All stories by Marcus Crowder on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Sacramento Children’s Theater finds a new partner in Fairytale Town by Marcus Crowder

Muriel Johnson, Sandy Smoley and the late Jean Runyon are influential Sacramento women who have an unlikely and little-known connection. Each participated as a volunteer actress in the Sacr…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Friday, January 31, 2014

Sacramento Live: ‘Angels in America’ concludes by Marcus Crowder

The Bee's Marcus Crowder suggests performances worth seeing. David Blue Garrison, front, and Corey D. Winfield star in the second part of Tony Kushner’s landmark “Angels …

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Theater review: Love, words at heart of Cap Stage’s ‘Real Thing’ by Marcus Crowder

With a writer as the central subject, and absolute standards in art and love as a central theme, Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Thing” may be the celebrated playwright’s most i…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:12AM
Monday, January 27, 2014

Theater review: Love, words at heart of Cap Stage’s ‘Real Thing’ by Marcus Crowder

With a writer as the central subject, and absolute standards in art and love as a central theme, Tom Stoppard’s “The Real Thing” may be the celebrated playwright’…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 07:00PM
Thursday, January 23, 2014

Sacramento Live: Major Barbara by Marcus Crowder

Shaw production explores power and influence. Myra Melford George Bernard Shaw’s “Major Barbara,” being staged at San Francisco’s American Conservato…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 07:00PM
Friday, January 17, 2014

Sacramento Live: Celebrating José Montoya by Marcus Crowder

The tribute to the Chicano poet, artist and activist will include UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta. Lisa Lacy in “Livin’ Out Loud,” at the DDSO Parkway Theatre. …

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Theater review: Close but not quite for ‘Closer Than Ever’ by Marcus Crowder

STC’s ‘Closer Than Ever’ has its charms but also it’s misses. STC’s production of “Closer Than Ever” features, from left, Kristen Heit…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 04:00PM
Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Theater Review: Good cast gives ‘Elemeno Pea’ a boost by Marcus Crowder

A hectoring comedy examines the differences between the haves and have-nots.

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Sunday, January 12, 2014

Sacramento’s Music Circus crowd sources its 2014 summer season by Marcus Crowder

California Musical Theatre is still listening to its Music Circus audience. Similar to the last two seasons, the new schedule of productions is heavily influenced by patron choices. Th…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Friday, January 10, 2014

Sacramento Live: Openings and closings by Marcus Crowder

Molly Smith Metzler’s ‘Elemeno Pea’ is a cautionary tale for any time or place. “Elemeno Pea” at B Street Theatre features, from left, Stephanie Alth…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Sunday, January 5, 2014

Theater: In winter, Sacramento and Bay area stages get down to business by Marcus Crowder

With the holidays behind us, the winter theater season pushes on. Jillian Mueller is Alex Owens and Matthew Hydz is Nick Hurley in the national touring production of “Flashdance…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Friday, December 27, 2013

Theater: The year in review in Sacramento by Marcus Crowder

Several shows deserve recognition for 2013. Stephanie Gularte played the title role in Capital Stage’s production of “Hedda Gabler.” “Ordinary Days&…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Sunday, December 22, 2013

Buddy Holly musical rocks into Sacramento by Marcus Crowder

A national touring production brings “Buddy — The Buddy Holly Musical,” to Sacramento’s Community Center Theater. Todd Meredith takes flight in “Budd…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Theater Review: David Sedaris skewers Christmas excess in Cap Stage’s ‘SantaLand’ by Marcus Crowder

David Sedaris’ acerbic observations in “The SantaLand Diaries” may not be everyone’s idea of Christmas spirit, but that’s actually the point. “Keep …

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 05:00PM
Thursday, December 5, 2013

Sacramento Live: Composer-pianist John Bucchino in town for two shows by Marcus Crowder

Composer and pianist John Bucchino may want to make Sacramento his second home after this weekend. Aaron Wilton does a solo turn as Crumpet the discontented Macy’s elf in humori…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 07:00PM
Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Review: ‘It’s a Wonderful Life — The Musical’ short on earned emotion by Marcus Crowder

When we first meet George Bailey in the painfully sentimental “It’s a Wonderful Life – The Musical” he’s a bit chagrined and a little bemused. Sacrame…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Thursday, November 28, 2013

