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Theatre Eddys

Theatre Eddys

San Francisco Bay Area Theater Reviews

Palo Alto Players

The Play That Goes Wrong

January 30, 2023 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

The Play That Goes Wrong Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer & Henry Shields Palo Alto Players Finally, after past, short-handed productions such as Two Sisters (making for a much shorter evening of Chekhov), The Lion and the Wardrobe (forget the Witch), and Cat (a solo musical?), the Cornley Drama Society has recruited enough members to stage The Murder at Haversham … [Read more...] about The Play That Goes Wrong

Twelfth Night

June 21, 2022 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

Twelfth Night William Shakespeare Adapted by Max Tachis Palo Alto Players In his adaptation for Palo Alto Players of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Max Tachis takes the romantic comedy’s early line – “If music be the food of love, play on” – and makes a feast of it.  Even before the curtain opens, a snazzy, zippy singer with eyes that twinkle and fingers that … [Read more...] about Twelfth Night

Allegiance

April 25, 2022 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

Allegiance Marc Acito, Jay Kuo & Lorenzo Thione (Book); Jay Kuo (Music & Lyrics) Palo Alto Players With only the clothes on their backs and one tightly clutched suitcase each, shock-faced people stand shoulder-to-shoulder while riding in a cattle car to a location unknown – a destination surrounded by barbed wire in a desolate area reeking of dust and lacking … [Read more...] about Allegiance

Men on Boats

February 8, 2022 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

Men on Boats Jaclyn Backhaus Palo Alto Players Palo Alto Players opens the 2015, Off-Broadway-premiering Men on Boats in which playwright Jaclyn Backhaus seeks to entertain and enlighten us about the first government-sanctioned trip in 1869 down the Green River as it spills ripping and roaring into what we now know as the Grand Canyon.  With a twist that mirrors … [Read more...] about Men on Boats

A Doll’s House: Part 2

January 25, 2020 by Eddie Reynolds

There is nothing more magical than a night at live theatre when a brilliant script, inspired direction, and a perfectly cast set of actors combine with setting, lighting, sound, and costumes such that each makes its own unique contribution to produce as near a perfect evening as possible.  Such is how I felt as I exited Lucy Stern Theater after thoroughly enjoying every minute … [Read more...] about A Doll’s House: Part 2

“Bright Star”

September 16, 2019 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

Bright StarSteve Martin (Music, Book, Story) & Edie Brickell (Music, Lyrics, Story)Palo Alto PlayersElizabeth SantanaWhen Alice rotates from the rear to step away from a stage full of townspeople to face us, she opens the show singing, “If you knew my story, you’d have a hard time believing me. ” Immediately we know that Elizabeth Santana is going to make this an evening to … [Read more...] about “Bright Star”

“One Man, Two Guvnors”

June 18, 2019 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

One Man, Two GuvnorsRichard Bean(Based on The Servant of Two Masters by Carlo GoldoniWith songs by Grant Olding)Palo AltoPlayers The Cast It only takes the stumbling entrance of Doug Santana onto the stage in the persona of Francis Henshall – the servant of two ‘guvnors’ – to ascertain immediately that Palo Alto Players has a rollicking, riotous hit on its … [Read more...] about “One Man, Two Guvnors”

“Flower Drum Song”

May 6, 2019 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

Flower Drum SongRichard Rodgers (Music); Oscar Hammerstein II (Lyrics); David Henry Hwang (Book)Palo Alto Players Emily SongPalo Alto Players offers a gift to Bay Area audiences in producing the rarely performed Flower Drum Song, but the present is all the more welcome because of a production that is conceived and performed with the look, sound, style, and … [Read more...] about “Flower Drum Song”

“Shakespeare in Love”

January 26, 2019 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

Shakespeare in LoveBased on the Screenplay by Tom Stoppard and Marc NormanAdapted for the Stage by Lee Hall, Palo Alto Players  Drew Benjamin JonesLee Hall’s adaptation of the Norman/Stoppard screenplay, Shakespeare in Love, emphasizes even more than the original film the determination of one woman to forge a place on the world’s stage — or at least on … [Read more...] about “Shakespeare in Love”

“All the Way”

November 6, 2018 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

All the WayRobert SchenkkanPalo Alto Players The Cast of All the WayIn the Palo Alto Players’ magnificently produced, regional premiere of Robert Schenkkan’s 2014 Tony winning Best Play, All the Way, we as an audience are challenged to ask ourselves if questionable tactics of a nation’s leader are ever acceptable if the desired outcomes match our own sense of … [Read more...] about “All the Way”

“Tarzan’

September 10, 2018 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

TarzanPhil Collins (Music & Lyrics); David Henry Hwang (Book)Palo Alto PlayersJimmy Mason, Jessica LaFever & the Cast of TarzanEven before the first note of the Phil Collins (music and lyrics) and David Henry Hwang (book) musical Tarzan is sounded, Director Patrick Klein and his cast – one that includes a dozen or so gorillas of all sizes, shapes, and ages -- have … [Read more...] about “Tarzan’

“Rock of Ages”

May 5, 2018 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

Rock of AgesChris D’Arienzo (Book); Ethan Popp (Arrangements & Orchestrations)Palo Alto PlayersThere are unfortunately too many wrong notes in the current Palo Alto Players production of Rock of Ages, even though the athletic enthusiasm of the cast could not be higher.  There is much fun in what to see but not enough solid songs in what to hear, making this a show I … [Read more...] about “Rock of Ages”

“The Laramie Project”

January 23, 2018 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

The Laramie ProjectMoisés Kaufman (and Members of Tectonic Theatre Project)Palo Alto Players The Cast of The Laramie ProjectPalo Alto Players joins thousands of previous productions to present a play that still shakes one to the core as we and the citizens of Laramie try to understand how and why this crime could have happened in their community.  And … [Read more...] about “The Laramie Project”

“Million Dollar Quartet”

September 18, 2017 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

Million Dollar QuartetColin Escott & Floyd Mutrux (Book)Palo Alto Players The Cast of Million Dollar QuartetMillion Dollar Quartet finds its way to the Palo Alto Players stage, featuring two dozen songs guaranteed to ensure audience toe taps, head bops, and hand claps along to familiar beats and rhythms.  The musical is a staged … [Read more...] about “Million Dollar Quartet”

“The Graduate”

June 19, 2017 by Eddie Reynolds Leave a Comment

The GraduateTerry JohnsonBased on Novel by Charles Webb & Movie by Calder Willingham & Buck HenryPalo Alto PlayersMax Tachis & Shawn Bender ‘Cute’ is a word that keeps coming to my mind as I relive The Graduate as produced by Palo Alto Players and director Jeanie Smith – a ‘cute’ that is meant as a total compliment of how chuckling funny, genuinely heart-felt, … [Read more...] about “The Graduate”

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Eddie is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association and the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle.

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Good production but something is lacking or not clicking.
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Waste of time.

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Theatre Eddys reviews performances throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area.

About Eddie

Theatre Critic for the Greater San Francisco Bay Area, writing 150+ reviews annually for Theatre Eddys and Talkin' Broadway (San Jose/Silicon Valley). Read More

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