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Continue reading →: Review: Broadway San Jose’s ‘Once’ is a powerful musical experience
“How do you say, ‘Do you still love him’ in Czech?” It’s a critical question that Guy asks Girl in “Once,” the Tony Award winning musical that makes a stop in San Jose through Sunday, April 26th. And it’s a question at the heart of this scintillating production, a question…
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Continue reading →: Review: Irreverent romp ‘The Book of Mormon’ is a whole lot of fun
If organized religion can be considered a sacred cow, consider “The Book of Mormon,” a delightfully cheery butcher shop. There is nothing held sacred in the bouncy and peppy musical, brought to the stage by the creators of “South Park” and “Avenue Q,” and the results of the show were…
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Continue reading →: Review: ‘M. Butterfly at City Lights a searing spectacle
The shadows fill the air with mystery. Soft blues and curvy silhouettes create palpable intrigue, one that scintillates with curiosity. Filling those curves is Song Liling, a young Chinese opera singer who captivates Rene Gallimard, a civil servant who works for the French embassy in China. The intrigue for Gallimard…
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Continue reading →: Ncube is living the dream in SHN’s ‘Book of Mormon’
To say that Alexandra Ncube is living the dream would be an understatement of epic proportions, comparable to making a statement such as “Phantom of the Opera is having a nice little run on Broadway.” Ncube (pronounced Noo-beh). will burst into San Francisco on Wednesday, April 15th, a little more…
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Continue reading →: South Bay’s Palac tackles title role in Stage 1’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’
Local actor/singer Brian Palac and popular prophet Jesus Christ have a few things in common. No not the miracles part and no, not the part where God’s his dad. Their connection has more to do with food. It was nothing Palac noticed right away. While Jesus famously fed thousands loaves…
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Continue reading →: San Jose Stage’s King gears up for iconic role in ‘Death of a Salesman’
There are certain actors who, if their careers last long enough, find themselves in the throes of a specific pantheon of roles when reaching a certain age. Characters like Hamlet and King Lear are only reserved for actors who reach a certain level in their development. The same goes for…
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Continue reading →: Milton flying high with world premiere of ‘Enemies: Foreign and Domestic’
Patricia Milton is on a cloud. The prolific Bay Area playwright is currently running her new show “Enemies: Foreign and Domestic” at the Berkeley City Club through this weekend, closing Sunday, March 29th. Her play is an exploration of the secret wars that have taken place in Africa. And despite…
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Continue reading →: Review: Crowded Fire’s ‘Edith’ a warm and gentle story of family and love
There are many moments in the Crowded Fire Theater production of “Edith Can Shoot Things and Hit Them” that are significant, but one stands out for me. It is a moment of discovery for both Kenny and Benji. They are discovering their love, which is of the forbidden variety –…
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Continue reading →: Review: Broadway San Jose’s ‘Cinderella’ a lush, warm fairy tale
There is such warmth and charm in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Cinderella.” It incorporates a sweet storyline, with songs that are sappy and sugary, and choreography that is lush and fluid. The show is making its regional debut through Broadway San Jose, the only Bay Area city on this first national…
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Continue reading →: Andino’s path leads him through the Bay Area in Broadway San Jose’s ‘Cinderella’
When David Andino first thought of a career in the theatre, there were plenty of shows he might have believed he was a good fit for. “Cinderella” wasn’t one of them. He would never be cast as a prince. Playing Cinderella was probably not going to happen. There is the…
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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