San Diego Musical Theatre launches emergency fundraising effort

San Diego Musical Theatre, a professional theater company that produces musicals year-round from its home in Kearny Mesa, has launched an emergency $100,000 fundraising campaign.

Founded in 2007 by Gary and Erin Lewis, the company produces stage musicals year-round, as well as musical readings and youth drama education programs.

On Saturday, the company opened its latest production, “Seussical the Musical,” with a cast of 26 adult and youth actors. Through its shows and other events, the nonprofit arts organization employs about 300 artists annually for combined audiences of nearly 19,000.

But a combination of financial challenges over the past six years have made it harder for SDMT to make ends meet.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the company operated from the Horton Grand Theatre in the Gaslamp Quarter. But when that venue closed, the company relocated to an industrial building in Kearny Mesa, which had far less seating, reducing overall ticket sales.

Meanwhile, production expenses and labor expenses have continued to grow, just as grant-making organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts have reduced funding.

The latest blow was the city of San Diego’s recent announcement that it is likely to eliminate nearly $12 million in grants to arts organizations. That would mean a $72,000 cut to San Diego Musical Theatre’s budget if the City Council votes to to approve that plan in June.

The fundraising campaign was launched May 14 in the hope of saving the company’s next planned production, “Rock of Ages,” set to run Aug. 21 through Sept. 13. The Lewises said it costs about $300,000 to mount a musical like “Rock of Ages.” They have already booked a cast, musicians and a creative and design team for the show, and rehearsals are set to begin in July.

But if SDMT cannot raise $100,000 in donations by June 30, the Lewises said the show may be canceled and any pre-sold tickets will be refunded.

"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,” said Erin Lewis, company CEO, in a statement. “Even with the generosity of our loyal donors, the financial burden has reached an unsustainable level.”

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.

This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 5:49 PM.