BEST OF BAY AREA LIVE THEATRE 2017 MUSICALS AND PLAYS
THEATRE WORKS SCORES WITH 'FOUR IMMIGRANTS' AND SHOTGUNS 'BLASTED' ARE MY FAVORITE SHOWS FOR 2017 EXCELLENT SEASON IN OUR FIRST DARK TRUMP YEAR
Composing my “Top Lists of the Year” is not easy since so many outstanding productions are part of the greater Bay Area Theatre in a region with so many wonderful companies - with 300 stages plus in the Bay Area. And of course I can not get to all of them. Here is my list of Plays,Musicals and Actors - 25 in all for Best of 2017
TOP TEN PLAYS FOR 2017
NUMBER ONE - BLASTED Shotgun Players Berkeley
BLASTED IS AN HONEST AND BRAVE STORY OF THE HUMAN HEART.
By Sarah Kane, Directed by Jon Tracy
Production team; Nina Ball, Heather Basarab, Miyuki Biertein, Devon Labelle, Christian Larson, Ekena wright and Dave Maier. With Adrienne Walters, Robert Parsons, and Joe Estlack.
NUMBER TWO - THE LIAR - CenterRep Walnut Creek Ca
LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE - ‘THE LIAR’ TURNS DECEPTION INTO ART.
The Center Repertory Company Presents
‘THE LIAR’
By David Ives, Directed by Michael Butler
Choreographed by Cassie Nordgren. Featuring; Monique Hafen*, Jeremy Kahn*, Lyndsy Kail*, Craig Marker*, Joseph Patrick O’Malley*, Sharon Rietkerk*, Teddy Spencer*, and Howard Swain*
NUMBER THREE - HAND TO GOD - Berkeley Rep
Avenue Q” meets “The Book of Mormon” and “Hamlet”
with a puppet
HAND TO GOD
A NEW AMERICAN PLAY
by Robert Askins
Directed by David Ivers
Featuring Michael Doherty
NUMBER FOUR HELA TheatreFirst Berkeley Ca
HELA’ EXPLORES MODERN MEDICINE AND HUMAN DRAMA WITH HERO HENRIETTA LACKS AT ITS HEART
Theatre FIRST Presents
HeLa
Written by Lauren Gunderson and Geetha Reddy.
Dramaturgy by Lisa Marie Rollins.
Directed by Evren Odcikin.
Featuring JEUNÉE SIMON, DESIREE ROGERS
NUMBER FIVE - DOG SEES GOD - Left Coast Theatre Company
TEENAGE ANGST AND BONGS BRING THE PEANUTS KIDS TO THE MILLENNIUM
DOG SEES GOD Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
By Bert V. Royal, Directed by Chris Maltby
Featuring: Isabel Siragusa, Ellen Dunphy, Mikey Connor, Geoffrey Malveaux, Ryan Whitlock, Ryan Engstrom, Valerie Garrahan, Madison Worthington
NUMBER SIX - THE ENCOUNTER Curran Theatre
AN INCREDIBLE ENCOUNTER, MORE CLASSIC THAN AN ORSON WELLES’ RADIO BROADCAST.
The Curran Theatre and Complicite theater company present
‘THE ENCOUNTER’
Directed and performed by Simon McBurney
NUMBER SEVEN - WATCH THE RHINE Berkeley Rep, Berk Ca
Lillian Hellman’s 1941 Nazi Thriller; Watch on the Rhine is rarely produced
Watch on the Rhine
By Lillian Hellman
Directed by Lisa Peterson
Co-production with the Guthrie Theater
NUMBER EIGHT - HAMLET- Shotgun Players
Berkeley’s sharp theater company is plays “Hamlet” roulette.
Hamlet: By William Shakespeare. Directed by Mark Jackson.
