Courtney Symes - Page 3

The Sacramento Theatre Company (STC) is one of the oldest theatre groups in the region, bringing professional productions to the city since its switch from community theatre in the 1980s. Last season’s finale of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time garnered rave reviews and showcased the quality that has been woven through the very fabric of STC’s productions, which made the news that the fall season had been put on hold even more alarming. With theatres shuttering across the nation and most seeing a drop in attendance, it’s become a struggle for local theatres to keep their doors open. STC decided to take this season to reorganize and concentrate on its outreach and educational programs. Their School of the Arts has been a successful Sacramento staple but a rehaul was needed to catapult STC into next season and beyond. BroadwayWorld spoke to STC’s Education Program Manager, Miranda D. Lawson, and the STC Education staff about the new and improved program.

You may have heard that back in the 20th century a guy by the name of Edward Murphy famously said, “Anything that can go wrong will go wrong.” Pessimistic? Maybe. Accurate? Definitely, as proven in B Street Theatre’s side-splitting rendition of The Play That Goes Wrong. This award-winning comedy written by members of the aptly named Mischief Theatre Company is a play within a play about things that go, well, wrong.

A question that’s often posed is, “What constitutes good art?” For me, it’s a piece that stretches my knowledge while dispelling assumptions. It’s something that might make me uncomfortable, even if I’m not sure why. It’s a work that evokes such strong emotions that I am left thinking about it for days. Ragtime is good art. Broadway at Music Circus has outdone itself with this powerful production about social justice, feminism, and tenacity. Based on the novel of the same name by E.L. Doctorow, Ragtime opened on Broadway in 1998 and won four Tony Awards, including Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score.

Rise Up Theatre Company is moving on to a bigger and better theatre space in Rancho Cordova but, before they do, they are gracing the MACC with a nail-biting production of Assassins. This Sondheim work lives in the shadow of his more popular pieces like Sweeney Todd and Into the Woods, but it stands on its own merit for its originality and varied score. Its 2004 Broadway debut garnered five Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical. Now Rancho Cordova’s own rising community theatre brings the story of America’s most famous assassins to you, featuring robust local talent that sets their sights on your support.

Sacramento’s renowned choreographer Jacob Gutierrez-Montoya is taking his talent across the pond with Sacramento Contemporary Dance Theatre’s (SCDT) original take on the life of Marie Antoinette. SCDT will be performing in Scotland at Edinburgh’s Festival Fringe from August 15-19. The Festival Fringe bills itself as “one of the greatest celebrations of arts and culture on the planet,” and we will be here cheering Jacob and Company on as they take the international arts community by storm.

They’re creepy and they’re kooky, and they need no introduction. Morticia, Gomez, and the gang are here in Sacramento to spice things up in The Addams Family musical. Since opening on Broadway in 2010, it’s become a favorite of audiences nationwide. Based on the cartoons of Charles Addams, The Addams Family is a new look at the ghoulish tribe that originally captured our hearts with the 1960s television series.

What did our critic think of THE MUSIC MAN at Broadway At Music Circus?

The B Street Theatre has set the gold standard in new comedy development with its world premiere of Insertion by Sarah Groustra. This hilariously bawdy, witty, and satirical homage to the questionable merits of the romance genre was the winner of B Street Theatre’s 2022 New Comedies Festival, and the reasons are clear. Groustra’s clever dialogue imbued with racy physical comedy makes Insertion the summer’s not-to-miss show.  

Tired of the same old shows? Well, we’ve got you covered. Puppeteers for Fears, an Oregon-based puppet troupe, is embarking on their 2023 tour and have a stop at Harlow’s on July 16th. They will be performing their adaptation of Cthulhu: the Musical!, which combines horror and rock music with puppets and dark humor. BroadwayWorld spoke to playwright Josh Gross and puppeteer Alyssa Mathews about Shakespeare, evil octopi, and Sacramento’s sweet spots.

Oh, what a night! Jersey Boys, the Tony Award-winning jukebox musical about the rise and fall of The Four Seasons, is rocking the town of Columbia through the summer. It’s a story of the American dream, a rags-to-riches tale that brings four young boys out of Jersey and into the national spotlight. It’s also a story about what’s more important than fame: family, loyalty, and honor.

