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San Francisco Theater & Best of Broadway: Calendar of San Francisco Shows for 2024 & 2025
Written by: Jill Loeffler • Published: August 23, 2011 • Updated: December 17, 2024
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.
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
Dates: 11/27/24 - 1/5/25
Location: Orpheum Theatre
Tickets: Ticketmaster | TicketNetwork
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.
Mean Girls
Dates: 12/19 - 12/22
Location: Golden Gate Theatre
Tickets: Ticketmaster | TicketNetwork
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
Dates: 12/24 - 12/29
Location: Golden Gate Theatre
Tickets: Ticketmaster | TicketNetwork
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
Dates: 1/7/25 - 1/26/25
Location: Orpheum Theatre
Tickets: Ticketmaster | StubHub
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
Dates: 2/6 - 2/9
Location: Orpheum Theatre
Tickets: Ticketmaster | StubHub
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
Dates: 2/12/25 - 3/9/25
Location: Orpheum Theatre
Tickets: Ticketmaster | StubHub
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
Dates: 2/25 - 3/2
Location: Golden Gate Theatre
Tickets: Ticketmaster | StubHub
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
Dates: 3/4 - 3/9
Location: Golden Gate Theatre
Tickets: Ticketmaster | StubHub
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.
Mamma Mia!
Dates: 4/30 - 5/11
Location: Orpheum Theatre
Tickets: StubHub
Sing along to the music of ABBA during this year's performances of Mamma Mia!
This fun and uplifting award winning musical tells the story of a mother, daughter and three possible dads!
It's set on a Greek Island and is full of love, friendship, and fascinating life stories.
The show runs from two hours and 35 minutes including on intermission. Children under 5 are not allowed.
Parade
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
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
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
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
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