Lessons from August Wilson
TheatreWorks’ production of the show is wonderful, but elements of the script had me leaving the theater feeling rundown and grumpy...
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SOUTH BAY
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Alexandra Beall Garfield
Dec 16, 20232 min read
Classic Christmas Ghosts
After 17 years of the same script and staging, 2023 will be the last year of A.C.T. puts on this production of A Christmas Carol.
Alexandra Beall Garfield
Dec 4, 20233 min read
C-H-E-E-R-F-U-L
Theatreworks’ signature compassion and skill shines in this exuberant and empathetic version of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.
Alexandra Beall Garfield
Oct 10, 20233 min read
Past, Present and Poirot
Clever and fast paced, the production of Mrs. Christie from TheaterWorks spans nearly 100 years to bring a real-life mystery to the stage.
Alexandra Beall Garfield
Aug 13, 20234 min read
A Triumphant Return
If you are a lover of Shakespeare who has been in the Bay Area for a while (or generations), you probably know and love Shakespeare Santa...
Alexandra Beall Garfield
Aug 13, 20232 min read
Corteo Dreaming
Corteo might not be the flashiest performance from Cirque du Soleil, but it may well be my favorite. Filled with fun acts that feel more...
Alexandra Beall Garfield
Aug 5, 20232 min read
Simply the Best
Tina is a biographic jukebox musical using Tina Turner’s music to portray her turbulent life. The show begins in Tina’s childhood,...
Alexandra Beall Garfield
Aug 5, 20233 min read
It’s Showtime!
Beetlejuice is a hilarious, irreverent romp that will leave you in tears of laughter while forcing you to contemplate your own mortality.
Alexandra Beall Garfield
May 17, 20233 min read
1776 Gets Spectacularly Hamilton-ized
The musical that first made the founding fathers into musical stars, pays its respects to Hamilton by making them cool.
Alexandra Beall Garfield
Feb 14, 20203 min read
Chicago is a Big Show, Too Big for a Small Stage
San Jose Stage’s new production of Chicago is full of great dancing and singing performances, including a great ensemble cast, but...
Alexandra Beall Garfield
Feb 3, 20203 min read
The Music of Willesden Lane
TheatreWorks' first show of 2020, The Pianist of Willesden Lane, is a beautiful exploration of love, music and resilience, set against a
Alexandra Garfield
Dec 29, 20194 min read
Austen for the Holidays
This is a show that you will not want to miss. If you like the story of Pride and Prejudice, any of Jane Austen's other works, Paul Gord
Alexandra Garfield
Dec 14, 20194 min read
Pure Magic
If you love Harry Potter, you likely already know about the Curran Theater's semi-permanent installation of Harry Potter and the Cursed
Cathleen Beall
Nov 17, 20193 min read
Back to Saigon
Since its debut in North America over 28 years ago, Miss Saigon continues to delight audiences. The story is based on Puccini’s Madame Butt
Alexandra Garfield
Oct 9, 20194 min read
Floating Down the Mississippi with Mark Twain
TheatreWorks’ newest show, Mark Twain’s River of Song, is a laid back look at the world depicted in Mark Twain’s novels and memoirs, as nar
Alexandra Garfield
Sep 5, 20192 min read
Exit Through the Rear Window
Overall, this is a show that I wish I could love. It’s full of great theatercraft and remarkable performances. But at the end of the day, I
Alexandra Garfield
Aug 20, 20193 min read
Wickedly Wonderful
Definitely go see this show. Honestly, I can’t think of a reason why you wouldn’t want to see Wicked at any opportunity. Stephen Schwartz’s
Alexandra Garfield
Jul 25, 20192 min read
The Right Words
Funny, heartfelt and painful, The Language Archive speaks to truths that are more complex than any language can describe.
TheatreWorks is
Alexandra Garfield
Jun 20, 20192 min read
Herd Mentality
It boils down to this—every element of the show (the script, actors, direction, etc.) was executed to perfection, it just didn’t move me. If
Alexandra Garfield
Jun 15, 20193 min read
Shaping a Century
Smart, moving and unexpectedly hilarious, Archduke tells the story of the three men that assassinated Archduke Franz Ferdinand, arguably spa
Alexandra Garfield
Jun 8, 20192 min read
Stick it to the Man
There are two things that are critical to the success of any musical comedy: It must be fun and it must be heartfelt. School of Rock – The M
Alexandra Garfield
May 23, 20192 min read
Tradition!
Fiddler on the Roof is a classic. The story of Tevye, his daughters and his community have been a staple of musical theater since its premie
Alexandra Garfield
May 12, 20193 min read
Electrifying
The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical is a rare musical that combines all of the magic of an epic fantasy with the fun of a childre
Alexandra Garfield
Apr 29, 20193 min read
Thoughtful, Delightful and a Rollicking Good Time
What sets this version of Vanity Fair apart, however, is playwright Kate Hamill’s marvelous retelling of the story, which sheds light on Wil
Alexandra Garfield
Apr 20, 20193 min read
Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
You may not know the names of Richard and Robert Sherman, but you already know their music. From writing classic scores including Mary Poppi
Alexandra Garfield
Apr 19, 20192 min read
Wish Fulfillment
Like so many of Disney’s stage adaptations of its classic animated movies, Aladdin is a spectacle that will take your breath away. In...
