tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200393122012-01-27T16:02:25.758-08:00A place to post my theater reviews, originally published in The Davis Enterprise.Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.comBlogger4461100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-10661129151791452892012-01-27T16:00:00.000-08:002012-01-27T16:01:36.587-08:00

From the moment a handful of members of the Jets gang step on stage and begin to dance, it is clear that the touring Broadway production of “West Side Story,” now at the Sacramento Community Center, is going to be an exceptional experience. The energy from everyone was electric and practically crackled off the stage. This classic American musical almost never made it to the stage. In its

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-43986973918153629242012-01-24T18:19:00.000-08:002012-01-24T18:21:10.073-08:00

Sherlock Holmes is dead. Or so Dr. Watson announces at the beginning of “Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure,” now playing at the Woodland Opera House in a production directed by Bob Cooner. The play written by William Gillette and Arthur Conan Doyle, adapted by Steven Dietz, combines two of Doyle’s short stories, “A Scandal in Bohemia” and “The Adventure of the Final Problem,” tosses in a

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-42654905527242561742012-01-18T00:44:00.001-08:002012-01-18T00:45:59.251-08:00

Fasten your seatbelts … it’s going to be a funny night. Sacramento Theatre Company is presenting “Ruthless! — The Musical,” with book and lyrics by Joel Paley and (mostly forgettable) music by Marvin Laird, a spoof about all those “bad girl” movies like “The Bad Seed,” and “All About Eve” with a lot of Mama Rose from “Gypsy” thrown in. As director Michael Laun says, “you don’t need to be

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-40885558694130150942012-01-10T11:47:00.001-08:002012-01-10T11:49:39.290-08:00

Stop what you’re doing right now and call for tickets to the Davis Musical Theatre Company’s amazing new production of Kander & Ebb’s Tony Award-winning “Chicago.” This is one of the best DMTC productions I’ve seen in a long time. It’s full of murder, greed, corruption, violence, sex, exploitation, adultery and treachery all glitzed up with so much razzle and dazzle that you’ll be cheering

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-71919195247579917802012-01-09T17:45:00.000-08:002012-01-09T17:49:58.345-08:00

Christian (Nick Mead) woos the fair Roxane (Frances Devanbu) asCyrano (Antonio de Loera-Brust) looks on,heartbroken, in the Acme Theatre Company production of "Cyrano," (It is unfortunate that Acme's photos appear to have allbeen taken before Cyrano's nose was made!!!)In her notes to the new Acme production of “Cyrano de Bergerac” by Edmond Rostand, director Emily Henderson writes, “This play

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-34641323394067358682011-12-06T20:34:00.001-08:002011-12-06T20:37:09.846-08:00

I have a guilty secret. A critic reviews many Christmas-themed shows at this time of year, but I have to admit that my favorite is “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some),” the holiday offering at Capital Stage again this year.I first saw this show — written by Michael Carleton, Jim Fitzgerald and Gary Alvarez, and directed this year by Jonathan Williams — in 2004 and thought it

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-57782396237087390302011-12-05T15:23:00.001-08:002011-12-05T15:24:57.506-08:00

On reviewing Sacramento Theatre Company’s “A Christmas Carol” last year, I made three suggestions for improving the show: turn down the thunder, cut the fog in half and get rid of the reverberation on Marley’s mic. It’s nice to see how much power I have, since those are the same three suggestions I would give this time. While the thunder may be a tad less loud, there is still entirely too

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-22118933794049544052011-11-28T12:54:00.000-08:002011-11-28T12:56:37.071-08:00

There is an old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Whoever decided to bring one of the most popular Christmas movies, “White Christmas,” to the stage did not follow that saying. My criticism is of the musical itself, not of the Woodland Opera House production, which is excellent. The stage show does not allow for character development, and uses unbelievable situations. For example, it

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-85473612424319309952011-11-22T11:29:00.000-08:002011-11-22T11:30:41.159-08:00

In the 1980s, I saw a musical produced by Buddy Ebsen (of “The Beverly Hillbillies”) called “A Turn to the Right.” It was a show about making peach preserves and, to this day, remains the worst show I have ever seen. When I saw that the Winters Theatre Company was presenting a show called “Fruitcakes” as its holiday gift to the community, I had great misgivings. If a show about peach

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-85841399257051410292011-11-19T09:36:00.001-08:002011-11-22T11:32:14.622-08:00

The UC Davis department of theater and dance, and Michael Barakiva, director, have rectified a mistake that was made back in 1966, when someone rejected a new play by an aspiring playwright named Tom Stoppard.He submitted a play called “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead” to the university’s “New Plays Project,” but the committee decided it was only “mildly interested” in the work and rejected

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-10486089267197749392011-11-16T17:29:00.001-08:002011-11-16T17:32:43.882-08:00

At its core, “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks,” currently on the Sacramento Theatre Company’s Pollock Stage, is a story about loneliness, isolation and friendship. This play, by Richard Alfieri and directed by Michele Hillen-Noufer, is both hilariously funny and painfully poignant. The material is somewhat dated and the plot is repetitious and predictable, yet in the hands of talented actors

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-8241883312485105982011-11-07T18:00:00.001-08:002011-11-07T18:02:10.157-08:00

The Davis Musical Theatre Company’s production of “Bye Bye Birdie,” directed and choreographed by Jan Isaacson, has a large cast (about 40), many crossovers from the Young People’s Theater program. It has a large orchestra (15) and a full house of parents, grandparents, siblings and friends. How could it possibly be less than a hit? This musical, with book by Michael Stewart, music by Charles

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-27204388044266516662011-10-18T12:03:00.000-07:002011-10-18T12:08:02.379-07:00

