Our San Francisco / Bay Area Critics
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BWW Reviews: MEMPHIS Dazzles at Broadway San Jose
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 ...
BWW Reviews: Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre Presents WEST SIDE STORY
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...
BWW Reviews: DISNEY ON ICE Celebrates 100 Years
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 ...
BWW Reviews: AN ILIAD is a Masterpiece in Storytelling at Berkeley Rep
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 ...
BWW Reviews: MOBY DICK a New Classic With Reimagined Opera
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...
BWW Reviews: Cirque's DRALION Works Best as Comedy with Acrobats Thrown In
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 ...
BWW Reviews: San Francisco Opera's New CAPULETS AND THE MONTAGUES is Breathtaking
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....
BWW Reviews: Audiences Happy Again Just Dancing and SINGING IN THE RAIN
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...
BWW Reviews: BATMAN LIVE Stays True to Comics, Makes a Good Time for Kids and Fans
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...
BWW Reviews: San Jose Finds a Rare Pearl in Bizet's THE PEARL FISHERS
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...
BWW Reviews: Everything is RAGTIME with Hillbarn Theatre
There is power in numbers. With 53 glorious cast members cleverly moved about the small Hillbarn Theatre stage, director Lee Foster's production of "Ragtime" excels over an imperfect script....
Steampunk CINDERELLA Delights Now Thru August 31
Playing now through August 31 in a limited engagement at the Castro Valley Center for the Arts, this 'Cinderella' is smart and edgy, giving a creatively refreshing twist to an old favorite....
BWW Reviews: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM is Hilarious, Now Thru August 19!
Set aside all of your 21st century politically correct notions and feminist fury for a moment and go see 'A Funny thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.' This show is guaranteed to make you laugh, but you better hurry because it's only here through August 19th....
BWW Reviews: WAR HORSE - Stunning Stage Wizardry at Curran Theatre
Playing now through September 9, 'War Horse' will dazzle you with its stage wizardry even as it brings into bold relief the gut-wrenching horrors that humans and horses alike endured during the war that was supposed to end them all, World War I....
BWW Reviews: Ringling Circus Brings Back Magic of Dragons to Bay Area
Even with all the magic and all the fun, the thing I remember most from my childhood trips to the circus is my traditional circus cup filled with delicious flavored ice. So it's only natural that after a very long hiatus from Ringling Bros., I couldn't help but buy one of those overpriced, albeit cr...
BWW Reviews: Butterfield Makes Great 'First Impression' With PRIDE AND PREJUDICE
It is a truth universally acknowledged that any audience member in possession of a show ticket must be in want of a good show. However little known the feelings or views of such an audience member may be on his or her first entering a theatre, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the relevant...
BWW Reviews: Lamplighter's MIKADO Nears Perfection
With beautiful, golden sets and a blessedly wonderful cast, the problem with Lamplighter's production of "The Mikado" does not result from a lack of talent. Actually, the production lacks very little and would verge on perfection if it weren't for slow comedic timing, missed opportunities for extra ...
BWW Reviews: New LITTLE MERMAID Still Entertains, but Fails to Fix Broadway Version
When you're dealing with a musical version of a classic like 'The Little Mermaid,' it becomes nearly impossible to botch a show enough to give viewers reason to hate it. You still have all the popular songs that everyone loves to sing along with (including one adorable little girl sitting in the bac...
BWW Reviews: Eve Ensler's EMOTIONAL CREATURE Empowers and Enthralls at Berkeley Rep
'Emotional Creature' exemplifies the spirit and heart of Ensler's best-selling book 'I am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World, shedding light on the joys and challenges as well as the violence faced by girls across the globe. 'Emotional Creature' is a theatrically lit m...
BWW Reviews: Audiences Get a Kick Out of ANYTHING GOES
Apparently, anything goes at the Gallo Center for the Arts in Modesto. Visit this stunning building this weekend and you'll find glimpses of "something shocking" as friendly ushers and ticketing staff welcome you, comfortable seats provide you with the perfect view and a standout orchestra begins pl...
BWW Reviews: SCOTTSBORO BOYS Balances Smiles with Stirring Truth
Masterfully communicated through the art of minstrel storytelling, Kander and Ebb's "The Scottsboro Boys" turns around the stereotypes and exaggerated personalities that encouraged racism in the early 1900s to create a surprisingly poignant musical that celebrates the voice of the individual and rem...
BWW Reviews: Eve Ensler's EMOTIONAL CREATURE Empowers and Enthralls at Berkeley Rep
'Emotional Creature' exemplifies the spirit and heart of Ensler's best-selling book 'I am an Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World, shedding light on the joys and challenges as well as the violence faced by girls across the globe. 'Emotional Creature' is a theatrically lit m...
BWW Reviews: Viva VERDI Comes Alive in SF Opera's New ATTILA
One of Giuseppe Verdi's lesser-performed operas, Attila lacks the hummable songs that have brought his better-known operas into popular culture. His complicated characters are ever-present, however, and his grand melodies support those characters with a commanding presence, especially when a large c...
BWW Reviews: New MAGIC FLUTE Full of Color and Wonder at SF Opera
Polka dots, neon and pastel colors, and innovative use of projector technology comprise a cheerful and vivid new production of Mozart's The Magic Flute, which premiered Wednesday night at the San Francisco Opera Memorial House. Although it sometimes lacks the dramatics needed to keep a strong moment...
Videos
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Anastasia the Musical Douglas Morrisson Theatre (5/22-5/31) |
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3Girls Theatre Presents: The Hortense Mancini Project by Kristy Lin Billuni iMPACt Center for Art & Dance (6/14-6/14) |
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Eureka Day City Lights Theater Company (9/24-10/18) |
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Secret Improv Vice, San Francisco Noir Shelton Theater (5/31-5/31) |
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Ah Ha! Circus Bella (6/03-7/26) |
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Ride the Cyclone City Lights Theater Company (7/16-8/23) |
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Comedy Oakland at Quinn's Lighthouse Fri June 26 8:30pm Quinn's Lighthouse (6/26-6/26) |
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Broadway Under the Stars - Radio Recall: The Soundtrack of Your Life Transcendence Theatre Company (7/10-7/12) |
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James Garner's Tribute to Johnny Cash Native Sons Hall (6/26-6/26) |
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Comedy Oakland at Elbo Room Sat June 27 7pm Elbo Room Jack London (6/27-6/27) |
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