Each year, we ask Orange County Register readers to choose their favorite places to shop, dine, play and do business in OC.
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Here are the top picks for Best live theater:
1. Segerstrom Center
600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa; 714-556-2787; scfta.org
The Segerstrom Center again this year takes the top award for Live Theater in Best of Orange County as this cultural institution has in previous years. Segerstrom is Orange County’s largest nonprofit arts organization and it engages the community through live performances, arts-based education, and community programs.
Since opening in 1986, the center has had a long history of offering the best of Broadway, dance, jazz, cabaret, chamber music, headliners, family series, and much more. Segerstrom’s six venues include Segerstrom Hall, which accommodates 3,000 guests; the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, a multi-tiered concert hall for up to 2,000 guests; the Samueli Theater, a more intimate cabaret-style theater with a 600-person capacity; the open-air Julianne and George Argyros Plaza; the Center for Dance & Innovation/Judy Morr Theater, a multi-use black box theater; and the Education Center, for education and community programs.
A wide range of performances are on tap during the 2026-2027 season. The Broadway Series includes “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,” “The Outsiders,” “Water for Elephants,” “Buena Vista Social Club,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Maybe Happy Ending,” “Death Becomes Her,” “Jersey Boys,” “The Who’s Tommy,” “Waitress” and “The Book of Mormon.”
Also returning for the 2026-2027 season is Taste of the Arts, a six-night subscription sampler series which allows patrons to enjoy performances as well as high-quality dining near the Segerstrom Center. Performances will include a 3-4 course dinner at a local restaurant two hours before the show begins.
— Amy Bentley
2. South Coast Repertory
655 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa; 714-708-5555; scr.org
Since its founding in the early 1960s, South Coast Repertory has grown from a small local theater into a large regional powerhouse.
Artistic Director David Ivers expressed gratitude for this year’s Best of OC win. “It’s wonderful. Part of why we were recognized must be that people feel we are vital to the arts. We pride ourselves on the quality of our work and it’s inspiring when people recognize it. What separates us is quality of execution of the art on stage and the genuine heart, skill and passion of the people who work here.”
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Managing Director Suzanne Appel said, “Our goal is to keep South Coast Repertory Orange County’s home for world-class theatre that inspires human connection, from classics that feel fresh to bold new works and from popular musicals to intimate dramas.”
The 2026-2027 season features nine productions and is the theater’s largest season since 2018-19; the theater says it will continue at this level of production into the future.
3. The Laguna Playhouse
606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach; 949-497-2787; lagunaplayhouse.com
Laguna Playhouse, a repeat Best of OC winner, was founded as a community theater in 1920 and is one of the oldest continuously operating, not-for-profit theaters on the West Coast. This year, the theater is showcasing new branding and new leadership.
“Today, under the leadership of Managing Director Adele Adkins, Laguna Playhouse offers a year-round schedule of exciting plays, musicals and events, and also serves as a vital educational and community resource, offering robust arts education and engagement programs that serve students, educators and lifelong learners throughout the region,” the website states.
The fall and winter mainstage productions for the 2026-2027 season include “Wild Child,” a contemporary musical about grief, addiction, friendship and identity in a generation raised online; “The 39 Steps,” a comedy inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s classic thriller; “Rent,” the award-winning musical that follows a group of young artists navigating love, loss and survival during the AIDS crisis; and “Bonnie & Clyde,” about the infamous Depression-era outlaws.