Bay Area theatre talk with a Drama Guy
One of the joys of the musical “Hairspray” is seeing the lot of ugliness that surrounds the world of 1962 Baltimore, and plunking Tracy Turnblad in the middle of it … Continue reading Review: ‘Hairspray’ at Broadway San Jose has big heart and bigger hair
One of the loveliest moments in the breathtaking aria “Una Furtiva Lagrima” from L’Elisir d’amore” by Gaetano Donizetti, is when the peasant Nemorino is convinced that the fair and wealthy … Continue reading Review: Berkeley Rep’s ‘Wintertime’ is hilarious and poignant slam poetry
Li-Leng Au is one driven performer, which has everything to do with how many miles she’s put on her car, amassing hundreds of them as she traipses all over the … Continue reading Au enjoys the commute to San Jose Stage’s ‘Great Expectations’
Los Delicados built their brand on being persistent. There wasn’t an ecosystem in place for the poetry collective’s special brand of performance in 1996, which contains a hybrid of performance … Continue reading The poetry of persistence: Los Delicados at 25 celebrate with a weekend of ‘Floricanto’
Late in the Palo Alto Players’ succulent production of Lauren Gunderson’s “The Revolutionists,” the author Olympe de Gouges engages in a debate with Black revolutionary Marianne Angelle, a fictional composite … Continue reading Review: Surrounded by plainness, ‘The Revolutionists’ at Palo Alto Players is a story full of colors
In San Francisco Playhouse’s production of “The Great Khan,” young Jayden presents a challenge to his teacher Mr. Adams. Can this very white teacher, who goes around saying racist dreck … Continue reading Review: A multitude of issues shoot through the window in S.F. Playhouse’s insightful ‘Great Khan’
There’s so much hurt that comes with viewing Shotgun Player’s extraordinary production of Tim Cowbury’s staccato script “The Claim” but it’s not pain that makes its way to the surface … Continue reading Review: Shotgun’s ‘The Claim’ has a powerful story to tell
Since 1974, “Beach Blanket Babylon” served as the default show for tourists coming to San Francisco. The hugely irreverent production, founded by San José State alumnus Steve Silver, followed the … Continue reading Review: High flying ‘Dear San Francisco’ soars
Has there ever been anything in the history of Broadway like “Hamilton?” Certainly, there have been gargantuan hits that took the nation by storm, and we’ll know in the near-future … Continue reading Review: Despite criticisms, ‘Hamilton’ still solid
The folks who want to keep politics out of sports are often clueless and have no idea that that’s never been the case. Calling it a “friendly” or an “exhibition” … Continue reading Review: San Jose Stage’s great ‘Great Leap’
The joy of embracing a new living situation can come with lots of banal choices, yet with each decision that speaks for those who are now ready to go fully … Continue reading Review: Horror and humor the vehicle for Crowded Fire’s fantastic ‘Displaced’
Pop music gets a bad rap. There’s delight in lyrics that are so basic, so anodyne, with pinpoint precise choreography, sharp duds and plenty of head-bopping. No groundbreaking intended, and … Continue reading Review: SF Playhouse’s ‘The Song of Summer’ hits notes, misses others
Idealism in the age of quarantine is a crazy dynamic. Spurred by racial protests throughout the nation in 2020, artists everywhere began to rethink what is possible, equitable, necessary and … Continue reading New San Francisco theatre company ‘Chikahan’ aims to tell authentic Filipinx stories
Bay Area Plays 