The Arts in San Diego
San Diego has always been a city rich in culture and the arts. The city offers countless ways to enrich oneself in the performing arts, whether it is by the plethora of theatrical productions, symphonies, or concerts offered every week. There is no shortage of performance theaters in San Diego, each adding their own unique flair to the cultural scene in San Diego.
San Diego Civic Theatre
The San Diego Civic Theatre is the largest of all the San Diego theaters and most attended performing arts venue. The Civic Theatre has hosted some of the greatest talents in the worlds of opera, dance, and Broadway. Additionally, the Civic Theatre is one of the best concert halls in San Diego, and has hosted many of the greats in classical and contemporary music. (http://www.sandiegotheatres.org/)
Balboa Theatre
The Balboa Theatre, another one of San Diego’s theaters, was built in 1924, closed down, and then re-opened in January of 2008. Over its rich history the Balboa Theatre has received several awards on local, state, and national levels. (http://www.sandiegotheatres.org/)
The Old Globe
The Old Globe is a Tony Award Winning and Internationally acclaimed theatre. Every year this famous San Diego theater draws in more than 300,000 people. The Old Globe is one of the most famous regional theatres in the country. The theatre features a year round season of 15 musicals and plays, and offers three stages. They are the home to numerous Broadway bound premiers and revivals, as well as the famous Shakespeare festival. (http://www.oldglobe.org/index.aspx)
Cygnets Old Town Theatre
Founded in 2003, the Cygnet Theatre Company is famous for producing critically acclaimed, and many times provocative, plays and musicals. The Cygnet offers six main stage productions every season in its 248-seat theatre, which is located in Old Town. (http://cygnettheatre.com/)
Lambs Players Theatre
Formed by a leading non-profit performance organization in southern California, the Lambs Players is another one of the great theatres in San Diego, offering both the classics, as well as some great theatrical performances that many not be as well known. Housed in Coronado’s Spreckels Building, this 350 seat theatre offers a five play season, as well as various Christmas productions during the month of December. (http://www.lambsplayers.org/)
Spreckels Organ Pavilion
The Spreckels Organ Society was created in 1988 as a nonprofit corporation designed to preserve and promote the Spreckels Organ. Every Sunday the society puts on a free organ concert at 2pm. The society hosts over 100 concerts a year and brings in over 100,000 people annually. This is a true gem in San Diego and a wonderful way to bring free organ music to everyone. (http://sosorgan.com/)
Copley Symphony Hall/San Diego Symphony
The San Diego Symphony has been ranked as a Tier 1 orchestra by The League of American Orchestras. The symphony has enjoyed over 100 years of rich history in San Diego. As another one of the best concert halls in San Diego, it features as its indoor venue, Copley Symphony Hall and presently also offers outdoor summer concerts at the Embarcadero Marina Park South. (http://www.sandiegosymphony.org/)
Mo’olelo Performing Arts Center
The Mo’olelo performing arts center offers a set of different and diverse theatrical productions in this local theatre. The theatre itself is charming and the feel is intimate and comfortable all at the same time. The staff is attentive and gracious and the results of their socially conscious efforts at the Mo’olelo can be seen and felt throughout the whole experience. In 2011, the Mo’olelo was recognized by the American Theatre Wing and received their 2011 National Theatre Company Grant. (http://moolelo.net/)
