Courtney Symes

My first experience at Lincoln Theatre Company last weekend left me with one question: why did it take me so long? Under new Executive Director Cary Litchford, the arts in Lincoln are continuing to thrive. From first-class hospitality to top-tier performances, this community treasure is something worth making a trip for. Their current offering, Don’t Dress for Dinner, is an adaptation from the French play Pyjama Pour Six by Marc Camoletti. The script feeds on energy, timing, and some serious comic chops, which this cast delivers.

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! You’ve done it, Sacramento! You’ve summoned the ghost with the most, and you’re going to love every minute of his antics. We first fell in love with him in Tim Burton’s 1988 film, Beetlejuice, starring Michael Keaton as the titular character. Continuing the legend, Eddie Perfect’s music and lyrics set to the 2019 stage production make Beetlejuice The Musical. The Musical. The Musical. one of the few movie to musical adaptations to die for.

When depression, art deco, and satirical mischief align, the delight that is The Drowsy Chaperone is born. Rise Up Theatre Company is staging its own vision of this 2006 hit, replete with inspiration drawn from famous dolls and puppets (think Malibu Barbie). Director Peter DeMarzio puts a creative spin on this production, calling it a reminder that “the things we love can support us during difficult times.”

Have you ever felt alone in a crowded room? You’re surrounded by people, yet you’re truly by yourself. That’s how Bella Baird, a creative writing teacher at Yale, lives her life. She has hundreds of students, but no friends, no family, no one she can count on. Michael Stevenson directs a compelling take on Adam Rapp’s The Sound Inside, a haunting look at connection, intimacy, and restraint that stretches the audience’s imagination and trusts us to embrace unsettling ambiguity.

As Harold Zidler says, “Welcome, you gorgeous collection of bohemians and aristocrats, boulevardiers and mademoiselles, welcome to the Moulin Rouge!” What a welcome it is. The ten-time Tony Award winner makes its Sacramento debut at Broadway Sacramento in an explosive and sexy celebration of “truth, beauty, freedom, and love.”

The B St. Theatre is kicking off its 40th anniversary season with an ambitious piece, and if you’ve never seen a show there, you should make this current production your first. You’ll become their number one fan, just like Annie Wilkes in this adaptation of Stephen King’s 1987 novel, Misery. William Goldman, who adapted both the film and stage versions, appreciated the story’s psychological battle, which is brought to life with suspense and unexpected humor under John Lamb’s direction.

Broadway Sacramento is starting off the new year with a legend. The Lion King, winner of six Tony Awards, is back in town after seventeen years. The familiar score by Elton John and Tim Rice has been a favorite since the animated version debuted in 1994. Songs like “Hakuna Matata,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” and “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King” have helped to catapult The Lion King to the status of highest-grossing Broadway production of all time. This was my first time experiencing the magic, and you shouldn’t wait as many years as I have.

“God bless us, every one!” Commit those words to memory, for you might be called upon to perform an impromptu Tiny Tim at Sam Kebede’s fantastic adaptation of A Christmas Carol, which is now playing at the B St. Theatre. Sean Patrick Nill directs this lighthearted look at the classic tale that’s carrying us through the holidays.

At a time when many are feeling a fractured sense of community, Capital Stage has brought Lauren Gunderson’s story about human connection to the stage. Under Imani Mitchell’s direction, I AND YOU becomes an anthem for friendship, trust, and embracing vulnerability.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go…especially Broadway at Music Circus. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the Musical is here to warm up the holiday season through December 14th. It’s a piece with a book by David Ives and Paul Blake, and music by the prolific Irving Berlin that’s based on the 1954 movie, “White Christmas,” starring Bing Crosby. Linda Goodrich directs this festive take in the round, replete with recognizable Berlin hits like the titular number, “Sisters,” and “Blue Skies.”

Fans of the Scottish play will be excited to learn that there is a new adaptation at Big Idea Theatre this month. It’s reimagined in the Silicon Valley, with MacBeth as a scheming tech bro who will do anything to rise to the top. Kevin Adamski directs this ambitious take, proving that the Bard is relevant through time, space, and the interwebs.

The B St. Theatre continues to bring joy to thousands of children (and adults) this holiday season with its newest production of ‘Tis the Season. This year, the stories revolve around local traditions that many Sacramentans will recognize. Stephanie Altholz directs ‘Tis the Season: Hometown Holidays, Traditions of Sacramento and Northern California, a series of vignettes written by a talented mix of playwrights. Anthony D’Juan, Jerry Montoya, Sean Patrick Nill, Briandaniel Oglesby, and Tara Sissom-Pittaro have created a unique treat for our community that highlights how special this area is.

Our Class of 2026 Student Spotlight shines on an engaging and exceptionally talented young man. You might remember him as Chip from Music Circus’ most recent production of Beauty and the Beast. Cooper Miller is a senior at Christian Brothers High School and has just finished his theatre career there on a high note as Seymour Krelborn in their fall musical, Little Shop of Horrors. With his commanding performances and effervescent presence, Cooper is due to join the ranks of other Sacramentans who have forged their path to the Great White Way. BroadwayWorld spoke to him about his goals and future as he plants roots beyond Sacramento.

The B St. Theatre’s annual New Comedies Festival routinely produces fresh, creative, clever, and wonderfully hilarious works. The winner of the 2024 Festival is now playing to sold-out audiences and rabid fans after its much-anticipated opening last weekend. Playwright Tate Hanyok’s Dog Mom, in its National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere, is the treat we all need.

Tackling controversial subjects is nothing new to theatre, and Capital Stage does it with grace in this timely and thought-provoking piece by Jonathan Spector. The Tony Award-winning Eureka Day was commissioned for Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley in 2018, and it has not stopped delighting audiences since.

Never fear, theatregoers! The B St. Theatre’s newest Family Series offering is now on stage. Never Fear, Shakespeare!, written by Sean Patrick Nill and Elyse Sharp, introduces kids and grown-ups to the Bard in a fun and engaging way. There are guaranteed laughs, gasps, and even some learning in this wonderfully entertaining world premiere.

Sacramento’s very own serial killer, Dorothea Puente, is back to tell her story. Almost thirty-seven years after the first body was dug up on her property, the F St. boarding house killer has shown up at Big Idea Theatre with her view of the events that unfolded, and audiences can’t get enough. In Dorothea Puente Tells All!, Mark Loewenstern imagines what Dorothea might have said about the crimes that shocked Sacramento.

Spooky season is the perfect time to delve into the life of the mother of science fiction, Mary Shelley. Her most famous work, Frankenstein, has captivated the public for over two centuries.