By Dave Kempa
Ready for those long, hot summer solstice Sacramento evenings? Or would you like to enjoy this month’s spectacular live local theater in cool auditoriums?
There is no shortage of plays to choose from this June. From a tale of friendship that stems from a shared love of living basketball legend Lebron James, to an adaptation of the classic novel “Little Women” and the timeless musical favorite “Hello, Dolly!,” this summer has something for everyone.
When the campers settle into bed, the counselors congregate around a fire, crack open some beers and share scary stories over s’mores. It’s a tale as old as time. But something is different this summer, in this camp, as these leaders of tomorrow navigate not just their weedy interpersonal lives, but also the impending arrival of something for which they are hopelessly, tragically unprepared. In 2021, Time Out New York raved over this brilliant story as “the coolest new play you probably can’t see.” Well, aren’t we lucky to have a community theater on Del Paso Blvd eager to tell us this tale?
Venue: Big Idea Theatre, 1616 Del Paso Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95815
Dates: June 6-28
Cost: $20
Tickets: https://bigideatheatre.ludus.com/index.php?sections=events
This season, another Sacramento production takes on the devastation of the AIDS pandemic. “Before It Hits Home” follows Wendel, a jazz player facing a painful reality as he struggles to share his diagnosis with his fiancee Simone, who is pregnant, his married lover Douglas and finally his parents. Local actor Conrad Crump leads, and if his stirring performance as Lincoln in “Topdog/Underdog” last season is any indicator, you’re not going to want to miss this one.
Venue: Celebration Arts, 2727 B St., Sacramento, CA 95816
Dates: June 6-27
Cost: $15-$25
Tickets: https://celebrationarts.vbotickets.com/event/BEFORE_IT_HITS_HOME/143289
Joy and Ron are out celebrating their anniversary when they decide on a whim to test out some relationship exercises in a self-help book written by their best friend. What could possibly go wrong? This riotous romantic comedy — winner of the 2024 New Comedies Festival — promises to bring the laughs with wild revelations and whip-smart wit. Bring a date, but steer clear of any relationship exercises over drinks afterwards.
Venue: The Sofia, Home of B Street Theatre, 2700 Capitol Ave., Sacramento 95816
Dates: June 11 – July 6
Cost: $23-$35
Tickets: https://bstreettheatre.org/mainstage/advice/
Luisa May Alcott’s enduring classic comes to life this summer in Folsom in the form of a musical. Follow Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March as they navigate their path toward adulthood in Civil War America. Jo is dying to become a published author, and her friend Professor Bhaer urges her to improve her work and write more for herself. Taking advice as a writer is not easy, but Jo pushes forward, telling her family’s tale not just on paper — but also in song.
Venue: Sutter Street Theatre, 717 Sutter St., Folsom, CA 95630
Dates: June 13 – July 13
Cost: $21-$30
Tickets: https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/sutterstreettheatre/5276
Put on your Sunday clothes and sing along to the musical classic that somehow still stirs emotions over 60 years after it changed Broadway forever. We all need a show that just shines with joy every once in a while, and “Hello, Dolly!” delivers with upbeat tunes, spectacular choreography and of-an-era costumes. Follow matchmaker Dolly Levi as she once more finds love for herself while helping wealthy shopkeeper Horace Vandergelder seek out a partner of his own.
Venue: UC Davis Health Pavilion, 1419 H St., Sacramento, CA 95814
Dates: June 20-26
Cost: $58-$130
Tickets: https://my.broadwaysacramento.com/1645/1685
Mixing Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel with the 1996 Disney classic might sound like a peculiar choice, but Peter Parnell’s English-language adaptation had critics raving after its 2014 debut. Follow hunch-backed Quasimodo — bell-ringer of the famed Notre Dame — as he escapes for a day to partake in the festivities of the Feast of Fools. He is devastated to find that everyone treats him cruelly, except for a beautiful Romani woman named Esmeralda. Bring your kids to this timeless tale of love and acceptance set in 15th-century Paris.
Venue: Jean Henderson Performing Arts Center, 607 Pena Dr. #10, Davis, CA 95618
Dates: June 20 – July 13
Cost: $22
Tickets: https://dmtc.vbotickets.com/event/sister_act_2025/131552
I’d be curious to know how many patrons of the stage know the heartwarming story of how a boy from Akron, Ohio, found superstardom in the NBA and brought a championship home for a Cleveland Cavaliers team that had not once known greatness in its 45-year history. In “King James,” two guys from Ohio — Shawn and Matt — form an unlikely bond through their love of “King” Lebron James. This may not seem like a play you’d expect to see at Capital Stage, but when they explore how sports touch our lives and relationships, they tend not to miss (see: their 2018 production of “The Wolves”).
Venue: Capital Stage, 2215 J St., Sacramento, CA 95816
Dates: June 25 – July 27
Cost: $41-$56
Tickets: https://capstage.org/the-plays/king-james/
This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics and protocols, the city had no editorial influence over this story and no city official reviewed this story before it was published. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Hmong Daily News, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review and Sacramento Observer. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.
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