Wow! That is what I have to say regarding Broadway Sacramento's opening night performance of the current national tour of "West Side Story."  The sold out house at the Community Center Theater suggests others agree. While it is beautifully staged, with wonderful singing anddance, and good acting, it is the material that is the star here. The powerful music of Leonard Bernstein coupled with the equally powerfully words of Stephen Sondheim are enough to make "West Side Story" a show worth seeing. Add in the choreography of original "West Side Story" director and choreographer Jerome Robbins, which can move from strongly ballet to strongly modern dance in a moment, and it's hard to beat. A

Though many find comfort in the familiar, there’s also an enjoyable thrill that only a bit of change can provide. Big Idea Theatre’s “King of Shadows,” which opened Thursday, finds a great balance using a familiar plot in a modern-day setting for an interesting theatrical experience. I parked at the front of the building which faced closed business doors and a large locked gate. I was convinced that somehow this was the wrong location. As I frantically called around for someone to give me directions, I saw just behind me a small sign designating the location as Big Idea Theatre. As I turned into the alley and parking lot area of the business, I was pleasantly surprised by the small art-f

Are you looking for a fun free afternoon of comedy to entertain mom on Sunday? The Roseville Theatre Arts Academy, housed in the historic Roseville Theatre, is offering moms free admission (with one paid admission), to the Sunday, May 8 matinee performance of William Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. The classic Shakespeare comedy about the adventures of four young lovers, a group of amateur actors, and their interactions with mischievous fairies – is staged underwater in Atlantis – it is Shakespeare submerged. The production opens May 6 at 7:30 p.m. and continues Friday-Saturday 7:30 p.m. and Sundays 2 p.m. through May 21 at the historic Roseville Theatre, 241 Vernon St., Rosevil

Big Idea Theatre’s latest production, William Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure,” directed by Kirk Blackinton and Katie Chapman, opened Friday. The play is a lesser-known bit of the canon, often put in the category of “problem play” as it fits neither the specific parts of a comedy nor a tragedy. The plot is divided between the struggle of the play’s antagonist, Angelo, played by Jeffrey Lloyd Heatherly, and the nun-in-training Isabella, played by Gina Williams. The play covers moral ground of a more philosophical nature with Isabella’s plight being the question, “Should she commit an act against God to save a life?” Set in Vienna, the production takes interesting liberties with the sta

Shakespeare’s shortest tragedy, “Macbeth,” has just been given a new pair of legs on which to stand, and the timing couldn’t have been better. With recent discussions coursing through National Public Radio concerning the role of the female military leader, Resurrection Theatre director Benjamin T. Ismail decided to cast a woman in the traditionally male role, and the results are fantastic to watch. Played in modern dress, the traditional roles of Macbeth and Lady M. as husband and wife are adapted into daughter and mother, and the play of persuasion and bitterness makes as much, if not more, sense than the play traditional. This is apparent in two vastly important plot-points: Macbeth’s r

It is the year 1661 in England, and the lovely Desdemona lies sleeping in her bed, long golden locks draping over white linen. She awakens slowly to the sound of her lover. “Othello, is that you?” she asks sleepily. Othello, a masculine Moor, approaches her, intent to kill in his heart. He grabs a beaded pillow, and in a few moments, suffocates the damsel to death. Gasps of terror turn to laughter as Desdemona jumps up from her deathbed, takes off a wig of flowing curls, and reveals the man behind Shakespeare’s lead lady – Ned Kynaston, the theatre’s greatest male portrayer of female roles in London. “Oh, but the play is not over!” he says. The audience cheering, he falls elegantly onto

The plays of William Shakespeare can be daunting at best, and for some, completely inaccessible. Thank goodness Bob and Ro Productions decided to produce “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged),” directed by Rosemarie Gerould and performed at the Studio Theatre. The play, written by the founding members of the Reduced Shakespeare Company in 1987, combines all canonical (and some apocryphal) plays by the Bard into two hours, with the last hour devoted to just “Hamlet.” The play itself is quite funny, yielding numerous outside and inside joke about Shakespeare. The play makes mention of every single play at least once, splitting them into three categories: tragedy, comedy an

Sunday evening, I dragged my reluctant, yet supportive, boyfriend to the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival to experience the play Othello. I was somewhat excited but mostly not. I had been to the festival before, years ago when I was little kid, also dragged reluctantly by my mother.  When we arrived there was not very many people and as we waited not many more showed up. The set was very interestingly angled towards the crowd sitting on very uncomfortable benches. I was intrigued and couldn’t wait to start. When the play did start I was immediately confused by the casting selections, since Othello is originally a very race oriented play. I thought it was interesting but very hard to follo

The play Othello is about a black officer whose marriage to a white woman ends very tragically due to the ingenious scheming of an "honest" friend of Othello. I love the storyline of Othello. I had seen the movie Othello starring Laurence Fishbourne about 10 years ago and again about 1 month ago. I read the play, also about 1 month ago, and even read another book, "Othello - Shakespeare Made Easy" so that I would be able to better interpret the language in the play. I had even seen a very contemporary version of the play in a movie called "O" starring Mekhi Phifer and Julia Stiles. So it seemed fitting that the only thing left for me to see was a live performance of the play that I love s

Summer has arrived! It is during this time of year that Sacramento City College’s “City Theatre” puts on their Annual Sacramento Shakespeare Festival. Many years have passed where I have missed the opportunity to partake in the festivities, but not this year! July 10th I dressed up in appropriate Sacramento Summer attire (think tank top for triple-digit heat and layers for when the sun goes down) and made my way out to William A. Carroll Amphitheatre at William Land Park. While the theatre was a tad bit tricky to find being tucked away on the opposite side of the Sacramento Zoo, I found the perfect parking spot and happily made my way to the box office. At the box office I was greeted wi

 “Othello, the Moor of Venice” took the stage of the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival on Friday. It’s the story of Othello, a black general, who marries Desdemona, a white woman, and the cruel machinations of Iago, Othello’s old comrade. The production is set in late 1920s New Orleans and features flapper dresses for the women and, oddly, Civil War-like uniforms for the soldiers. Notable performances included Greg Jolivette in the title role, Tim Sapunor as Desdemona’s father, Brabantio, and Roderigo Breton as a flippant Iago. The highlight of the show, however, was a touching performance by Christine Nicholson as Iago’s wife, Emilia. Through her sometimes doddering character, the audie

 With the summer heat getting suddenly hotter and the evenings getting just right, Sacramento can always count on one thing for summer: The Sacramento Shakespeare Festival. Celebrating it’s 25th year, the festival is at its peak, and continues to entertain locals and draw travelers with its amalgam of brilliant plays, community atmosphere and local talent. “It’s a little bowl in a park that gets filled up,” actor and student Anthony Person, 25, said. “Families come out and they bring their picnics, and they come and they see a good night of theater.” This year’s roster boasts two of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” a tale of fairies, young lovers and

 Want to end your children going “I’m bored!” this summer? You can for at least two weeks by enrolling them in one of Sacramento Theatre Company School of the Arts Summer Camp programs. STC Summer Camp Director Lynn Baker wants parents to know that kids spend a full day and are very busy being exposed to many aspects of live theater. It's like “a full year of master classes in two weeks," she said. What’s in it for the kids? First off, it is just plain fun. It is a great opportunity to make new friends. Kids also learn skills they can use all their lives, whether or not they continue in theater arts. Baker encourages kids to attend with their friends. Most importantly, no previous experi

 In the first four history plays that William Shakespeare penned, by himself or with the aid of multiple writers, he brought us "Richard III", and showed a monarch at the height of power, corruption and finally the downfall of such a king. Big Idea Theatre’s latest production of the tragedy opened last Friday, and while the play itself is engaging, some performances and an uncut script brought the pace to a crawl more than a few times. WIth a cast of 12, most playing at least two parts, the play fits a multitude of colorful characters within the small black box theatre. The shinning points of the production made the whole better, especially the talented and enigmatic Brain Harrower (Richar

Ahhh, yes, it's that time of the month again folks. Second Saturday weekend that is! Although there are great things going on all month long throughout Sacramento, many locals will argue that the second weekend of the month in Sacramento is their favorite time to venture out on the town. In addition to the Art Walk on Saturday, this weekend has a plethora of cool things to check out. And for Sactown, mid-July is looking to bring us some relatively mild weather to boot! Take a look to see if any of these events can lure you to venture out...try something different this week! Thursday 7.9 Food & Wine: California Grape & Gourmet -- $50 ($70 day of) Where: Sacramento Convention Center When: