Shows in LA Now Playing

Santa Monica Playhouse presents the return of the Rudie-DeCarlo Family Theatre favorite, ABSOLUTELY HALLOWEEN, the heartwarming tale of the aptly named "Candy," a sweet young girl who learns some surprising lessons about life, love, laughter and sugar, from a delightful array of colorful costume-come-to-life characters who take her on a magical All Hallows' Eve adventure.

Over the course of one night, through a haze of tequila, texting, and Taylor Swift, three teenagers banter, bicker and push each other to the edge of danger - with consequences that could prove lethal.

This world premiere play examines the almost insurmountable struggle women faced to get the right to vote in America. It is 1913, and women in America have been fighting for suffrage since 1848. Now that a new Democratic President, Woodrow Wilson presides over a Democratic Congress, has the time finally come for women to win the right to vote? Hopes are high until a World War looms, and divisions among the women themselves threaten to unravel it all. If they are to succeed, it’s time for desperate measures …

This high-stakes AI thriller is wrapped in emotional urgency while questioning just how far we'll go to uncover truth and what technology can and can't help us to resolve in our relationships.

Back by popular demand and critical acclaim, Avenue Q is returning to The GEM Theatre for a second run! This hilarious, irreverent, and heartwarming musical brings a unique mix of puppets and live actors to the stage, offering a side-splitting take on the struggles of adulthood. With its unforgettable characters and fantastic music, Avenue Q tackles everything from careers and relationships to finding your purpose in a fun and relatable way. Don't forget-this show is rated for audiences 13 and older, so bring your sense of humor! Don't miss the chance to laugh, sing, and fall in love with Avenue Q all over again!

Come From Away transports you into the lives of 7,000 stranded passengers and the inhabitants of the unlikely Newfoundland town that welcomed them. Cultures clash and nerves run high, but uneasiness turns to trust, and gratitude grows into enduring friendships through this vibrant musical score. On 9/11 the world stopped and a day later their stories moved us all.

Danny showed promise as a talented writer. Crushed by publishing house rejections and a troubled past, he now ekes out a living as a street clown, entertaining children in the park. At least he gets to make them smile.

A courtroom rom-dramedy where love is on trial and the adopted child in the center of it all is...definitely not human. In their passionate, fierce, and at times, absurd battle, [X] and [Y] are forced to confront every aspect of their identities, where they fit into the world, and each other's lives.

When Abuela Julia arrives from El Salvador to live with her family in a Chicago suburb, her grandson learns to see America through his grandmother's eyes - while also teaching her to enjoy simple American pleasures. Relaying the story in the style of a late-night talk show in which the young BQ is the host and Julia (magically portrayed as a hand puppet) is his special guest, Quijada weaves a beautiful, semi-autobiographical story about the moments that move us and what calls us home.

A dramedy about friendship, family, and forgiveness, A Girl's Guilt Trip tells the story of Yolanda and Roberta, childhood friends who grow up to live identical idyllic existences until tragedy brings their worlds crashing down. Haunted by unresolved hurt and anger, the women, who are determined to fulfill their lifelong dream of visiting the Pyramids in Egypt, are forced to face the ghosts of the past in order to move forward with their futures.

GO PLAY! is a poignant comedy about three strangers and their dogs meeting for the first time at a dog park. The flamboyant show poodle, pampered Yorkie, and scrappy rescue have plenty to say behind their clueless owners' backs and often make more sense than they do. As the humans fumble through personal crises and unexpected connections, their four-legged sidekicks watch-and comment-on it all.

The notorious Duke de Richlieu wagers that he can seduce the first girl he sees. He's thwarted by the Marquise de Prie, but Gabrielle (the girl) is placed in a terrible predicament with her fiance.

Five years after her fiance is killed on their wedding day, a traumatized young woman fights to keep her promise to never leave him, while protecting her grief-stricken heart from opening for a familiar stranger.

Step into the vibrant world of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, a beloved Harlem hotspot where West African immigrant braiders work their magic on the locals’ locks. Amidst the lively buzz of a scorching summer, love ignites, dreams soar, and secrets unravel. But beneath the surface of this riotous comedy lies a current of uncertainty, pushing this close-knit community to confront the challenges of being outsiders in their own neighborhood.

