Sacramento Theater Reviews

Review: THE HOMBRES Explores Masculinity at Capital Stage
by Courtney Symes - May 23, 2023

Theatre has long been a vessel to carry voices wanting to be heard, and a springboard for important conversations that need to be had. Capital Stage is taking this responsibility seriously, with its California premiere of The Hombres. Tony Meneses’ contemporary play examines the toxic masculinity pr...

Review: TEMPODYSSEY is Out of This World at Big Idea Theatre
by Courtney Symes - May 17, 2023

Astrophysics, poultry, and delusional temp employees. The universe conspires to marry odd bedfellows in this bizarre yet fascinating work by Dan Dietz. tempOdyssey is as unique as its title suggests. It’s a study of paradox, exploring themes of freedom vs. entrapment, love vs. apathy, and immortalit...

Review: Chasing the Clouds Away With AVENUE Q at Rise Up Theatre Company
by Courtney Symes - May 14, 2023

Can you tell me how to get, how to get to...Avenue Q? It’s a wondrous place where puppets and humans coexist peacefully and harmoniously. Most of the time. This salacious spoof of Sesame Street opened on Broadway in 2003 and won three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. Twenty years later, its them...

Review: B Street Theatre's BROKE-OLOGY Reminds Us of Our Riches
by Courtney Symes - May 12, 2023

The most shocking thing about getting older is that everyone else is getting older, too. Our parents, who once seemed so strong and commanding, reverse their roles and become the dependents. How do we care for them as they once cared for us? How do we find a balance between duty to them and staying ...

Review: Sacramento Theatre Company Celebrates Neurodiversity With THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
by Courtney Symes - May 09, 2023

Sacramento Theatre Company’s season of Curiosity, Intrigue, and Suspense is coming to a close with its much-anticipated portrayal of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. Based on the best-selling novel by Mark Haddon and adapted for the stage by Simon Stephens, this show provides an in...

Review: You'll Want to Meet This PRETTY WOMAN at Broadway Sacramento
by Courtney Symes - May 03, 2023

Don't miss the electrifying final stop of the North American tour of Pretty Woman: The Musical in Sacramento. Based on the hit 1990 movie, this musical is full of hope, magic, and enchantment. Get ready to be swept off your feet by the dynamic cast, exhilarating choreography, and a score by rock leg...

Review: Read All About It! NEWSIES Opens at Davis Musical Theatre Company
by Courtney Symes - May 02, 2023

Tucked among agricultural fields and university bustle in the small town of Davis is a community staple that is treasured by locals. For 38 years, Davis Musical Theatre Company has been a fixture in the community theatre world in the Sacramento region. Its Main Stage and Young Performers’ Theatre is...

Review: Social Justice Triumphs in ANTIGONE at The Harris Center
by Courtney Symes - April 25, 2023

Murder, greed, incest, tyranny…and you don’t have to go to Washington, D.C. to get it. Folsom Lake College’s production of Antigone checks all those boxes and more. Sophocles’ tragedy is as relevant today as it was in 411 BC, thanks to enduring themes that have been adapted for a modern audience....

Review: WINNIE-THE-POOH Captures Our Hearts at the B Street Theatre
by Courtney Symes - April 19, 2023

What did our critic think of WINNIE-THE-POOH at B Street Theatre?...

Review: A LIGHT IN THE DARK Shines a Light on Homelessness at The Sofia
by Courtney Symes - March 25, 2023

Award-winning choreographer Jacob Gutierrez-Montoya is bringing his special brand of philanthropy to The Sofia this weekend with A Light in the Dark, a modern dance concert inspired by the housing crisis in our region. Sponsored by The Sofia, Gutierrez-Montoya’s Sacramento Contemporary Dance Theatre...

Review: See the Super Sleuths, MS. HOLMES & MS. WATSON: APT. 2B, at B Street Theatre
by Courtney Symes - March 18, 2023

Known for bringing exciting and groundbreaking new works to Sacramento, the B St. Theatre solidifies its reputation with its latest show of the season. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous sleuth and his trusty partner have undergone a complete 21st-century makeover in Kate Hamill’s modern reimagining of...

Review: HAIRSPRAY Welcomes the '60s to Broadway Sacramento!
by Courtney Symes - March 16, 2023

Good morning, Sacramento! Hairspray has brought the beat to town, and you do not want to miss this spectacle of bright, brash, and beautiful 60s splendor! Based on the 1988 John Waters’ movie that became a cult classic, Hairspray opened on Broadway in 2002. It garnered 13 Tony Award nominations and ...

