James Lapine Celebrates His Longtime Friend’s Genius by Robert M. Gardner At Contra Costa Civic Theatre, “Sondheim on Sondheim” emerges as a testament to the genius of composer Stephen Sondheim. James Lapine, his collaborator and friend, conceived and documented this unique Broadway combination of video interviews and Sondheim songs. Director Marilyn Langbehn does a…
Katori Hall Hits High Notes of Tina’s Titanic Tale by Barry David Horwitz You don’t have to be a Tina Turner fan to enjoy “Tina—The Tina Turner Musical” at BroadwaySF. If you are breathing, the show will shock you with the abuse visited on a little girl who needs to dance and sing. Zurin…
Michael Bennett Exposes Broadway Dancers’ Anguish & Joy by Patricia L. Morin “A Chorus Line” engulfs the audience in radiant Broadway colors, exquisite dance steps, and magnificent songs—a legend in musical theater. Marvin Hamlisch’s music and Edward Klieban’s lyrics live on in “One” and “What I Did for Love.” We still sing these songs…
Ari’el Stachel’s Cultural Confusion Exposes Actor’s Fears by Patricia L. Morin In “Out of Character,” Ari’el Stachel, 2018 Tony Award winner, pulls out all the stops. He unfolds his life as an actor in a dynamic, 90-minute memoir using creative stories, song, and dance. The 9/11 catastrophic event precipitated a major shift in Stachel’s…