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Linda Hodges

Linda Hodges

Linda Hodges is a theatre reviewer and playwright who’s been covering the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area theater scene since 2009. She got her start at Broadway Magazine but soon found her true home at BroadwayWorld where she is the senior theatre critic. Highlights include interviewing Stephen Schwartz, Rupert Holmes, Rita Moreno, Betty Buckley, Melissa Manchester and more. A dedicated theater aficionado, Linda first became involved in the dramatic arts while in college, becoming one of the first “techies” at her school to be voted into Delta Psi Omega, the National Theatre Honor Society. She holds a Master of Theological Studies degree from Pacific School of Religion and maintains that theater, at its best, is a religious experience!




LEARN MORE ABOUT Linda Hodges

First Show:

The Canterbury Tales when I was 13!

Favorite Show:

Wicked

Favorite Stories:

  • Review: WICKED at Orpheum Theatre - I don't have a favorite review (I'll leave that to readers) so I'll focus on my favorite show... My heart still races remembering the night I stepped into the Orpheum Theatre to experience WICKED—the first show I ever reviewed. It felt like stepping into a different world, one that shimmered with secrets and crackled with magic. I was beyond thrilled, barely able to contain my excitement and the tugging emotion that had me nearly tearing up from the very first notes. The air seemed to vibrate with the legacy of the Curran Theatre, where WICKED first cast its spell in 2003, and here I was, so close to the place where it all began. Watching two powerful female leads—Elphaba and Glinda—command the stage was nothing short of mesmerizing. I felt every beat of Elphaba’s journey and her defiant choice "for good" reverberate within me. WICKED isn’t just a show; it’s an anthem of empowerment and courage, as dazzling as it is deeply moving. It struck a chord then, and it still does, leaving me forever enchanted.
  • BWW Reviews: THE BOOK OF MORMON Is Freakin' Awesome -
  • Review: HARPER LEE'S TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at Golden Gate Theatre -
  • BWW Review: THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD THRILLS AND DELIGHTS NOW THRU NOV. 11 at 3Below - DROOD holds a special place in my heart...
  • BWW Review: Mask UP! HAMILTON Lights Up the Stage as Live Theatre Returns to Broadway San Jose - Phenomenal show. Right up there with Marvin Hamlisch's A CHORUS LINE. Both changed the trajectory of theatre forever by redefining the rules of musical theater but in starkly different ways. A Chorus Line broke through in the 1970s with raw, unfiltered honesty, spotlighting the personal struggles of dancers—the unsung heroes of Broadway—giving voice to their dreams and sacrifices. It was revolutionary for its gritty realism and portrayal of the artists behind the glitz. Decades later, Hamilton exploded onto the scene, electrifying audiences by blending rap and hip-hop with historical narrative, casting actors of color as Founding Fathers, and transforming the musical into an audacious reimagining of American identity. Both shows expanded the boundaries of musical storytelling, but where A Chorus Line was introspective and self-revealing, Hamilton was expansive, taking on the entire nation’s story with fresh eyes and new voices. Together, they redefined what audiences thought Broadway could be and do.


MOST POPULAR ARTICLES


Review: HAMILTON at Orpheum Theatre
Review: HAMILTON at Orpheum Theatre
December 1, 2024

What did our critic think of HAMILTON at Orpheum Theatre?

Review: KIMBERLY AKIMBO at Curran Theatre
Review: KIMBERLY AKIMBO at Curran Theatre
November 10, 2024

What did our critic think of KIMBERLY AKIMBO at Curran Theatre!

Review: CLUE Turns Enemies List Paranoia into Pure Madcap Fun!
Review: CLUE Turns Enemies List Paranoia into Pure Madcap Fun!
October 30, 2024

Broadway San Jose has another laugh-out-loud hit on their hands with CLUE, the high-energy farce based on the classic board game and the 1985 movie of the same name. Though the movie became a cult classic, nothing compares to the raw energy of Sandy Rustin’s stage adaptation of Jonathan Lynn’s screenplay.

Review: WICKED at Orpheum Theatre
Review: WICKED at Orpheum Theatre
August 31, 2024

What did our critic think of WICKED at Orpheum Theatre? Read our full review.

Interview: A WICKED CONNECTION: Carol de Giere on Documenting the Legacy of Stephen Schwartz
Interview: A WICKED CONNECTION: Carol de Giere on Documenting the Legacy of Stephen Schwartz
August 25, 2024

BroadwayWorld’s Linda Hodges chats with Carol de Giere, the biographer who reveals the magic of Stephen Schwartz!

Review: FROZEN Brings Chills and Thrills to Broadway San Jose
Review: FROZEN Brings Chills and Thrills to Broadway San Jose
August 25, 2024

What did our critic think of FROZEN BRINGS CHILLS AND THRILLS TO BROADWAY SAN JOSE at Broadway San Jose?

Review: PETER PAN at Broadway San Jose
Review: PETER PAN at Broadway San Jose
June 26, 2024

What did our critic think of PETER PAN at Broadway San Jose?

