Segerstrom once again takes the top award for live theater. "We are deeply honored to be recognized for this award," said Carla Cruz, Segerstrom's senior Director of Communications.
"As we prepare to celebrate Segerstrom Center's 40th anniversary next year, this recognition is especially meaningful as it comes directly from the community we are so proud to serve. This award is a testament to the incredible artists, performers, and audiences who have made Segerstrom Center a home for creativity and inspiration. Since officially opening its doors in 1986, the center has had a long history offering the best of Broadway, dance, jazz, cabaret, chamber music, headliners, family series and so much more to our Orange County community. We are grateful to our patrons for their continued support and enthusiasm, and we look forward to celebrating the arts together for many more years to come," she said.
Segerstrom's six venues include Segerstrom Hall, which accommodates 3,000 guests; the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, a multi-tiered concert hall holding up to 2,000 patrons; the Samueli Theater, a 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, comprised of the Boeing Education Lab and Studio Performance Space for education and community programs.
The center's main venue regularly features touring productions of recent Broadway hits and classic musicals, including "Some Like It Hot" and "Moulin Rouge! The Musical," both opening next month.
2. Chance Theater
Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim; 888-455-4212; chancetheater.com
For 26 years, Chance Theater has been creating intimate, thought-provoking, and engaging theater in Anaheim. "Our mission is simple but powerful: to bring people together, spark empathy, and inspire new perspectives through bold storytelling. Whether that story makes you laugh, cry, or reimagine the world around you, it's all about connection: emotional, intellectual, and personal," said Producing Associate Shinshin Tsai.
Chance Theater is a creative home for local professional and emerging artists. It offers post-show conversations or receptions after every performance, where audiences connect directly with the artists and each other. Chance Theater also offer sensory-friendly performances so neurodiverse patrons and their families can experience the magic of live theater. "We like to do things a little differently. Personal. Purposeful. Rooted in community," Tsai said.
Coming up this season are "What the Constitution Means to Me," a comedy about how the Constitution shapes lives; the musical "Scrooge!;" and "Fancy Nancy: Splendiferous Christmas," a celebration of family, resilience, and holiday flair.
Laguna Playhouse was founded as a community theater in 1920, making it one of the oldest continuously operating, not-for-profit theaters on the West Coast.
Laguna Playhouse is known for its year-round season of comedies, dramas, musicals, stand-up comedy and family fare, as well as offering youth theater camps. The theater hosts Broadway-level talent and productions and is recognized statewide for offering top-tier live performances.
In March, the Playhouse raised $370,000 at its annual gala for youth theater, technical upgrades, and to support emerging actors, said Tom Horvath, marketing director for the Laguna Playhouse.
The fall and winter mainstage productions for the 2025-2026 season include the Tony Award-winning musical comedy "A Gentlemen's Guide to Love and Murder," the comedy "Beside Myself," and "The Maltese Falcon," based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett. The season is rounded out with special performances including stand-up comedy nights, Christmas shows, and "The Linda Ronstadt Experience" in March 2026.