SAN DIEGO, CA – May 14, 2026 – San Diego Musical Theatre, the only year-round musical theatre
nonprofit organization in San Diego, today announced the launch of an urgent fundraising campaign,
“The Show Must Go On!”, aiming to raise $100,000 by June 30 to sustain its upcoming production of
Rock of Ages.
After the pandemic, the Horton Grand Theatre, where San Diego Musical Theatre produced its
shows, permanently closed, forcing the organization to consolidate production in a smaller space in
Kearny Mesa. Producing in a small venue with limited seating, coupled with rising production costs
following the pandemic, has outpaced earned revenue from ticket sales and donations. Due to
proposed arts and culture funding cuts by the City of San Diego, San Diego Musical Theatre stands
to lose approximately $72,000 in funding, further deepening the organization’s financial challenges.
After almost 20 years serving our city, San Diego Musical Theatre will not be able to move forward
with Rock of Ages without community support to bridge the current financial gap.
San Diego Musical Theatre provides artistic opportunities to over 300 artists annually, including
Actors, Directors, Choreographers, Music Directors, Set Designers, Costume Designers, Lighting
Designers, Sound Designers, Property Masters, Hair and Wig Designers, Stage Managers, Audio
Engineers, Deck Crew, Spot Operators, Dressers, Teaching Artists, Interns, Staff, and more. Keeping
talented artists in San Diego keeps our city vibrant and successful. The loss of a year-round musical
theatre organization will shrink opportunities for these artists, who will likely leave San Diego in search
of sustainability.
Erin Lewis, one of San Diego Musical Theatre’s founders and CEO, stated, “SDMT has been deeply
impacted by rising production costs since the pandemic, the City of San Diego cutting our arts
funding, and a decline in available grants. Even with the generosity of our loyal donors, the financial
burden has reached an unsustainable level. We are launching an emergency campaign to raise
$100,000 to ensure Rock of Ages can take the stage.” Without immediate support, Rock of Ages,
which has a cast, musicians, creatives, and designers ready to start rehearsals in July, faces
cancellation.
Founded in 2007 by Erin and Gary Lewis, San Diego Musical Theatre is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
dedicated to producing Broadway-quality musical theatre, nurturing local talent, fostering the next
generation of artists and enriching the cultural landscape of San Diego. Through its productions and
youth musical theatre education program, The Academy, the company engages
approximately 19,000 patrons annually.