Director and Capital Stage co-founder Stephanie Gularte received a standing ovation before her production of “Superior Donuts,” by Tracy Letts, had even begun. Not only was it opening night for the play, it was the inaugural production for Capital Stage’s brand-new theater in midtown Sacramento. Leaving the Delta King, their home since 2005, the company has built a charming performing space

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-17857524457351734742011-10-17T15:52:00.000-07:002011-10-17T15:54:14.247-07:00

“Bingo, the Winning Musical,” by Michael Heitzman and Ilene Reid, currently running at K Street’s Cosmopolitan Cabaret, fills a niche that nobody realized needed filling. It’s a musical about trailer trash women addicted to bingo, and the traumas and passions of their lives. It’s also about a long-running feud over who interfered with whom in the purchase of what turned out to be a winning

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-56004942055172615662011-10-16T14:34:00.000-07:002011-10-18T14:42:04.140-07:00

In 2006, I wrote a review of a one-woman show called “Insides OUT!” I opened that review by saying, “Stop what you’re doing right now, go to the telephone, call Sacramento Theater Company, and order tickets for the production of “Insides OUT!” the powerful one-woman show by Katie Rubin. It’s that good.” Those who took my advice and were fortunate enough to see this extraordinary piece of

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-11779467685563750532011-10-11T16:33:00.000-07:002011-10-11T16:35:13.072-07:00

Forget Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney or any of the Hollywood renderings of the Mary Shelley novel, “Frankenstein.” You will see no green tinted skin or neck bolts coming from “the creature” in the production, dramatized by Tim Kelly, now at Sacramento Theatre Company through Oct. 30. This production, directed by Michael Laun, sticks more closely to the original book. We never see

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-84404266608771104392011-10-01T19:00:00.000-07:002011-10-01T19:01:59.356-07:00

The crowd at Tuesday night’s opening of “Shrek, The Musical” (book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, music by Jeanine Tesori) may have been one of the biggest I’ve ever seen at the Community Theater.The line of patrons waiting to spin the wheel to win a prize at the Mix 96 booth stretched almost around the block, little girls came dressed in sparkly princess costumes, adults and children of all

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-72358809295063012792011-09-21T17:42:00.001-07:002011-09-21T17:44:15.831-07:00

If you’re looking for something to do for entertainment on one of these late summer nights, why not get yourself over to the UC Davis Arboretum Gazebo and take in the fun production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”? This is the fifth production of the no-longer-fledgling Davis Shakespeare Ensemble. Even if you are familiar with this Shakespeare comedy, I think you will find the setting and the

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-71827746617588296702011-09-12T14:38:00.000-07:002011-09-12T14:40:33.952-07:00

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I,” directed by Steve Isaacson and choreographed by Michael Miilar, was the show that closed out Davis Musical Theatre Company’s run at the Varsity Theatre in 2005. A beautiful new production, directed and choreographed by Jan Isaacson, is opening DMTC’s 27th season.Right off the bat, I give failing marks to the audience, most of whom rudely talked among

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-43263660819675518512011-08-24T11:29:00.000-07:002011-08-24T11:31:02.538-07:00

Sacramento’s Music Circus closes its 61st season with a Music Circus debut of “Miss Saigon,” the modern version of “Madam Butterfly” by Claude-Michel Schonberg, Richard Maltby Jr. and Alain Boublil, the guys who gave us “Les Miserable.” It is a show that is big and loud and bawdy, but it’s also small and tender and always emotionally raw. The writers set their story between 1975 during the

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-13143513510098489042011-08-17T16:29:00.001-07:002011-08-17T16:32:55.096-07:00

In 1966 Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt (the guys who wrote “The Fantasticks”) wrote a little two-person show to celebrate marriage. It was based on the Jan de Hartog play, “The Fourposter” and was called “I Do! I Do!” It starred Mary Martin and Robert Preston. The show ran for 560 performances and received seven Tony nominations, including the Best Actor award for Preston. It was revived in an

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-17128105093036659292011-08-10T18:03:00.001-07:002011-08-10T18:07:35.485-07:00

Yeehaw!! Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Show are back in town! It has been 11 years since Annie Oakley and Frank Butler held a shooting match at Music Circus, but Irving Berlin’s “Annie Get Your Gun” is this week’s production, directed by Gary John La Rosa, and it is loads of fun. Berlin’s score is filled with familiar gems like “Anything You Can Do,” “You Can’t Get a Man with a Gun,” “They Say

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-10738121167867760442011-08-08T22:50:00.000-07:002011-08-08T22:55:27.386-07:00

I am so glad that Acme Theatre’s summer show is in the Veterans’ Memorial Theater … no need to endure the heat of a Davis evening! This year’s summer show is actually two one-act plays. “Shane of Third Street” was specially written for Acme by alum Brian Daniel Ogelsby (Acme ’02) and directed by Ryan Lagerstrom (Acme ’09) who, we are told, “took a break from directing films and took on the

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-897632241080483522011-08-04T17:06:00.000-07:002011-08-04T17:08:22.859-07:00

Whether you are speaking historically, theatrically or politically, the word “Camelot” conjures up a special time, a special magic. Music Circus’ current production — its first in the Wells Fargo Pavilion, the previous production of “Camelot” having played in the old tent in 2002 — does not disappoint and hits all the right magical points throughout. For starters, there is Davis Gaines as

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-89927803597835640712011-07-27T10:49:00.001-07:002011-07-27T10:50:51.085-07:00

It is no surprise that “Anything Goes,” the 1934 musical with words and music by Cole Porter, continues to be revived nearly 80 years after its Broadway debut. It has more Porter hits — songs that have become American musical classics — than any of his other works, all neatly packaged into one two-hour show. You have the title song, one of the best love ballads (“All Through the Night”), a

