Courtney Symes - Page 6

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.

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to...Avenue Q? It’s a wondrous place where puppets and humans coexist peacefully and harmoniously. Most of the time. This salacious spoof of Sesame Street opened on Broadway in 2003 and won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Twenty years later, its themes are still as funny and relevant as ever. Luckily, it’s playing at Rise Up Theatre Company in Rancho Cordova, so you have a chance to meet this irreverent cast of characters until May 27.

The most shocking thing about getting older is that everyone else is getting older, too. Our parents, who once seemed so strong and commanding, reverse their roles and become the dependents. How do we care for them as they once cared for us? How do we find a balance between duty to them and staying true to ourselves? These are central themes explored in Nathan Louis Jackson’s Broke-ology, now playing at the B Street Theatre.

Sacramento Theatre Company’s season of Curiosity, Intrigue, and Suspense is coming to a close with its much-anticipated portrayal of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Based on the best-selling novel by Mark Haddon and adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens, this show provides an intimate look into a small sliver of the vast world of neurodivergence. It opened on Broadway in 2014 and won five Tony Awards, including Best Play and Best Scenic Design. It is an excellent example of narrative storytelling, examining difficult relationships and everyday struggles of both the differently and typically abled by showing that we are all, ultimately, more alike than not.

Don't miss the electrifying final stop of the North American tour of Pretty Woman: The Musical in Sacramento. Based on the hit 1990 movie, this musical is full of hope, magic, and enchantment. Get ready to be swept off your feet by the dynamic cast, exhilarating choreography, and a score by rock legend Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance.