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Nothing much had to be changed from the Volkswagen and Birkenstock look of 1970s Ocean Beach (see Ocean Beach).

Orson Welles used the California Building (see California Building) in Balboa Park as Xanadu.

If you missed the latest Broadway show, chances are the touring company will perform at this grand theater. Featuring local talent and the world’s most acclaimed stars, the San Diego Opera stages five annual productions here. The theater is also home to the California Ballet.

Major pop artists perform from March to October in this acoustically notable open-air amphitheater. Great sight lines and giant video screens ensure a good view. Seating holds 10,000 people with room on the grass for another 10,000.

Formerly known as the Fox Theatre, a Rococo-Spanish Renaissance extravaganza built in 1929, it was to be destroyed until developers donated it to the San Diego Symphony in 1984. Now brilliantly restored, the hall hosts excellent classical music concerts.

From May to October, well-known performers of jazz, rock, comedy, blues, folk, and world music perform in an outdoor 1,350-seat amphitheater next to San Diego Bay. Special packages to Humphrey’s Restaurant and Humphrey’s Half Moon Bay Inn are available to patrons (see Humphrey’s Half Moon Inn & Suites).

Two theaters are part of the San Diego Repertory Theatre complex: the 550-seat Lyceum and the 270-seat Lyceum Space Theatre. Productions run from the experimental to multilingual performances and Shakespeare with a modern slant. In addition, the theater hosts visiting companies and art exhibitions.

San Diego’s own Gregory Peck is the general on Silver Strand State Beach (see Silver Strand State Beach).