Theater Review: ‘Three Sisters’ – The classic that should have been
Greg MacKellan and the entire company must be congratulated for reviving an unfairly discarded masterpiece that will undoubtedly receive (finally) the recognition, accolades and large-scale treatment that it so richly deserves. Bravo!
Rattling Chains: A Christmas Carol opens in San Jose
Part of the reason it plays so strongly to our sense of nostalgia for a life never experienced is that Dickens was writing to revive Christmas traditions that he feared were lost. This ups the ante, with Dickens being Dickensian, before ere the word was coined.
Bay Area Stages: Christmas Edition (plays you don’t want to miss!)
A round-up of some of the top holiday productions across the San Francisco Bay Area including A.C.T., Berkeley Rep, San Jose Rep, TheatreWorks, Magic Theatre, SJ Stage, and more.
Broadway by the Year wins converts
Christina Bianco’s channeling of everyone from Streisand to Judy Garland, Patti Lupone, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, and Celine Dion to perform “Caberet” was spot on perfect. One suspects that even Patty Lupone would approve.
San Francisco: Carey Perloff’s ‘Higher” receives prestigious award
Next February’s world premiere production wins the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation Theatre Visions Fund Award.
Order, balance, transformation and beauty: PBO does Italy
If your point of reference to recorder music is the more staid Renaissance music, Verbruggen’s performance will stand such notions on their head. She propelled the Sammartini forward with the vivacity and exuberance that makes this music seem like such a gift.
Review: ‘Period of Adjustment’ – Extraordinary cast brings Tennessee Williams to life
Despite being a more overt comedy, Williams doesn’t shy away from his serious recurring motifs of familiar dysfunction, homosexuality and sexual repression.
Theater Review: ‘The Soldier’s Tale’ at Aurora, Berkeley
L. Peter Callender has such compelling physical presence that he could probably make folding the laundry mesmerizing. With a quality of motion comparable to Ben Vareen, he’s fascinating to watch even when he removes himself from the action to linger by the entrance.
Review: ‘Annapurna’ at Magic Theatre, San Francisco
All I could think was: Holy crap. Holy crap! Holy...crrrrrap!! Rod Gnapp is most assuredly, along with James Carpenter, one of the Bay Area's greatest, working stage actors.
Review: Double tragedy in compelling ‘Parade’
In addition to the talent on stage, the material works because it is honest. There are no black and whites, and certainly no triumphant HAIR-like, balls-to-the-walls jumping jacks.