This iconic play by Samuel Beckett is a journey through an old man's life, filled with hilarious memories and hopes for the future, coupled with the mourning of lost love and unfulfilled ambition.

Cameron Mackintosh presents the acclaimed production of Boublil and Schonberg's Tony Award- winning musical phenomenon, Les Miserables. This brilliant staging has taken the world by storm and has been hailed as "a reborn dream of a production" (Daily Telegraph).Set against the backdrop of 19th century France, Les Miserables tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption-a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of Les Miserables includes the songs "I Dreamed a Dream," "On My Own," "Bring Him Home," "One Day More" and many more.

Through gritty storytelling, Ruth shares dark comic monologues, interwoven with characters he's encountered while working and drinking in the seedy bars and dives of pre-Giuliani NYC. "A Life Behind Bars" has been performed in New York City, Los Angeles, Idyllwild, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin Dells and Richmond, Va. It is directed by multi award-winning performer-producer-director, Tanya Moberly.

A modern barrio fable about power, politics and the price of survival, set against a real-life scandal that unfolded last year when Norwalk imposed a ban on shelters, supportive housing, and businesses that traditionally serve the poor. Following a DUI, Juan attends his first mandated AA meeting - where he's mistaken for someone powerful and influential who might be of use to the ambitious mayor and his inner circle. Juan wields his new power to benefit himself, but soon goes too far. Can he find redemption by confessing the truth?

When Nicaraguan brothers Fíto and Bastian clash over their visions of the American Dream, their choices send them on a collision course with fate-risking not just their futures, but their bond. Fíto, a poet, is impulsive and ambitious, willing to take risks to get what he wants. Bastian, a telemarketer, is steady and principled, holding onto caution as a guide. Blending poetry, live music, and ritual, this electrifying tale of brotherhood and belonging pulses with rhythm and emotion, pulling us into a world where family is everything, but dreams come at a cost.

What if you had a second chance? What if you were a struggling 40-something couple who got a glimpse into the future and could see how it all turned out? What if you had a chance to do it all differently to try to make it work? Beth and Cal get that chance one afternoon while selling their house — as their past, present, and future all collide. The results are both hysterical and poignant.

A bold, historical sci-fi drama by Miranda Gonzalez exploring the untold stories of Mexico's Underground Railroad that brought runaway slaves from Florida and Georgia to Muzquiz, Coahuila. Eighteen-year-old Jamari is fighting an unknown illness that takes him through worlds he's never seen before, time-traveling from 1864 Mexico to today's West Side of Chicago. Unsure of where he belongs, trapped in a historical cycle, Jamari and his loved ones seek answers as they try to break free from the shackles of time.

Theatricum returns with its signature production! The most magical outdoor setting in Los Angeles becomes an enchanted forest inhabited by lovers both fairy and human. Shakespeare conjures a world of wonder, magic, and romance where comical misunderstandings and the pain of unrequited love are resolved. All is reconciled through midsummer night revelries and the enduring power of nature.

On Dec. 4, 1956, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins gathered for one night to play music-and ended up making history. Go inside one of the greatest rock 'n' roll jam sessions ever recorded with four legendary musicians. Described as "dazzling" by New York Magazine, this Tony Award-nominated musical will have you rocking down memory lane with more than 20 chart-topping hits like "Blue Suede Shoes," "Great Balls of Fire," "I Walk the Line" and "Who Do You Love."

A young coed from America encounters more challenges than she bargained for as she embarks on her junior year abroad. The once fearless, problem-solving, undaunted wunderkind astounds everyone with her ingenuity, bravery and creativity until she is confronted with the one thing she swore she'd avoid doing at all costs: fall in love. Ghosts. Magic. Art. Music. Love. Dancing. It all spins together in a sometimes humorous, sometimes chilling effervescent evening in the theater. This is a contemporary take on a beloved short story and the music style is Broadway-Pop. Perfect for the entire family.

