South Bay Musical Theatre | Noteworthy Entertainment

Opinion

California Recognizes Performing Arts as Essential

By |2026-07-01T12:01:52-07:00July 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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What Do You Need?

By |2026-06-19T18:08:58-07:00June 19th, 2026|Blog-erviews!, Fundraising, Opinion|

When I’m chatting with you in the lobby before a show, during intermission having a snack, or immediately afterwards when you’re still aglow from experiencing an outstanding performance, these are some of the questions you’ve asked recently regarding donations:  “What do you need?”  “How much should I be giving?” “How much do people normally give?” “What is the best way to help?” “What is the right amount?" Such deeply personal questions, ones I ask myself regularly. With so much need in the world, I do not take lightly that you’ve decided SBMT is worth supporting and investing in. You’ve told [...]

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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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Thank You Patron Manager, Kama Belloni

By |2026-05-27T09:56:07-07:00May 27th, 2026|Awards, Blog-erviews!, Opinion|

After six years as SBMT’s extraordinary Patron Manager, Kama Belloni retired from the position after we opened In The Heights. Fortunately for all of us, she still plans to remain involved as an SBMT volunteer as her time permits. SBMT Patron Manager Kama Belloni played Gooch in Mame, sang in the quintet of A Little Night Music, and starred as the Abbess in The Sound of Music. Over the years, Kama has built lasting relationships with countless patrons and donors, becoming one of the warm, welcoming faces audiences have come to associate with SBMT. Whether serving in the [...]

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The Arts Are Essential Infrastructure

By |2026-05-19T15:43:43-07:00May 19th, 2026|Blog-erviews!, Fundraising, Opinion|

Funding The State’s Creative Economy Strategic Plan Last Thursday, I drove up to Sacramento to represent SBMT at the presentation of the 2026 Creative Economy Strategic Plan with Senators Ben Allen and Susan Rubio. The California Joint Committee of the Arts is requesting $50 million for the California Arts Council to expand local assistance grants that empower communities through the arts and $40 million for the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund (PAEPF) to ensure fair pay across the creative workforce. California’s economy is increasingly powered by innovation and creativity. Yet the artists, educators, performers, and nonprofit organizations that fuel that [...]

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Behind the Curtain with Allison Taylor

By |2026-05-09T10:06:37-07:00May 9th, 2026|2025-2026 Season, Behind The Scenes, Blog-erviews!, Opinion, Video Link|

The following is a transcript of our four-minute “Behind the Curtain” interview with Allison Taylor, who plays Vanessa in our upcoming production of In The Heights. I hope people find something that goes beyond a sense of community. I hope it it creates understanding. Hello, my name is Allison, or Ali for short. I am playing the part of Vanessa in In the Heights. Vanessa is a go-getter. She is strong but fierce and stunningly beautiful. I really admire Vanessa. She comes from a background where her family isn't as supportive as they need to be. It's a really demanding [...]

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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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Full Speed Ahead

By |2026-04-29T12:38:01-07:00April 24th, 2026|2026-2027 Season, Blog-erviews!, Fundraising, Opinion|

At last weekend’s On the 20th Century fundraising concert, in a theater filled with glorious music, tap dancing, and riotous laughter, we asked a simple question: Where do you want to go with us? You answered clearly: full speed ahead! Thanks to a $6,000 matching fund from Friends of SBMT, your generosity didn’t just meet the moment; it pushed us beyond our goal. Together, you gave over $7,000, unlocking the full match and bringing the total raised to over $13,000. That support helps fund our live orchestra, set construction, artist stipends, and much more. We are deeply grateful to everyone [...]

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