Near the Limelight: Great Inns for California Theatre-Goers

SACRAMENTO, CA [November 4, 2013] -- This fall, the curtain opens for many theatre production seasons on stages throughout California. Travelers can find the perfect post-performance place to stay with the California Association of Boutique and Breakfast Inns (CABBI).  Below are just some of the California inns offering rooms close to the action; many also offer special discounts and perks for theatre-goers.

In Laguna Beach, the storylines for Casa Laguna Inn & Spa and The Laguna Playhouse run a parallel course: they were both founded in October 1920, both rose from meager beginnings, and both now offer first-rate experiences.  As a professional theatre, the Laguna Playhouse has built a national reputation for the quality of its work.  Opening December 3 is A Christmas Memory, based on the short story by Truman Capote. Other shows for this year’s season include: Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks, Ring of Fire, All the Great Books Abridged and The Year of Magical Thinking. Casa Laguna Inn & Spa’s management and staff are regulars at the playhouse and always pleased to help prospective guests obtain tickets. With its Mission-style architecture, lush terraced gardens and sprawling views of the ocean, the inn evokes the romance of an earlier era when Laguna Beach was an emerging artist colony and a hideaway for film stars. 

The Victorian Inn is located one block from the Ferndale Repertory Theatre, which is the North Coast’s oldest and largest resident community theatre.  The Music Man opens November 29 and runs through December 22. Other performances rounding out the company’s 2013-2014 season include The Man Who Came to Dinner, Monte Python’s Spamalot and The Dixie Swim Club.  On performance nights, the Victorian Inn provides complimentary theatre tickets to overnight guests of the inn who dine at the VI Restaurant prior to curtain time. The 1890s inn combines romantic historic accommodations with thoroughly modern amenities including luxurious vintage furnishings and private baths.

Just a mile away from the Mill Rose Inn, the Coastal Repertory Theatre has been bringing quality theatre to the coastal hamlet of Half Moon Bay since 1986.  The company’s 2013-2014 season begins November 22 with the opening of the Winter Wonderettes.  Other season highlights include A.R. Gurney’s Love Letters, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, and Oliver, Lionel Bart’s musical adaptation of Dickens’ Oliver Twist.  The Mill Rose Inn is an AAA Four-Diamond award-winning inn, exuding Old World elegance and romance amid picture-perfect English gardens.  Guests staying two or more nights who attend a Coastal Repertory Theatre performance will receive $25 off their bill. 

In Sacramento’s vibrant Midtown, the Amber House is a just mile from the critically-acclaimed B Street Theatre and offers a special theatre package.  With contemporary productions ranging from popular classics to first-time debuts, B Street Theatre is recognized as one of Northern California’s top professional theatres.  Through November 17, the company presents the West Coast premiere of Lisa D’Amour’s Obie Award-winning comedy Detroit on the Mainstage.  The Amber House’s theatre package includes one night in a Jacuzzi room and two tickets to a B Street Theatre performance. Package prices are $214 plus tax Sunday through Thursday and $249 plus tax Friday through Saturday.  For more the 20 years, Amber House has provided discerning guests with the perfect blend of elegance, comfort, and hospitality.  It is located within walking distance to Sacramento’s finest restaurants, shops, galleries and entertainment.  

The McCaffrey House Bed & Breakfast Inn is nestled in a quiet forest hollow of the High Sierras, but it’s only 15 minutes from a choice of three playhouses.  The venerable Sierra Repertory Theatre presents plays on two nearby stages.  Harvey is currently playing at Fallon House through November 24.  Next up, It's a Wonderful Life - A Live Radio Play will take the stage at East Sonora November 15 - December 22.  Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Stage 3 Theatre Company in Sonora has evolved into one of the region’s theatrical powerhouses.  A holiday murder mystery, The Game’s Afoot, will open November 15.  The McCaffrey House Bed & Breakfast features elegant guest rooms with handmade Amish quilts, fire stoves, private baths, and exquisite views of the forest surrounding the inn.

In the heart of Sonoma County, The Gables Wine Country Inn is close to a number of performing arts stages.  The Sixth Street Playhouse in Santa Rosa presents shows on two stages in a beautifully renovated, century-old brick warehouse.  One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is currently running in the G.K. Hardt Theatre, followed by A Christmas Story opening November 29.  In the intimate studio theater, The 39 Steps opens November 15.  The Green Music Center on the campus of Sonoma State University presents a number of symphonic and jazz performances for their 2013-2014 season. In addition, the Wells Fargo Center for The Arts hosts a variety of big-name performances throughout the year. The Gables Wine Country Inn is a beautifully restored Victorian mansion on a lush and tranquil three-acre estate. 

There are three theatre playhouses within a ten minute drive of Martine Inn in Pacific Grove. The Pacific Repertory Theatre is a professional ensemble that presents live plays and musicals on three different stages.  Spamalot will open in November 21 in the Golden Bough Theatre followed by The Legends of Rock and Roll in December.  Monterey Peninsula College Theatre Company is a college program training students in the performing arts and presents plays and musicals on two stages.  Huckleberry Finn opens November 7 in the Studio Theatre. A third performance group, The New Wharf Theater, features local talent and presents plays and musicals on Fisherman’s Wharf each summer.  The Martine Inn features spectacular ocean views, antique furnishings, and luxurious guest rooms with fireplaces and clawfoot tubs.

The historic Benbow Inn in Garberville is just a short drive to the Mateel Community Center, which has fostered the arts in rural Northern California for over 30 years. Serving as the cultural hub of the Southern Humboldt community, the center presents a myriad of musical, theatrical, dance, comedy, film and craft events which have earned the non-profit organization statewide, national and international acclaim. Guests of the Benbow Inn who attend events at the Mateel Community Center can request a free room upgrade.  The upgrade is applied at the time of check-in and is based on availability. The elegant English Tudor-style inn features an award-winning dining room and wine cellar and is located along the banks of the Eel River near Benbow Lake State Recreation Area.

For more information about these and other California inns, visit www.cabbi.com.

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