The Bankhead Theatre

Covering The San Francisco Bay Area & Sacramento Valley Since 2001

The Bankhead Theatre • 2400 First Street, Livermore, CA 94551

Plays • Musicals • Opera • Dance

Official Website

Venue Directions

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The Bankhead Theatre also stages concerts, stand-up comedy, and variety shows. For current listings, refer to our concerts section

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Current Production

• JUN 12 - 20, 2026 •

Newsies / Musical

For Tickets & Info:

Newsies, the hit musical inspired by the real newsboys strike of 1899, bursts to life with energetic storytelling rooted in grit, friendship, and the stubborn spark of young people refusing to be stepped on. Set in New York City during a time when street kids scraped by selling papers for pennies, the musical follows a tight-knit band of newsboys who dream bigger than the narrow streets they work. When the price they must pay for their papers suddenly jumps, the group faces choices that push them out of their comfort zones and into something larger than any of them expected. Packed with high-energy choreography, fiery songs, and the scrappy humor of kids who have learned to survive by sticking together, the story builds a sense of rising tension without revealing where it leads. As the newsboys navigate tough decisions, surprising alliances, and the weight of standing up for what feels right, Newsies draws the audience into the heartbeat of a city crackling with possibility. The result is a musical that feels both classic and current, inviting viewers to root for a group of underdogs who refuse to fade quietly into the background.

Coming Soon

• OPENS AUG 1, 2026 • Spongebob The Musical The SpongeBob Musical is a lively, splash-happy musical rooted in the familiar world of the animated series. Set in the underwater town of Bikini Bottom, the story follows the ever-optimistic sponge, SpongeBob SquarePants, alongside his loyal best friend Patrick Star, their cranky neighbor Squidward Q. Tentacles, and the rest of the quirky sea-creature ensemble as they face a mounting crisis: a volcano on the verge of erupting. As panic spreads through the town, old friendships are tested and hidden strengths emerge, revealing that this undersea world is more than just sandy floors and Krabby Patties. With a score boasting songs from a motley crew of popular artists, the production balances goofy underwater hijinks with surprisingly meaningful themes about community, identity and believing in yourself. The spectacle of bold, neon-sea-color sets and costumes matched with heartfelt performances invites audiences of all ages to dive into a story where even the simplest sponge might hold the power to save the day and remind us that hope and friendship can rise from the deep.
• OPENS DEC 12, 2026 • The Nutcracker / Ballet The Nutcracker opens like a holiday card that suddenly remembers it can dance. A festive gathering, a mysterious gift, a brave young dreamer, and a world of enchantment all whirl together beneath Tchaikovsky’s shimmering score. The story begins in the glow of a Christmas celebration, where toys, family rituals, and childhood wonder seem perfectly ordinary until the night tilts into fantasy. From there, the ballet drifts into a dreamscape of toy soldiers, swirling snow, elegant sweets, and characters who seem to float in from the edge of imagination. Its magic is not built on complicated plot twists, but on mood, movement, and the feeling of being swept into a snow globe that has come alive. The dancing carries the emotion: playful one moment, graceful the next, then suddenly grand enough to make the room feel larger. For longtime ballet lovers, it offers tradition wrapped in velvet. For newcomers, it is a bright doorway into classical storytelling, where music, movement, and holiday sparkle do the talking, no translation required, only a willingness to follow the dream. Across every glittering step. Beautifully.
• OPENS JAN 16, 2027 • Come From Away / Musical Come From Away begins on an ordinary morning and then gently steers into one of the strangest, most human chapters to follow September 11. When planes are diverted to a small town in Newfoundland, thousands of stranded travelers suddenly find themselves far from home, frightened, exhausted, and dependent on strangers who never expected to become anyone’s lifeline. The musical moves quickly, almost like a living scrapbook, switching between locals, passengers, pilots, and volunteers as they stumble through confusion with coffee, phone calls, sandwiches, jokes, nerves, and kindness. What could have been heavy-handed instead becomes brisk, warm, and deeply humane. The humor matters because real people use humor when fear is too big to hold straight. The music gives the story a pulsing, communal energy, turning kitchens, buses, shelters, and airport tarmacs into places where strangers begin to recognize one another. It is not a disaster story so much as a people story, showing how decency can arrive in work boots, with casseroles, extra blankets, and no need for applause, just the instinct to help when help is needed. Immediately, generously.