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-42737074607444223552011-07-20T14:04:00.000-07:002011-07-20T14:05:33.561-07:00

The last production of “Oliver!” at Music Circus was in 1997, but it is back for a huge extravaganza this week.Directed and choreographed by Richard Stafford, this production has a cast of nearly 60 which, at times, on the small Music Circus stage looks like rush hour in London.Christopher Bones has the title role and is a wonderful young actor. His “Where Is Love” was clean and clear and true,

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-8443221171459373332011-07-13T16:12:00.001-07:002011-07-13T16:14:12.502-07:00

“The Producers,” directed by Glenn Casale, kicks off Music Circus’s 61st season and is a great way to start a season that will include “Oliver!” “Anything Goes,” “Camelot,” “I Do! I Do!,” “Annie Get Your Gun” and “Miss Saigon.” Whatever your ethnicity, nationality, religion, sexual orientation or political affiliation, there will be something in Mel Brooks’ “The Producers,” to offend

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-3013582791926872232011-06-30T17:15:00.000-07:002011-06-30T17:18:11.484-07:00

If you have been complaining lately that there is too much sex on TV and in the movies, that we have gone way too far with what is and is not acceptable when it comes to sex in our entertainment, and rolled your eyes about these kids today, then you probably have never heard of Aphra Behn. Behn was the very first professional English female playwright, in the middle of the 17th century, the

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-68974231340419380712011-06-23T22:45:00.000-07:002011-06-23T22:47:14.741-07:00

The little boy in front of me looked to be about 4 years old and he was absolutely mesmerized by the antics of the pirates on stage at the Davis Musical Theatre Company’s sparkling new production of “Peter Pan,” directed by Steve Isaacson.There is something for all ages in this funny, colorful production, which was fortunate because DMTC had a near sell-out house for the opening. There were

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-75389742595897547102011-06-08T12:05:00.000-07:002011-06-08T12:07:32.303-07:00

It was no ill wind that blew in with the weekend rain. It was a very friendly wind that brought the world’s best nanny, Mary Poppins, to the Sacramento Convention Center. The stage show, directed by Richard Eyre, is not a recreation of the movie, but takes bits of the movie and merges them with bits from the book series by P.L. Travers. (I wondered how they were going to get the penguins in

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-28359767967449029672011-05-05T23:46:00.000-07:002011-05-06T07:28:35.010-07:00

We met someone headed into the Mondavi Theater on Thursday night to see a concert. I told him we were on our way to see “The Moby Dick Variations” in the Vanderhoef Studio theater. “Good luck with that,” he said, rolling his eyes.As I entered the theater, someone spotted me and said “I can hardly wait to read your review of this.”Half an hour into the piece, when I was comparing it to “One Flew

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-84320517353617457672011-05-05T00:47:00.000-07:002011-05-05T00:50:59.324-07:00

Now we know what Sacramento Theatre Company’s Mrs. Badden-Rotten (Cinderella) looks like when she gets out of drag and off those impossibly high heels. Underneath, she’s … Sherlock Holmes! Director Michael Laun has successfully reunited two of STC’s most beloved performers, William Elsman and Michael RJ Campbell, as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, respectively, in a delightful adaptation of

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-27777616406057829502011-04-26T11:49:00.000-07:002011-04-26T11:50:24.810-07:00

The Davis Musical Theatre Company has a solid hit on its hands, if the sparkling premier performance of “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying” is any indication.Despite a utilitarian set, which sometimes had a mind of its own, this production, directed and choreographed by Rand Martin (who also designed the set), boasts a strong cast and a good-sounding orchestra and hits all the

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-70066848604528380942011-04-15T13:41:00.000-07:002011-04-15T13:43:45.174-07:00

There is no mistaking a Mel Brooks musical. From the distinctive musical style to the off-color Catskill-esque humor (mostly involving male genitals), to the pompous soldier with the Hitler mustache to the leggy buxom blonds. It’s all there in “Young Frankenstein,” the current offering of the Broadway Sacramento series at the Community Center Theater.“Young Frankenstein” is the musical which is

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-15029776448032902452011-03-23T16:34:00.000-07:002011-03-23T16:39:31.610-07:00

“The Sound of Music,” currently at the Woodland Opera House, under the direction of Angela Frost Baltezore, may just be the best community theater production of this beloved classic that I have ever seen.Everything from the actors to the orchestra under the direction of James C. Glica-Hernandez to the lovely costumes by Laurie Everly-Klassen, down to the sets by John Bowles and even the speed and

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-65125538613499295372011-03-23T16:31:00.001-07:002011-03-23T16:33:24.443-07:00

Actress Janis Stevens is a rare gem, and how lucky we are that she chooses to share her talent with us in this area. Stevens opened in “Master Class,” which is essentially a one-woman show (though there are actually six people in the cast) at Capital Stage on Friday night. Anyone who saw that show, or who will see the show during its run through April 10, will long remember it. Directed by

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-58761513504557999662011-03-18T17:28:00.000-07:002011-03-18T17:29:13.743-07:00

“9 to 5, the Musical,” this week’s production at the Sacramento Community Center, is a pleasant piece of fluff, without the heart or the intensity of the 1980 movie and, except for the title song, without any songs that you will remember once the curtain goes down.But it has fun, it has frenetic dance numbers, it has a great, innovative movable set, and it has most of the plot points and dialog

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-57570345047337391932011-03-15T12:25:00.001-07:002011-03-15T12:27:59.767-07:00

What do Santa Cruz’s Mystery Spot and Sylvia Plath have in common?They are both part of playwright Steve Lyons’ new play, “The Mystery Spot,” now at California Stage in Sacramento, directed by Ray Tatar.Lyons, whose plays have won multiple awards and been produced in London, Edinburgh, New York City, Boulder, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and elsewhere always knew that he wanted to write