Sacramento theater companies mix traditions with surprises this holiday season by Marcus Crowder

There are the theatrical gifts we’ve come to expect this time of year – productions of “A Christmas Carol,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas” and “…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 01:00PM
Sunday, November 24, 2013

B Street Theatre eyes its future while borrowing from its past by Marcus Crowder

“Not In the Stars” continues the B Street tradition of a new holiday play written each year by Busfield. Buck Busfield’s “Not In the Stars” features,…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Theater review: Smart, funny ‘Beauty and Beast’ at B Street by Marcus Crowder

The B Street Family Series creates a lean, funny, heartfelt fable that both children and adults can enjoy. Emily Killian and Michael Stevenson play the title characters in the B Street…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00PM
Friday, November 15, 2013

Capital Stage picks a familiar face for artistic director by Marcus Crowder

In March, Capital Stage announced that its co-founding artistic director, Stephanie Gularte, would be stepping down at the end of the 2013-14 season and the company would begin a national se…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Thursday, November 14, 2013

Sacramento Live: Bilingual play ‘Soldaderas’ takes over California Stage by Marcus Crowder

Richard Falcon’s Teatro Nagual brings another drama by playwright Rubén Amavizca-Murúa (“Frida Kahlo” and “Women of Juarez”) to Sacramento with t…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 09:00PM

Stage and screen merge in Sac State’s ‘Che Guevara and the Dispossessed’ by Marcus Crowder

Dr. Roberto Pomo’s new play, “Che Guevara and the Dispossessed,” has been a long time in the making. In some ways, the production, which had its world premiere this week…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 01:00PM
Monday, November 11, 2013

Crazy Horse, Custer and no drama by Marcus Crowder

World premiere production is a long, dull slog regardless of playwright’s intentions.

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 05:07PM
Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Review: ‘Priscilla’ is long on costume, short on emotion by Marcus Crowder

There is a moment in “Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical” when all would not necessarily be forgiven as much as it would be forgotten. Wade McCollum, Scott Willis …

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 04:05PM
Monday, November 4, 2013

Tony-winning ‘Peter and the Starcatcher’ features Jesuit High alumnus by Marcus Crowder

John Sanders worked hard at being an actor long before he ever got paid to walk onstage. John Sanders, at center in the touring Broadway production of “Peter and the Starcatcher…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 04:40PM
Monday, October 28, 2013

Theater review: Capital Stage’s post-apocalyptic ‘Macbeth’ ambitious but uneven by Marcus Crowder

Look deep into the haunted pools of Scott Coopwood’s painted eyes as he plays the glorious warrior Macbeth and you find a man who has embraced his darkest essence. He has relentlessly…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 06:42PM
Monday, October 14, 2013

Theater review: New Helvetia’s ‘Tell Me on a Sunday’ a pleasing if familiar story by Marcus Crowder

Emma chooses men badly. Or poorly. Or unwisely. Put another way, she’s a good woman whom bad men happen to. They’re not even bad men, really, just fatally flawed when it comes …

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 04:38PM
Monday, October 7, 2013

Theater review: Lean, handsome ‘Pride and Prejudice at Sacramento Theatre Company by Marcus Crowder

Despite her early 19th century origins, Jane Austen’s Elizabeth Bennet has always seemed a most modern heroine. The popular and accessible character becomes even more so in Brittni Ba…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 05:18PM
Friday, October 4, 2013

Sacramento Live: Cheeky look at Chekhov in Berkeley by Marcus Crowder

Christopher Durang’s “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike” both mocks and celebrates the great Anton Chekhov plays it pulls its characters from. Sharon Lockwood, l…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 02:46PM
Thursday, October 3, 2013

Theater: Art venues for KOLT’s ‘My Own Stranger’ by Marcus Crowder

Production adapts works of Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Anne Sexton. The cast of “My Own Stranger” includes Lisa Thew, left, and Kellie Yvonne Raines, rehearsing at the Oo…

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM
Thursday, September 26, 2013

Sacramento Live: Theaters get serious for fall by Marcus Crowder

This weekend Big Idea Theatre opens playwright Lee Blessing’s moody cautionary tale of power, morality, crimes and punishments, “Lonesome Hollow.” Lee Marie Kelly …

SOURCE: The Sacramento Bee at 03:00AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards