SAN FRANCISCO / BAY AREA THEATER REVIEWS

As far as theatrical arena shows go, Dreamwork's "How To Train Your Dragon Live" makes the top of the list for those worth seeing, and arena shows are growing in number (case in point, the rather boring, but visually interesting, Batman Live arena tour)....

'Tis the season for merriment and Christmas joy as well as for reflecting on the vicissitudes of life and, as the chasm grows between the rich and the poor, it isn't surprising to find so many bay area theatres offering up adaptations of Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol.'...

San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre plays host to Disney's 'The Lion King' now through January 13, 2013. I put that out there right away because if you're one for keeping a bucket list of must-see things to do and see before you 'exit stage left' then this show is surely one for the list....

A number of factors combine to make Center REPertory Theatre's adaptation of Charles Dicken's classic "A Christmas Carol" a one-of-a-kind experience. Special effects throughout the show add to the excitement and surprise of the play as a fantastic cast gives familiar characters unique personalities....

As bright and colorful as its title character's wardrobe, Hillbarn Theatre's production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Coat" is a "dazzling work of art." A talented and adorable children's chorus leads the show as an adult figure interrupts their mistreatment of one particular child to tell ...

Playing now through December 24, the message and the magic of A.C.T.'s 'A Christmas Carol,' will delight and inspire children of all ages....

Greeting audiences with a familiar New York City backdrop painting framed in a gorgeous white paneling and seasonal decor, the touring production of "Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical" doesn't offer much beyond its original seasons' greetings. Despite a strong, talented cast, the musical only offe...

The classic story of 'Peter Pan' has aged well, as has its star, the legendary Cathy Rigby, who took her first trip to Never Land in 1990 and was nominated for a Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her efforts. Playing a limited engagement now through November 25, 'Cathy Rigby is Peter P...

As energized as its famous Strauss-penned waltzes and as bubbly as its beloved king champagne, Opera San Jose's production of Die Fledermaus entertains with its farcical story and melodramatic acting. Though the creative choice to alternate between English dialogue and German lyrics is at first off-...

San Francisco's Orpheum Theatre plays host to Disney's 'The Lion King' now through January 13, 2013. I put that out there right away because if you're one for keeping a bucket list of must-see things to do and see before you 'exit stage left' then this show is surely one for the list....

Playing now through November 18, 'Elektra's keening, mournful and blood thirst quest for justice is challenging pedagogy but even more so, enthralling theatre....

With a surprisingly well-written book and a fun, familiar plot, 42nd Street Moon's production of the rare musical, "Carmelina," stands out against its more recent cousin, the Abba-inspired "Mamma Mia!" While it does not have the peppy energy and catchy music of "Mamma Mia!," "Carmelina" has unique s...

Playing now through November 18, 'Elektra's keening, mournful and blood thirst quest for justice is challenging pedagogy but even more so, enthralling theatre....

From the underground black dance clubs of 1950s Memphis, Tennessee to Broadway San Jose and the bay area comes a musical that bursts off the stage with explosive dancing, irresistible songs and a thrilling tale of fame and forbidden love. Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical--and ...

Now playing through November fourth, 'West Side Story' is gracing the stage at Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre. Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' is transported to mid-1950's New York City, as two young idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs. Their struggle is one of the...

In one of the first numbers of Disney on Ice "100 Years of Magic," a host of genie duplicates from the classic film Aladdin cover the rink with their "magic," a small taste of the magic to come. The hour and a half celebration of Disney enchantment that follows retells shortened versions of several ...

Playing now through November 18th at Berkeley Repertory Theatre 'An Iliad' is a masterpiece of storytelling genius; an edge-of-your-seat, dramatic tour-de-force replete with capricious gods and glorious Greeks; Trojans and their lady fair, Helen of Troy and lives that were lost for really no reason ...

Storytelling at its best, San Francisco Opera's co-production of new opera "Moby Dick" overwhelms upon sight and hearing. The magnificent production has some of the most exquisite music ever written for the stage. Jack Heggie's grand cinematic score moves faultlessly from solemn, contemplative momen...

If you're in the mood for one of the best clown acts in the United States, drive on over to Stockton Arena for Cirque du Soleil's "Dralion." Oh, there are plenty of awe-inducing moments of dangerous acrobatic acts and fantastic visuals, but unlike many of Cirque's other shows, "Dralion's" best foot ...

Vincenzo Bellini's opera based on "Romeo and Juliet" does not follow the traditional Shakespeare plot, so it seems appropriate that the San Francisco Opera production, too, should veer away from traditional sets and costumes and create a world of its own....

Yes, yes, yes. It's a talkie. It's a musical talkie. And it has plenty of tap dancing cavaliers (well, in a figurative sense). OK, so it's not Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds; no one can beat the pair that made the classic film so memorable. But Good Company Players' lovely recreation for the Roger R...

Fitting three performances in one day can come at a cost depending on where you're playing. And though Batman Live World Arena Tour was only in San Jose for four short days (heading to Los Angeles next), Saturday evening's performance, the third showing that day, found the large HP Pavilion less tha...

Google the "Pearl Fishers Duet" and you'll find almost every famous opera singer has sung the exquisitely beautiful song. It's the type of song that makes it to Hollywood, but that you recognize when you hear it. But many don't recognize the story behind it, one that plays out in a three-act opera t...