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-92205103912450316222011-03-01T16:14:00.000-08:002011-03-01T17:43:34.701-08:00

The popularity of and enduring affection for Frank Loesser’s “Guys and Dolls” is easily seen in its award history. It swept the Tonys in 1951, the year it opened on Broadway (where it ran for 1,200 performances), winning not only “Best Musical,” but also awards for Best Actor, Actress, Director and Choreographer. It had nominations again for Best Actor (Jerry Orbach) in 1965, and was

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-23386310159621083282011-02-17T12:21:00.000-08:002011-02-17T12:23:11.139-08:00

If you want a good-looking, Broadway-worthy cabaret show, get someone with Broadway experience to create it for you.Mindy Cooper - director for Sacramento's Cosmopolitan Cabaret's 'It's a Grand Night for Singing' - has brought her Broadway experience to Sacramento.Cooper choreographed Broadway's 'Dracula: The Musical,' and 'Wrong Mountain,' and also directed the Mondavi Center's beautiful '

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-22381053749498581552011-02-16T14:03:00.001-08:002011-02-16T14:04:26.009-08:00

Written 26 years before, Frank Wedekind's controversial play 'Spring Awakening, a Tragedy of Childhood' closed after one night in New York in 1917...Amid charges of obscenity and public outrage, the play was rarely seen for the better part of the 20th century - until the musical by Duncan Sheik and Steven Slater took Broadway by storm in 2007, won eight Tony awards, and gave new life to

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-23114591172235628952011-02-02T14:36:00.000-08:002011-02-02T14:38:24.249-08:00

Beauty may be only skin deep, but according to playwright Neil LaBute, author of 'reasons to be pretty' (lower case letters his), now playing at Capital Stage in Sacramento, that may be enough.'reasons to be pretty' - directed by Janis Stevens -is a very black comedy that tells the story of four rather plain people. Steph (Stephanie Altholz) is a hairdresser, while her boyfriend Greg (Cole

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-38992271852439353442011-02-01T16:37:00.000-08:002011-02-01T16:39:43.001-08:00

It's a brave thing to take an iconic movie such as “The Wizard of Oz” and put it on the stage, especially when the script is almost verbatim what people know from the movie. But the Woodland Opera House has created a delightfully enchanting production, directed and choreographed by Jason Hammond (who also designed the sets), with musical direction by Jeff Poppings. Danielle Hansen is not only

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-31506330480288009852011-01-25T16:11:00.000-08:002011-01-25T16:13:34.385-08:00

It's not quite 'Little House on the Prairie,' but Davis resident Ruth Chambers has penned a family-friendly book, 'The Weight of Gold,' an adventure that takes readers through the excitement of the California Gold Rush with the Widow Chambers.It's not surprising that her first effort is steeped in history, since the former Granny Muffin of Davis Community Television fame volunteers in Old

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-92010801329880426342011-01-19T15:47:00.000-08:002011-01-19T15:48:09.399-08:00

I questioned the wisdom of the Davis Shakespeare Ensemble scheduling its new production 'Twelfth Night' at the UCD Arboretum's gazebo, fearing the audience would freeze outdoors on these cold winter nights.But the company has encased the gazebo in tarps, installed heaters and the resulting intimacy of the 'theater' was so warm, I even removed my jacket before the end of the evening.The company's

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-22969049014014091482011-01-18T15:42:00.000-08:002011-01-18T15:45:16.349-08:00

Any fan of Broadway musicals is going to love Sacramento Theater company’s new show, “The Musical of Musicals: the Musical!” by Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogart, directed by Michael Luan.In just a little more than an hour and a half, five musicals are presented. Each show follows the old melodrama plot, “I can’t play the rent” and shows how the problem would be solved following five very

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-63317499709805756492011-01-12T16:54:00.000-08:002011-01-12T18:56:42.229-08:00

The Davis Musical Theatre Company has hit one out of the ballpark with its wonderful new production of 'Chess,' directed by Steve Isaacson, with musical direction by Isaacson and Jonathan Rothman, and choreography by Pamela Lourentzos.The cast is outstanding, the set, in places, breathtaking .. .and where in the world do they fit a 19-piece orchestra in that little understage pit?The story may be

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-44967218945883628802011-01-11T16:06:00.000-08:002011-01-11T16:08:32.998-08:00

The rudeness of the Veterans' Memorial Theater audience at opening night's performance of Acme Theatre Company's 'Anon(ymous)' distracted from the quality of the production.Many in the audience had obviously come to see their friends and laughed loudly in many parts of the drama. The students sitting in the row in front of me used their electronic gadgets to check e-mail, check Facebook statuses

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-61422460839498610802010-12-31T09:35:00.000-08:002010-12-31T09:38:53.054-08:00

Ed Sullivan would be so pleased with 'Cirque Dreams Holidaze,' the current offering of the California Musical Theatre.The spectacle - created and directed by Neil Goldberg - has twirling plates, people tossing other people up in the air (and catching them), balancing acts, unicycles and, my personal favorite, quick-change artists. And more glitter than you'll find on a Las Vegas stage.It was The

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-46646463595752660212010-12-10T15:26:00.000-08:002010-12-10T15:29:58.875-08:00

There are three suggestions I would offer to Sacramento Theater Company for improving its otherwise excellent production of 'A Christmas Carol.'** Cut the fog by at least half. The stage was filled with fog so much of the time that it stuck around to make for foggy dinner-table scenes and foggy office scenes and, most frustratingly, made some characters completely disappear in billowing white fog

