by Doug Hughes, Director of Marketing
At South Bay Musical Theatre, we like to say that the most important letter in “community” is U. That may sound like a cliché, but it also happens to be true. A community theatre, by definition, belongs to the community. Our performers, musicians, designers, ushers, and board members are your neighbors. Our audiences are families, school groups, church circles, retirement communities, scout troops, and longtime friends who have discovered that live theatre is better as a shared experience.
Before COVID-19 disrupted so many cherished routines, we regularly welcomed busloads of patrons from senior living facilities to our matinees. There was a rhythm to it: familiar faces greeting one another in the lobby, and animated conversation all the way home about favorite songs and standout moments. When the pandemic paused that routine, it broke more than attendance patterns—it interrupted traditions. Now, as we look ahead with optimism, we are eager to bring them back.
One of our most joyful recent examples of community partnership came during our recent production of Little Women. We reached out to Girl Scouts of Northern California with a special group discount offer and a designated “Girl Scout Day” on opening Sunday. Scouts, chaperones, and tagalongs alike happily attended together. To make the day even more memorable, we created a custom embroidered activity patch featuring the Little Women logo—something the girls can proudly sew onto their uniform vests. We welcomed the scouts during our pre-show curtain speech and followed the performance with an exclusive backstage tour. Older patrons got a laugh when some of the youngsters responded with a disgusted, “Ewwww!” when the first stage kiss took place.
The result? Sixty-one attendees took advantage of the promotion—making it one of our most successful marketing efforts for this production. Some came on Girl Scout Day itself; others chose different performance dates that better fit their schedules but still wanted to participate in the experience. The numbers were gratifying, but the spirit in the lobby was even better: multigenerational groups sharing laughs, posing for photos, collecting autographs, and discovering that a classic story feels even more powerful when experienced together. We heard about one girl scout who liked the show so much that she came back again with a friend to the closing performance on Valentine’s Day (which happened to be her tenth birthday!), and then used a birthday gift certificate to go buy a copy of the original Little Women novel by Louisa May Alcott.
That success story reminded us of something simple but essential: people are hungry for shared experiences. That’s why we continue to offer group rates for our musicals. Whether you’re organizing a senior living outing, a school field trip, a faith-based fellowship event, a social club gathering, or simply a large circle of friends who agree that Broadway-style entertainment is better as a team sport, we are ready to partner with you. We’ll help coordinate seating, discuss available discounts, and explore ways to make the day special for your members.
Our next opportunity for groups is In The Heights by Lin-Manuel Miranda, running May 16–June 6, 2026 at the Saratoga Civic Theater (13777 Fruitvale Ave., Saratoga, CA 95070). It’s an exuberant, high-energy celebration of neighborhood, heritage, and the ties that bind us—an especially fitting show for groups who understand that belonging matters. Looking a little further ahead, we would be delighted to host your organization at any of our family-friendly 2026–2027 productions: Once Upon a Mattress (Sept. 25–Oct. 17, 2026), Come From Away (Jan. 23–Feb. 13, 2027), and South Pacific (May 22–June 12, 2027). Season tickets are not on sale yet, but it’s never too early to talk about reserving dates for your group.
If you believe—as we do—that live entertainment is more meaningful when shared with friends, we invite you to put the U back in CommUnity with us. Reach out to our box office at boxoffice@southbaymt.com or 408-266-4734, and let’s start planning an outing your members won’t just attend—but will be talking about for weeks afterward. In the end, community theatre is only as strong as the community it serves. And we exist to do just that.
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