Steve Murray - Page 4

What did our critic think of SWEAT at Center Rep? In 2008, two recent parolees dread meeting each other on the outside. Jason is white Aryan tattooed and full of shame, Chris, repentant and newly religious. They share a crime that will slowly be revealed through flashbacks of their friendship as co-workers at a working class mill in Philadelphia. The slow destruction of that factory through layoffs, long picket lines and economic collapse tests their relationships, morals and resilience in Lynn Nottage's 2017 Pulitzer Prize winning drama.

What did our critic think of ENGLISH at Berkeley Repertory Theatre?

What did our critic think of TRIUMPH OF LOVE at Shotgun Players? Founding Artistic Director Patrick Dooley has a huge hit on his hands with a superb production of Pierre De Marivaux's 18th century three-act romantic comedy. A flop in 1732 due to the inappropriateness of the gender-bending love triangles, the play later became a hit as a 1997 musical and a later film adaptation. Dooley stays true to the Stephen Wadsworth translation and the production is reinforced by a sensational ensemble cast.

What did our critic think of MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG at 42nd Street Moon? Kudos to 42nd Street Moon for tackling Sondheim's challenging Merrily We Roll Along, a flop when introduced in 1981 but consistently reworked through the years to its present popularity (a Broadway run and film in the works).

What did our critic think of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at Golden Gate Theatre? By the time this review posts, this phenomenal touring production of ten-time Tony award winning Fiddler on the Roof will have packed up the shtetl and hit the road after a too brief 8-show run. Unfortunate for those who could not attend because Fiddler has never been so vibrant, so full of life and amazingly prescient to the alarming rise in forced immigrant migrations and rising antisemitism.

What did our critic think of FANNIE - THE MUSIC AND LIFE OF FANNIE LOU HAMER at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley?

What did our critic think of CLUE at SF Playhouse?

What did our critic think of SIX at Orpheum Theatre? Six wives, six women, six individual stories all bonded by marriage to Henry VIII. Playwrights Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss explore each woman from their perspectives through a boisterous musical score mirroring easily recognizable contemporary pop and R&B vocalists. Not so much a history lesson as a bonding sisterhood tome, SIX is a high-powered, crowd-pleasing rock musical worthy of its many awards including Tony Award. for Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics).

What did our critic think of THE HEADLANDS at American Conservatory Theatre?

What did our critic think of MEAN GIRLS at Golden Gate Theatre? When her mother gets a new job in Chicago, Cady must leave the wilds of Kenya for High School in yet another type of jungle, where the power cliques prey on the weaker links. Its Social Darwinism dished out by a group called 'The Plastics', the Mean Girls of writer Tina Fey's musical based on her 2004 film of the same name. It's a familiar story of bullying, acceptance and social groupings with an OK score and clever wise-cracking dialogue.

What did our critic think of CASHED OUT at SF Playhouse? Cashed Out, an SF Playhouse commission two and a half years in the making, delivers on its portrayal of the bleak realities of reservation life including domestic violence, alcoholism, drug addiction, loss of culture and the casino culture and its ugly bi-product -gambling addiction. While these vices are not exclusive to indigenous peoples, they are seen at much higher incidences.

What did our critic think of GETTING THERE at New Conservatory Theatre Center?

What did our critic think of SONGS THAT RAISED ME at Orinda Theatre?

What did our critic think of CLYDE'S at Berkeley Rep?

What did our critic think of DEAR EVAN HANSEN at Orpheum Theatre?

What did our critic think of IN EVERY GENERATION at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley? The traditions of the Passover seder are the jumping off point for the West Coast premiere of Ali Viterbi's thoughtful time-hopping reflection on the Jewish experience. Examining what is passed down from generation to generation, it's much more than the elements of the seder dinner - the bitter herbs, the unleavened bread and the ten plagues telling the story of the exodus from Egypt. There's the dark, ever present paranoia of persecution lingering throughout this piece making it a cautionary tale for not only Jews, but any minority facing oppression.

What did our critic think of WUTHERING HEIGHTS at Berkeley Repertory Theatre?

What did our critic think of FROZEN at Orpheum Theatre? Disney Theatrical Productions (also known as Disney On Broadway or Disney Theatrical Group) owns the market on transforming hit animated films into mega successes. The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Alladin and The Little Mermaid have grossed over 10 billion dollars worldwide. Frozen, based on the 3rd highest grossing animated film ever, hit the stage in 2018 and is yet another cash cow. The touring production, created by a host of Oscar and Tony award winning talent is a visual delight, often breathtaking in its beauty.

What did our critic think of NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 at Shotgun Players?

What did our critic think of CLUE at Center Rep? With lightning flashes and an ominous score, a mysterious dinner party at Boddy Manor begins with the arrival of an assortment of guests very familiar to anyone who ever played the Parker Brothers board game Clue. Based on the popular game and the 1985 cult film, this delightful production helmed by director Nancy Carlin and her talented cast and crew is a visual treat chock full of word puns, slapstick shtick and broad comic caricatures.