Best of San Diego: Plays, Musicals, Symphonies 2015

Since this is our issue to showcase San Diego, I took an informal poll of what you all liked best over our last season around town in the performing arts. I was surprised when this led to a lot of discussions that covered some shows I didn’t think many of you made it to, as well as crowd–pleasers and award–winners. Without further adieu, here are your favorites from the last year around San Diego:

While the Old Globe San Diego seldom misses a beat (and never sleeps) while staging upwards of 15 productions a year, Shakespeare’s Othello (while actually part of the 2013–14 season) was the stand–out of the season for our readers. Richard Thomas as Iago stole the show and had people talking for months about how far he’s come from John–Boy Walton. Other Globe productions that received the most hits were Two Gentleman From Verona, Music for Two, The White Snake, and The Twenty–Seventh Man.

Down the street, the show that kept the Civic Center packed for four weeks, Wicked, was your choice for favorite touring show. This was not the first (nor do I suspect the last) time Wicked has blown through town, selling out so far in advance that getting tickets close to showtime was an act of luck.

As far as the Symphony goes, your responses were so wide–ranging that picking just one night would be like drawing a name out of the hat. Stand–out nights included:

The 2014 Opus Gala, An Evening with John Williams with Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart (who stepped in for an ailing John Williams at the last moment), and Holiday Pops: A Celtic Celebration with Grammy Award–winner and nine–time All–Ireland Fiddle Champion Eileen Ivers. But the resounding opinion is that any night spent at the Symphony is never a bad choice.

This season’s favorite comedies included The Second City Nut–Cracking Holiday Review at the La Jolla Playhouse, which was a laugh a minute and a little different every night. And Dame Edna’s Farewell Tour at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido was half–scripted with lots of improv that kept the audience in stitches.

In our poll, you chose White Christmas as your favorite musical this year. The San Diego Musical Theatre staged their final production at the North Park Theatre, their home of five years, before moving on to the Speckles Theatre to start the 2015 season.

In Dance, San Diegans couldn’t get enough of The Nutcracker. The City Ballet of San Diego had capacity–crowds at Speckles throughout the month of December and then followed up with the The Balanchine Spectacular. The City Ballet of San Diego considers it an honor to be recognized by The George Balanchine Trust as having the technical skills and artistic quality to have presented three full–length masterworks choreographed by the 20th century genius, George Balanchine.

And finally, The San Diego Opera. After 49 seasons, the former Board of Directors of The San Diego Opera tossed in the towel and wanted to close up shop, but a revolution took place behind the scenes and a reorganized San Diego Opera returned for a 50thseason, stronger than ever. This past season counts in any scorebook as a win. Mozart’s epic Don Giovanni was breathtaking in every aspect and left the audience in awe and wanting more. And thanks to the new Board, supported by a dedicated staff and the newly appointed Executive Director David Bennett at the helm, we will get more! 

As the 2015–16 season continues to bring new and exciting shows to our stages, drop us a note and tell us about what you’re seeing that shouldn’t be missed, and we’ll do the same.