Review: TWELFTH NIGHT Celebrates Comedy at Big Idea Theatre
by Courtney Symes - March 16, 2023

What do Shakespeare and spring break in Florida have in common? Well, I will tell you! It is the festive new reimagining of Twelfth Night at Big Idea Theatre. Written at the turn of the 17th century, this work’s themes of mistaken identity and love triangles are enduring today but given a cleverly m...

Review: Visit THE LOWER ROOM at Freefall Stage
by Courtney Symes - March 05, 2023

The Passion of Christ is a story that has inspired many retellings, from major motion pictures to plays on a smaller scale. Freefall Stage brings it to life with a thoughtful and timely production of The Lower Room, which gives an original perspective not often seen in theatre. It tells the story of...

Review: THE FLYING MACHINE: THE STORY OF THE WRIGHT BROTHERS Soars at B Street Theatre
by Courtney Symes - February 17, 2023

We’ve all heard of the Wright Brothers. Orville and Wilbur are introduced to us in elementary school as the first to invent the motor-operated airplane; however, there is so much more that we don’t know about these two fascinating individuals who forever changed the way that we travel. Jerry Montoya...

Review: WAIT UNTIL DARK Brings a Classic Thriller to Sacramento Theatre Company
by Courtney Symes - February 08, 2023

Sacramento Theatre Company continues its season of Curiosity, Intrigue, and Suspense with the curiously intriguing and suspenseful thriller, Wait Until Dark. Written by Frederick Knott, the play first opened on Broadway in 1966 and ran for 373 performances. It was then made into a successful 1967 fi...

Review: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is Rocking at Broadway Sacramento
by Courtney Symes - February 08, 2023

Even after 50 years, Jesus Christ Superstar is still rocking. It’s now celebrating its golden anniversary tour with a surplus of energy, talent, and, fittingly, golden glitter. It first began as a concept album in 1970 when the composers, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, were unable to get financia...

Review: THE LAST WIDE OPEN Explores Fate and Love at The B Street Theatre
by Courtney Symes - January 29, 2023

2023 is already starting off on a great note, with the musically diverse The Last Wide Open charming audiences at the B Street Theatre. Playwright Audrey Cefaly tells the story of Lina and Roberto, coworkers who, in three different yet concurrent planes of existence, find love, heartbreak, and compa...

Review: Markiewitz Audioworks Celebrates the 180th Anniversary of THE TELL-TALE HEART
by Courtney Symes - January 24, 2023

What did our critic think of THE TELL-TALE HEART at Markiewitz Audioworks?...

Review: FROZEN Warms Hearts at Broadway Sacramento
by Courtney Symes - January 07, 2023

The beauty and mystique of Arendelle have come to Sacramento in the North American tour of Frozen. Based on the award-winning 2013 film of the same name, Frozen opened on Broadway in 2018 with additional songs and a formidable creative team. Led by original screenwriter Jennifer Lee as the book writ...

Review: It's Double the Holiday Fun at the Ooley Theatre With Two Special Christmas Shows
by Courtney Symes - December 16, 2022

What did our critic think of MISSISSIPPI MOTEL AND A NAUGHTY CHRISTMAS NIGHT at Ooley Theatre?...

Review: 'TIS THE SEASON to See Live Theatre at B Street!
by Courtney Symes - December 09, 2022

Reindeer and aliens and elves, oh my! The B Street Theatre has kicked off the holiday season for the family with ‘Tis the Season, a rollicking romp of holiday cheer that is guaranteed to entertain kids and adults alike. Written by the B Street Company, this show is a collection of festive stories th...

Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Sacramento Theatre Company
by Courtney Symes - December 04, 2022

As we reach the end of 2022, it’s time to pause and reflect on the past year. Have we been naughty or nice? Stingy or generous? While most of us can’t boast of being the best miser, like Scrooge, or the most innocent, like Tiny Tim, we can find solace that we are somewhere in the middle and most lik...

Review: LIFE SUCKS Doesn't Suck at Big Idea Theatre
by Courtney Symes - November 29, 2022

Thanksgiving this year was a wonderful gathering at home, enjoying the riches of food and family. Ironically, the next night was spent ruminating about how Life Sucks. This work by playwright Aaron Posner is a modern adaptation of Anton Chekhov’s 1898 play, Uncle Vanya. Big Idea Theatre has brought ...

Review: THE LOST CLAUS Finds Christmas Spirit at the B Street Theatre
by Courtney Symes - November 23, 2022

‘Tis the season to be jolly!  Unless you’re Santa, whose ancient body has compiled a laundry list of ailments. Playwright Buck Busfield has imagined a contemporary North Pole in this sweet and salty tale of Christmas hijinks at the B Street Theatre....