Harmony Wheeler - Page 10

Cirque du Soleil has always been a cabinet full of curiosities, and the fact of the matter finally found its own title and concept in Kurios, the latest show to tour under the grand chapiteau. While the imagery of the production harkens back to previous LA Cirque show Iris and the robotics of BBC's Dr. Who, Cirque's Kurios finds incredible new ways to display its artistry and talent.

Today women go to college to get their MRS degree, but apparently, back in the day, the youthful elite traveled to the south of France for school, and with great hopes of finding the perfect boyfriend. Such is the setting for 42nd Street Moon's latest production, "The Boy Friend," a delightful romp through the sunny beaches and high societies of 1920's Nice. It's nicer in Nice, but it's just as lovely at the Eureka Theatre in San Francisco, where director and choreographer Cindy Goldfield offers the most creative dancing and staging for the most adorable characters currently on stage.

I Love Lucy Live on Stage's Lori Hammel spoke with BroadwayWorld San Francisco about the show's universal appeal and what you can expect from the classic TV-show turned theatrical experience. The show plays November 11 -23 at SHNSF's Curran Theatre.

BroadwayWorld San Francisco talks with Brian Kohn, principal of the Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts. He has a very unqiue production in store for Bay Area audiences: The Wall, based on album by Pink Floyd.

Verdi was a master at crescendo. In "Masked Ball," the score foreshadows and defines even while characters defy fate. As Count Anckarstrom laments his wife's betrayal in the opera's third act, the harp and violin take turn in old romance and revenge, building to a grand determination. Like Verdi's "Rigoletto" and "Il Trovatore," "A Masked Ball" concludes with a game-changing revelation in answer to an incredible setup.

Contra Costa Musical Theatre knows how to put on a happy face. You will, too, after two and a half hours of living with Bye, Bye Birdie. Inspired by the likes of Elvis Presley, Ed Sullivan and the bright colors and square designs of the 1950's, CCMT's production features its usual high-tech scenic design and familiar faces in lead roles.

When Broadway actress Emily Skinner takes the stage and opens 42nd Street Moon's current offering, the next two hours look bright and worthwhile. Venice, Italy, as displayed on stage by set designer Hector Zavala promises magical, mystical miracles. Yet as the musical progresses, rather slowly at that, the script turns Skinner's immediately likeable character into a flawed one, condemned for what may seem to many like reasonable judgment calls.

BroadwayWorld spoke with Hillbarn Theatre Executive Director Dan Demers about the company's current show 'Funny Girl' and their upcoming season of 'Awakening.'

Set in Tennessee around the time of the Dust Bowl, 'Susannah' takes its inspiration from a story in the book of Daniel. Composer Carlisle Floyd's decision to remove the original's redemptive prophet seems to condemn Christianity, but also gives his revised version the dramatic thrust needed to explore the human condition and turn out a masterpiece.

Great theatre is tradition in Merced, where Playhouse Merced just opened its 2014-2015 season with "Fiddler on the Roof," now in its 50th Anniversary. The classical musical has become a tradition of its own in theatres across the world.

A paradox! A paradox! A most ingenious paradox! Only the ridiculous humor and unpredictable circumstances of Gilbert and Sullivan could make so much sense. In the capable hands and clear diction of Lamplighters Musical Theatre, it is, indeed, a glorious thing to be a pirate king, or the audience of one.

When Tommy Albright leaves the highlands of Scotland to return to New York, his surroundings only remind him of the call of Brigadoon. So it will be as 'Brigadoon's' mystical medleys and lyrical dances work their magic on Music Circus audiences now through August 10.

The Music Circus scenic design by Scott Klier and Jamie Kumpf is as alluring as the great island itself, with palm tree leaves and dim lights at the plantation to draw audiences in. Even those who claim South Pacific or Rodgers and Hammerstein as classic, but outworn and boring will find enchantment at the California Musical Theatre production.

The San Francisco Symphony plays Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Ratatouille, A Bug's Life, WALL-E, Cars, Up, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc. and Brave through Sunday July 20 at the building with perfect acoustics, Davies Symphony Hall. Film clips accompany their counterparts, and even the few Pixar films that disappointed find new life and movement when highlighted with their scores. Two hours of Pixar music is pure magic.

Sold out for the entirety of its run, Mary Poppins at Sacramento Music Circus steps in time to the beloved Disney musical. Thanks to a vivacious cast and plenty of clever trick costumes and sets, Mary maintains most of her magic.

Stockton Civic Theatre's Spamalot is an animated musical well-fitting the over-the-top humor of its Monty Python inspiration. With golden facial expressions from Bill Yee as King Arthur's manservant Patsy, a myriad of accents from Tom MacDonald's multiple characters, and even a conductor (of Stockton's brand new, live orchestra) with great personality, the production had its opening night audience laughing uncontrollably. Oh yeah, and that King Arthur guy was pretty good too.

Audiences may expect a slow build up to the grand "One" finale of A Chorus Line, the only number with sparkled costumes and bright lights. But what they actually get is one singular sensation of a musical, especially in Sacramento Music Circus' unique staging in the round.

Beginning with small truths and oral tradition, legend eventually turns to the written word. At the heart of this process is Ji Junxiang's ancient play, The Orphan of Zhao, rooted in real events and a resonating theme of loyalty and justice. Currently reworked for American Conservatory Theatre (co-produced with La Jolla Playhouse) after a controversial run at Stratford in 2012, James Fenton's adaptation brings characters full circle, even in the midst of an onslaught of tastefully staged deaths.

Reset to San Francisco with a technology-inspired flair, TheatreWorks' current production of 'Marry Me A Little' is at once charming and original.

Classical music and drawn animation might be considered things of the past, but they had glorious relevance at the Davies Symphony Hall this past weekend. The Disney cartoons of 1940's revolutionary Fantasia played in brilliant, restored, high-definition color alongside clips from Fantasia 2000 with musical accompaniment by the San Francisco Symphony.