San Francisco Theater Tips and Recommendations

Find the best San Francisco theater options, how to get tickets and tips for visiting the Golden Gate Theater, the Orpheum San Francisco and more.

I absolutely love the theater and it's one of my favorite San Francisco entertainment choices. I tend to go to a San Francisco show about once a month (sometime more!). Along the way, I've picked up a number of tips for finding the great shows, picking up great tickets and how to enjoy the overall experience.

Beach Blanket Babylon

Most people that ask about San Francisco shows tend to want to know more about Beach Blanket Babylon. It's one of the long standing shows in San Francisco and is popular with both tourists and locals.

I have a complete write up of this San Francisco theater show, what to expect and more in my North Beach San Francisco section. I'd highly recommend this show since it's a great nightlife San Francisco option.

Golden Gate Theater

The Golden Gate Theater San Francisco is one of the most recognized San Francisco theater venues. It's located right off Market and Taylor Streets near Union Square San Francisco. The theater has been around and providing San Francisco entertainment for over 80 years.

This San Francisco nightlife option has had a number of great shows. The events here usually play for a few months. There is then a break of a couple of months before the next show begins. During the break, the new scenery is put in place and the cast is practicing up before the big opening.

The last show I saw at this San Francisco theater was South Pacific. The next show at this theater has not been announced yet, so I'll update you once that information is available.

The tickets on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at this theater are always the most expensive. For shows at this theater, the tickets run from around $30 to $99 depending on the day of the week and your location in the theater.

If you are in town on a week night and there is a show you want to see, it's best to find and buy a ticket for the show on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday nights to save a little money. There is also a Wednesday matinee at 2pm.

Another thing the Golden Gate Theater usually does is sell first come, first served tickets two hours before the show. This is how we got our tickets to see South Pacific and it only cost us $25 for the tickets.

How this works is you head to the San Francisco theater usually 2 ½ hours before the show starts, stand in line and wait for these tickets to go on sale. They have a specific number available to sell at this price and will sell all of them until they run out. These tickets are also usually cash only.

To find the latest ticket information at the Golden Gate Theater, you can check out their box office online. It provides you with all of the pricing levels in addition to being able to purchase tickets (a new window will pop-up when you click on the link).

The thing I love about this San Francisco theater is that there isn't a bad seat in the house. For South Pacific, we sat in the balcony all the way to the left. Even though the tickets were pretty cheap, the seats were still great.

Of course, the closer to the stage you sit, the better the overall experience. However, even tickets in the balcony are great. If you can get into the front section of the balcony, then your view will be even better.

Orpheum Theatre San Francisco

The Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco is another popular San Francisco theater. This theater is also located right on Market Street and is right next to a BART entrance. I've also been to this theater a number of times. I love both the shows and the decor of this beautiful building.

This San Francisco theater is so beautiful. It was built in 1926 and has housed performances since that time. The theater has been renovated a couple of times, but the interior decor is amazing. Don't forget to take some time to look around at the decor including the ceiling where there is a huge chandelier.

It's best to buy your tickets directly through the SHN box office for shows at the Orpheum (the link to this show is the same as the one above in the Golden Gate theater tickets section). When buying online, you can either have them shipped or leave them at will call to pick up when you arrive the night of the show.

You can also swing by the box office at anytime and buy tickets for your show. I'd recommend buying them in advance if you are really set on seeing this while you are in town. You also won't be charged the service fee if you purchase them in person at the box office.

Another tip for the Orpheum is around the bathrooms. This San Francisco theater is pretty old and there are few restrooms. If you need to go to the restroom during the break, you'll want to get out of your chair immediately and get in line. Many people miss the first part of the second act due to waiting in line for the restrooms.

I usually take it one step further and identify the restroom I need to get to BEFORE I sit down for the first act. I then know exactly where I need to get to once the first act is over.

Curran Theatre

The Curran Theatre San Francisco is not as well known as the two above. It's also one of my favorites, since it's more intimate and is usually a little cheaper.

This night life San Francisco option is located on Geary Street near Union Square. It's a small San Francisco theater built in 1922. Since then a number of great Broadway shows have run here.

The last show I saw here was a couple of months ago, Alfred Hitchcock's 39 Steps. It was a strange, but funny show. The scenery was very minimal, but it really worked for this San Francisco theater and the audience it draws.

Tickets for San Francisco shows at this theater usally range from around $30 to just under $100 a ticekt. You can purchase tickets for this show at the same location listed above. Again, the best time to go and get cheaper tickets is during a weeknight performance or for the Wednesday afternoon matinee.

Teatro Zinzanni San Francisco

Another unique San Francisco theater experience is Teatro Zinzanni San Francisco. It's a little pricey, but is a San Francisco night life experience that you won't forget.

Before we move forward, let me give you some history about this theater production. Teatro Zinzanni originally started in Seattle in October 1998. It was started by Norman Langill. He was inspired after seeing an interesting performance during a trip to Spain.

While pulling together the first show, he thought it would only run for a few months. The reaction in Seattle was so overwhelming that the first show ended up running and was sold out for almost 14 months.

A few years later, Langill decided to add a location for his performances in San Francisco. The response here has been just as big as Seattle.

The Teatro Zinzanni shows include a variety of different types of performances including vaudeville, cabaret, improv, cirque, divas, madmen, etc. The shows are set in a permanent tent along the waterfront in San Francisco.

The San Francisco theater performances are a little pricey, but they are chock full of entertainment. The price also includes a gourmet five-course dinner. The tickets run from around $140 to $190 a person per show. They also change an additional $12 per person on the beverage bill on the night of the show.

The Teatro Zinzanni experience is like no other. If budget is not a concern, I'd highly recommend that you book tickets to one of their shows while you are here.

The shows are very popular, so you'll want to try to book at least a couple of weeks in advance. To buy your tickets, you can go to their online box office (a separate window will pop-up for their site).

Looking for something a little different? Here are some other San Francisco nightlife options:

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