Contra Costa Civic Theatre (CCCT) will launch its 2023-24 season with Sondheim on Sondheim, a captivating musical revue that delves into the life and artistry of one of the greatest composers in American musical theater history, Stephen Sondheim, from August 25 through September 10.

This is an intimate portrait of the famed songwriter in his own words… and music. Through the use of exclusive interview footage, audiences will get an inside look at the personal life and artistic process of famed composer, Stephen Sondheim.

His story. His inspiration. His genius. The tapestry of creativity that characterizes Stephen Sondheim remained largely undiscussed, especially by the man himself, until the creation of Sondheim on Sondheim. Ranging from the beloved to the obscure, the carefully selected two-dozen songs hang from a framework of in-depth video interviews, delving into Sondheim’s personal life and artistic process. Far from the typical song cycle, Sondheim on Sondheim has massive theatrical potency, as well as inarguable staying power. The incomparable James Lapine brilliantly curated a collection of songs that have been masterfully arranged by David Loud.

Due to ongoing support from a GoFundMe campaign and generous corporate contributions from Summit Bank and Galvan and Associates in San Leandro, The Marsh San Francisco has added free performances of award-winning playwright and actor Brian Copeland’s The Waiting Period on select dates in August and September 2023. This deeply moving and surprisingly funny work outlines Copeland’s own struggles with depression and suicidal thought, and is presented at no cost to remove all barriers for those who may be struggling with depression themselves. Featuring humorous, poignant, and riveting insights, The Waiting Period will be presented August 20 & 27 and September 10 & 17, 2023, with performances at 12:00pm Sundays at The Marsh San Francisco (1062 Valencia St.).

“This play saves lives,” said Copeland, “Many who have seen it tell me they suddenly recognized their own symptoms or those of a loved one, in time to intervene before they committed the ultimate harm to themselves and devastated their families.”

By Darlene Jurow

San Francisco Playhouse (450 Post Street) concludes its 20th Anniversary Season with the exuberant, high-kicking, fan favorite production of A Chorus Line, currently performing through September 9.

A Chorus Line captures the spirit, tension, and hope of a high stakes audition of twenty-four hopeful dancers who undertake a grueling audition for eight coveted spots in the back-up chorus of an unnamed Broadway show, exploring the inner lives and bittersweet ambitions of the performers. They put it all out there, even exposing their most intimate stories, while knowing their chances of making the final eight are slim. This period of desperation is pronounced so well in the musical number “God, I Hope I Get It”.

A Chorus Line was created from the real-life stories of working Broadway dancers, including eight who appeared in the original cast. Their deeply personal tales, shared in workshop sessions hosted by dancers Michon Peacock and Tony Stevens, caught the attention of director/choreographer Michael Bennett who had also been considering a show centered on the singular life of chorus dancers. A Chorus Line’s 1975 Broadway debut changed the face of musical theater.

Livermore’s Bankhead Theater (2400 First Street) presents quirky, ingenious, and hilarious Maria Bamford on Saturday, August 5. Stephen Colbert has called Maria Bamford his “favorite comedian on earth” while Judd Apatow is said to label Ms. Bamford “the funniest woman in the world.” Maria is the first female comic to have two half-hour “Comedy Central Presents” specials, starring alongside Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis and Brian Posehn in the Comedy Central series “The Comedians of Comedy” and Netflix’s “Comedians of Comedy: The Movie.” In addition, she has starred in the acclaimed Netflix Series “Lady Dynamite,” about a comedian who suffers a nervous breakdown.

Bamford is also the star of three unconventional hour-long stand-up specials: “Weakness is the Brand,” “Old Baby” and “Maria Bamford, the special, special, special!”.

Disney Theatrical Productions, under the direction of Thomas Schumacher, and BroadwaySF, part of the Ambassador Theatre Group, are pleased announce casting for the San Francisco engagement of Disney’s “Aladdin”. The hit Broadway musical comedy will begin performances in San Francisco at BroadwaySF’s Orpheum Theatre (1192 Market St.) on Wednesday, August 2 for a limited engagement through Sunday, August 13.

The production features Adi Roy (Aladdin), Marcus M. Martin (Genie), Senzel Ahmady (Jasmine), Anand Nagraj (Jafar), Aaron Choi (Iago), Sorab Wadia (Sultan), Ben Chavez (Omar), Jake Letts (Babak), Colt Prattes (Kassim), Dwelvan David (Standby Genie, Jafar & Sultan) and J. Andrew Speas (Standby Genie, Sultan & Babkak).

