This summer, after a long, hard day of sun and surf, come inside and relax with an evening of theater. Whether you are in the mood for something classical like Shakespeare or the latest in cutting-edge dance, San Diego has something for everyone.

Musicals

Broadway San Diego brings some of the best-known productions from New York City to Southern California. “Miss Saigon,” one of the most popular musicals of all time and a story about two lovers torn apart by destiny but bound by love and a child, comes to the Civic Theater from June 8 to June 13. “Movin’ Out,” the Tony Award-winning musical with songs by Billy Joel and choreography by Twyla Tharp, will be playing from June 23 to July 4. “Hairspray,” the story of a young girl in the 1960s trying to make it big, will be playing from July 6 to July 18. Winner of six Tony Awards in 2002, “Thoroughly Modern Millie” comes to San Diego from Aug. 3 to Aug. 8. Finally, the Mel Brooks musical, “The Producers,” returns from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5.

“South Pacific,” the classic American musical about soldiers stationed in the Pacific in WWII, is currently playing at Lamb’s Players Theatre through June 27. From Aug. 6 to Sept. 12, the theatre presents “Art,” the Tony Award-winning comedy about three good friends and one very expensive painting. Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster or by calling (619) 437-8904.

Plays

If musicals are not your style, check out Dennis Miller’s one-night appearance on July 31, or one of Jerry Seinfeld’s performances on Aug. 14. Tickets to any of these shows can be purchased through Ticketmaster. If you are in the mood for some offbeat comedy, check out “Breaking Legs,” the “Sopranos”-meets-“Cheers” comedy playing at North Coast Repertory Theatre July 3 through Aug. 8. For tickets to this reprisal of the 1989 hit, call the box office at (858) 481-1055. This summer, the La Jolla Playhouse will present two plays. The West Coast premiere of “Suitcase, or Those That Resemble Flies from a Distance,” an urban comedy about two young women struggling to finish their dissertations, will be playing from July 6 to Aug. 8 at the Mandell Weiss Forum. From May 25 to Aug. 1, the Mandell Weiss Theater will show “Continental Divide,” a play about a Republican and a Democrat preparing for a gubernatorial election. For tickets to either of these shows, charge by phone at (858) 550-1010 or stop by the box office.

“Bed and Sofa” is the three-person comedy adapted from the 1926 Russian silent film about a couple who takes in a friend to stay with them. However, when a new romance develops among them, new rules must be made in this original piece of musical theater playing at the Cygnet Theatre from June 5 to July 18. Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster or by calling (619) 337-1525. From June 5 to July 11, the Sledgehammer Theatre presents the West Coast premiere of “Kid-Simple,” the story of a girl who invents a machine called “The Third Ear,” which allows people to hear sounds that can’t normally be heard. Tickets can be purchased online through Ticketmaster or by calling (619) 544-1484. For those who are more interested in classics, check out “The Mousetrap,” the Agatha Christie murder mystery involving a group of suspects, including a retired judge and a flamboyant and possibly crazy artist. The show is at the Coronado Playhouse now through July 25. Tickets can be purchased by calling (619) 435-4856.

Dance

For those more interested in dance, check out “The First Annual Artist Advisory Board Showcase” from June 11 to June 13, presented by Sushi Performance and Visual Art. The show features four local artists and a guest artist from New York City who collaborate with the members of Sushi’s Board to create original works. “The Last Dance,” a part of the West Coast Contemporary Performance Festival, will run from June 24 to June 26. The final performance will be in Sushi’s home in the Carnation Project, and will feature works by several Southern California artists and a surprise guest each night. Tickets are $10 for students and $15 for the general public, and can be purchased at the door or by calling (619) 235-8466.

For the very latest in dance in San Diego, check out Lower Left’s Summer Performance Festival. Performances include “Sum+” on July 18, “Available Space” on July 23 and July 24, “Hot House: Dish It Up” on July 27 and “Hot House: Wrap Up” on July 30. Tickets range from $5 to $15 and can be purchased by calling (619) 235-8468.

Shakespeare

The Old Globe Theatre brings its popular Shakespeare festival for the summer of 2004, including “Antony and Cleopatra” from June 25 to Sept. 26, “As You Like It” from June 29 to Sept. 25 and “The Two Noble Kinsmen” from July 2 to Sept. 24. If Shakespeare is not your style, check out “Lucky Duck,” the new musical adaptation of “The Ugly Duckling” from July 10 to Aug. 15. On stage from June 12 to July 18 is “The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow,” the story of 22-year-old Jennifer Marcusm, an intelligent but socially challenged young woman who decides to build a robotic replica of herself to help discover her own sense of self. Tickets can be purchased in person at the box office, online through Ticketmaster, or by calling the box office at (619) 234-5623. No matter what kind of entertainment you like, San Diego has something to offer this summer.