South Bay Musical Theatre | Noteworthy Entertainment

2026-2027 Season

Concert auditions announced

By |2026-09-10T12:01:47-07:00September 10th, 2026|2026-2027 Season, Announcements, Auditions|

South Bay Musical Theatre announces three audition opportunities! Holiday Sunshine: Heartwarming Entertainment for the Season: December 19 & 20, 2026 A cabaret evening of songs for the season, created and Directed by Walter M. Mayes and Bob Sunshine. Beloved accompanist and musical theatre raconteur Bob Sunshine helms an evening of holiday music all wrapped up in a bow to “make your days merry and bright.” and MusiComedy: February 7, 2027 at 7:30 pm A cabaret evening of songs to make you laugh, created and directed by Brad Handshy. One performance only. Brad Handshy has been providing SBMT audiences with his hand-crafted [...]

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Meet the cast of Come From Away

By |2026-08-20T09:35:45-07:00August 20th, 2026|2018-19 Season, 2026-2027 Season, Announcements, Meet The Cast|

Walter M. Mayes, Artistic Director of South Bay Musical Theatre, is pleased to announce the players who will be performing in our winter 2027 production of Come From Away. Listed alphabetically by surname, they are: ACTOR ROLE Christina Bolognini Janice and others Ray D'Ambrosio Claude and others Juliet Green Diane and others Michael Paul Hirsch Nick and others Sarah Jebian* Beulah and others Melissa Mei Jones Hannah and others Nick Kenbrandt* Oz and others Mary Melnick Beverley and others Ronnie Misra Kevin J. and others Michael Rhone Kevin T. and others Robert Summers Bob and others Sarah Thermond Bonnie and [...]

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What Comes Next for SBMT?

By |2026-08-14T10:12:04-07:00August 14th, 2026|2026-2027 Season, Announcements, Blog-erviews!, Opinion|

SBMT is… expanding? In a few weeks, the SBMT Board and executive team will gather for our annual Board Retreat. This is a chance to step away from the daily work of running a theatre company and think about the future. This year, the executive team will present three initiatives that could significantly expand what SBMT offers to the community. The rationale for expanding what SBMT is and does is simple: Last year, the community lost WVLO, a long-lived and cherished theatre organization in the South Bay. Its loss demonstrated how fragile the arts ecosystem currently is. We have been [...]

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Why I Chose the Shows in SBMT’s 2026-2027 Season

By |2026-07-09T14:25:59-07:00July 9th, 2026|2026-2027 Season, Behind The Scenes, Blog-erviews!, Opinion|

Three Stories for the Moment We’re Living In When I’m selecting a season for SBMT, I’m weighing various factors such as the size of the show, the budget needed to put it on at the level of excellent theater our audiences have come to expect, the availability of the talent to design, create, and perform the show in question, as well as the always important question of what do audiences want/need to see on our stage? But above all, I'm asking a bigger question: What stories do we need to tell right now? What will entertain us, challenge us, comfort [...]

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California Recognizes Performing Arts as Essential

By |2026-07-17T11:59:56-07:00July 1st, 2026|2026-2027 Season, Blog-erviews!, Fundraising, Opinion|

This week, Governor Newsom signed California’s 2026-2027 state budget, which includes $12 million for the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund (PAEPF). While that falls far short of the $40 million arts advocates have been encouraging lawmakers to invest, it remains an important commitment to California’s arts workforce and recognition that the performing arts are essential civic infrastructure. Thank you to everyone who called or wrote a letter of support to your local legislators to help get this initiative funded. The arts are not separate from California’s future. They are integral to everything we do and everything we aspire to be. [...]

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Subscribe now! Here’s why.

By |2026-06-26T11:40:16-07:00June 26th, 2026|2026-2027 Season, Blog-erviews!, Discounts, Opinion|

Imagine this. It's a Friday evening. You're not battling traffic. You're not searching for a parking garage. You’re not paying steep fees and walking several blocks to the theater. Instead, you're driving just a few minutes from home. Parking is free—and just steps from the door. Your seats are waiting for you. The theater is intimate enough that every seat feels close to the action, yet large enough to share the energy of live theater with an appreciative crowd of like-minded friends and neighbors. As you settle in, you recognize a familiar face onstage—someone you loved in a previous South [...]

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Looking Back; Looking Forward

By |2026-06-11T22:14:32-07:00June 11th, 2026|2025-2026 Season, 2026-2027 Season, Blog-erviews!, Opinion|

A Season That Strengthened Our Community As I reflect on South Bay Musical Theatre's 63rd season, I am proud of my confidence in the skill and artistry of the many artists who contributed to our success. Confidence, too, in our audiences. If we commit ourselves to excellence and authenticity, our community will respond. This season, they exceeded my expectations.  Celebrating a season of artistic conviction, new voices, and audiences eager to return. We began with a record-breaking production of The Sound of Music, welcoming longtime patrons and introducing new families to the magic of live musical theater. During the [...]

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Final performances and final notices

By |2026-06-03T19:37:48-07:00June 3rd, 2026|2025-2026 Season, 2026-2027 Season, Blog-erviews!, Opinion|

As South Bay Musical Theatre's 63rd season draws to a close, we're feeling two emotions at once: gratitude for an incredible year and excitement for what comes next. We're also facing two important deadlines that our patrons won't want to miss. First, there are only three performances remaining of In The Heights—Thursday, Friday, and Saturday—and available seats are disappearing quickly.  As of this writing, our “Thrifty Thursday” performance has only scattered single seats remaining in the center section, aisle seating is completely sold out, and just a limited number of pairs remain in the side sections. Friday evening's performance has [...]

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Auditions announced for “Come From Away”

By |2026-05-01T10:17:37-07:00April 30th, 2026|2018-19 Season, 2026-2027 Season, Announcements, Auditions|

Walter M. Mayes, Artistic Director of South Bay Musical Theatre, announces auditions for COME FROM AWAY Book, Music, and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein Performing January 23 – February 13, 2027 (with a possible extension to February 20) Director: Chris Reber Musical Staging: Lee Ann Payne Vocal Director: Diane Milo Music Director: D. Asa Stern Stage Manager: Quentin Tepliuk Initial auditions will be held Saturday, July 11 from 10 am – 7 pm & Sunday, July 12 from 4 pm – 10 pm Audition sign-ups will be open at 1 am on Saturday, May 2. South Bay Musical Theatre is a [...]

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The Heartbeat of Community: Why “In the Heights” Matters

By |2026-04-29T12:37:11-07:00April 29th, 2026|2026-2027 Season, Blog-erviews!, Opinion|

What is the sound of an urban neighborhood? Walk down a busy block and you feel the tempo of daily life, the negotiations, the humor, the hustle. Music spills from open windows. Multiple languages overlap on the corner. People move with focus, chasing something just out of reach. In the Heights draws directly from that environment. It centers a neighborhood where ambition and obligation coexist, where pride meets pressure, and where the choice to stay or leave is never simple. That friction gives the piece its energy. Created by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes, In the Heights marked a [...]

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