Many colorful and thrilling plays and musicals will be performed throughout San Diego this summer. Age is but a number, as The Old Globe Theatre and San Diego Junior Theatre will prove in their summer premiers. Of course, favorite professional Broadway plays will be performed in San Diego as well.
Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing will be included in the well-known Shakespeare Festival presented by the Old Globe Theatre. The play explores the relationships between two couples, one of which pronounces their love profusely, contrary to the second, who have a scornful relationship.
The Tempest will also be featured in the Shakespeare festival, telling the story of a magician and his daughter who are stuck on an island until their enemies seek them out. This mysterious, complex play will be directed by Adrian Noble, a well-known theatre director who previously worked with The Royal Shakespeare Company. Both The Tempest and Much Ado About Nothing can be enjoyed under the evening sky in the outdoor Lowell Davies Theatre located in Balboa Park (theoldglobe.org).
The highly-regarded festival has included many famous Shakespeare works in the past, and is impressive to people of all ages, as are other shows put on by the Old Globe. “I don’t go to the shows nearly as much as I would like to, but I definitely go to their shows when I have time,” said Junior Emily Culp. She added, “I love their interpretation of the plays they put on, for both the actual acting and the sets they use.” The Shakespeare festival will be held throughout summer and offers many classic, romantic plays.
The San Diego Junior Theatre, comprised of performers 18 years old and younger, will feature the production of Hairspray from July 29-August 14, according to the Junior Theatre Website. The well-known, dance-filled, ‘60s classic will be shown in the Casa del Prado Theatre in Balboa Park and is a very entertaining musical, as featured in the 2007 film (juniortheatre.com).
Broadway San Diego has many musicals coming to the Downtown Civic Center this summer. Shrek, originally produced as an animated movie, will be shown from July 5-July 10, and is said to be “jolly and wicked, filled with sly in-jokes and yet somehow possessing a heart,” according to a review website (metacritic.com). With bright, half-animal, half-human costumes and original music, Shrek is an impressive conversion from screen to stage and likely to entertain all ages.
The classic Mary Poppins is also being brought to the Civic Theater from August 10 until August 28. The musical numbers include traditional songs such as “Just a Spoonful of Sugar” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” but also newly-written melodies as well. Mary Poppins will fly over the stage, in addition to many other incredible stage effects. The play has been praised with having, “excellent scenery/costumes, great songs, and fabulous dance numbers,” according to one reviewer (broadwaybox.com).
This summer, there will be many opportunities to enjoy the artistic works of performers in plays at the youth, local, and professional levels. These classic musicals and plays are sure to brighten up your summer days.