Harmony Wheeler - Page 11

Mother-son pair Shirley Jones and Patrick Cassidy have more than star power. They embody love and sweetness every moment they stand on stage together. And the special "Till There Was You" duet they sing each night through August 5 at Music Circus - more than enough to leave a few damp eyes in the theater - is only a small portion of the magic these two create next to the beautiful California Musical Theatre summer 2012 cast of "The Music Man."

With beautiful, golden sets and a blessedly wonderful cast, the problem with Lamplighter's production of "The Mikado" does not result from a lack of talent. Actually, the production lacks very little and would verge on perfection if it weren't for slow comedic timing, missed opportunities for extra humor and a few occurrences of singing not in time with the orchestra.

When you're dealing with a musical version of a classic like 'The Little Mermaid,' it becomes nearly impossible to botch a show enough to give viewers reason to hate it. You still have all the popular songs that everyone loves to sing along with (including one adorable little girl sitting in the back on opening night), and you have the iconic characters that we all love so much. Still, for avid fans of the movie or those who had complaints about the Broadway version of 'Mermaid,' the Sacramento Music Circus production of 'The Little Mermaid' doesn't quite live up to the hype.

Apparently, anything goes at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto. Visit this stunning building this weekend and you'll find glimpses of "something shocking" as friendly ushers and ticketing staff welcome you, comfortable seats provide you with the perfect view and a standout orchestra begins playing that fantastic overture to the Cole Porter classic, "Anything Goes." But that's not all that goes at the Gallo Center this weekend. Modesto Performing Arts has gathered a stellar cast and crew to create an animated and "delovely" musical that, in the words one of its more popular songs, is the top! Its patriotic set colors and costumes also make it the perfect show to celebrate the 4th of July holiday week.

Masterfully communicated through the art of minstrel storytelling, Kander and Ebb's "The Scottsboro Boys" turns around the stereotypes and exaggerated personalities that encouraged racism in the early 1900s to create a surprisingly poignant musical that celebrates the voice of the individual and reminds Americans of the pain necessary to bring about change.

Charles Osborne, star of Modesto Performing Art's 'Anything Goes,' talks to BroadwayWorld about his role as Billy Crocker and what audiences can expect from the Cole Porter Musical.

The ultimate musical on peer pressure, sex and parties, "Grease" always wins out as a good time, despite shallow characters that overshadow deeper truths. No one can deny the appeal of the 50s style rock n' roll music or the fun stereotypes of geeks, cheerleaders and "live life while you can" teenagers that appear in "Grease." These teenagers seem determined to have a good time - something they share in common with audiences.

One of Giuseppe Verdi's lesser-performed operas, Attila lacks the hummable songs that have brought his better-known operas into popular culture. His complicated characters are ever-present, however, and his grand melodies support those characters with a commanding presence, especially when a large chorus takes up more than half the stage. Verdi definitely knew how to use the chorus. And in San Francisco Opera's Teatro alla Scala co-production, the singers, both leads and chorus, ultimately give Attila the power it needs to succeed, albeit a great deal of the production's success owes its existence to the visually stunning scenery on display behind the strong vocals on display.

Polka dots, neon and pastel colors, and innovative use of projector technology comprise a cheerful and vivid new production of Mozart's The Magic Flute, which premiered Wednesday night at the San Francisco Opera Memorial House. Although it sometimes lacks the dramatics needed to keep a strong momentum, the production makes a strong addition to a long line of creative takes on the opera. Plus, its nonsensical plot makes it the perfect opera to share with friends who do not regularly attend opera. San Francisco Opera General Director David Gockley's new modern English translation also adds to that note, although some audiences may miss the original German.

Home to some wonderfully strange and unique characters, San Francisco should have no trouble welcoming the Voca People. Hailing from planet Voca, the unusual group crash-lands its spaceship in the city every night through June 17, bringing with them non-stop comedy and mannerisms and costumes similar to those of the famed Blue Man Group.

BroadwayWorld has your top five picks for summer entertainment in Sacramento and surrounding areas.

Audience members laughed and smiled as if they had never before seen Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music" at Saturday night's Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater performance of the classic musical. Such fresh enjoyment testifies to the quality of a show so often done - one that seems to be popping up everywhere this year and next. Despite a few glitches one might expect from community theater, Roger Rocka's talented cast and crew gave a consistently strong two and a half hours of solid entertainment.

Seven is the perfect number. Thursday night marked my seventh time seeing the hit musical "Wicked." Here's the countdown: Twice in San Francisco in high school, once in New York as a high school graduation present, three times in Chicago to see a family friend in the cast, and, now, once in Sacramento where the mind blowing show - as so many have called it - plays through June 17 at the Community Center Theater.

Both terribly morbid and wonderfully brilliant, Samuel Beckett's "Endgame" and "Play" are difficult at first to understand. Beckett's focus on existential themes of death and the meaning - or meaninglessness - of life make any interpretation of his work difficult to enjoy on its own.

BroadwayWorld talks with 'Thanks for Playing: The Game Show Show' co-creator Shannon Guggenheim about the future of the show and of the Retro Dome, as well as the history, making of and themes of the show. Read the full interview below!

"Another op'nin, another show. Four weeks, you rehearse and rehearse. Three weeks, and it couldn't be worse. One week, will it ever be right? Then out of the hat it's that big first night." Those opening lyrics to Cole Porter's classic musical had double meaning at Friday night's opening performance of Runaway Stage Productions' "Kiss Me Kate." Despite a few kinks in sets and sound, the talented cast had its energetic audience laughing, smiling and applauding from start to finish.

Perhaps the reason the film version of the musical The Producers did not do so well as its Tony-award winning Broadway counterpart because it lacked that special magic that only live theatre can give. Movie musicals like Hairspray have succeeded on the big screen, but the current trend seems to involve actual live performances streamed in movie theaters across the nation. And it's no wonder that people prefer the one-night-only streamed performances to Hollywoodized versions. While such broadcasts will never live up to the real thing, they contain a piece of the real thing that thrills our souls.

I have a difficult time staying away from Fiddler on the Roof comparisons when I consider 42nd Street Moon's production of Zorba. With the help of their common book writer, Joseph Stein, the two musicals exhibit similar leading characters and musical styles. Beyond all else, Zorba and Fiddler exhibit the same contradicting emotions of sadness and joy shown to perfection through stories exhibiting the spirit of a specific culture.

Broadway veteran Bill Starr directs Hillbarn Theatre's upcoming production of the Mel Brooks musical, The Producers, playing May 3-27. Below, Starr talks about how his own experience informed his direction of the show, what makes the show fun and unique, and what audiences can expect from Hillbarn's production.

On December 4, 1956, four legendary musicians ended up at the same recording studio in what turned into the dream jam session. In 2010, the historic day made history once again with its own Broadway show. And on Tuesday evening, the touring production of Million Dollar Quartet brought all the energy and revolutionary music of the twentieth century to the Sacramento Community Center, a strong beginning to a fabulous week of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.