Courtney Symes

A new year means fresh new shows, and Capital Stage is starting off strong with Pulitzer Prize-winning play English by Sanaz Toossi. Toossi, a first generation Iranian-American, focuses on stories of immigrants and the complexities of women’s experiences within that framework.

A hidden gem in the heart of agricultural land, Winters Theatre Company is easy to miss. It is housed in the historic Winters Opera House, sandwiched between the highly recommended Putah Creek Café and a lovely tasting room. It retains a charming aura of the past while highlighting shows with very contemporary issues, such as its current offering, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley.

Sometimes you’re lucky enough to see something and know that it’s special. I had that experience last summer when I saw, Oh, Mary! on Broadway. I had it again last weekend when I attended the second week of Diamond Stage Company’s inaugural production of I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers. In this arresting piece, Janis Stevens directs Natasha Hause in John Logan’s one-woman show about Hollywood superagent, Sue Mengers.

Fans of the Queen of Crime are in for a treat. Murder on the Nile, Agatha Christie’s play based on her novel Death on the Nile, is playing at the Ooley Theatre. Director Tana Colburn is heading this community theatre adaptation of the suspenseful classic that features accomplished local actors.

The B St. Theatre’s reputation for producing excellent theatre continues in the new year with The White Chip. Sean Daniels’s autobiographical piece about art and alcoholism is sharp, funny, and some of the best writing I’ve seen. It’s an unflinchingly raw look at the horrifying devastation wrought by addiction to those struggling with it and the effect on people in their radius.

Broadway Sacramento is kicking off the new year with a bang with the much-anticipated, multi-Tony Award-winning phenomenon, Kimberly Akimbo. David Lindsay-Abaire’s book and lyrics, based on his 2001 play, are accompanied by Jeanine Tesori’s beautiful score in this hilariously dazzling take on love and loss.

Jane Austen and Christmas go hand-in-hand, like ornaments and trees or Santa and Rudolph. Luckily for us, Capital Stage has brought back one of my favorite Austen-inspired works, Georgiana and Kitty: Christmas at Pemberley. It is the third in a trilogy of plays by Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon that focus on the Bennet sisters in the years following Pride and Prejudice.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie…and for good reason. The Valkyrie Theatre Company is putting on this inspirational show based on real-life British drag queen, Jamie Campbell. Its feel-good, energetic score by Dan Gillespie Sells and book by Tom MacRae tell the coming-of-age story of Jamie New, whose message to be true to oneself is one we all need to hear.   

It’s a winter wonderland this weekend at Palisades Tahoe! Tahoe Live is back for the third year and boasts an impressive lineup of artists. Founder Dustin Esson brings his unique brand of festival to Lake Tahoe after acting as managing director of Park City Live and starting a similar festival in Salt Lake City.

It’s a miracle on H Street! Finally, the magic of Broadway at Music Circus can be experienced outside of the summer months. In its first show since expanding its season to go almost year-round, the Music Circus team is offering a dazzling display of holiday splendor with a family favorite, Elf.

Another week, another version of A Christmas Carol! Is this one ever tons of fun, though. A Christmas Carol: the Rock & Roll Panto, written by Christine Nicholson and Luther Hanson, plays at City Theatre at Sacramento City College in the Art Court Theatre. It features silly antics, a ghost in drag, and rocking music that brings you back to the greatest musical era – the 80s.

The B St. Theatre is solidifying its reputation of excellent holiday entertainment with its newest Family Series offering, ‘Tis the Season: Folktales & Fables. Like previous years, this show consists of vignettes, written by multiple playwrights, that feature different traditions throughout the world along with cute stories imparting various moral lessons. While the style of the show remains the same, these scenes are fresh and just as fun.

It’s time again for a favorite holiday tradition – seeing the various Christmas shows that Sacramento has to offer. At the top of my list every year is A Christmas Carol. Dickens’s classic tale of avarice is one of the most produced works during the holidays, but few are like the version that is being offered at the B St. Theatre through December 29th. The world premiere of Sam Kebede’s adaptation features just three actors, original music, and some unique ghosts.

Over seventy years after its initial publishing, C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe continues to entertain children of all ages. FreeFall Stage is bringing the classic story to life on stage with an adaptation by Joseph Robinette. Director DeeDee Eldridge is at the helm of this project and, when asked why she chose this story to tell, said, “It’s a wonderful, iconic story and it’s been twenty years since I did it with my students.” She has assembled another great cast to deliver Lewis’s message of perseverance, courage, and hope.

When I heard that Celebration Arts was performing a Lynn Nottage play, I knew I had to be there. My first experience with her work was last year seeing Clyde’s at Capital Stage. I was struck by the characters and how they interacted with each other. They were all multi-faceted and so human, filled with joy and flaws. Celebration Arts’ selection, Crumbs from the Table of Joy, is set in a different place and time, yet equally complex.

The numbers vary by source, but over fifty million Americans care for an elderly or disabled family member. Many do so while holding other jobs and receiving no respite. It’s a topic that all of us can relate to in some way. Local playwright Charlotte Higgins, nationally recognized for her other works, addresses this unifying issue in her new play, ROGUES. Director Lori Russo is at the helm of its West Coast premiere at The Stage at Burke Junction.

When a show opens with what is widely considered one of the most offensive words in the English language, I’m hooked. Selina Fillinger’s POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive does just that. This Tony Award-nominated work is a genius feminist farce brought to life by director Devin Valdez and a fantastic all-female cast. It also may be my favorite Big Idea Theatre production to date.

Two of Sacramento’s most visible theatre professionals have come back to the local theatre community after a brief absence. Michael Laun and Natasha Hause were integral to the staging of numerous successful pieces at the former Sacramento Theatre Company. After STC’s dissolution, they both enjoyed success with Sierra Repertory Theatre in last fall’s production of The Graduate.  Now, they’re putting their names back in the spotlight in a joint venture: a fresh and dazzling new project, Diamond Stage Company. Natasha and Michael spoke to BroadwayWorld about their new theatre company and their plans for the future.

Admittedly, I have a soft spot for stories about the Asian-American experience. Korea, in particular, has always fascinated me. When I was growing up, I heard my mother’s stories about her life in Korea and the challenges she encountered as an immigrant to the United States. My grandmother’s hardships were worse. Entering the United States as an adult was a culture shock. A new language, different customs, and a life that was completely unrecognizable from the one she had known for thirty years took a toll. I wish I had listened more and asked more questions. She was lonely and yearned for companionship with someone who understood her unique position, much like the two characters in Lloyd Suh’s poignant take on friendship, The Heart Sellers. Its Northern California premiere is happening now at Capital Stage, after which it will then go on to two other Bay Area theatres in a triple co-production.

Thanks to festivals and features in movies, bluegrass music is enjoying a rise in popularity that was originally eclipsed by the rise of rock music. The nostalgia for old-time America mixed with honest lyrics add to its appeal. Coming up on October 15, The Sofia is hosting Damn Tall Buildings. The group is comprised of only three members: Avery Ballotta, Max Capistran, and Sasha Dubyk. They’re a damn good bluegrass band, and BroadwayWorld spoke to violin player and vocalist Avery Ballotta about their tour, what bluegrass means to them, and how you'll have a damn great time at their show.