Review: THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE at FreeFall Stage
by Courtney Symes - November 07, 2024
Over seventy years after its initial publishing, C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe continues to entertain children of all ages. FreeFall Stage is bringing the classic story to life on stage with an adaptation by Joseph Robinette. Director DeeDee Eldridge is at the helm of this proje...
Review: CRUMBS FROM THE TABLE OF JOY Plays at Celebration Arts
by Courtney Symes - November 02, 2024
When I heard that Celebration Arts was performing a Lynn Nottage play, I knew I had to be there. My first experience with her work was last year seeing Clyde’s at Capital Stage. I was struck by the characters and how they interacted with each other. They were all multi-faceted and so human, filled w...
Review: ROGUES Premieres at The Stage At Burke Junction
by Courtney Symes - October 30, 2024
The numbers vary by source, but over fifty million Americans care for an elderly or disabled family member. Many do so while holding other jobs and receiving no respite. It’s a topic that all of us can relate to in some way. Local playwright Charlotte Higgins, nationally recognized for her other wor...
Review: POTUS Gets My Vote at Big Idea Theatre
by Courtney Symes - October 28, 2024
When a show opens with what is widely considered one of the most offensive words in the English language, I’m hooked. Selina Fillinger’s POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive does just that. This Tony Award-nominated work is a genius feminist farce brought to...
Review: MRS. DOUBTFIRE is Sure to Deliver the Laughs at Broadway Sacramento
by Courtney Symes - October 10, 2024
I’ve just found the new definition of fun, and it’s Mrs. Doubtfire. Broadway Sacramento continues its season of excellence with director Jerry Zaks’s comedy based on the 1993 film that starred Robin Williams. It had a limited run on Broadway immediately before and following the pandemic, but enjoyed...
Review: Celebrate the Revival of COMPANY at Broadway Sacramento
by Courtney Symes - September 18, 2024
Broadway Sacramento’s 2024 season is here and is opening up with Stephen Sondheim’s 1970 hit, Company. Following several Tony Award wins for its 2021 Broadway revival, Company is stopping in Sacramento this week as it closes its national tour. The book by George Furth has undergone some changes, whi...
Review: THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE is the Hit of the Season at Big Idea Theatre
by Courtney Symes - September 18, 2024
What can I say? Big Idea Theatre has some of the best picks in town. Constantly evolving and pushing through what feels comfortable and even sane, they’ve upped the ante with their latest offering. The Beauty Queen of Leenane is a deliciously dark and suspenseful tale by Martin McDonagh....
Review: FAIRVIEW Opens the 20th Anniversary Season at Capital Stage
by Courtney Symes - September 17, 2024
Capital Stage is embarking on an exciting 20th anniversary season. Kicking it off is Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Fairview. It’s a timely discussion about race, society, and expectations that leaves one asking questions long after the last bo...