Courtney Symes - Page 12

The Davis Shakespeare Festival opens up their 2018 season with Peter Oswald's modern adaptation of Friedrich Schiller's Mary Stuart. Set in England in 1586, it explores the relationship between Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth I of England. This battle of the Queens sets the stage for an intricate pas de deux of Protestant vs. Catholic, Scotland vs. England, and conscience vs. power. It is also a testimony on how much the world has not changed in the political arena-subterfuge, ambiguity, and blind ambition are as prevalent now as they were in 16th century England.

Sometimes it's risky to bring older musicals back to life-the language, attitudes, and music can be dated and dull to today's audiences; however, the old seems new again with Broadway at Music Circus' take on the classic musical, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. This fresh staging secures Broadway at Music Circus as THE place to be this summer in Sacramento.

Oh, I am happy again after absorbing the season debut at the newly renamed Broadway at Music Circus! Singin' in the Rain is based off of the 1952 movie starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds that is often regarded as the best movie musical ever made. The stage version opened on Broadway in 1985 and continues to be popular in regional theatre today.

In its signature way, Intrepid Theatre Lab has again brought the new and bold to Sacramento. This time they have done it with Baltimore, a work by Boston playwright Kirsten Greenidge. Titled such after the poem, 'Incident', by Countee Cullen, it was commissioned in 2014 by the Big Ten Theatre Consortium with the goal of narrowing the gap in representation of women in theatre.  

An American in Paris is a gorgeous fusion of dance and classic musical theatre that is based on the 1951 film of the same name. Originally starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, the film won 6 Academy Awards and introduced Gershwin staples such as "I Got Rhythm" and "'S Wonderful." The Broadway version debuted in 2015 and won 4 Tony Awards, including Best Choreography and Best Scenic Design.

An endearing message of hope and positivity is what makes Man of La Mancha a timeless classic. It has stayed relevant from its opening on Broadway in 1965 (when it won 5 Tony Awards), through four Broadway revivals, and up to the present day. Now Sacramento is fortunate to have the opportunity to experience the tale that author Miguel de Cervantes began in 1605.

Fans of Peter Pan will be thrilled to know that Finding Neverland, the Drama Desk Award-nominated Broadway musical, has arrived in Sacramento! Based upon the play, The Man Who Was Peter Pan, and the Academy Award-winning movie, Finding Neverland, the story follows the perennial young-at-heart J.M. Barrie on his journey to write one of the most beloved stories of all time.

Mothers and Sons, by 4-time Tony winner Terrence McNally, is a provocative study on guilt, AIDS and familial structure set almost 30 years after the beginning of the American AIDS epidemic. We get to witness all of the pain, fear, shame and frustration of the gay community from the safety of our theatre seats in a time when an AIDS diagnosis is not an immediate death sentence. It is easy, now, to look back and scream with indignation that not enough was done. We say that the administration didn't care about the marginalized members of society. Well, we must be always vigilant, lest history repeat itself.

Bawdy, blasphemous, brilliant and blithe! The Book of Mormon has returned after a two year absence and Sacramento is ready! The winner of 9 Tony Awards, The Book of Mormon is a hilarious depiction of the Mormon religion by the creators of South Park (Trey Parker and Matt Stone) and Avenue Q (Robert Lopez).

Director Casey McClellan, fresh off of a Broadway World Best Director win for The Diary of Anne Frank, brings the Scottish play to Sacramento Theatre Company with a creative spin on the dark and supernatural elements of the show. For those who are not familiar with MacBeth, it is arguably one of Shakespeare's darkest works and cleverly explores the depravity of the human mind and the lengths that one will go to for personal gain.

Fresh off of the 12th longest run in Broadway history, Jersey Boys returns to Sacramento after a four year absence.  Jersey Boys is the Tony, Grammy, and Olivier Award winning biographical account of the rise and fall of the musical powerhouse, The Four Seasons.  Baby boomers arrived en masse to the Community Center Theatre to be entertained by music from their youth and were not disappointed with the dynamic performance of this touring cast.  

Musical theatre lovers, rejoice! The Musical of Musicals-the Musical! has returned to Sacramento and promises an evening of melodrama, satire, and comedy. Composed by the co-creator of last season's The Donner Party, Eric Rockwell, with lyrics by Joanne Bogart, the show parodies some of Broadway's greatest composers while paying homage to their brilliance.

In 1848, a Lutheran scholar named Samuel Mosheim Schmucker first raised the question as to how an uneducated and untraveled man such as William Shakespeare could have penned 37 plays and 154 sonnets that dealt with subjects that he should have no knowledge of. Since then many people have cast their doubts about the identity of the Bard, including Mark Twain and Sigmund Freud. Most recently, with a book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell and music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick, the Tony-nominated Something Rotten! hilariously takes a look at Shakespeare as a plagiarist.

During the holiday season, many people flock to church to find solace, seek forgiveness, practice introspection, and soak up lessons on how to live their lives. Something about this time of year encourages all of us to examine how we have conducted ourselves the previous 11 months. Theatre has been my church for a long time now, and luckily The Sacramento Theatre Company is there to give me periodic reminders of the values that are important to keep close.

There is a new standard for musical theatre in town, and it has been set by composer David Taylor-Gomes. His original work was showcased in a one-night-only concert entitled, The Boxed Up Binge , featuring songs and snippets from his larger project, Boxed Up the Musical.

Sacramento Theatre Company is a regional treasure, unique in the fact that they support and develop local talent. Each season they produce an original work by an area artist. Their 2017-18 season theme of Fate, Fantasy and Forgiveness currently features a play by Sacramento native Ryan Patrick Nill entitled Kings of America.

Beautiful-The Carole King Musical is more than a jukebox musical. It's a very personal glimpse into the life of a woman who shaped American music. It's a story of sanguinity, heartbreak, and redemption. Carole King's tale is touching and empowering and will resonate with anyone who has ever had their heart broken.

Director Casey McClellan again brings a World War II era piece to the Sacramento Theatre Company and makes it relevant to what we are experiencing today. Like last season's The Glass Menagerie, The Diary of Anne Frank deals with the human emotions brought on by betrayal, loss, and, ultimately, hope.

Dancing, singing, bad-guy-catching nuns? You can't go wrong with that combination! Based on the 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, Sister Act the musical is a feel-good, rousing testament to the power of sisterhood set in 70's funk, soul and disco.

The Sacramento children's theatre community is going to have some big shoes to fill next summer. For the past 32 years kids have flocked to the Pied Piper of junior musical theatre, Ron Cisneros. Watching him with "his kids", as he calls them, it's no wonder that he has put on a successful summer program since 1985. He alternates between big hugs, stern affection, and an intense dedication to the craft that has made him a Sacramento icon. Unfortunately, this is the last summer of children's workshops for Cisneros Studio of Dance.