Senzel Ahmady grew up in Fairfield, CA and attended Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District from first grade through senior year. At Young Artists Conservatory of Music in Vacaville, CA, she participated in voice and piano lessons, show choir, a cappella group, and musical theater. She is currently on a professional leave of absence from NYU to perform in “Aladdin”. Senzel looks forward to performing for family, friends and teachers at the Orpheum Theatre, where she grew up seeing Broadway shows.

     Comedian Paula Poundstone recently returned to the Bankhead Theater stage in Livermore, CA. for a command performance. Best known for her smart, observational humor and spontaneous wit that has become the stuff of legend, on this June date Paula received continuous roars from the capacity crowd at the Bankhead. Originally slated as a 90-minute standup comedy performance, Paula was on such a roll engaging with the audience that the show actually went well over two hours, as the interaction with the crowd and laughs with them was continuous.

     A side-splitting comic genius, Paula Poundstone is known for her smart, observational humor and spontaneous wit that has become the stuff of legend. Groundbreaking in so many ways, Paula was the first female comic, in its then 73rd year, to perform at the White House Correspondents dinner. She was the first female standup, in its then 5th year, to win the ACE award for Best Comedy Special on Cable television. She is recognized in innumerable lists, documentaries, and literary compendiums noting influential standup comedians of our time.

by Ron Friedenthal

     TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s production of “Steel Magnolias” is a surprisingly gripping comic drama portrayal of this contemporary play set in a small town, focusing on a  black owned hair salon in 1980’s Louisiana.  Through the eyes of the characters, the audience sees how relationships between generations and cultures can be bridged by common themes of understanding in a non-confrontational setting, such as a hair salon.  The   close interaction and warmth between the characters makes you want to be a part of their community.

     In the show, the same group of women has hair appointments at the same time every week.  Despite having different backgrounds, they collectively develop and learn about how much they can relate to each other’s experiences.

     As the play develops, the comedic interplay between the characters demonstrates how each of them lets their guard down to quip with each other.  The salon is an oasis from the outside where different cultures and generations would not normally interact.  However, each of the women feel so comfortable with each other that they would drop into the salon whenever they have things on their mind.

      Center Repertory Company’s adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2005 musical bursts on to the stage at The Lesher Theater in Walnut Creek, CA. like a blast of sunshine, hope and jubilation.  This stage play is a socially engaged drama that offers both sparkle and pizzazz. Set during a record-breaking New York City heat wave, “In the Heights” features a Latinx Washington Heights community and how it deals with neighborhood unity – and change. This vibrant stage adaptation pulsates with musical numbers that blend hip-hop, Latin rhythms, rap, jazz, pop and salsa!

     Michel Alejandro Castillo, who plays the role of Usnavi, is a particular delight. A bodega worker who dreams of returning to his parents’ Dominican Republic homeland, at the end he decides that his ties to Washington Heights take precedent.   

by Darlene Jurow

     California Symphony wrapped up its 2022-23 season at the Hofmann Theatre at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, CA. Its stirring  “Fresh Inspirations” program featured nationally acclaimed pianist Sarah Cahill, a guest soloist, who was superb during her performance in the symphony’s World Premiere of ‘Stargazer’.

     The concert actually kicked off with Hector Berlioz’s wonderful ‘Le carnaval romain’ (“Roman Carnival Overture”), which showcased the composer’s brilliant and innovative techniques of orchestration. This exhilarating work vividly distinguishes a number of instrumental sounds, from the solo sound of the English horn to the solid sounds of a multitude of trombones. From its boisterous beginning to its thunderous finale, this piece was a delightful opener to “Fresh Inspirations”.

     Nearly 40 years after making its television debut, “The Golden Girls’ is as popular today as ever. This television sitcom about four senior women living together in a Florida retirement community featured numerous guest stars, some of whom will be making live appearances at the Orinda Theatre in Orinda, CA. on May 26, 27, and 28 for this celebration of all things “Golden Girls”.

     This three-day event will include a behind-the-scenes discussion with producers, writers, directors, as well as guest stars of the show. Plus so much more!

     A cultural commentary riddled with humor, insight, and clever dialog in two languages, San Francisco’s Playhouse’s production of the comedy “Chinglish” by Tony Award winner and Pulitzer Prize finalist David Henry Hwang is a perfect examlple of hoow culture and customs can collide. In this fast-paced modern comedy, culture and customs do just that as a naïve American sign manufacturer travels to China in search of a lucrative contract. While there he discovers the complexities of the venture as he learns that some things aren’t so easily translated. Directed by Bay Area director Jeffrey Lo, “Chinglish” is currently performing through June 10, 2023 at San Francisco Playhouse (450 Post Street).

