Best Performing Arts

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Back to CaliforniaBest of California: Performing Arts

The San Francisco Opera (tel. 415/864-3330): This world-class company performs at the War Memorial Opera House, modeled after the Opéra Garnier in Paris. The season opens with a gala in September and runs through December. This was the first municipal opera in the United States, and its productions and members have been acclaimed throughout the world.

The San Francisco Symphony (tel. 415/864-6000): The symphony is such a hot ticket, it's hard to get a seat in advance. If your concierge doesn't have any tricks up his or her sleeve, you can always try to buy tickets at the door, and someone is usually attempting to sell theirs at the last second.

The American Conservatory Theater (San Francisco; tel. 415/749-2ACT): The A.C.T. is one of the nation's leading regional theaters. It has been called the American equivalent of the British National Theatre, the Berliner Ensemble, and the Comédie Française in Paris.

The Monterey Jazz Festival (tel. 831/373-3366): When the third weekend of September rolls around, the Monterey Fairgrounds draws jazz fans from around the world. The 3-day festival (which usually sells out a month in advance) is known for the sweetest jazz west of the Mississippi.

The Hollywood Bowl (Los Angeles; tel. 323/850-2000): This iconic outdoor amphitheater is the summer home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, a stage for visiting virtuosos -- including the occasional pop star -- and the setting for splendid fireworks shows throughout the summer.

Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters (Laguna Beach): These events draw crowds to the Orange County coast every July and August. Begun in 1932 by a handful of painters, the festival has grown to showcase hundreds of artists. In the evening, crowds marvel at the Pageant of the Masters' tableaux vivants, in which costumed townsfolk pose inside a giant frame and depict famous works of art, accompanied by music and narration.

The Old Globe (San Diego; tel. 619/239-2255): This Tony Award-winning, three-theater complex, fashioned after Shakespeare's original stage, celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2005. It has launched Broadway hits such as Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Full Monty, and Into the Woods, and has billed such notable performers as John Goodman, Hal Holbrook, and Ellen Burstyn. In 2004, the theater revived its outdoor summer Shakespeare Festival, featuring three of the Bard's plays in nightly rotation.