Review: “Two Gentlemen of Verona” in Healdsburg

by Harry Duke For years, Healdsburg’s Raven Players has been presenting a summer Shakespeare production “under the stars” at the perfectly serviceable but rather bland West Plaza Park. They’ve upgraded a bit this year by relocating to Bacchus Landing for their production of Two Gentlemen of Verona. The Wine & Event Center is hosting the…

Review: “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” in Sonoma

Fans of the movie Dirty Rotten Scoundrels will be pleased to hear that the Broadway musical adaptation sticks pretty close to the Steve Martin/Michael Caine comedy. Sonoma Arts Live has a production directed by Carl Jordan running on the Rotary Stage at the Sonoma Community Center through July 27. Suave and debonair con man Lawrence…

Review: “Werewolf Serenade”

Werewolves prowl the North Bay courtesy of actor/director/screenwriter Daedalus Howell and his low-budget horror comedy Werewolf Serenade. Howell plays Professor Peter MacTire of Northern California’s Freestone School of the Arts (est. 1986) where he teaches really niche film genre night school classes to a handful of students. One evening, his class is interrupted by fellow…

Review: “The Real Housewives of Napa Valley” in Napa

Having never subjected myself to watching an episode of any of the hundred-or-so different entries in the “Real Housewives” franchise, I can’t speak as to the source material from which Barry Martin and Rob Broadhurst have derived their musical parody of the genre. I know enough based on the occasional clips that flow through my…

Review: “The Pirates of Penzance” in Santa Rosa

Every well-rounded theatre-goer should see at least one Gilbert and Sullivan production in their lifetime and Santa Rosa’s 6th Street Playhouse is presenting a delightful opportunity to do so right now. Their robust production of The Pirates of Penzance runs through June 21.   Perhaps W.S. Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan’s most-produced piece, the comic opera debuted…

Review: “The Burdens” in Healdsburg

Who hasn’t been tripped up by the slip of a finger while texting with family or been infuriated with ducking autocorrect? Who hasn’t had their message misunderstood because tone and attitude can’t be conveyed via modern communication methods? Who hasn’t mistakenly wished for the death of their grandfather in a text chain with a sibling…