La Llorona & More Lead Linda Hodges' San Francisco Summer Theatre Picks
La Llorona & More Lead Linda Hodges' San Francisco Summer Theatre Picks
June 24, 2024

These must-see theatre picks for the San Francisco Bay Area will add a little spice to your summer! Beyond their entertainment value, each of these shows plays a crucial role in lifting up the voices of Latines and other people of color, fostering a richer, more inclusive cultural landscape.

Review: MEAN GIRLS Comes to Broadway San Jose
Review: MEAN GIRLS Comes to Broadway San Jose
March 20, 2024

Tina Fey’s 2004 cult teen classic film MEAN GIRLS, made its way to Broadway in 2018 and has been playing to sold-out houses ever since.  The musical is presented as a “Cautionary Tale,” about the cut-throat, caustic social climbing and clamoring that happens in high school where mean girls reign supreme.

Review: THE FAR COUNTRY at Berkeley Repertory Theatre
Review: THE FAR COUNTRY at Berkeley Repertory Theatre
March 14, 2024

What did our critic think of THE FAR COUNTRY at Berkeley Repertory Theatre? The Far Country is a beautiful tale that resonates with history – one that is largely unknown to most of us. It is the story of how war and poverty can and does tear families apart.  

Review: POTTED POTTER: THE UNAUTHORIZED HARRY EXPERIENCE -- A PARODY BY DAN AND JEFF at The Palace Of Fine Arts
Review: POTTED POTTER: THE UNAUTHORIZED HARRY EXPERIENCE -- A PARODY BY DAN AND JEFF at The Palace Of Fine Arts
December 21, 2023

What did our critic think of POTTED POTTER: THE UNAUTHORIZED HARRY EXPERIENCE -- A PARODY BY DAN AND JEFF at The Palace Of Fine Arts?

Review: MAMMA MIA! at Broadway San Jose
Review: MAMMA MIA! at Broadway San Jose
December 13, 2023

What did our critic think of MAMMA MIA! at Broadway San Jose? Mamma Mia! is back in the bay area at Broadway San Jose now thru December 17th in all its high energy 1970s, spandex-clad exuberance and mamma mia, you don’t want to miss it! The story centers on three men and a lady whose heyday was in the late 70s when the group ABBA was an international sensation.

Review: HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS at Broadway San Jose
Review: HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS at Broadway San Jose
November 29, 2023

What did our critic think of HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS at Broadway San Jose?

Review: AIN'T TOO PROUD - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS at Broadway San Jose
Review: AIN'T TOO PROUD - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS at Broadway San Jose
November 1, 2023

What did our critic think of AIN'T TOO PROUD - THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS at Broadway San Jose?

Review: TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL at Golden Gate Theatre
Review: TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL at Golden Gate Theatre
August 3, 2023

What did our critic think of TINA – THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL at Golden Gate Theatre? If you're a fan of Tina Turner, and who isn’t, you won't want to miss Tina – The Tina Turner Musical at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre, playing now through August 27, 2023. Diehard fans and newbies can also see “Tina” from August 29 – September 3, 2023 at San Jose’s Center for the Performing Arts. This Broadway hit tells the story of the legendary singer's life and career, from poverty and parental neglect in Nutbush, Tennessee, through racism and the abusive years with husband Ike Turner, to her eventual solo rise to global stardom.

Review: BEETLEJUICE at Broadway San Jose
Review: BEETLEJUICE at Broadway San Jose
August 2, 2023

What did our critic think of BEETLEJUICE at Broadway San Jose? Who knew that Beetlejuice would be just the right tonic for the nightly news and this summer’s Indictment Watch ’23 (there’s still Georgia to watch for).  Turns out that frighteningly funny laughs about death beats reality every time. This screen-to-stage adaptation from the iconic, beloved 1998 Tim Burton film of the same name was made for the stage. But it has a less than one-week-only, “Bay-stay” (it RIP after August 6) so get your tickets now. Forget your troubles, c’mon it’s scary at Broadway San Jose’s Beetlejuice!

Review: 1776 MUSICAL SHINES A LIGHT ON THE PRESENT at Broadway San Jose
Review: 1776 MUSICAL SHINES A LIGHT ON THE PRESENT at Broadway San Jose
May 17, 2023

What did our critic think of 1776 MUSICAL SHINES A LIGHT ON THE PRESENT at Broadway San Jose?

Review: PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL at Orpheum Theatre
Review: PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL at Orpheum Theatre
April 28, 2023

What did our critic think of PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL at Orpheum Theatre?

Review: COME FROM AWAY at Golden Gate Theatre
Review: COME FROM AWAY at Golden Gate Theatre
April 13, 2023

What did our critic think of COME FROM AWAY at Golden Gate Theatre?

Review: JUSTICE: A NEW MUSICAL at Marin Theatre Company
Review: JUSTICE: A NEW MUSICAL at Marin Theatre Company
March 6, 2023

What did our critic think of JUSTICE: A NEW MUSICAL at Marin Theatre Company?



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