Bay Area Reporter :: Theater News

'Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical' at A.C.T. — Dominique Morisseau engineers an inventive new jukebox

September 5, 2023 | by Jim Gladstone

Playwright Dominique Morisseau returns to the Bay Area for the premiere production of "Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical" for which she wrote the book, after a fortunate coincidence that fueled an invigorating musical treasure hunt.

Engage with the stage: curtains up for fall arts theater

by Jim Gladstone
Aug 29, 2023

From now through the end of the year, Bay Area companies are mounting a remarkable variety of productions, wildly varied in style and content. Here are some of the season's most intriguing offerings.

Fall into autumn dance concerts

by Philip Mayard
Aug 29, 2023

This fall you can experience the vibrant pulse of San Francisco through dance performances that showcase a diverse array of styles and cultures, from site-specific contemporary works to traditional staged performances.

Back to classics: fall music preview

by Philip Campbell
Aug 29, 2023

We're back in business, back to school and it's time to plan your autumn concert-going. Single tickets and subscriptions are on sale now. So, grab a pumpkin spice latte and look at some tempting offerings of the new season.

'Josephine's Feast' at the Magic Theatre

by Jim Gladstone
Aug 15, 2023

A grand buffet of ideas crowds the table in "Josephine's Feast," the world premiere play by Star Finch being presented by the Magic Theatre and Campo Santo through this weekend. Two other plays are also worth seeing.

'Tina' teeters but its star shines: Turner bio-musical plays the Golden Gate

by Jim Gladstone
Aug 8, 2023

The unbridled live energy that will send "Tina" audiences home trilling the producers' hoped for review —"Simply the best, better than all the rest"— is only part of the jukebox biographical musical about the life of music legend Tina Turner.

Jerron Herman: Dancer/choreographer decodes Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man

by Jim Provenzano
Aug 1, 2023

One standout among the dozen artists in the 11th annual State of Play Dance Festival is Jerron Herman, whose extensive solo confronts the artistic 'perfection' of Leonardo da Vinci's famous drawing.

Cowboy contemplation: Luca Torrens plays the SF Fringe Festival

by Jim Gladstone
Aug 1, 2023

A gregarious spirit of pioneering and possibility animates "Howdy, Stranger" creator-performer Luca Torrens' SF Fringe Festival solo show, which they describe as "a transmasculine Western."

'Out of Site: Sylvester, the Mighty Real' — immersive theater experience tells fab tales

by Jim Gladstone
Aug 1, 2023

Local theater company EyeZen Presents will debut "Sylvester: The Mighty Real," a performance-walking tour that celebrates the life and cultural impact of Sylvester James, Jr., the San Francisco-based dance music diva.

Joe Goode Performance Group debuts new work at YBCA

by Jim Gladstone
Jul 25, 2023

"This piece is especially personal for me," said Joe Goode, creator of the new work, 'As It Goes.' "It's about aging and the arc of life. How do I make the transition from being the bad boy to the elder statesman?"

Left Coast Theatre Company debuts 'QueerStory'

by Jim Gladstone
Jul 25, 2023

The latest production from Left Coast Theater Company is "QueerStory: Forgotten Figures from Queer History," which opens on Friday, August 4 at the Phoenix Theater, a nifty—and itself underappreciated— venue.

'A Chorus Line' — SF Playhouse's production is a singular sensation

by Jim Provenzano
Jul 11, 2023

The Pulitzer Prize-winning musical "A Chorus Line" is given a rousing, emotional and strong new life at San Francisco Playhouse.

'Out of Character' at Berkeley Rep: Ari'el Stachel's frankly unfinished yet fascinating story

by Jim Gladstone
Jul 4, 2023

Ari'el Stachel reveals much about himself in "Out of Character," his one-man theatrical memoir, directed by Tony Taccone in its debut production at the Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

Atomic Comic: Sara Toby Moore's 'human cartoon fantasia'

by David-Elijah Nahmod
Jun 27, 2023

Sara Toby Moore is the writer and star of "Atomic Comic: a Human Cartoon Fantasia," which will perform at Z Space from June 30 through July 8. It's a show rife with humor while dealing with some very serious topics.

Vive la différence! — Queer actors of color in "Les Misérables" at the Orpheum

by Jim Gladstone
Jun 27, 2023

Haley Dortch plays Fantine in the latest touring production of "Les Miserables," which opens at the Orpheum Theater on July 5. Christine Heesun Hwang is also in the cast, playing Éponine.

Arts & Culture :: Theater

'Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical' at A.C.T. — Dominique Morisseau engineers an inventive new jukebox

Engage with the stage: curtains up for fall arts theater

Fall into autumn dance concerts

Back to classics: fall music preview

'Josephine's Feast' at the Magic Theatre

'Tina' teeters but its star shines: Turner bio-musical plays the Golden Gate

Jerron Herman: Dancer/choreographer decodes Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man

Cowboy contemplation: Luca Torrens plays the SF Fringe Festival

'Out of Site: Sylvester, the Mighty Real' — immersive theater experience tells fab tales

Joe Goode Performance Group debuts new work at YBCA

Left Coast Theatre Company debuts 'QueerStory'

'A Chorus Line' — SF Playhouse's production is a singular sensation

'Out of Character' at Berkeley Rep: Ari'el Stachel's frankly unfinished yet fascinating story

Atomic Comic: Sara Toby Moore's 'human cartoon fantasia'

Vive la différence! — Queer actors of color in "Les Misérables" at the Orpheum

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'Hippest Trip: The Soul Train Musical' at A.C.T. — Dominique Morisseau engineers an inventive new jukebox

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