconscious leading lady, and a corpse that can't play dead. Can they make it through the play?

The Gulf - An Elegy

Dates: 10/18 - 11/24 

Location: New Conservatory Theatre Center

What happens when you are your lover want two very different things?

This is the story of two lovers, Kendra and Betty. Kendra is interesting in keeping everything the same and Betty is really looking for a change.

When the two set off on a small fishing boat in Alabama, will their unspoken desires tear them apart?

Waitress

Dates: 11/21 - 1/18/25

Location: SF Playhouse

Based on the popular motion picture, this musical brings a modern love story to the stage with music and lyrics by Grammy-nominated artist Sara Bareilles.

Talented and charming waitress, Jenna, will capture your heart as she faces an unexpected pregnancy that threatens to derail her dream of opening her own pie shop. But a local bakeoff and the arrival of the town's handsome new doctor give her hope.

A Whynot Christmas Carol

Dates: 11/26 - 12/24

Location: Toni Rembe Theater

This fresh take on the Charles Dickens' classic, A Christmas Carol, brings colorful holiday joy and laughter to the stage. The festive music and visits from ghosts are comically accompanied by a slew of mishaps as the town of Whynot tries to put on their Christmas play. 

Here you'll go behind the curtain to witness the under-funded, last-minute effort of this misfit theater troupe trying to survive from their first rehearsal to opening night.

Deep Inside Tonight

Dates: 12/4 - 1/5

Location: New Conservatory Theatre

Spend the night with one of the best Dragapella Beautyshop Quartets around, Kinsey Sicks. 

They are back on their 30th anniversary tour with their award-winning harmonies, funny parodies and more! 

Exotic Deadly: or the MSG Play

Dates: 1/30/25 - 3/8/25

Location: SF Playhouse

Travel back to 1999 in this comedy brought to you by award-winning playwright Keiko Green, where Ami discovers that her family manufactures MSG, the mysterious and questionable ingredient found in addictive junk food.

As if teenage crushes and a cool new girl from Japan weren't enough to make high school a battle, this awkward Asian American protagonist must fight to redeem her family's name.  

Nobody Loves You

Dates: 2/28/25 - 3/30/25

Location: Toni Rembe Theater

This modern musical comedy takes you into a reality dating show in a world where social media dominates and romantic connections are becoming ever more virtual.

Jeff gets a spot on the show "Nobody Loves You" to try to win back his ex by breaking the rules of the game, but then he falls in love with Jenny, the show's producer. In this context, though, what is their relationship really made of?

Wild with Happy

Dates: 3/7 - 4/6

Location: New Conservatory Theatre

Gil is grieving his mother's death and needs space from his overly demanding aunt and the strangly enthustiasict funeral director.

His plan? Take the urn and run! 

He sets off on a road trip that takes him to places he never though he would go as he searches for his fairytale life.

Fat Ham

Dates: 3/20/25 - 4/19/25

Location: SF Playhouse

This play won the Pulitzer Prize in drama for its original reinvention of Shakespeare's Hamlet. It's a captivating and contemporary story of love and loss. 

Follow Juicy, a queer Black college student, as he sets out—at the request of his father's ghost—to avenge his father's murder. Already faced with questions of identity, he must now break the cycles of trauma and violence in his life. 

Simple Mexican Pleasures

Dates: 4/4 - 5/11

Location: New Conservatory Theatre

What is the best things to do to heal a heart after a breakup? Head out of town!

Eric makes his way to Mexico City, but can't escape the spirits of his ancestors in his head.

His unplanned trip makes his realize he is craving to find more meaning in his identity and his family roots.

The Acting Company

Dates: 4/15/25 - 5/4/25

Location: Toni Rembe Theater

These days, many would agree that we need a little raw and realistic humor to get us through the economically and socially tumultuous times. This is an opportunity to see August Wilson's Two Trains Running and Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors in repertory.

Both funny and moving, these two lighthearted iconoclasts of Western theater are brought to life by The Acting Company from New York.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Dates: 5/1/25 - 6/21/25

Location: SF Playhouse

Based on the best-selling novel by Mark Haddon, this thought-provoking play has won multiple awards on Broadway, including the Tony and Olivier awards for Best Play.

Just after midnight one night, Christopher Boone, a 15-year-old autistic boy, finds himself standing next to his neighbor's dog, Wellington, who has been stabbed to death. Though he has never before ventured beyond his street, he embarks on the adventure of his life trying to solve this mysterious crime. 

To My Girls

Dates: 5/9 - 6/8

Location: New Conservatory Theatre

Heading down to Palm Springs is an ideal and much needed vacation for a group of tight-knit gay men. 

They plan to spend some time reconnecting and recording a lip-synched music video.

They soon found out their getaway location is not all that they dreamed of with hints of gossip and grudges everywhere. 

What happens when the truth finds center stage?

Co-Founders

Dates: 5/29/25 - 7/6/25

Location: Strand Theater

Don't miss the world premiere of the next great hip-hop musical, a local Bay Area story of an unlikely partnership on a mission. 

An underrated young hacker from Oakland and a prep-school dropout pair up to fight the system that Silicon Valley has created, where technology and wealth are driving people out. Can they save Esata's home and community?

Kim's Convenience

Dates: 9/18/25 - 10/19/25

Location: Toni Rembe Theater

Also a popular Netflix series, this heartwarming comedy drama features a convenience store run by a Korean family in Toronto. It is an ode to the generations of immigrants.

Mr. Kim, who runs the store, is at odds with his changing neighborhood and even with his own Canadian-born children. What will the future hold for this hardworking immigrant father?

More Theater Performances Around the SF Bay Area

San Francisco Theater Pin

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