Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1538122
LOCAL706.ORG • 13 SHOW NEWS by Patrice K. Madrigal Assistant to the Business Representative | Theater \ I.A.T.S.E. Local 706 California's Stages: Resilience, Renewal, and Reinvention California's theater landscape—across Broadway tryouts, regional stagings, nonprofit playhouses, and youth companies—is adapting in real time to shifting audience demands, post-pandemic realities, and historic pressures. From touring hits in Los Angeles to grassroots ensembles in Sacramento, the scene remains vibrant yet vulnerable. COVID's Lingering Impact & Precautions Even by mid-2025, the stage remains at risk. After multiple cast cases of COVID still occurring, some shows were canceled. These cancellations underscore a lasting shift away from the old "the show must go on" ethos, especially among smaller theaters without robust understudy pipelines. Health protocols are now embedded into the rhythm of production planning. Touring Broadway & Regional Hits in LA & SF California remains a major stop on Broadway tours: Pantages (Hollywood) had shows such as Kimberly Akimbo, Back to the Future, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, A Beautiful Noise, and now, Some Like It Hot, and Shucked over 2024–2025. These large- scale musicals offer Angelenos and Bay Area theater-lovers access to top-tier touring productions. Broadway SF (San Francisco) similarly kicked off its 2025–2026 season with seven shows—ranging from Shucked at the Curran to Alicia Keys's Hell's Kitchen and Beauty and the Beast in 2026 supporting a sustained appetite for Broadway-style experiences. San Diego's Broadway Influx Broadway San Diego which hosted at The Civic Theatre and other venues, remains a key hub for major tour productions. The 2024–2025 season featured shows like Wicked, Hamilton, and The Lion King. Upcoming for 2025-2026 are MJ the Musical and Back to the Future—bringing metropolitan-scale theater to Southern California audiences without needing an LA commute. This contributes to a statewide trend: anchor venues in both Los Angeles and San Diego year-rounding high profile touring Broadway productions. Segerstrom Center (Costa Mesa): Broadway's OC Landing Pad The Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa is the premier Orange County venue for big Broadway tours. Their 2024–2025 series included hits like Mrs. Doubtfire, Hamilton, Mamma Mia!, and Life of Pi. Looking ahead, shows such as Moulin Rouge! and Shucked. The audience consistently call Segerstrom "one of the best theater venues in SoCal" with "no bad seats in the house." Segerstrom is also a campus for resident theater groups like South Coast Repertory (SCR), which hosts original dramas (Million Dollar Quartet, Beethoven, A Christmas Carol), alongside musicals and new plays. California Premieres & Tryouts Prior to Broadway La Jolla Playhouse continues to be a vital incubator: Redwood, starring Idina Menzel, premiered there in early 2024, then moved to Broadway in 2025—though it closed after mixed reviews. Its rollout illustrates California's role as a creative launchpad for national theater. Expanded Access & Diversity in Offerings LA audiences are seeking more than glitzy musicals. In Pasadena, a resident classical theater company that offers richly staged classics under $50. The Ahmanson Theater and Mark Taper Forum, part of Center Theatre Group, also receive consistent praise—for professional, "legit" productions featuring touring actors and plays. Outlook & Opportunities California's theater sector is alive—with both challenges and thriving scenes. Touring Broadway shows continue to bring high production values to major stages, while playhouses like La Jolla and San Francisco incubate new work. Nonprofit venues and grassroots groups in Sacramento, Pasadena, and Garden Grove pursue risk- taking programming and community-building, even amid health and funding uncertainties. Youth and immigrant voices emerge in wildfire recovery efforts and stories like Monterey's historic resilience. For audiences, this landscape offers everything: from slapstick improv and immersive queer storytelling to large-scale musicals and classical theater under $50. But the sector depends heavily on balancing health safeguards, financial resilience, and artistic risk— while fighting for historic preservation and inclusive access. Final Take California's legit theater today is a mosaic: big-city musicals, innovative regionals, nonprofit labs, and heritage venues. All reflect the same core impulse—storytelling in community across diverse forms. Though health, economics, and infrastructure pressures linger, theaters statewide are leaning into flexibility, creativity, and inclusion. The stage continues to evolve—but California's live theater heartbeat is loud, clear, and ready for its next act. " California's theater landscape... is adapting in real time. " The State of the Stage