Millennial Notes Handel’s Opera Offers an Evening of Musical Delights by Julian Auston West Edge Opera’s production of Julius Caesar serves as a pleasant reminder that small stage opera is far from dead. A small but excellent pit orchestra, conducted by Christine Brandes, delivers a series of gorgeous accompaniments for an assortment of talented…
Karen Zacarías Updates Shakespeare with Colonial California Clashes by Barry David Horwitz and Jordan Freed We’re immediately enraptured by the chemistry between Romeo and Juliet. Revelatory Sarita Ocón as lovestruck Romeo and delightful Gianna Digregorio Rivera as Juliet prove the power of love at first sight. As they are romancing at the Capulet fiesta,…
Michael Socrates Moran Grapples with Ruthless Autocrat by Jennifer Ann Charron I’m always drawn to Oakland Theater Project productions. The entire team typically overflows with talent and intelligence, bringing a cultural sensitivity to everything they do. Each production is spot on with the issues and emotions of the present day. OTP’s production of Shakespeare’s…
Kwei-Armah & Taub Amplify Shakespeare’s Comedy by Patricia L. Morin & Barry David Horwitz In a peaches and cream adaptation of “Twelfth Night,” Shaina Taub’s impressive New Orleans’ Jazz and R&B score spotlights feelings of love and self-realization. Taub’s music makes the heartbeat of the play, speeding story and emotions forward. The music modernizes…