With El Beh, Kevin Clarke*, Nick Medina, Cathleen Riddley*, Megan Trout, David Sinaiko, Beth Wilmurt And Caleb Cabrera
NUMBER NINE - BRO’S Faultline Theatre
THE BOYS FROM #BROS ARE MILLENNIAL BRATS
Faultline Theatre Presents
Written by Jake Jeppson
Directed by Rose Oser
With; Megan Wicks, Brennan Pickman-Thoon, Derek Jones, Jonathan Villaluz,
Heren Patel, Ryan Hayes, and Kevin Glass.
NUMBER TEN ECLIPSED Curran Theatre Sf Ca
‘ECLIPSED’ IS A POWERFUL NEW PLAY THAT BRINGS SELF DIGNITY TO WOMEN WHO FIGHT IN WARS OF BOTH POLITICS AND AND THEIR OWN SURVIVAL
The Public Theatre and Curran Present
‘ECLIPSED’
By Danai Gurira
Directed by Liesl Tommy, Music by Broken Chord
Joniece Abbott-Prat, Akosua Busia, Ayesha Jordan , Adeola Role and
Stacey Sargeant
MY PICK FOR TOP TEN MUSICALS FOR 2017
NUMBER ONE - FOUR IMMIGRANTS Theatre Works
PLAYWRIGHT MIN KAHNG HAS A NEW AMERICAN MUSICAL BLOCKBUSTER THEATREWORKS HAS SCORED ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT NEW WORKS OF THE CENTURY
THEATREWORKS SILICON VALLEY PRESENTS
The World Premiere
The Four Immigrants: An American Musical Manga
Book, Music, & Lyrics by Min Kahng
Based on Manga Yonin Shosei by Henry Yoshitaka Kiyama,
Directed by Leslie Martinson
With James Seol, Hansel Tan, Sean Fenton, Phil Wong, Rinabeth Apostol, Kerry Keiko Carnahan, Catherine Gloria, and Lindsay Hirata.
NUMBER TWO - FUN HOME Curran Theatre -
CARTOONIST ALISON BECHDEL’S GRAPHIC NOVEL IS A BOLD MUSICAL.
The Curran and
Carole Shorenstein Hays Presents
The Public Theater production of
FUN HOME
Music by Jeanine Tesori Book by Lisa Kron
Based on the graphic novel by Alison Bechdel
NUMBER THREE - END OF THE RAINBOW OMG Theatre
JANELLE LUTZ COMMANDS THE STAGE AND GIVES A TOUR DE FORCE PERFORMANCE AS JUDY GARLAND. I WAS INFORMED THAT THIS IS A PLAY WITH MUSIC AND NOT OFFICIALLY A MUSICAL, BUT I WILL KEEP IT THIS SPOT.
OMG, I Love That Show!” Productions Presents
End of the Rainbow
Judy's back!
Written by Peter Quilter, Directed by Jenn BeVard
Music Director Brian Allan Hobbs
Featuring
JANELLE LUTZ (I also named Lutz's best actor)
NUMBER FOUR- 42nd STREET - Bay Area Musicals SF
THE WALL TO WALL DANCING AND THE INFECTIOUS SONGS MADE THIS A MUST SEE HOLIDAY EXPERIENCE
Bay Area Musicals Presents
42ND STREET
Music by Harry Warren
Lyrics by Al Dubin
Book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble
Directed by Daren A.C. Carollo
Choreography by Matthew McCoy, Musical Direction by Jon Gallo
NUMBER FIVE - MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET CenterRep Walnut Creek
A FOOT STOMPING TRIUMPH ROCK’S THE EAST BAY PREMIERE OF ‘MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET IMMORTALIZES ROCK N ROLL HISTORY
CENTER REPERTORY COMPANY PRESENTS
‘MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET’
Book by Colin Escott, Music by Floyd Mutrux
Inspired by Elvis, Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Perkins
Directed by Hunter Foster, Music Director John Michael Presney
With; John Michael Presney* as Carl Perkins, Michael Ray Wisely* as Sam Phillips,
Brittany Danielle* as Dyanne, Trent Rowland* as Elvis Presley, and Sky Seals* as Johnny Cash
NUMBER SIX - AIN’T TO PROUD Berkeley Rep
Ain’t Too Proud, an electrifying new musical about the life and times of The Temptations. This was a must-see experience.