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-58684270281918844472010-12-03T07:18:00.001-08:002010-12-03T07:23:29.040-08:00

Capital Stage has brought back its delightful holiday gift, “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and then some),” written by Michael Carleton, James Fitzgerald and John K. Alvarez and directed by Jonathan Williams. The show opened on Sunday at the Delta King Theater in Old Sacramento.This year’s cast adds Artistic Associate Peter Mohrmann to the veterans, Eric Wheeler and Gary S. Martinez (

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-33250983778002521892010-12-01T18:07:00.000-08:002010-12-16T18:10:08.836-08:00

My very favorite Christmas movie ever is “Miracle on 34th Street,” written for the movies in 1947 by Valentine Davis. It starred Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, a very young Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn as Kris Kringle (Gwenn won the Oscar that year for best actor in a supporting role). There have been three remakes for television, a movie remake for the big screen and a Broadway musical

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-6453634289231976192010-11-23T21:41:00.001-08:002010-11-23T21:43:15.325-08:00

What would Christmas be without Bing Crosby singing 'White Christmas?'What would Christmas be without Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol,' whether Scrooge is an actor, a cartoon character, an animal, or a muppet?And what would Christmas be without 'It's a Wonderful Life,' the classic film that has played for decades on televisions across this country?To celebrate the Winters Community Theater's 30th

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-56856828978736275892010-11-17T09:36:00.000-08:002010-11-17T09:38:01.756-08:00

The matinee audience for Davis Musical Theatre Company's production of 'Annie' (the second show in its 26th season) was filled with children and their parents, all of whom were glued to the action on stage.It was a near-sellout audience and everyone had a wonderful time.'Annie,' with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Thomas Meehan is, of course, based on the classic

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-67630187732441417652010-11-10T16:48:00.000-08:002010-11-10T16:53:41.169-08:00

'It rocks the world of traditional theater while exploring sex, identity, lust, love, infidelity, deception and denial with burlesque flair. It is sophisticated and coarse at the same time.'So reads the description of UC Davis' upcoming production of John Lyly's 1588 comedy, 'Gallathea,' opening Thursday at UCD's Main Theater.Director Peter Lichtenfels notes that the play feels like 'vaudeville

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-68208959022351107512010-11-09T16:58:00.000-08:002010-11-10T17:02:35.264-08:00

I am continually impressed with the quality of work by Studio 301, the self-funded, UC Davis student-run production company. Recent productions have included 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' in the bucolic Arboretum setting, 'MacBeth,' an outdoor production in the stark castle-like setting of the university's 'Death Star,' the offbeat 'Fuddy Mears,' hidden away in a building in the theater area, and

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-31859795608672690182010-11-07T10:19:00.001-08:002010-11-07T10:21:10.448-08:00

For people who feel that nobody is writing the big Broadway musicals anymore (other than those churned out by the Disney machine), I would suggest that they get themselves to the Sacramento Community Center to see 'In the Heights,' winner of four 2008 Tony awards and the 2008 Grammy award for best musical show album.This is a big, high-energy musical, conceived by Lin-Manuel Miranda (who also

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-28502713454411210062010-10-26T23:47:00.001-07:002010-10-26T23:48:55.191-07:00

Picture a stamp collector.What do we see? Probably a nerdy sort of guy, with horn-rimmed glasses, sitting quietly in a corner while surrounded by books, magnifying glasses, tweezers and other tools of the trade.Be prepared to have these stereotypes blown away by the Capital Stage production of Theresa Rebeck's dark comedy, 'Mauritius,' which continues through Nov. 7 in Old Sacramento.The play is

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-83291219621270117522010-10-20T18:25:00.001-07:002010-10-20T18:26:49.685-07:00

The magic begins the moment one enters the Mondavi Center's Vanderhoef Studio Theatre, where set designer John Iacovelli has created an old-style circus ring, with a tent suggested by hanging lights.Composer/sound designer David Roesner's jazzy music fills the air, and the lid of a large trunk opens. A woman emerges, dressed from head to toe in fur, and so begins 'Tilly No-Body: Catastrophes of

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-58040040343527817522010-10-04T07:44:00.000-07:002010-10-04T07:45:40.156-07:00

As its title suggests - 'Suds: The Rocking '60s Musical Soap Opera' - the final show of the Cosmopolitan Cabaret's 2010 season is light, frothy and insubstantial.And the audience loved it.This jukebox musical has a paper-thin plot, but who cares about plot when you have more than 50 songs from the 1960s?But for those who do care about such things, the story revolves around perky Cindy (Melissa

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-91699788541134943002010-09-24T23:30:00.000-07:002010-09-24T23:32:04.844-07:00

Camelot.The word immediately conjures up mental images of knights in shining armor, castle pageantry and magical happenings.All those things can be found in the Woodland Opera House production of Lerner and Loewe's classic musical, adapted from T.H. White's 'The Once and Future King.'Director Rodger McDonald has created a world that is long on talent, opulent in terms of costumes (by Laurie

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-14369973561395507522010-09-22T16:47:00.000-07:002010-09-22T16:48:05.159-07:00

Davis' newest theater company, the Davis Shakespeare Ensemble, selected a beautiful spot and a lovely night for the opening of its debut offering, 'Romeo and Juliet.'The production, directed by Rob Salas, is presented in the gazebo at the UC Davis Arboretum; a circle of folding chairs is placed around the stage area, and twinkling lights add to the setting's magic. As the audience enters the

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-88432113099885188542010-09-21T14:02:00.001-07:002010-09-21T14:03:35.809-07:00