Tennessee Williams's rarely staged The Night of the Iguana tells the story of the Reverend T. Lawrence Shannon, a defrocked minister now conducting guided tours through Mexico on the verge of a nervous breakdown. As he struggles with his connection to God and yearns to escape his own tortured existence, he is surrounded by two equally imperfect women, one of whom offers him sensuality, the other spirituality as a means of easing his tormented soul. Taking place over the course of one turbulent night at the Costa Verde hotel on the verge of a world war, the play asks what constitutes escape, what bargains are we willing to make with ourselves, and how much we yearn for real human connection - especially when we’re at the end of our rope.

A gripping new drama about two Vietnam veteran brothers who reunite after decades of silence. As buried trauma resurfaces, one seeks forgiveness, the other fights to preserve the life he's built. Premiering during the 50th anniversary of America's involvement in the Vietnam War, Parallel Process examines the long-term emotional aftermath of combat, moral injury, and family estrangement. Robert Reed Altman channels his father's M*A*S*H legacy into a riveting Vietnam War Drama, backed by heavyweight Veteran praise.

PARANORMAL INSIDE finds Max and Delia once again navigating the perilous intersection of grief, ancestry, and identity, as a sinister spirit threatens to upend the fragile peace they built five years after the events of THE BROTHERS PARANORMAL. As the boundaries between the living and the dead once again dissipate, the play explores the generational trauma and cultural legacies that linger long after the lights go out. Will they survive or be claimed by the forces that haunt their past?

The play follows Robert and Marge Dudek (played by Larry Shilkoff and Meggan Taylor), a couple in their nineties who have spent their lives in the same home since their wedding day 70 years ago. When Robert’s reluctance to discuss end-of-life planning with his three aging children becomes clear, their ex-con middle child ropes his sisters into a wild scheme to seize control of their parents' estate. Add a shady car dealer, a mysterious caregiver, and a web of deceit, and the fuse is lit for a riotous family meltdown. This laugh-packed theatrical romp, according to author Mendelson, promises an exploration of that age-old conundrum, “Where are my reading glasses and why is there Metamucil on my shirt?”

From 2024 to 2025 the number of measles cases in the US has grown almost 450%; there have been 3 deaths so far this year. Over a quarter of a million kindergarteners are not vaccinated against measles. Fewer than 40% of Americans say they trust doctors. RIGHT examines what happens when an expectant couple risks fracturing their family when they refuse to let their unvaccinated nephew near their baby, igniting a relentless battle over science, safety, and loyalty.

In Torch Song – the two-act revival of Harvey Fierstein’s award-winning Torch Song Trilogy – the life of Arnold Beckoff, a torch song-singing, Jewish drag queen living in New York City, is dramatized over the span of the late 1970s and 1980s. Torch Song follows Arnold’s odyssey to find happiness and lasting love. His desires take him on a universal journey to find a loving relationship to share his life, a child, and even a pair of bunny slippers that fit. A visit from his overbearing mother challenges his life and makes him realize that more than anything he requires respect. With fierce honesty and touching vulnerability, Torch Song is a celebration of chosen family and the enduring power of self-expression.

New York City's West Side is split between the Jets and the Sharks-but these warring gangs never imagined that two of their own could fall in love. Tenor Duke Kim is Tony, a former Jet who finds himself falling for Maria (the radiant Gabriella Reyes). But Maria is promised to another, and her brother Bernardo is more than willing to rally his Sharks to keep it that way. The two lovers dream of a happily ever after, but their neighborhood can see tragedy coming a mile away.

Heidi Schreck's timely, hilarious, and deeply felt play breathes new life into our country's most important document. Fifteen-year-old Heidi paid her college tuition by speaking in (and winning) debate competitions across the country. Now older, she resurrects her teenage self to tell the story of four generations of extraordinary women in her family whose lives were shaped by the Constitution. Nominated for two Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize finalist, Schreck's boundary-breaking play reimagines our founding document and considers how it will shape the next generation of Americans.

In 1964, as race riots blaze on the streets outside his Harlem home, painter Bill Jameson works feverishly to complete a triptych depicting his vision of Black womanhood. As he struggles to find his final inspiration, his friends discover the perfect model in Tommy, a woman they meet at a bar after she's been burned out of her home in the riots. But Jameson's artistic vision is challenged by the arrival of this unexpected muse who refuses to be bound by his shallow assumptions of all that Black womanhood can be.