     “Chinglish” is a brilliant two-act play performed in English, with one quarter of the dialogue in Mandarin with projected English supertitles. It is part social-political, part drama, and primarily a comedy of cultural misunderstanding.

     A special new exhibit, “It’s Only Rock n’ Roll (But I Like It),” is currently on display through July 9, 2023 at the UNCLE Credit Union Art Gallery in Livermore, CA. This gallery exhibition showcases the art of rock n’ roll, featuring guitars, album covers, photography, and more. Individuals and groups can take a visual tour of the history of rock n’ roll in the Gallery: acoustic guitars, solid and hollow body guitars, amps, pedals, album covers, posters, photographs, and other accouterments from the world of rock n’ roll are on display for visitors to relish in, reminisce, and recall greats of music history.

     As part of enhancing the public’s experience, LVA will also be hosting a number of events around this unique kind of exhibit: there will be a Rock n’ Roll Roadshow where visitors can learn more about a vintage or unique guitar in their possession on Saturday, June 3, and an Air Guitar Contest on the Bankhead stage on Thursday, June 8.

By Darlene Jurow

     The Contra Costa Civic Theatre’s presentation of the Bay Area premiere of “To Master the Art” is a delicious passion play written by William Brown and Doug Frew, and directed by Marilyn Langbehn. It begins and ends with Julia Child’s devotion to all things French, especially the cuisine she literally uncovers in a post-war Paris and inevitably exports to a grateful America.

      “To Master the Art” is the story of the legendary French Chef, Julia Child, from the French bistro where she fell in love with food, to the kitchen table where she recreated everything learned during cooking class, to a room where her husband Paul was grilled by U.S. agents about alleged Communist contact. . This is a larger-than-life story of a culinary icon and her remarkable spouse as they struggle to find themselves as Americans abroad.

by Ed Brice

     Smuin Ballet’s 2022-23 season finale, which began performing at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts in late April and continues performances throughout the Bay Area through May, is a dazzling performance headlined by four soaring works that highlight the company’s artistry and depth of talent. This stunning four-course production includes: “Swipe” by Val Caniparoli with music by Gabriel Prokofiev; “Sextette” by Katarzyna Skarpetowska with music by Johann Sebastian Bach; “Dream” by Michael Smuin with music by Chopin; and “French Kiss”, a world premiere by Amy Seiwert with music by Pink Martini. If there’s one thing that audiences take home from this stirring performance is how well the entire Smuin company dances – big and bold in repertoire that makes all its dancers look absolutely fabulous!

     It all begins as Val Caniparoli returns to Smuin with “Swipe”, a revival of the first work from the acclaimed dancemaker performed by the company. This highly technical piece for four men and three women is set to a remix of “String Quartet No. 2” by Gabriel Prokofiev, grandson of Sergei Prokofiev. A classically trained composer known for electronic and hip-hop music, Prokofiev’s music complements the vibrant energy of Caniparoli’s blend of classical and contemporary movement.

One of the most iconic and dynamic modern dance ensembles of our time, the Paul Taylor Dance Company has been innovating and transforming the art form of modern dance since 1954. Their recent performance was an unforgettable experience for all those in attendance, as was accentuated by the standing ovation they received at the conclusion of their Lesher Center for the Arts performance in Walnut Creek, CA. on Friday, April 7. Each of the three pieces presented that night showcased the highly-athletic and musical skills of both the dancers and choreographers alike.

Brandenburgs (choreographed by the late, founding director Paul Taylor) was a visual delight as the dancers brought the musical score of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos #6 to life. We could see the rise and fall of the notes, the rhythm of the measures, and the ebbs and flows of the musical dynamics as the dancers curved and turned across the stage, eliciting images of the detail, beauty, and grandiosity often associated with the Baroque era.

“Come From Away,” currently playing at Broadway SF’s Golden Gate Theatre (1 Taylor Street) in San Francisco, offers a moving, brilliantly shot and staged spectacle tied to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks that brings that moment unerringly back to life. The poignancy of BroadwaySF’s stage presentation offers an uplifting, yet lump-in-your-throat emotional experience all at the same time.

“Come From Away” captures the remarkable use of the physical stage space – with the ensemble cast each playing multiple characters – while putting the cameras in positions that enhance the experience.

This fact-based musical tells multiple stories of the 7,000 people temporarily stranded in a small town in Newfoundland when 38 flights were grounded after the attacks, almost instantly doubling the size of the small but close-knit community.