Alexandra Garfield
Apr 12, 20192 min read
Felder Does it Again!
Clever, heartfelt and moving, Hershey Felder’s newest show tells both his own story, and that of French composer, Claude Debussy. A Paris Lo
Alexandra Garfield
Jan 31, 20192 min read
Something Funny
Something Rotten tells the story of Nick and Nigel Bottom, playwrights in Elizabethan England attempting to outdo Shakespeare himself. Tryin
Alexandra Garfield
Jan 22, 20192 min read
Acting Presidential
When you think of the current political news climate, you may not immediately connect it to the 1970s. TheatreWorks’ production of Frost/Nix
Alexandra Garfield
Dec 8, 20183 min read
Be Found
Dear Evan Hansen is a show about now. About every person who has ever felt lonely or left out or insecure—it’s about all of us. Deftly bring
Alexandra Garfield
Dec 3, 20182 min read
Everlasting
TheatreWorks’ holiday show this year, Tuck Everlasting, is an emotional roller coaster that will force you to consider the cycle of life and
Alexandra Garfield
Dec 1, 20183 min read
The Prince is Giving a Ball
Rogers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella is phenomenal. The music is simple yet unforgettable and the story is undeniably classic. Despite the nu
Alexandra Garfield
Nov 18, 20182 min read
All That Jazz
Chicago is the longest running American musical in Broadway history—and for good reason. Full of great music, a clever story and Bob Fosse’s
Alexandra Garfield
Nov 17, 20183 min read
High Volta-ge
The glory of the show is in its high-energy acrobatic acts. From bicycle stunts to trampoline daredevilry and stunning aerial acts, Voltadel
Alexandra Garfield
Nov 7, 20183 min read
Women in Rivers
Men on Boats, now playing at A.C.T.’s Strand Theater, has the unusual distinction of providing neither of the things promised in the title,
Alexandra Garfield
Oct 30, 20183 min read
Edwin Drood, An Unexpected Delight
The Mystery of Edwin Drood, is an unexpectedly delightful and high-quality production, tucked into a small theater in the heart of downtown
Alexandra Garfield
Aug 31, 20182 min read
Natural Laughs
Sweet, hilarious and all-too realistic, TheatreWorks’ second play of the season, Native Gardens, is sure to be a smash hit.
Native Gardens
Alexandra Garfield
Jul 31, 20182 min read
A Self-Evident Success
Hold These Truths is surprising and delightful while also delivering a sobering message about our country’s history. The one-man show tells
Alexandra Garfield
Jul 22, 20183 min read
A Splendid Show for the Senses
At its core, A Thousand Splendid Suns is about the resilience of the human spirit and the wonderful bonds between people that can endure des
Alexandra Garfield
Jun 24, 20182 min read
Blacklist?
FINKS is a deep dive into the thoughts and emotions of New York’s actors, comics, writers, dancers and producers. Although not ideal for so
Alexandra Garfield
Jun 7, 20183 min read
Oh What a Night
Jersey Boys is one of the most celebrated jukebox musicals, sweeping up four Tony Awards in 2006, including best musical. The show tells the
Alexandra Garfield
May 24, 20182 min read
A Perfect Proposal
The show is fast paced and fun, with jokes flying so fast you can barely catch them all. But most importantly, the show has a lot of heart.
Alexandra Garfield
May 9, 20184 min read
Eat that Pear
Pear Slices is a great forum where the Pear Theatre fosters new work and audiences can see a bunch of short plays in one sitting. As someone
Alexandra Garfield
May 8, 20183 min read
A Delightfully Classic Musical
There is little that can make me happier than a good old-fashioned musical. 42nd Street Moon’s production of Me and My Girl is just that, a
Alexandra Garfield
May 4, 20183 min read
The Many Faces of War
Lyrical, thought provoking and poignant, the current show from A.C.T. at the Geary Theater is the moving play, Father Comes Home From the Wa
Alexandra Garfield
Apr 20, 20183 min read
Go-Go to the New Go-Go’s Musical
Get ready to go-go mad for Head Over Heels, the new Go-Go’s musical currently running a pre-Broadway engagement at San Francisco’s Curran Th
Alexandra Garfield
Apr 18, 20183 min read
Imagining Neverland
Finding Neverland is a lovely show, packed with heart and exhilarating numbers about the power of imagination. It also has almost nothing to
Alexandra Garfield
Apr 10, 20183 min read
Bridges of Madison County Finishes Strong
The Bridges of Madison County is a fine show. There are some downsides and some redeeming aspects. Musically and emotionally, it cannot comp
Alexandra Garfield
Mar 30, 20183 min read
Flying Over Ice
Cirque du Soleil's Crystal is beautiful and breathtaking. It will make you cheer, clap and watch in open-mouthed amazement, particularly
Alexandra Garfield
Mar 26, 20182 min read
The Principals of Uncertainty
How well can you ever truly know someone? That is the question at the core of A.C.T.’s current show, Heisenberg. Overall, it’s a good play.
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