The Tony Award-winning musical comedy, 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,' is based on 'C_R_E_P_U_S_C_U_L_E,' an original play by The Farm. The musical is conceived by Rebecca Feldman, with its book by Rachel Sheinkin, and music and lyrics by William Finn, perhaps best known for his 'Falsettos' trilogy, about a man dying of AIDS.'Putnam County Spelling Bee' has no such heavy themes;

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-9456705715732150672010-09-21T14:00:00.000-07:002010-09-22T16:52:30.083-07:00

The finale of Davis Musical Theatre Company's production of “Singing in the Rain” — which opens the company's 26th season — is spectacular, with everyone on stage in yellow rain slickers and red umbrellas, tap dancing up a storm to the title song.It's a sight to behold.I wish that same energy had been evident through the rest of the show, which dragged on opening night: particularly during Act 1,

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-16272342751120953842010-08-27T13:09:00.000-07:002010-08-27T13:11:22.640-07:00

'Kid, you're going out there just a girl from the chorus, but you're coming back a star!'Or words to that effect.Shows such as '42nd Street,' continuing through Sunday at Sacramento's Music Circus, still encourage young kids to flock to Hollywood or Broadway, certain that they'll be the next one who steps from obscurity into the spotlight, to become an overnight sensation.This play's

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-4873171746859476442010-08-19T10:37:00.001-07:002010-08-19T10:39:04.953-07:00

In a Music Circus season that includes heavy hitters such as 'Funny Girl,' 'Oklahoma!' and '42nd Street,' the inclusion of a lightweight called 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' seemed rather strange.This isn't a show everyone has heard of, or has been waiting to see.'The Marvelous Wonderettes,' written and created by Roger Bean, doesn't have a high-powered history. It first opened at the Milwaukee

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-91197408429063062522010-08-14T19:10:00.000-07:002010-08-14T19:11:27.229-07:00

I'm not sure whether actress Vicki Lewis channeled Fanny Brice or Barbra Streisand during Tuesday's opening performance of the Music Circus production of “Funny Girl,” but whatever she did, it worked for her.“Funny Girl” is so closely identified with Streisand — who played the role of stage and screen star Fanny Brice for 1,348 performances on Broadway, and in the subsequent film adaptation —

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-6561594419207832802010-08-05T10:07:00.000-07:002010-08-05T10:09:48.183-07:00

The first time I saw “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels,” which continues through Sunday at the Music Circus, my review centered on how pun-riddled the show is, and how I spent the evening groaning and rolling my eyes. I therefore was surprised to count only two audible puns in this production; worse yet, my favorite bad pun was botched. The set-up line, “I'm Muriel, of Omaha,” was so muffled that the

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-52125633069086856442010-08-04T16:49:00.000-07:002010-08-04T16:50:21.451-07:00

Summer marks the time when the oldest Acme performers must move on to college, and the local theater company brings in a crop of newbies.Such transitions sometimes can be felt for a show or two, before the fresh faces properly hone their acting chops and blend in with the group.Not so this time.Whether the new kids on the block are exceptionally talented, or playwright Ken Ludwig's zany

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-37471101291702076582010-07-29T18:10:00.001-07:002010-07-29T18:12:50.384-07:00

Lots of heels are being kicked up amid much whoopin' and hollerin' at the Wells Fargo Pavilion this week, as the Music Circus celebrates the American pioneering spirit with a production of 'Oklahoma!'Based on Lynn Rigg's 1931 play, 'Green Grow the Lilacs,' 'Oklahoma!' was the first collaboration between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and its 1943 debut changed the course of American

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-63341340765129240032010-07-21T13:02:00.001-07:002010-07-21T13:04:16.750-07:00

The Music Circus doesn't exactly have a 'cast of thousands' for its outstanding production of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' but with 48 members of the Music Circus Junior Company for starters - along with a large adult cast - the play puts about 75 people on stage.Director/choreographer Richard Stafford has chosen to present the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical closer to its

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-55337100483895643482010-07-21T12:58:00.001-07:002011-01-03T07:56:17.091-08:00

What does a community theater do, when a scene that takes place at sunset requires a tree and a truck?Most companies would get a carpenter to build an artificial tree, perhaps with some authentic-looking leaves, along with the shell of a truck, which performers or the tech crew move forward by foot power. The lighting designer would create as 'natural' a sunset as possible, given the equipment

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-52744626618939170482010-07-15T08:34:00.001-07:002010-09-04T19:21:34.047-07:00

Barnyard Theater, the charming, quirky group that performs out at Schmeiser's Barn on Road 31 every summer, is back for its seventh season.'It's exciting!' said co-founder Stephen Schmidt. 'It doesn't feel like seven years, but when I think of all the shows we've done, I realize it's a lot.'Schmidt has directed everything in Barnyard's history until now, but is taking more of a backseat role this

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-24698082436577244182010-07-15T08:30:00.000-07:002010-07-15T08:33:21.560-07:00

Sacramento's Music Circus opened its 60th anniversary season Friday evening with the long-awaited 2005 Tony Award-winning “Spamalot,” the hilarious musical “lovingly ripped” from the 1975 smash hit motion picture, “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” (The program is responsible for the “rip off” designation, although since the play is written by Eric Idle, an original Python, I'm not sure if

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-78563727395640259942010-06-30T14:56:00.000-07:002010-06-30T14:57:35.056-07:00

Peggy Shannon beamed at me over coffee at Starbucks. “I feel like I'm the luckiest girl in the world,” she said ... and she meant it. Shannon, artistic director of the Sacramento Theatre Company for the past 11 years — and a professor in UC Davis' theater and dance department — had reason to be happy. She recently signed a contract to become the chair of the Ryerson Theatre School in Toronto,

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-2998734193432069122010-06-24T15:00:00.000-07:002010-06-24T15:04:47.285-07:00

