Harmony Wheeler - Page 22

BroadwayWorld has your top five picks for summer entertainment in Sacramento and surrounding areas.

Audience members laughed and smiled as if they had never before seen Rodgers and Hammerstein's "The Sound of Music" at Saturday night's Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater performance of the classic musical. Such fresh enjoyment testifies to the quality of a show so often done - one that seems to be popping up everywhere this year and next. Despite a few glitches one might expect from community theater, Roger Rocka's talented cast and crew gave a consistently strong two and a half hours of solid entertainment.

Seven is the perfect number. Thursday night marked my seventh time seeing the hit musical "Wicked." Here's the countdown: Twice in San Francisco in high school, once in New York as a high school graduation present, three times in Chicago to see a family friend in the cast, and, now, once in Sacramento where the mind blowing show - as so many have called it - plays through June 17 at the Community Center Theater.

Both terribly morbid and wonderfully brilliant, Samuel Beckett's "Endgame" and "Play" are difficult at first to understand. Beckett's focus on existential themes of death and the meaning - or meaninglessness - of life make any interpretation of his work difficult to enjoy on its own.

BroadwayWorld talks with 'Thanks for Playing: The Game Show Show' co-creator Shannon Guggenheim about the future of the show and of the Retro Dome, as well as the history, making of and themes of the show. Read the full interview below!

"Another op'nin, another show. Four weeks, you rehearse and rehearse. Three weeks, and it couldn't be worse. One week, will it ever be right? Then out of the hat it's that big first night." Those opening lyrics to Cole Porter's classic musical had double meaning at Friday night's opening performance of Runaway Stage Productions' "Kiss Me Kate." Despite a few kinks in sets and sound, the talented cast had its energetic audience laughing, smiling and applauding from start to finish.

Perhaps the reason the film version of the musical The Producers did not do so well as its Tony-award winning Broadway counterpart because it lacked that special magic that only live theatre can give. Movie musicals like Hairspray have succeeded on the big screen, but the current trend seems to involve actual live performances streamed in movie theaters across the nation. And it's no wonder that people prefer the one-night-only streamed performances to Hollywoodized versions. While such broadcasts will never live up to the real thing, they contain a piece of the real thing that thrills our souls.

I have a difficult time staying away from Fiddler on the Roof comparisons when I consider 42nd Street Moon's production of Zorba. With the help of their common book writer, Joseph Stein, the two musicals exhibit similar leading characters and musical styles. Beyond all else, Zorba and Fiddler exhibit the same contradicting emotions of sadness and joy shown to perfection through stories exhibiting the spirit of a specific culture.

Broadway veteran Bill Starr directs Hillbarn Theatre's upcoming production of the Mel Brooks musical, The Producers, playing May 3-27. Below, Starr talks about how his own experience informed his direction of the show, what makes the show fun and unique, and what audiences can expect from Hillbarn's production.

On December 4, 1956, four legendary musicians ended up at the same recording studio in what turned into the dream jam session. In 2010, the historic day made history once again with its own Broadway show. And on Tuesday evening, the touring production of Million Dollar Quartet brought all the energy and revolutionary music of the twentieth century to the Sacramento Community Center, a strong beginning to a fabulous week of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

The Oregon Humanities conversation series, to be held at El Centro Milagro (525 SE Stark St., Portland), will follow each Sunday matinee performance. Miracle will host community leaders, social service professionals and scholars to provide an initial exploration of the topics; the discussions will then open up to audience questions and commentary. The three conversations will be free and open to the public; guests need not have attended the preceding matinee to participate in the Oregon Humanities conversations.

Directed by Will Rogers (Associate Producer, Victory Gardens Theater) No Fats, No Femmes is written and performed by Tim Paul. No Fats, No Femmes has a one night only benefit performance on Monday, April 30th at 8pm at the Annoyance.

MY SON THE WAITER: A JEWISH TRAGEDY, written and starring Brad Zimmerman plays at Bay Street Theatre on Saturday, May 12 at 8 pm. Tickets to this one night only return event are $20 in advance on sale now at www.baystreet.org or at the Box Office beginning April 18 at 631-725-9500. Tickets will be $30 at the door. Zimmerman is donating all proceeds to Bay Street Theatre.

Cabaret , Chicago , Funny Lady and more... Kander & Ebb wrote them all. Diva-Chanteuse, Melody La Rouge sings them all in this tribute to Broadway's best!

Jennifer Dohn Watkins as Billie Jean singing all the hits of rock goddess Pat Benatar, and you have the outrageous brand new rock musical workshop production of "Invincible, The Legend of Billie Jean! - The Musical!' brought to the Cavern Club Celebrity Theatre by the director/co-creator of the hit, comedic, camp-classic "Chico's Angels."

Eve Ensler, the Tony Award®-winning playwright, performer, activist, and author of the international sensation The Vagina Monologues, today announced her new website www.eveensler.org, launching on Monday, April 16. The site serves as a virtual home base for Ensler's creative works, including a comprehensive archive of her extensive articles, essays, books, plays, films, documentaries, and speeches, as well as up to the moment information on her activities.

On Monday, April 9th AHT held a celebration for season subscribers. Nearly 400 patrons joined AHT staff and actors for cocktails, cake, and a backstage tour of the theatre. Local actresses Jessalyn Kincaid, Colleen Grate, Liz Clark Golson and Sarah Goeke serenaded the guests with songs from this season's holiday show, The Marvelous Wonderettes.

The John W. Engeman Theater presents four time Tony Award Winning Musical, 42nd STREET, beginning with previews on Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 8:00 p.m., an official opening on Saturday, April 14 at 8:00 p.m. and running through June 17, 2012. Tickets are on sale for $60 and may be purchased by calling (631) 261-2900, by visiting www.engemantheater.com, or at the Engeman Theater Box Office at 250 Main Street, Northport.

Plan-B Theatre will spend 23 highly caffeinated hours slamming out five world premiere short plays by Utah playwrights. You spend the 24th hour with them to see the results!

The Imaginary Invalid - Moliere's wickedly funny farce about a wealthy hypochondriac who wants his daughter to marry a buffoon posing as a doctor. The Senior Drama Academy at CHAMPS Charter High School of the Arts presents Patricia Troxel's snappy "vaudeville meets Cirque du Soleil" adaptation featuring clowns, stunts and a song or two. Directed by Actors' Gang member Jon Kellam.