Harmony Wheeler - Page 12

Good news! Wicked is back in Sacramento for another three weeks, and the goods just keep getting gooderer. Although Thursday's performance had some very minor technical glitches, the spectacle garnered a standing ovation. The lights, costumes and music supply ample goose bump moments in this "popular" musical.

What better way to get away from the summer heat than to enjoy a fantastic show in a nice, cool air-conditioned theatre! BroadwayWorld's Harmony Wheeler gives you all the details on your upcoming summer of performing arts, from Marry Me a Little and Orphan of Zhao in the Bay Area to Mary Poppins in Sacramento!

Raise your voice, raise your laughter, your praise, your accolades and shout hallelujah! Sister Act is fabulous, baby. The Broadway musical has all the heart of the original Whoopi Goldberg film, with new plot developments and extra soul.

42nd Street Moon's Greg MacKellan and Mark D. Kaufmann wrote 'Painting the Clouds with Sunshine' as a tribute to musical films of the depression era, but their end result may very well have been a successful film of that time.

If an Alexandre Dumas version of the San Francisco Charles Dickens Christmas Fair existed, I imagine its skits would look somewhat like Playhouse Merced's current production of "The Three Musketeers." That's no surprise, since writer, director Micah Chandler specializes in sword fights and teaches his own "Dogs of War stage combat performing arts troupe." And Merced's "Musketeers" feels very much so like a community troupe putting together a show. It comes with those low-budget kickers and generally read-through-type acting, but it also includes clear standouts in its cast, a near-perfect script and fantastic scenic design by Corey Strauss.

'Wicked' arrives in Fresno this week with two new witches at the broom and wand. They share their experience with children and adults new to the musical's magic, and the special quality of the leads' first week of performances makes the production enjoyable for the more familiar, familial audience members, as well.

"Peter and the Starcatcher" catches more than starstuff with its mosaic style and resourceful staging. Directors Roger Rees and Alex Timbers and writer Rick Elice manage to use ladders, flashlights and other pulled-together, everyday items to soar the magic to heights stronger and more believable than ever. Clap if you believe!

Based on Victor Hugo's classic novel, the often-called 'epic' musical 'Les Miserables' sets a high standard, especially for theatre companies with smaller budgets. While that budget does affect Contra Costa Musical Theatre's production in minor ways, the company follows through on its promise to once again deliver visually stunning, challenging and new material (or newly available for rights, at least).

Pianist Anthony de Mare brings his audience-favorite concert LIAISONS: Re-Imagining Sondheim at the Piano to the Mondavi Arts Center for two shows March 29 - 30. Based on the music of the legendary composer/lyricist Stephen Sondheim, Liasons is an intrepid program of new, solo piano works by some of the world's foremost contemporary composers - this marks the first time that Sondheim songs have ever been re-imagined for solo piano.

Christopher Wheeldon's playful choreography perfectly matches Sergei Prokofiev's talent for combining characters, story and music. Both artists have a unique quality that makes their work instantly recognizable. So it's only fitting that Wheeldon should take on Prokofiev's 'Cinderella.' And he partners with a long list of scenic, lighting and puppet designers, most with experience working in the Broadway, film and opera industries. The result led to sold-out crowds for last year's run at San Francisco Ballet. Now the production returns for a limited time with the audience anticipation and enthusiasm just as strong.

They're blue for a reason. Although their out of this world look and behavior may suggest otherwise, the Blue Man Group is blue for a reason. Their give-or-take 95 minute show celebrates the senses with food, sound and, above all, color. Being blue is all a part of that. I suppose waiting 40 minutes past curtain time for the show to start (due to technical difficulties) on its Broadway Sacramento opening night can be counted part of the experience too.

Bring It On Folsom. Bring on the Broadway talent. Bring on the music. Bring on the cheerleaders? Yes, cheerleaders. And Friday evening's audience at the Harris Center was ready to "Bring It On" with the fairly new musical based on the popular film series.

Playhouse Merced continues to prove itself with challenging material and increasingly talented casts. Having opened their season last fall with the epic Les Miserables, they now turn to the imaginative Shrek the Musical, and their new season is just around the corner with a special announcement event planned for March 22.

Dolly may leave Broadway Fresno after one more performance tonight, but in our hearts, Dolly will never go away again. Next to divas Carol Channing and Barbara Streisand, Sally Struthers makes the title character her own.

"Beautiful." "Overwhelming." "Beyond description." All simple words to explain music and its connection to our souls. But Jon Burlingame has a natural, pleasant way of describing music. The leading writer and expert on film and television scores began San Francisco Symphony's Night at the Oscars with a quick look at more recent scores, from the synthesized "Social Network" to the culture-based "Slumdog Millionaire." But the symphonic score still has a place, Burlingame said, introducing the audience to Saturday evening's program.

Before "So You Think You Can Dance" and the "Step Up" films, there was "Flashdance," the 80s cult classic that brought us songs like "Maniac" and "I Love Rock N Roll." Such songs are, for the most part, the life and soul of the film's fairly new musical counterpart, playing at Broadway Sacramento through this Sunday.

Politics and humor go hand in hand throughout George Bernard Shaw's classic, but rarely performed "Major Barbara." Shaw's work includes, not the kind of politics and humor that lends itself to one side mocking another, but English wit that bookends passionate speeches and dialogue. Although Shaw's socialist position likely influenced the topics he chose to address and his desire to provoke action, here his script allows each character his or her fair argument.

The 2013 BroadwayWorld San Francisco audience choice awards saw a fantastic number of nominations for theatres throughout Northern California this year, from Fresno's Good Company Players to Modesto's Gallo Center to Broadway Sacramento, San Jose and San Francisco. If only enough time existed for us writers to see every talented cast perform. Here are a few of my favorite productions from 2013 in a brief look back at some of the shows I was fortunate enough to witness.

My mother took me to the ballet when I was young. I came home with a souvenir bouquet and would not stop listening or dancing to the score, imagining a giant Christmas tree and those nasty rats scurrying across my living room floor. I like to imagine the magic of theatre and the arts creating that same wonder for people all over the world.

The most Scrooge among us would crack a smile at Center Rep's 'A Christmas Carol.' Although the old miser may balk at the cost of extravagant special affects and lovely costumes, or even at the time-honored message of hope and love, it's impossible to avoid laughing when the unseen Ghost of Christmas Present knocks a cup of punch from an overconfident young man's hand. Or consider the confetti that shoots out into the audience and the snow that gently falls down to cheerful faces.