When 'Crazy for You' opened on Broadway in 1992, New York Times critic Frank Rich said it was '...the moment at which Broadway finally rose up to grab the musical back from the British.'He went on to describe the show as 'the American musical's classic blend of music, laughter, dancing, sentiment and showmanship, with a freshness and confidence rarely seen during the 'Cats' decade.'With music by

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-73434453989689612702010-06-15T08:41:00.000-07:002010-07-15T08:43:29.476-07:00

Is “Shear Madness,” the new offering at Sacramento’s Cosmopolitan Cabaret (replacing “My Way,” the Sinatra show), a bad play, or a very good cabaret show? Well...yes to both. Seen as a play, even a comedy, it’s not very good. It’s full of eye-rollingly bad/good puns, situations where the actors break each other up frequently, excessively loud delivery, and a plot that has more holes in it than

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-23363885894294967312010-06-02T23:54:00.001-07:002010-06-02T23:55:39.086-07:00

It’s time for the annual dinner that Bay Area foodies Richard and Pam (Cassidy Brown and Kelley Ogden) are throwing for long-time friends Tom (Jonathan Rys Williams, who also directs) and Wendy (Katie Rubin) to celebrate their mutual anniversaries. This year lamb is on the menu.There’s only one little problem – the lamb (Carl is his name) isn’t dead yet. And thus starts the hilarious dark comedy

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-78400595672272131632010-05-30T09:45:00.001-07:002010-05-30T09:46:32.957-07:00

Competing with games at the Little League fields across the street, happy noise from the Bouncy House at the picnic area in Community Park, passing ambulances and other noise making vehicles, and the occasional cyclist tearing along the path in front of the Art Center Stage, Acme Theater Company celebrated its 30th season with its annual thank you to Davis, a free production of Shakespeare’s “As

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-46158820844967469072010-05-27T18:09:00.000-07:002010-05-27T18:11:39.349-07:00

The original production of “A Chorus Line” opened at the Public Theater’s Newman Theater on May 21, 1975, directed and choreographed by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlish, book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante.The show transferred to Broadway’s Shubert Theater later that year. It won the Pulitzer Prize for drama, nine Tony awards, including best musical, score and book, and the New

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-48974102381542093732010-05-20T23:11:00.000-07:002010-05-21T07:36:29.573-07:00

In the early 1980s, the local Sunshine Children's Theater was presenting an original musical called 'Go-Go the Blue Gorilla.'My 12-year-old son Paul had the role of Rapper, the Parrot, the interlocutor of the piece. Rapper kept the story's plot rolling along. At one point, he was supposed to deliver his lines from the branch of a 'tree.' Budgets being what they were for children's theater, the

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-16668340677095175992010-05-18T14:32:00.001-07:002010-05-18T14:35:50.572-07:00

When Julia Child was inviting people to come into her kitchen, via television camera, nobody ever imagined that an industry ultimately would be created by people like Emeril Lagasse, Rachael Ray, Ina Garten, Bobby Flay and the queen of butter, Paula Deen.Nor did anyone who was part of the early days of The Food Network imagine that its nighttime offerings eventually would become contests: baking

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-33613035940034854882010-05-10T17:09:00.001-07:002010-05-10T17:11:06.219-07:00

Theater fans have a rare opportunity to see a couple of stage warhorses star in two venerable productions at Sacramento's California Stage, 1725 25th St.Veteran Davis actor Mitch Agrus and Actors Workshop co-founder Ed Claudio, both longtime area favorites, are starring in a pair of one-act, (almost) one-man plays written by two of the world's most respected playwrights.Eugene O'Neill's 'Hughie'

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-21849352014424260452010-05-07T19:42:00.001-07:002010-05-07T19:43:31.309-07:00

'I know art when I see it.''I know pornography when I see it.'We often hear these statements. But do we really know? Is it art? Is it pornography?Could it possibly be both?This subject is explored by 'Some Things are Private,' created by Deborah Salem Smith and Laura Kepley, and presented by the UC Davis department of theater and dance. The play, directed by Granada artist-in-residence Candice M.

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-18473708557793515652010-05-06T11:51:00.000-07:002010-05-06T11:55:05.366-07:00

As we're reminded by Tessie Tura, one of the strippers in 'Gypsy,' 'You gotta have a gimmick.'During the past few decades, in order to revive the music of beloved singers and songwriters, lots of gimmicks have been employed. 'Mamma Mia' wove a thin plot around the music of ABBA; 'All Shook Up' did the same thing, less effectively, with songs made popular by Elvis Presley.Additional productions

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-35859454342245885502010-05-05T23:05:00.001-07:002010-05-05T23:07:31.599-07:00

Attending any production by UC Davis' student-run Studio 301 company is always an adventure, whether patrons try to find a tiny room through a darkened passageway ('Fuddy Mears'); sit outdoors, on ice-cold cement in November, in someplace called 'The Death Star' ('MacBeth'); or lounge on the delightful Wyatt Pavilion deck on a warm midsummer night evening ('Midsummer Night's Dream').The group

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-29510895683691376782010-05-03T11:52:00.000-07:002010-05-03T22:25:53.712-07:00

For as long as theater has existed, the institution has endured stage parents: those well-meaning mothers and fathers certain that their little Johnny or Janey will become the next superstar, and who drive producers and directors batty with their interference. The quintessential stage mother was “Mama Rose” — Rose Havick — the mother of the Queen of Burlesque, Gypsy Rose Lee, and her sister,

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-23336021128636122862010-04-21T14:53:00.000-07:002010-04-21T14:54:39.885-07:00

In order to enjoy the Woodland Opera House production of 'All Shook Up' - directed by Bobby Grainger, with music direction by Richanne Baldridge - it's necessary to forget all about the inane plot and dialogue.It can be summed up pretty simply: 'Footloose' meets 'Mamma Mia.'This musical, based on the songs made famous by Elvis Presley, tells of a town where the mayor (Nancy Agee) has passed the

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-60433107178364461872010-04-19T18:11:00.000-07:002010-04-19T18:12:39.081-07:00

It’s difficult to determine what creators (Book by Rachel Sheinkin, music by Rachel Portman, Lyrics by Donna DiNovelli) had in mind when they set out to bring Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie” to the stage.It has the feel of something written by devoted fans of the books or the10 year television program–or both, who decided to stuff the whole thing into 2 hours and 40 minutes.

