Garden Grove’s Gem Theatre stays alive with musicals, intimate perfomances

Editor’s Note: This is part of a monthly feature on arts and culture offerings in Orange County, which is rich with indoor and outdoor, often inexpensive or even free, options that you might not know about.

Since staging their first production at the GEM Theatre more than 20 years ago, Nicole Cassesso, the theater’s chief executive director, and Damien Lorton, its chief artistic director, have committed themselves completely to providing patrons with top-tier productions in a polished space.

Through their production company, One More Productions, Cassesso and Lorton offer patrons several first-rate musicals a season on the main stage of the 158-seat theater, each running for about five weeks.

The GEM also presents a “Black Box Series,” offering more simplified, short-run productions that allow for more intimate, cabaret-style performances.

“You’re not going to find theater like this,” said Lorton, who first met Cassesso when he directed a performance at Newport Harbor High School, where Cassesso performed. “We have live musicians for every show. It’s amazing to see what we do.”

With balcony seating, private suites and an upstairs performance lounge, online influencers have given the GEM stellar reviews.

Some have described the theater as an intimate space with a “vintage charm” vibe.

“My new favorite playhouse,” said a recent Google review. “Hairspray 2026 rocked the house. One of the best performances that I’ve ever seen live. The acting was superb, professional and captivating.”

Upcoming productions include Sweeney Todd, which is scheduled to run through Sept. 27, followed by Bat Boy (Oct. 9–25) and Fiddler on the Roof (Nov. 12 to Dec. 20).

Past productions include Footloose, Grease, Hairspray and Damn Yankees.

“You’re very welcomed,” Cassesso said of the theater’s atmosphere. “And on top of that, you’re getting a Broadway performance.”

But the journey hasn’t always been smooth for Cassesso and Lorton — or for the theater itself.

The GEM opened in 1923 as a venue for vaudeville acts before becoming one of the first American theaters to transition to a movie house in 1932, capitalizing on the growing popularity of motion pictures.

From the 1930s to the 1960s, the GEM operated solely as a movie theater.

Falling on hard times, the movie theater closed in 1971 and remained shuttered until the city purchased the local landmark in 1979.

The city renovated the theater, transforming it back into a venue for live performances.

Multiple issues, including a lack of stable leadership and low attendance, once again forced the theater’s closure.

Cassesso and Lorton, both longtime professionals in live theater — on stage and behind the scenes — saw plenty of potential in the local landmark and rented the theater from the city in 2005.

When the city planned to demolish the building and replace it with a parking lot, Lorton and Cassesso fought successfully to save it from the wrecking ball.

“We felt like regardless of whether you give it to us, you can’t tear down this piece of history,” Cassesso said.

Lorton and Cassesso became permanent managers in 2008 when the City Council voted unanimously to award One More Productions a 10-year contract to operate the theater.

With scant funding and no staff, the pair set out to rebuild the GEM.

They undid years of neglect, repairing vandalized infrastructure and replacing stolen fixtures.

Lorton and Cassesso did the directing and marketing, ran the box office and managed the sets, props and costumes. They also overcame a 2011 fire.

“We have scrubbed every toilet. We would bake the cakes for the snack shack,” Cassesso said. “We would direct all the shows, do all the costumes, all the props, run the box office, answer the phones, do all the marketing. … I mean, everything.”

Aside from musical theater, the GEM functions today as a community hub, hosting boutiques, pet adoption events, Rotary fundraisers, weddings, funerals, cabarets and school visits.

Affordability is a core value, Cassesso said, and the GEM has a variety of ticket packages, offering discounts for seniors, veterans and educators, and discounted tickets on specific nights for Garden Grove residents, students, employees and Disney cast members.