Feature: 7 Valentine's Day Theater Date Ideas in the San Francisco Bay Area!

If you're still looking for something special to do on Valentine's Day, why not attend some live theater? The Bay Area has an abundance of options, whether you're looking for a romantic evening out, hoping to spend time with a good friend, or just want to treat yourself to a night on your own and leave the Valentine's mishegas to others. Here are 7 shows to check out depending on your own tastes:

1) If you love classic musical theater: She Loves Me at South Bay Musical Theater in Saratoga. This one's a no-brainer for Valentine's Day. It is a funny and charming tale about a workplace rivalry that blossoms into romance, and features the best score Harnick & Bock ever wrote (and given that they also wrote "Fiddler on the Roof" that's saying something!). You'll leave the theater on a romantic cloud. Tickets and more info can be obtained at southbaymt.com.

2) If you're a bibliophile and want to spend a LOT of time with your partner: Gatz at Berkeley Rep. Elevator Repair Service brings their acclaimed version of F. Scott Fitzgerald's hauntingly romantic masterpiece "The Great Gatsby" to Berkeley following rapturously-received runs in New York, London and Sydney. They perform the entire book and the show runs over six hours, plus a dinner break, so performances start at 2:00pm. Happily, Valentine's Day this year falls on the Friday of a 3-day weekend so - hey, you were planning to leave work early that day anyhow, right? Check it out at berkeleyrep.org.

3) If you prefer something a little looser and more unpredictable: Valentine's Day Love, San Francisco Style by BATS Improv @ Fort Mason. The famed improv troupe promises a night of short and medium length improvised love stories in every age, at every stage, and wherever else audience suggestions might take them. Learn more at improv.org.

4) If the default heteronormative vibe of Valentine's Day drives you a little nuts: You'll Catch Flies at New Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. This world premiere comedy-drama takes place at a cocktail party where the sparks fly when J's estranged best friend/crush/whatever Marcos is back in town. Find tickets and more info at nctcsf.org.

5) If you want to relive what it felt like to fall in love for the first time: The Fantasticks @ 3Below Theater, San Jose. This little-musical-that-could is a real charmer that ran Off-Broadway for a record 17,162 performances. It's a romantic fable about a boy, a girl, their parents, and the wall that keeps them apart. The great Jones & Schmidt score includes top-notch songs like "Try to Remember." Go to 3belowtheaters.com for tickets and info.

6) If you're something of a diners, dives and drive-ins type foodie: Five Course Love at Lucky Penny in Napa. In this original musical, three actors play fifteen different characters in five different restaurants, all on the hunt for one true love. Find out more at luckypennynapa.com.

7) If you find most musical theater a little too sappy for your tastes: Urinetown: The Musical at Landmark Musical Theatre in San Francisco. For Valentine's Day - Are you kidding?! Actually, the idea isn't nearly as crazy as it sounds. Yes, the show imagines a dystopian world where an evil corporation charges citizens for the most basic of human needs, "the privilege to pee," but the story also has a gloriously off-beat romance at its heart. And the show is very, very funny. Go to landmarkmusicals.com for info and tickets.

However you end up spending your February 14th, Happy Valentine's Day!

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