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-41027295882494072322010-04-15T09:32:00.000-07:002010-04-15T09:35:26.674-07:00

Live theater offers good performances, not-so good performances and - if you're very lucky - the occasional brilliant performance.Crystal Fox, as Alberta 'Pearl' Johnson in the Sacramento Theatre Company production of 'Black Pearl Sings,' gives her audience a brilliant performance.Frank Higgins' play, directed here by Michael Laun, is very loosely based on the story of Lead Belly (Huddie William

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-23040723328229553932010-03-31T22:32:00.001-07:002010-03-31T22:33:37.052-07:00

'An American, an Irishman and a Brit get locked in a prison...'No, it's not the start of some corny joke, but the premise of director Stephanie Gularte's production of Frank McGuinness' gripping play, 'Someone Who'll Watch Over Me,' which continues through April 25 at Old Sacramento's Capital Stage theater.In the late 1980s, Brian Keenan, John McCarthy and Terry Waite were taken hostage in Beirut

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-82718321747424535332010-03-22T22:51:00.000-07:002010-03-22T22:52:29.549-07:00

In 2004, Sacramento Theatre Company's Peggy Shannon adapted a short story by Indian author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, into a stage drama titled 'Arranged Marriage.'The play was presented on the smaller of STC's two stages, with a cast of two talented actresses and four dancers.For STC's current season, Shannon has revisited and expanded her original production to include classical Indian

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-20273747614479039582010-03-18T22:59:00.000-07:002010-04-08T23:04:05.739-07:00

A dozen years after his death, Frank Sinatra still tugs at America's heart strings. Famed choreographer Twyla Tharp is set to open her “Come Fly with Me,” featuring Sinatra's music, on Broadway later this year. The Sacramento Ballet recently performed “Nine Sinatra Songs,” one of Tharp's earlier works. The 2009 Citizens Who Care concert, right here in Davis, focused on Sinatra's work. And

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-11952459812406420162010-03-18T18:16:00.000-07:002010-03-18T18:17:14.031-07:00

The Winters Theater Company production of Ken Ludwig's 'Moon Over Buffalo' has one problem.Doors.Four doors are present in this play's set. The presence of so many doors suggests a farce involving doors, but in this production people go out one door and come in via another door, on the opposite side of the stage. Characters exit, saying they're going outside, but they don't use the door that

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-86976496391589700622010-03-16T22:41:00.000-07:002010-03-16T22:42:58.366-07:00

Murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery and treachery have come to Sacramento.It all takes place across the street from the Capitol, and has nothing to do with the California Legislature.John Kander and Fred Ebb's Tony Award-winning 'Chicago,' which razzled and dazzled last week's opening night audience, has returned to the Sacramento Community Theater for a limited engagement

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-11282836841537987482010-03-10T15:19:00.001-08:002010-03-10T15:20:20.699-08:00

If Michael Frayne's 'Noises Off' isn't the funniest play ever written, it's definitely in the top five.And the production at the Woodland Opera House, directed by Bob Cooner, may be one of the funniest versions of an already hilarious comedy.This very physical farce traces the actions of a hapless British touring theater company, in three acts: from final dress rehearsal of a play called 'Nothing

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-42391111362896114082010-03-04T06:58:00.001-08:002010-03-04T07:00:04.383-08:00

Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices. - VoltaireSince 2002, at least nine recorded hate crimes have been committed in Davis, from vandalism with swastika symbols and satanic language, to the painting of a racial slur on the street in front of the house of an African-American family - which later moved out of the city - and the

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-38132605816778906092010-03-02T15:14:00.000-08:002010-03-02T15:16:20.966-08:00

Marguerite Morris has a role to really sink her teeth into.Her Lilli Vanessi/Katharine in the Davis Musical Theatre Company's production of 'Kiss Me Kate,' directed by Rand Martin, may be one of the best roles I've seen her embrace.This is another strong showing by DMTC, boasting an outstanding cast, good tones from the orchestra, fun period apparel by costumer Jean Henderson, and Martin's

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-77545760901631340432010-02-23T12:58:00.000-08:002010-02-23T12:59:31.356-08:00

'Stability is a fragile figurine,' says Richard (Matt Kronzer), as he tries to help his amnesiac wife Claire (Sarah Stockdale) make sense of her life.Claire suffers from a form of psychogenic amnesia, where she wakes each morning knowing nothing, and spends the day learning about her life. She's helped by a book Richard has put together, to let her know how to find her way around the house, and

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20039312.post-48149573140992055422010-02-18T02:21:00.001-08:002010-02-18T02:22:49.826-08:00

Five minutes or so into Steven Dietz's 'Fiction,' continuing through Feb. 28 at Old Sacramento's Delta King Theater, you'll likely check the program to make sure this isn't a David Mamet play.Dietz's work is so wordy, literate and rapid-fire that it's easy to confuse the two playwrights.Two characters - Michael (Eric Wheeler) and Linda (Janis Stevens) - open Dietz's play, as they sit at a Paris

Bev Sykeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16794928133704720689noreply@blogger.com0