Steve Murray - Page 8

What did our critic think of THIS MUCH I KNOW at Aurora Theatre?

What did our critic think of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at Golden Gate Theatre?

What did our critic think of LEAR at Cal Shakes?

What did our critic think of MAN OF GOD at Shotgun Players?

What did our critic think of MOULIN ROUGE! THE MUSICAL at Orpheum Theatre?

What did our critic think of GODDESS at Berkeley Repertory? The first thing the audience sees is Arnulfo Maldonado's incredible two- story Moorish influenced set representing Moto Moto, the hip Mombasa night spot for music and dance. A jazzy overture gets the audience hyped, then BAM - the World Premiere and much anticipated Goddess ensemble powers into its opening number. The audience nearly blew the roof off the Roda Theatre and the high energy and excitement level never wavered throughout the evening. Sensational it was - brilliant, athletic choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie introducing us to the hip nightclub Moto Moto that will act as the main location of the show.

It's March 4, 1848, and the TheatreWorks audience are all students who paid 20 francs for a piano lesson from none other than the doyenne of Paris society, piano virtuoso Frédéric Chopin.

What did our critic think of OKLAHOMA! at Golden Gate Theatre?

What did our critic think of DREAM HOU$E at Shotgun Players?

What did our critic think of FOLLIES at SF Playhouse? Director Bill English and his troupe of collaborators have waited three long years to present San Francisco's first fully staged, professional production of James Goldman and Stephen Sondheim's seven-time Tony Award winning musical.

What did our critic think of NAN AND THE LOWER BODY at Lucie Stern Theatre? A crowd favorite at the 2019 New Works Festival, Jessica Dickey's very personal homage to her grandmother, an early pioneer in female reproductive rights, couldn't have its World Premiere at a more opportune time with SCOTUS tampering with Roe v Wade. With great humor and touching pathos, the story of Nan Day and her work with groundbreaking Pap Smear developer Dr. George Papanicolaou (aka Dr. Pap) springs to life with vivid detail and fine acting.

What did our critic think of SANCTUARY CITY at Berkeley Repertory? 2018 Pulitzer Prize winner Martyna Majok (Cost of Living) paints a bleak, gritty and totally authentic portrayal of the effects of immigration inequalities on two young Dreamers fighting to establish a life for themselves in Berkeley Rep's new production of Sanctuary City. Fresh off a critically hailed run in NYC, Sanctuary City is set in 2006, a tense time post 9/11 when America war on terrorism had tragic effects on illegal aliens trapped in a web of inaction, helplessness, and fear.

What did our critic think of COME FROM AWAY at San Jose Center For The Perfoming Arts? Without a single showtune you'll be humming long after, this national touring production of Come From Away is moving, triumphant, engaging and endearing. Too bad this stunningly staged run is so surprisingly short. The remarkable assembled cast, each performing multiple roles, bring to life the anxious airline passengers grounded by 9/11 and the townspeople of Gander, Newfoundland who magnanimously come to their aid.

What did our critic think of DANA H. at Berkeley Repertory?

What did our critic think of HADESTOWN at Orpheum Theatre?

Three years in the making due to the COVID pandemic, Stephanie Block got her opportunity to showcase her considerable talent and share her congenial and personal anecdotes through a repertoire that bridged her meteoric career and personal mentors.

Two loners meet, bond, and become integrally entangled in Adam Rapp's beautiful tribute to authors and the spoken word in Marin Theatre Company's season closer The Sound Inside. This introspective two-hander, a West Coast premiere of Rapp's six-time 2020 Tony nominated drama, excels through director Jaason Minadakis' concentrated, minimal staging and stellar performances by Denmo Ibrahim as Professor Bella Lee Baird and Tyler Miclean as her student Christopher Dunn.

Adam Bock's fifth production at Shotgun Players involves a poignant story of a powerful woman losing control and the effects on her immediate family. Its tough stuff and will appeal to almost every audience member. Notwithstanding a stellar performance by Desiree Rogers, the play as presented here is so slowly paced, with too many scene changes, that is loses its emotional punches.

How can the historic Club Fugazi follow up on Beach Blanket Babylon, the world's longest-running musical revue, which played for more than 17,200 performances and to over 6.5 million? With yet another crowd-pleasing San Francisco specific immersive experience currently packing em in and likely to run for quite some time.