     Center Repertory Company’s presentation of Lynn Nottage’s Pulitzer Prize-winning “SWEAT,” directed by acclaimed actor/director Elizabeth Carter, eloquently captures the malaise among a group of longtime co-workers at a Berks County, Pennsylvania, mill. This play follows a group of friends who have spent their lives working together on the factory floor, sharing drinks, secrets, and laughs. However, as their career prospects fade when layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, they turn on one another, and these lifelong companions become combatants in this heart-wrenching fight to stay afloat. Race, class, and friendship are all elements that collide in this explosive drama.

     “Sweat” features a truly remarkable ensemble and creative team. Cathleen Riddley plays Cynthia, an African American factory worker interested in becoming a manager. Lisa Anne Porter plays the role of Tracey, a white factory worker who is friends with Cynthia, and Maryssa Wanlass plays Jessie, a friend of both Cynthia and Tracy. However, their friendship becomes destabilized when Cynthia moves into management.

     California Symphony explores the sphere of incredibly gifted people who influenced Gustav Mahler in its “Mahler’s Inner Circle” concerts, including one recently presented at the Hoffman Theatre at Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, CA. Featuring contralto Sara Couden performing Alma Mahler’s ‘Fünf Lieder’, the California Premiere of Hans Rott’s ‘Symphony No. 1’, and Alexander Zemlinsky’s ‘Lustspiel Ouvertüre’. This program continues the orchestra’s adventurous 2022-23 season, celebrating its 10th season under Music Director Donato Cabrera, introducing works never before performed by the California Symphony, and featuring an all-women line-up of soloists.

     Alma Mahler was an accomplished composer who relinquished her work to marry Gustav Mahler, with the five songs in her ‘Fünf Lieder’ being the only works published during her husband’s lifetime. Throughout her life, Alma became the muse of many celebrated writers, composers, and artists – from Gustav Klimt to Alexander Zemlinsky, Gustav Mahler, Walter Gropius, Oskar Kokoschka, and Franz Werfe. Klimt and Kokoschka painted her; she married Mahler, and following his death, Gropius and then Werfel. During her marriage to Mahler, she had an affair with young architect Walter Gropius, who helped her edit and publish the five songs that make up Fünf Lieder. They will be performed by Walnut-Creek based Sara Couden, a premiere interpreter of operatic, chamber, and song repertoire who has appeared at major opera companies including the Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera, as well as Los Angeles Philharmonic, Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, and Seattle Symphony.

     Abhann Productions has announced that the 25th anniversary production of Riverdance will continue its critically acclaimed tour in over 50 cities across North America in 2023 with a limited engagement at San Jose’s Center for the Performing Arts (255 S. Almaden Blvd.) from Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14, 2023. The San Jose engagement of Riverdance is presented by Broadway San Jose, a Nederlander presentation.

     The performance schedule for Riverdance 25th Anniversary Show is as follows: Friday, May 12 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 13 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 14 at 1 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

     Riverdance completed a successful 40-city North American Tour which marked the dance phenomenon’s long-awaited return to stages after the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. The 2022 tour included a sold-out, two-week inaugural run at Washington DC’s historic Kennedy Center, a special performance for President Joe Biden and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and national television appearances on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, Good Morning America, GMA3 and Watch What Happens Live. The 2023 Tour recently kicked off with a special performance on America’s Got Talent, seen by over 7 million people across the country.

Welcome back San Francisco Playhouse (450 Post Street)! The opening night performance of “Clue” played to an excited packed house! This production, currently playing through April 22, 2023, brings the beloved board game “Clue” to the stage in a hilarious farce-meets-murder mystery. Murder and blackmail are on the menu as six mysterious guests arrive at Boddy Manor for an unusual dinner party. When their host turns up dead, they all become suspects and race to find the killer as the body count rises. Based on the cult-hit 1985 film, which was inspired by the classic Hasbro board game, “Clue” has been deemed “a welcome throwback to an era of physical comedy” by The New York Times. This uproarious comedy whodunit is certain to leave both cult-fans and newcomers in stitches as they try to solve the mystery.

San Francisco Playhouse Co-Founder and Producing Director Susi Damilano helms a starry cast of theatre talents who personify the game’s iconic characters. Bay Area theatre veteran Stacy Ross returns to San Francisco Playhouse as Mrs. Peacock, the batty wife of a Senator while another Bay Area theatre veteran, Michael Gene Sullivan, takes on the role of Professor Plum, an academic Casanova.