Rent: 20thAnniversary TourJonathan Larson (Book, Music & Lyrics)SHNThe Cast of Rent: 20th Anniversary TourTwenty years ago, onto a Broadway stage burst a sexy, soaring musical daring to give unforgettable faces and personalities to seven artists struggling to survive not only their East Village poverty, but also the plague of AIDS/HIV that appeared ready to wipe out an … [Read more...] about “Rent: 20th Anniversary Tour”
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“Disgraced”
DisgracedAyad AkhtarThe StageAllison F. Rich, Damien Seperi, Kathryn Smith-McGlynn, & Jonathan Rhys Williams If in the midst of the salad course at a dinner party with friends, friendly chatter begins to be peppered by the topics of a) religion, b) ethnic origins, c) politics, then politely remember you left something burning on the stove at home and dash out … [Read more...] about “Disgraced”
“Patience”
PatienceWilliam S. Gilbert (Libretto) & Arthur Sullivan (Music)Lamplighters Music TheatreJennifer Mitchell & F. Lawrence EwingThose master geniuses of satire, rhyming lyrics, and operatic melodies -- William S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan – primed their pens and aimed their alliterative arrows at a target too conceited and flamboyant for them to ignore in the 1880s of … [Read more...] about “Patience”
“Silence! The Musical”
Silence! The MusicalJon Kaplan & Al Kaplan (Music & Lyrics); Hunter Bell (Book)Cloud 9 Theatricals In association with Lang Entertainment Group & Ray ofLight TheatreWith cute, floppy ears and paws of wool, a flock of lambs sings and dances with harmonized voices and clever steps as they warn: Homicidal freaks!Lunatics behind steel bars,Women missing … [Read more...] about “Silence! The Musical”
“Anything Goes”
Anything GoesCole Porter (Music & Lyrics)P.G. Wodehouse, Guy Bolton, Howard Lindsay & Russell Crouse (Original Book)Timothy Crouse & John Weidman (New Book)Pacific Coast Repertory TheatreJoy SherrattA trumpet, echoed by a saxophone, announces those first few notes that has everyone in the audience ready to sing along; and once the classic hits start tumbling one … [Read more...] about “Anything Goes”
“Daniel’s Husband”
Daniel’s HusbandMichael McKeeverNew Conservatory Theatre CenterDaniel Redmond, Nathan Tylukti, John Steele Jr. & Michael MonagleThere are Hallmark-like phrases that pop up daily in our lives on one of those obnoxious Facebook-posted posters that that we habitually ignore, scrolling quickly to a much more interesting cat video or picture of someone’s latest meal. “Live … [Read more...] about “Daniel’s Husband”
“Fun Home”
Fun HomeJeanine Tesori (Music); Lisa Kron (Book & Lyrics)Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison BechdelCurran Theatre “My dad and I both grew up in the same small Pennsylvania town.And he was gay,And I was gay,And he killed himself,And I became a lesbian cartoonist.”Kate Shindle & Robert PetkoffAs blunt and bleak as this summation appears, the musical that fills out the … [Read more...] about “Fun Home”
“Native Son”
Native SonNambi E. Kelley (Adapted from the Novel by Richard Wright)Marin Theatre CompanyDane Troy, Ryan Nicole Austin, C. Kelly Wright, Jerod Haynes & William Hartfield Collapsing a novel that is often listed in the top 100, most significant novels of the Twentieth Century not only into a play but also into a split-second-long setting within the main character’s … [Read more...] about “Native Son”
“Cabaret”
CabaretJoe Masteroff (Book); John Kander (Music); Fred Ebb (Lyrics)Hillbarn Theatre Keith Pinto & Jessica MaxeySince its 1966 Broadway debut and its initial eight Tonys, the inspiring hit Cabaret has continued to evolve through several major, award-winning revivals in both New York and London, becoming ever darker, starker, and rawer with each new … [Read more...] about “Cabaret”
“Finding Neverland”
Finding NeverlandJames Graham (Book); Gary Barlow & Eliot Kennedy (Music & Lyrics)SHNThe Cast of "Finding Neverland"Before J.M. Barrie begins putting pen to paper for his most famous of plays, into his 1903 London life enter four boys who pretend Kensington Park is their own special island – boys who crow like a rooster, play pirates and Indians, and imagine what … [Read more...] about “Finding Neverland”
“The King and I”
The King and IRichard Rodgers (Music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (Lyrics & Book)Based upon the novel Anna and the King by Margaret LandonSHNJose Llana & Laura Michelle KellyWhen a gloriously played overture pours forth hit after hit right out of the Great American Songbook, there is no doubt that the musical to follow is likely to be an evening to be savored. If the … [Read more...] about “The King and I”
“The Diary of Anne Frank”
The Diary of Anne FrankFrances Goodrich & Albert HackettNewly Adapted by Wendy Kesselman(Based upon Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl)Palo Alto Players Roneet Aliza Rahamim (Anne) and Cast of "The Diary of Anne Frank"For a while, we forget the family’s eventual demise as we settle down to watch The Diary of Anne Frank emerge from the pages on which the Anne in … [Read more...] about “The Diary of Anne Frank”
“The Lion King”
The Lion KingElton John & Tim Rice (Music & Lyrics)Roger Allers & Irene Mecchi (Book)Lebo M., Mark Mancina, Jay Rifkin, Julie Taymor, Hans Zimmer (Additional Music & Lyrics)SHNBuyi Zamu as RafikiNineteen years and still running on both Broadway and in Tokyo. Eighteen years in the West End of London and sixteen years in Hamburg, Germany. Extended runs … [Read more...] about “The Lion King”
“The Hard Problem”
The Hard ProblemTom StoppardAmerican Conservatory Theatre Dan Clegg as Spike & Brenda Meaney as HilaryWhen a baby is born, does the human come into the world ready to put the welfare of others ahead of self; or is the infant already geared up to look out for self above all else? Is the consciousness that the baby-turned-toddler-turned-child eventually acquires a … [Read more...] about “The Hard Problem”
“Outside Mullingar”
Outside MullingarJohn Patrick ShanleyTheatreWorks Silicon ValleyJessica Wortham and Rod BroganLong-time paired relationships and one long time in the making are the heart and soul of John Patrick Shanley’s sweet, sentimental, and totally satisfying romantic comedy, Outside Mullingar. Nominated for 2014 Tony Award Best Play, Outside Mullingar now receives its regional … [Read more...] about “Outside Mullingar”
