Harmony Wheeler - Page 4

Snaps for Music Circus! Even with some sound balance and microphone issues opening night, "the "endorphin-happy" score of "Legally Blonde" built a momentum ripe for excitement.

Sacramento Music Circus opens its 2016 season this week, and that means summer theatre is officially here! Check out our top picks for the Sacramento and San Francisco, Northern California regions.

Relationships are complicated because people are complicated. Take Jason Robert Brown's 'Last Five Years,' which opened Wednesday evening at American Conservatory Theater. The 85-minute, two-person musical is simple. A couple recounts the rise and fall of their love. But just when you think you know to whom fault really belongs, Brown gives his audience another heart wrenching song to balance the scales. That Cathy and Jamie play out their stories with close to no interaction at all, and in opposite chronological order, only makes it all the more curious. And then there's the fact that the show is somewhat autobiographical and you have to wonder if Brown is living proof that we are our own worst critics. Simple, but complicated.

Andrew Burkum's enthusiastic Edward leads a glistening Playhouse Merced production with his determined "Alabama stomp" (the glistening much due to a fantastic lighting design). Robert Hypes' direction and casting anchor the show to bottom of the sea, where, perhaps, a rather big fish awaits.

BroadwayWorld spoke with Marc Ciemiewicz about color, character and special effects in the national tour of 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.' Marc plays both Jacob and Potiphar in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, which uses everything from Elvis-style to calypso and western in its telling of Joseph's rise to power in Bible-times Egypt.

BroadwayWorld San Francisco spoke with Michael Berresse, who directs of American Conservatory Theatre's upcoming production of 'The Last Five Years.' Read the full interview to learn about Michael's work with the show's composer, his methods for rehearsals, and what audiences can expect from his fully staged production.

Like its title queen, Howard Brenton's 'Anne Boleyn' knocks at curiosity's door, difficult to grasp, but fascinating nonetheless. Henry VIII nearly erased the historical figure from the books, with religious leaders and historians labeling Anne a martyr or a harlot over the years. In his revised history, Brenton offers a strong, clever Boleyn, the effective and vibrant Liz Sklar in Marin Theatre Company's West Coast Premiere. This Anne loves a tender Henry and considers herself an Esther positioned for 'such a time as this.' But Brenton also bookends his play with a mocking Anne who concludes her lengthy tale in an abrupt, contrived message disconnected from preceding material. Where 'Boleyn' works best, however, is in its politics and religion, and it's a shame its final scene only briefly references that which an overall smart script has built.

'Newsies' made the headlines as a flop Disney film back in 1992, but the musical garnered a cult following that led to its 2012 revamp on Broadway. The national tour of that production, now on its final leg, carries the banner to Sacramento this week with its own outstanding effects worthy of above-the-fold, front page attention.

BroadwayWorld interviews Ron S. McCan, director of The Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts' spring musical, CABARET. Ron is the Assistant Director of the Theatre Program at Asawa SOTA and an alum of SOTA?s Technical Theatre Department (Class of 1995).

Friday's opening night audience enjoyed the Playhouse Merced production of 'Hairspray' - perhaps a little too much. The promise of community favorite Jim Kocher in drag and of soulful tunes to show off fantastic vocal talents were more than enough to match the audience energy with that of the cast. And the ensemble did prove itself with consistent, strong harmonies in an exciting and colorful show.

Since Sacramento last saw "The Little Mermaid," director Glenn Casale has fin(e)-tuned Disney's script and created a near-perfect,  spectacle of a production. The unofficial mini-tour of the show comes to Sacramento courtesy of California Musical Theatre this week only and is already sold out. 

The fame of the phenomenon-hit film "Frozen" has already landed it Broadway and theme park versions in the works. But there was one venue for which the popular musical was more than meant. Given its lead female's "cool" powers, it was only a matter of time before Elsa, Anna, and all their friends received their own Disney on Ice show. In usual Disney style, "Frozen" fills the arena with magical special effects and animated storytelling.

BroadwayWorld San Francisco spoke with Matthew Dailey about his time on the road with 'Jersey Boys,' which opens Wednesday evening and plays through February 14 at SHN's Orpheum Theatre. Matthew plays Tommy DeVito, one of the original 'Four Seasons.'

What do you give the person who has everything? For Irving Berlin, the answer was a song. According to Hershey Felder, the composer wrote for "the people" - in some cases, specifically for his wife and children. Perhaps Felder had the same audience in mind when he wrote his one-man show, "Irving Berlin." Just under two hours long with no intermission, the robust production is an incomparable gift in itself.

Although other vocals and one or two instances of odd timing could use work, the Merced production stays true to the heart of "Charlie Brown." After all, "Happiness" is so often found in live theatre.

The "magic to do" in Broadway's "Pippin" owes as much to simple storytelling and relatable "players" as to actual magic tricks and acrobatic wonders. A knife-throwing act here, a disappearing act there, the grand circus tent concept that helped the musical win its Tony Award for Best Revival fits flawlessly. But a beautiful new conclusion and a quest for meaning set to Stephen Schwartz's spellbinding music also capture the soul of live theatre. On that count, nothing has changed since the show's 1972 premiere. Young prince Pippin searches for his "corner of the sky," dabbling in war, sex and politics as a "Lead Player" guides him toward one grand "finale."

San Francisco continues a – hopefully – new tradition this week with “A Charlie Brown Christmas – Live!” This delightful program had its West Coast premiere last season, with first-half vocals from Lisa Vroman and the Symphony Chorus. This week, the concert features “Little Mermaid” voice Jodi Benson, a perfect choice for the production's youthful target audience.

Performer Brian Stokes Mitchell speaks of his desire to uplift his audience by adding character to his music. Davies Symphony Hall discovered his exact meaning Wednesday when "Stokes" - "affectionately" called so by conductor Randall Craig Fleischer - immediately lit up the stage with a hearty smile. His personality, as joyful and inspiring as the holiday season celebrated, tells a story in itself.

Clever, sharp and witty, "Emma" the musical is as charismatic as it title character. Creator Paul Gordon took the Jane Austen classic and gave audiences a crisp, well-paced and engaging script with a score that wonderfully serves its characters' acerbic humor and innermost thoughts. Gordon's soliloquy style and multiple short themes highlight each role, which, when well-cast, sell the show with radiant storytelling. In the case of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, a four-member orchestra also adds charm.

Bugs Bunny at the Symphony closes its 25th Anniversary, 2015 tour at San Francisco's Davies Hall this weekend. Outside, Civic Center has its holiday decorations up and a community brass group occasionally plays down the street, while inside the San Francisco Symphony continues its tradition of beautiful Christmas trees decked out by various organizations and non-profits. It's the perfect time of year to celebrate the childlike spirit, and Friday evening saw audience members of all ages arrive early to take photos with the Bunny, himself, and try on Valkyrie hats from the merchandise booth.