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Continue reading →: Review: Berkeley Playhouse’s ‘In the Heights’ strives to make it to the top of the worldThere is such a lustrous energy that comes with taking in a live version of “In the Heights.” It’s a feel-good musical with conflicts that aren’t earth shattering, and resolutions that might minimize potentially large themes all in the name of big, bright showtunes and a simplistic denouement. That doesn’t…
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Continue reading →: The magic of love finds a winning ‘Formula’ at Santa Cruz ShakespeareKathryn Chetkovich’s new play “The Formula,” is getting one heck of a run in repertory at Santa Cruz Shakespeare. The show, which runs through Sunday, Aug. 28, spins firmly off William Shakespeare’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream,” implementing all the craziness that love can bring when uncertainty is thrown into the mix.…
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Continue reading →: Blanco espera acercar a los hispanohablantes el teatro a través de ‘La Lengua’Virginia Blanco recuerda la primera vez que tuvo que prepararse para una audición en inglés. El nativo argentino estaba audicionando con una pieza de “Bodas de Sangre” de Federico García Lorca. El trabajo del dramaturgo y poeta español está alimentado por la pasión, con personajes que a menudo se ven…
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Continue reading →: Blanco hopes to bring Spanish speakers to the theatre through ‘La Lengua’Virginia Blanco remembers the first time she had to prepare for an audition in English. The native Argentinian was auditioning with a piece from Federico Garcia Lorca’s “Blood Wedding.” The Spanish playwright and poet’s work is fueled by passion, with characters often being overtaken by earth-shattering circumstances. Yet, when Blanco…
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Continue reading →: Review: ‘Follies’ at SF Playhouse a treat built from nostalgia, historyThe power of Stephen Sondheim’s masterful musical “Follies” is how its characters examine their lives over the course of a lifetime, entering the twilight of their existence that often burns white-hot with regret. San Francisco Playhouse’s stellar production of such a Sondheim classic, directed smartly by artistic director Bill English,…
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Review: Uneven ‘Violet’ flashes its charm at Foothill
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Continue reading →: Review: Uneven ‘Violet’ flashes its charm at FoothillThere’s a gentle ease that begins the proceedings in the Foothill Music Theatre production of the James Clawter and Jeanine Tesori musical “Violet,” a delightful romp of a show that follows a young woman battling inner-demons and outer scars, enlisting the services of a televangelist to save her from the…
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Continue reading →: Review: Berkeley Rep’s stirring ‘Sanctuary City’ buckles its characters under the weight of circumstanceIt’s a pretty simple calculation for students who work hard in school and get good grades. You graduate high school, go to college, get a job and make money. Many pathways exist for young folks to build their futures through perseverance and books, bright students rewarded for a firm commitment…
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Review: Berkeley Rep’s stunning ‘Dana H.’ may never leave you
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Continue reading →: Review: Berkeley Rep’s stunning ‘Dana H.’ may never leave youThe surreal production of “Dana H.” may be the rare show that can only be described as indescribable. That is most certainly a good thing. But witnessing this extraordinary, wholly unique piece of theatre is to mount up onto the most harrowing journey, visceral as all get out. The play…
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Review: Despite flaws, ‘Hadestown’ at Broadway SF shimmers
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Continue reading →: Review: Despite flaws, ‘Hadestown’ at Broadway SF shimmersOne of the many strengths of “Hadestown” is its smoothness, a slick and clean narrative that moves in sweet strokes, showcasing principal performances with rich veracity. Anaïs Mitchell’s book, music and lyrics alongside Rachel Chavkin’s shimmering direction, which led to 14 Tony nominations and multiple wins including best musical of…
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Continue reading →: Review: Bilingual adaptation of ‘Romeo y Juliet’ at Cal Shakes is stellarThere is an ever-present sense of danger lurking beneath the envious moon in “Romeo and Juliet,” William Shakespeare’s tale of star-crossed lovers, each title character representing one house that despises the other. Juliet, with her radiant precociousness, has always been an odd partner for Romeo. He is one who drones…
David John Chávez
Bay Area theater critic/reporter, Executive Chair – American Theatre Critics/Journalists Association, Two-time Pulitzer Prize for Drama jurist (’22-’23). Follow me on socials and say hi! #hellatheatre
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