Cinderella - it’s a tale as old as time. Oh wait, wrong show. It’s pretty close, though. The story has roots as far back as 200 B.C. in Egypt, but the most well-known version dates to the 17th century, which is the one made famous by Disney in 1950. Broadway at Music Circus is showcasing a new adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella that features a revised book by Douglas Carter Beane. Originally made for television in 1957, Beane’s vision strays from that by incorporating modern elements that appeal to an evolving society while keeping some of the old fairytale flavor. Modern Cinderella opened on Broadway in 2013, the first time ever for any rendition of that title, and ran for two years. Now, it’s here to continue Broadway at Music Circus’ streak of being the place to be in the summer since 1951.

“Who made that?” is the question we didn’t know we needed the answer to. In Jennifer Blackmer’s new play, Predictor, we learn that it’s one of the most important questions in the struggle for female equality. Throughout history, men have taken credit for women’s accomplishments. Things such as wireless communication (created by Hedy Lamarr), a cure for leprosy (Alice Ball), disposable diapers (Marion Donovan), and even the game Monopoly (Elizabeth Magie Phillips) were all invented by women whose names were lost in the annals of history until recently. Thankfully, due to the diligence of Blackmer, we also now know the name Meg Crane, who changed the course of women’s lives forever with her invention: the home pregnancy test.

What did our critic think of 3: BLACK GIRL BLUES at B Street Theatre?

Pearl clutchers, be warned. There’s a new show in town, and you might want to cover your ears. This isn’t for the easily offended, but it is bawdy, hilarious, and altogether relatable. Jen Silverman’s Collective Rage: A Play in 5 Betties is a bold look at what it means to be female. Collective awakening might be a more apt description, as these 5 women (all named Betty), explore new ideas together.

It’s officially summer stock season! Kicking off my favorite time of the year is Broadway at Music Circus’ production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. Its Broadway premiere in 2014 garnered seven Tony Award nominations, with two wins for Best Leading Actress and Best Sound Design. While I tend to have a healthy reservation of jukebox musicals, Beautiful puts that to rest with its strappy pace, feel-good music, and message of empowerment.

Over fifty years after the first Pride march in 1970, we can be proud of the strides made in the fight for equity and inclusion. Education and outreach play a large part in shedding antiquated and harmful attitudes, which is what Jacob Gutierrez Montoya spearheaded with his latest creation. His Sacramento Contemporary Dance Theatre (SCDT) kicked off Pride month with a joyful celebration of love at the Sofia. Pride at the Sofia featured many LGBTQ artists who shared their experiences, art, and love with the community to spread their messages of hope and change.

For thousands of years, wine has inspired creativity and evoked emotions. There have been gods dedicated to it and cults born from it. Few have poeticized it better than Lord Byron when he said, “Wine cheers the sad, revives the old, inspires the young, and makes weariness forget his toil.” Now, in a new show created by director Mark Swanhart, wine and dance are joined in a marriage of sensory and sensual perfection. SAVOR After Hours conveys Swanhart’s vision of encompassing all five senses while experiencing the pleasure of a glass of wine. He shares with us that, “when I drink a glass of wine, so much more is going on…a feeling, a memory, an emotion. So, the idea was to take the audience on that ride.”

Hidden treasures abound in the foothills of California, which is what first drew settlers to the area hundreds of years ago. They’re still plentiful, albeit in different forms. One such modern treasure is Sierra Rep, a professional company whose goal to bring quality theatre to the region is currently being realized in the form of the Stephen Sondheim Pulitzer Prize-winning classic, Sunday in the Park with George. BroadwayWorld was able to speak with Jerry Lee, artistic director of Sierra Rep and this production’s George, about Seurat, Sondheim, and what makes Sonora special.

Theatre has long been a vessel to carry voices wanting to be heard, and a springboard for important conversations that need to be had. Capital Stage is taking this responsibility seriously, with its California premiere of The Hombres. Tony Meneses’ contemporary play examines the toxic masculinity prevalent in society, specifically in the Latinx culture.

Astrophysics, poultry, and delusional temp employees. The universe conspires to marry odd bedfellows in this bizarre yet fascinating work by Dan Dietz. tempOdyssey is as unique as its title suggests. It’s a study of paradox, exploring themes of freedom vs. entrapment, love vs. apathy, and immortality vs. death. It’s campy and kitschy, reminiscent of those pieces that are perplexing before turning into a cult classic.