When I see a show late in its run, or the run itself is short, I’ll take some time and provide a short take on the production… It’s a Wonderful Life, A Live Radio Play – Spreckels Theatre Company, Rohnert Park Pluses: source material, performances, live sound effects Minuses: not really how a live radio…
by Cari Lynn Pace * Scrooge! The Musical is Charles Dickens’ timeless story A Christmas Carol shined up by Leslie Bricusse with a book, music, and lyrics. It’s Sonoma Arts Live’s holiday show, now running on the Rotary Stage at the Sonoma Community Center through Dec. 21 The show gives several children and teens their…
My guests on the second of two 12/04/25 “Theatre Thursday” segments on The Drive on 95.5 FM were Michael Arbitter and Drew Bolander from the Spreckels Theatre Company production of All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914. This unique show runs in the Codding Theatre at the Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park…
by Cari Lynn Pace * The holiday spirit charms and shines in 6th Street Playhouse’s A Christmas Story: The Musical. Fans of the classic 1983 Christmas movie will delight in this live stage production with an added musical score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. The musical pieces enhance the nostalgia and heartfelt humor of…
My guest on the first of two 12/04/25 “Theatre Thursday” segments on The Drive on 95.5 was Britta Rae from the Transcendence Theatre Company’s upcoming production of Broadway Holiday 2025. The show will have multiple performances in Santa Rosa at the Sonoma Country Day School on Dec. 13 & 14, and then in Sonoma at…
by Cari Lynn Pace * With a book by James Lapine and music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Into the Woods involves crossing the paths of multiple characters from several Brothers Grimm fairy tales. It’s an ambitious undertaking for any theater. Challenges include strong solo voices, complex lyrics, live orchestral music, clever choreography, creative costumes,…
When I see a show late in its run, or the run itself is short, I’ll take some time and provide a short take on the production… Bootycandy – Left Edge Theatre, Santa Rosa Pluses: script, performances Minuses: a bit disjointed, a bit long Playwright Robert O’Hara claims that every character in Bootycandy crossed his…
by Cari Lynn Pace * Ride the Cyclone: The Musical is a dazzling theatrical event directed by Sarah Wintermeyer. The Santa Rosa Junior College Theatre Arts program impresses with this professional quality show. Enter the lobby and be surrounded with clowns, sequined dancers, tarot readers, costumed dancers, and hanging streamers. Take a cushy seat in…
My guests on the 11/13/25 “Theatre Thursday” segment on The Drive on 95.5 FM were Laura Downing-Lee, Waylon Hessler, and Nora Summers from the 6th Street Playhouse production of A Christmas Story: The Musical. This show runs in 6th Street’s GK Hardt Theatre from November 21 through December 21. Click below to listen: ********** Click…
by Cari Lynn Pace * Sweeney Todd is the malevolent plot likely inspired by the campfire song “Dunderbeck’s Machine” which my Dad sang to us as youngsters. We boisterously sang along as mean old Dunderbeck turned critters into sausages, ultimately getting his just reward. Stephen Sondheim created an amped-up plot of human gruesomeness in this…
North Bay Stage and Screen 