Berkeley Repertory Theatre Presents
AIN’T TOO PROUD THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS’
By Dominique Morisseau, Directed by Des McAnuff
NUMBER SEVEN - HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME HillBarn Theatre
QUASIMODO AND ESMERALDA PROVE THAT ‘SOMEDAY LIFE COULD BE KINDER’ THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME IS LUSH AND GLORIOUS
Hillbarn Theatre Presents
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME
Music by Alan Menken and Lyrics Stephen Schwartz, book by Peter Parnell
Based on the Victor Hugo novel and songs from the Disney animated feature
Directed by Riley Costello, Music director Matt Bourne
Choreographed by Jeanne Batacan-Harper
NUMBER EIGHT - HEATHERS BareStage Berkeley Ca
HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL DONE THE CORRECT WAY - I WANT TO BE A “HEATHER”
BARESTAGE PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS
Heathers: The Musical
Book and Music by Laurence O’Keefe and Kevin Murphy
Directed by Elizabeth Maths
Choreographer Joe Aryes, Music Director Jennifer Huang
Produced by Claire Pearson, Production Manager Kacey Mayeda
NUMBER NINE - JANIS JOPLIN ACT SF
A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN IS A CELEBRATION OF THE LEGEND’S MUSIC
AND PASSION FOR THE BLUES
The American Conservatory Theatre Presents
‘A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN’
Created, Written and Directed by Randy Johnson, Music Director Todd Olson
Featuring Kacee Clanton as Joplin
NUMBER TEN - ALTER BOYZ CenterRep Walnut Creek Ca
BOY BANDS ARE SPOOFED IN THIS TUNEFUL, HILARIOUS RELIGIOUS ROMP, KEITH PINTO’S DANCE AND DIRECTION IS SIZZLING
Center REPertory Company Presents
ALTAR BOYZ
By Kevin Del Aguila, Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker,
Directed and Choreographed by Keith Pinto
Music Director Ben Prince
With Josh Ditto, William Hoshida, Sean Okuniewicz, Justin Sabino and Tyce
Musicals I want to mention or shout too:
PRISCILLA at Rhino Theatre SF
NEWSIES at Children's Musical Theatre San Jose
CABARET at HillBarn Theatre Foster City Ca
NEXT TO NORMAL - Broadway By The BAY
BEST ACTORS/ PLAY AND MUSICALS
EDWARD HIGHTOWER 42nd Street/ South Pacific
DC SCARPELLI Song of the Nightingale /42nd Street
ALLISON RICH Fool For Love/ Toxic Avenger
JANELLE LUTZ End of Rainbow
NIKITA BURSHTEYN UrinTown/ 42nd Street / LaCage
SEAN OKUNIEWICZNIKITA Newsies/ Hand To God/ Next To Normal
AND ASHLEY COWL Evita
EDWARD HIGHTOWER
DC SCARPELLI
Niki Burshteyn
URINTOWN
BEST DIRECTOR MUSICAL
Daren AC Carollo for 42nd Street
BEST DIRECTOR FOR A PLAY
Jon Tracy for Blasted
Jon Tracy - Blasted
Daren Carollo and his son
Overall standout for 2017 the amazing
Writer Director Min Kahng
I do need to mention HAM.
The blockbuster did open the 2017 Season.
I saw the musical two times, once as a lucky lottery winner in the second row. Yes I loved the event and wonderful cast and production, but I did not review this - I wasn't invited to that honor.
So for this reason it remains off my Top 10 List. When the Kids return in 2019, I will cover the show and hope the Tickets are more reasonable for all of us to see this Musical.
