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Linda Hodges - Page 3

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.


BWW Review: THE LAST SHIP STARRING STING at Golden Gate Theatre
BWW Review: THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL at Golden Gate Theatre
BWW Review: WAITRESS SERVES UP PIE AND PASSION at Broadway San Jose
BWW Review: WAITRESS SERVES UP PIE AND PASSION at Broadway San Jose
December 19, 2019

BWW Review: WAITRESS SERVES UP PIE AND PASSION at Broadway San Jose, now thru Dec. 22

BWW Review: HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD a Must-See Theatrical Event at The Curran Theatre
BWW Review: HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD a Must-See Theatrical Event at The Curran Theatre
December 3, 2019

The larger-than-life fantasy wizarding world of Harry Potter comes to life on the stage in J.K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Curran Theatre, SF, now thru July 2020

BWW Review: GYPSY Sizzles Now Through December 8 At Bay Area Musicals
BWW Review: GYPSY Sizzles Now Through December 8 At Bay Area Musicals
November 18, 2019

The heyday of Vaudeville may have come to an abrupt end in the 1930s, but it is alive and well in Gypsy, Bay Area Musical's fifth season opening act. And what a doozy of a show. Based on the 1957 memoirs of famed striptease artist Gypsy Rose Lee, the musical came to Broadway in 1959 and was promptly hailed as a runaway hit. With a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim it garnered 8 Tony nominations, though strangely enough, it didn't win any, losing Best Musical to a tie between Fiorello! and The Sound of Music. Ouch!

BWW Review: 50th Anniversary Tour of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Rocks Out at Broadway San Jose
BWW Review: NINE Is A 'Ten' at At 3Below In San Jose
BWW Review: NINE Is A 'Ten' at At 3Below In San Jose
October 22, 2019

Holding court on a corner in downtown San Jose is 3Below Theaters and Lounge. It would be easier to say what they don't do but to use their own words they're 'downtown San Jose's social spot for stage, screen, music, comedy, family fun and events.' I'll just add that the complex is indeed a veritable mix of entertainment-for-all with delectable eats and great vibe. Yes, I digressed right out of the gate!

BWW Review: ANASTASIA Delights at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre Now Thru Sep 29
BWW Review: ANASTASIA Delights at San Francisco's Golden Gate Theatre Now Thru Sep 29
September 8, 2019

The persistent legend, mystique and fascination of what may have happened to Anastasia during Russia's revolution finds a new home in the musical ANASTASIA

BWW Review: MARIN SHAKESPEARE'S SPAMALOT KEEPS AUDIENCES IN LAUGHS-A-LOT NOW THRU AUGUST 25
BWW Review: MARIN SHAKESPEARE'S SPAMALOT KEEPS AUDIENCES IN LAUGHS-A-LOT NOW THRU AUGUST 25
August 20, 2019

Marin Shakespeare's SPAMALOT is an altogether delightful and uproariously zany production that has their audiences laughing almost non-stop throughout the show. Playing its final week now through August 25, SPAMALOT is a not-to-be-missed, hugely enjoyable show.

BWW Review: HAIRSPRAY DAZZLES AND DELIGHTS NOW THRU AUGUST 11 at Victoria Theatre
BWW Review: HAIRSPRAY DAZZLES AND DELIGHTS NOW THRU AUGUST 11 at Victoria Theatre
July 9, 2019

Bay Area Musical's production of HAIRSPRAY rocks the house early 1960s style, with lacquered bouffants and non-stop music, dancing and comedy – all wrapped up in a story about spunky, plus-sized teen Tracy Turnblad of Baltimore and her dream to be a dancer on the local TV dance program, “The Corny Collins Show.”

BWW Review: Disney's NEWSIES Shines Now Through July 13 at Woodminster Summer Musicals
BWW Review: Disney's NEWSIES Shines Now Through July 13 at Woodminster Summer Musicals
July 6, 2019

BWW Review: Disney's NEWSIES Shines Now Through July 13 at Woodminster Summer Musicals

SHNSF's 20th Anniverary Tour of RENT Amazes
SHNSF's 20th Anniverary Tour of RENT Amazes
June 16, 2019

SHNSF's Golden Gate Theatre was electric with excitement as the house filled to capacity for the touring company of RENT. Now thru June 23!

BWW Interview: TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's Artistic Director Robert Kelley Talks About Winning The 2019 Regional Theatre Tony Award
BWW Interview: TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's Artistic Director Robert Kelley Talks About Winning The 2019 Regional Theatre Tony Award
June 16, 2019

BWW's Linda Hodges talks with TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's founding artistic director Robert Kelley about winning the 2019 Regional Theatre Tony Award!

BWW Review: ROALD DAHL'S CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY at SHN's Golden Gate Theatre
BWW Review: ROALD DAHL'S CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY at SHN's Golden Gate Theatre
April 22, 2019

Pack up the kids and head to San Francisco's Golden Gate Theater, now thru May 12, to see Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." It's like winning your own golden ticket.

SPRING AWAKENING Stunning and Provocative Now Through March 16
SPRING AWAKENING Stunning and Provocative Now Through March 16
March 8, 2019

Marin Musical Theatre Company's stunning and provocative production of Spring Awakening is a no-holds-barred, deep dive into repression, control and the painful process of growing up.

BWW Review: HELLO, DOLLY is Looking Swell!
BWW Review: HELLO, DOLLY is Looking Swell!
February 22, 2019

As the house lights went down and the familiar strains of 'Before the Parade Passes By' wafted through San Francisco's Golden Gate theatre, a buzz of excitement and a ripple of clapping could be heard from the front of the house on up to the balcony seats. The sound of times gone by, captured by the tuneful Jerry Herman score, ushered the audience into the opulent gift of gilded age perfection, the revival of Michael Stewart's 1964 musical, Hello, Dolly.

BWW Review: SOMETHING ROTTEN! (and very funny) was afoot at Broadway San Jose!
BWW Review: SOMETHING ROTTEN! (and very funny) was afoot at Broadway San Jose!
February 4, 2019

SOMETHING ROTTEN! is a bit of fluff that's easy on the brain, but you absolutely forget your troubles and isn't that a great gift in these troubling times?

BWW Review: Dan Hoyle is spellbinding in BORDER PEOPLE, his solo show at The Marsh.
BWW Review: Dan Hoyle is spellbinding in BORDER PEOPLE, his solo show at The Marsh.
January 30, 2019

BORDER PEOPLE, written and performed by Dan Hoyle, is based on his conversations with people who straddle, confront or live in the liminal border spaces where they deal with rejection and acceptance, hope and fear.

BWW Review: COME FROM AWAY Inspires and Delights, Now Thru Feb. 3
BWW Review: COME FROM AWAY Inspires and Delights, Now Thru Feb. 3
January 14, 2019

Come From Away is far and away one of the best ensemble pieces to come to the Broadway stage in recent memory, and now theatre-goers in the San Francisco Bay area can see it at the Golden Gate Theatre, now through February 3, 2019.

BWW Review: Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA is Magical at Broadway San Jose
BWW Review: Rodgers + Hammerstein's CINDERELLA is Magical at Broadway San Jose
December 4, 2018

Broadway San Jose welcomed the touring company of Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella, which made a short stop at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, bringing with it the magical music of Rodgers and Hammerstein.






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