SACRAMENTO THEATER REVIEWS

My first experience at Lincoln Theatre Company last weekend left me with one question: why did it take me so long? Under new Executive Director Cary Litchford, the arts in Lincoln are continuing to thrive. From first-class hospitality to top-tier performances, this community treasure is something wo...

Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice! You’ve done it, Sacramento! You’ve summoned the ghost with the most, and you’re going to love every minute of his antics. We first fell in love with him in Tim Burton’s 1988 film, Beetlejuice, starring Michael Keaton as the titular character. Continuing...

When depression, art deco, and satirical mischief align, the delight that is The Drowsy Chaperone is born. Rise Up Theatre Company is staging its own vision of this 2006 hit, replete with inspiration drawn from famous dolls and puppets (think Malibu Barbie). Director Peter DeMarzio puts a creative s...

Have you ever felt alone in a crowded room? You’re surrounded by people, yet you’re truly by yourself. That’s how Bella Baird, a creative writing teacher at Yale, lives her life. She has hundreds of students, but no friends, no family, no one she can count on. Michael Stevenson directs a compe...

As Harold Zidler says, “Welcome, you gorgeous collection of bohemians and aristocrats, boulevardiers and mademoiselles, welcome to the Moulin Rouge!” What a welcome it is. The ten-time Tony Award winner makes its Sacramento debut at Broadway Sacramento in an explosive and sexy celebration of �...

The B St. Theatre is kicking off its 40th anniversary season with an ambitious piece, and if you’ve never seen a show there, you should make this current production your first. You’ll become their number one fan, just like Annie Wilkes in this adaptation of Stephen King’s 1987 novel, Misery. W...

Broadway Sacramento is starting off the new year with a legend. The Lion King, winner of six Tony Awards, is back in town after seventeen years. The familiar score by Elton John and Tim Rice has been a favorite since the animated version debuted in 1994. Songs like “Hakuna Matata,” “Can You Fe...

“God bless us, every one!” Commit those words to memory, for you might be called upon to perform an impromptu Tiny Tim at Sam Kebede’s fantastic adaptation of A Christmas Carol, which is now playing at the B St. Theatre. Sean Patrick Nill directs this lighthearted look at the classic tale that...

At a time when many are feeling a fractured sense of community, Capital Stage has brought Lauren Gunderson’s story about human connection to the stage. Under Imani Mitchell’s direction, I AND YOU becomes an anthem for friendship, trust, and embracing vulnerability....

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas everywhere you go…especially Broadway at Music Circus. Irving Berlin’s White Christmas, the Musical is here to warm up the holiday season through December 14th. It’s a piece with a book by David Ives and Paul Blake, and music by the prolific Irving...

Fans of the Scottish play will be excited to learn that there is a new adaptation at Big Idea Theatre this month. It’s reimagined in the Silicon Valley, with MacBeth as a scheming tech bro who will do anything to rise to the top. Kevin Adamski directs this ambitious take, proving that the Bard is ...

The B St. Theatre continues to bring joy to thousands of children (and adults) this holiday season with its newest production of ‘Tis the Season. This year, the stories revolve around local traditions that many Sacramentans will recognize. Stephanie Altholz directs ‘Tis the Season: Hometown Holi...

The B St. Theatre’s annual New Comedies Festival routinely produces fresh, creative, clever, and wonderfully hilarious works. The winner of the 2024 Festival is now playing to sold-out audiences and rabid fans after its much-anticipated opening last weekend. Playwright Tate Hanyok’s Dog Mom, in ...

Tackling controversial subjects is nothing new to theatre, and Capital Stage does it with grace in this timely and thought-provoking piece by Jonathan Spector. The Tony Award-winning Eureka Day was commissioned for Aurora Theatre Company in Berkeley in 2018, and it has not stopped delighting audienc...

Never fear, theatregoers! The B St. Theatre’s newest Family Series offering is now on stage. Never Fear, Shakespeare!, written by Sean Patrick Nill and Elyse Sharp, introduces kids and grown-ups to the Bard in a fun and engaging way. There are guaranteed laughs, gasps, and even some learning in th...

Sacramento’s very own serial killer, Dorothea Puente, is back to tell her story. Almost thirty-seven years after the first body was dug up on her property, the F St. boarding house killer has shown up at Big Idea Theatre with her view of the events that unfolded, and audiences can’t get enough. ...

Spooky season is the perfect time to delve into the life of the mother of science fiction, Mary Shelley. Her most famous work, Frankenstein, has captivated the public for over two centuries. ...

Sun Tzu’s fifth-century military treatise, “The Art of War,” is powerful enough in its original form. Add humor, middle-aged couples, and fish, and you’ve got a clear winner. The world premiere stage adaptation of The Art of War by Dave Pierini is chock-full of scheming and surprises, making...

The national tour of &Juliet is celebrating the beginning of its second year on the road at Broadway Sacramento, and it’s a party that’s unmatched. In 2023, it was nominated for nine Tony Awards, including Best Musical. It continues to be a fan favorite, and rightfully so. A fresh adaptation of ...

Men on Boats, a 2017 play by Jaclyn Backhaus, is an exciting and refreshing way to end the summer. Big Idea Theatre has made it from the Amazon River, in their previous production of The River Bride, to the Green and Colorado Rivers. This time, director Jennifer Adler leads a group of men (women) on...

Broadway Sacramento’s new season is sizzling with the arrival of the first national tour of Some Like it Hot. Based on the classic 1959 film of the same name, its reimagination on Broadway in 2022 garnered four Tony Award wins out of thirteen nominations. Now, it’s bringing the Golden Age to Sac...

Capital Stage’s twenty-first season has begun with a mesmerizing work from playwright Stefano Massini. The Lehman Trilogy is the 2022 Tony Award winner for Best Play, capturing the public’s admiration with its unique structure and storytelling style. Director Michael Stevenson tackles this ambit...

A revolutionary rock musical directed by the legendary Glenn Casale is just what we needed to cap off the summer at Broadway at Music Circus. Hair, a 1960s celebration written by Gerome Ragni and James Rado and music by Galt MacDermot, returns to the round after ten years in a life-affirming spectac...

The beginning of August means the start of spooky season, and what better way to celebrate than with the most famous undead of all? Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen’s campy delight, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors, is playing now at the B St. Theatre. You need to hurry to get tickets to this Monty Py...

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2008 is back at Broadway at Music Circus in an explosive celebration of family and community. In the Heights, which cemented creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s place on Broadway long before Hamilton, shows the magic that happens when cultures collide. Director Marc...