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»CA.PERFORMING ARTS Globe Theater presents the plays of Shakespeare as well as works by the likes of Arthur Miller and a late, great local, Dr. Seuss. Los Angeles boasts the Center Theatre Group, now with three stages— The Mark Taper Forum, and Kirk Douglas and Ahmanson theaters—presenting everything from ground-breaking musicals (such as Randy Newman's Harps & Angels) to solo performance. Los Angeles features dozens of impressive small companies, such as the profound Blank, Cornerstone, Open Fist and Actor's Co-op. San Francisco might be called California's theater capital. Home of the legendary American Conservatory Theater (ACT, which premiered Angels in America), the city offers live performance for every taste. Z Space, Word4Word, Aurora and the Shotgun Players are just a few of the city's native companies—not to mention the famed San Francisco Mime Troupe, now in its 52nd season. For superb solo performance, The Marsh ("A breeding ground for new performance") has built a solid reputation with its four small theaters in both San Francisco and Berkeley. And while we're in the East Bay, don't overlook "Cal Shakes"—the California Shakespeare Company— with its gorgeous open-air venue in the Orinda hills. Other terrific theaters include the South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, the San Jose Repertory and the Sacramento Theater Company. Symphonies, Opera & Ballet Designed by legendary architect Frank Gehry and opened in 2003, the Walt Disney Concert Hall was designed to be one of the most acoustically perfect performance venues on earth. It's certainly one of the most striking buildings in the world, from both inside and out—as well as the home of the renowned and innovative Los Angeles Philharmonic. California's other preeminent orchestra is of course the San Francisco Symphony, under the musical direction of gifted conductor Michael Tilson Thomas, at home in 34 2 013 travel guide to c al ifo r n i a Davies Symphony Hall. But California's two main cities don't have a monopoly on great music; San Diego, Sacramento, Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara all support superb orchestras of their own. A century ago, the pride of every city was its opera house. Still a rarefied pleasure, opera maintains an enormous following across California, with no less than ten opera and operetta companies across the state—three in the LA area alone. The San Francisco Opera and Los Angeles Opera are two of the four largest opera companies in the United States, with global reputations for set design and excellence—but don't overlook the renowned Long Beach Opera, now entering its fourth decade. Ballet in the Golden State has an equally impressive pedigree. The San Francisco Ballet, founded in 1933, was the first professional ballet company in the United States. The California Ballet Company in San Diego has attained a stellar international reputation, and remains the largest professional ballet company in Southern California. Celebrating its seventh anniversary in the 2013 season, the Los Angeles Ballet is a promising new addition to the scene, as well as the reinvigorated Oakland Ballet. Jazz It's impossible to review all of California's live music venues in so little space, so here is a sampler of the state's very best jazz clubs: revered Yoshi's Jazz Club in San Francisco and Oakland; Kimball's East and the 57th Street Gallery, also in Oakland; the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz; Steamers Café in Fullerton; the Baked Potato and Catalina in Hollywood; and The Torch Club (for Blues) in Sacramento. Circus & Cabaret Founded by the late Clifford Vargas, the Circus Vargas is California's largest home-grown circus, featuring a vast Italian-made Big Top that covers 90,000 square feet and requires 30 people to set up and pull down. The Cirque du Soleil is also a frequent visitor to the state, with scheduled appearances in most of the major cities. In San Francisco, the ever-popular Teatro ZinZanni cirque and cabaret will re-open in their huge new Embarcadero tent in early 2013. CA JEANNENE HANSEN THE MARSH SF; OPPOSITE: COURTESY OF LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC ASSOCIATION (2); CIRCUS VARGAS; YOSHI'S JAZZ CLUB COMEDIAN WILL DURST performs at The Marsh, below.