All stories by Chuck Louden on BroadwayStars

Thursday, February 13, 2025

Theater Review: DOODLER (Theatre Rhinoceros) by Chuck Louden

A SUSPENSEFUL ONE-MAN MURDER MYSTERY The Gay community in San Francisco was shocked and terrified by a series of murders between 1974-75 committed by a serial killer known as “The Doodler.…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 08:03AM
Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Theater Review: FRANCIS GREY AND THE CASE OF HIS DEAD BOYFRIEND (New Conservatory Theatre Center) by Chuck Louden

Currently playing at The New Conservatory Theater, Francis Grey and the Case of His Dead Boyfriend is a whirlwind one-man mystery that fuses elements of classic whodunits, camp, film noir, a…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 08:00PM
Sunday, February 9, 2025

Theater Review: THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH (Berkeley Rep) by Chuck Louden

THE THING ABOUT GREAT THEATER Directed by Tyne Rafaeli, Berkeley Rep’s world premiere production of The Thing About Jellyfish delivers an emotionally resonant adaptation of Ali Benjamin’…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 11:00PM
Saturday, February 1, 2025

Dance Review: MANON (San Francisco Ballet) by Chuck Louden

San Francisco Ballet opened its season last weekend with Manon—the first in its “British Icons” series—a sumptuous and heartbreaking ballet by Sir Kenneth MacMillan. Based on Abbé P…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 08:46AM
Thursday, January 23, 2025

Theater Review: IMPROVISED LAW & ORDER (Synergy Theater by Chuck Louden

A SPONTANEOUS MOCKERY OF JUSTICE, INDEED Now on for a short run through January 26 at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Theater, Synergy Theater brings an improvised spoof of the iconic TV series Law …

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 12:01PM
Monday, December 23, 2024

Theater Review: KALEIDOSCOPE (Circus Bella, Embarcadero) by Chuck Louden

THIS TRULY IS HOLIDAY JOY Now playing this holiday season through January 5, 2025, down by The Embarcadero: The circus is in town. But not just any circus. Circus Bella, in a colorful Big To…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 03:01AM
Wednesday, December 18, 2024

Theater Review: BROADWAY HOLIDAY (Transcendence Theatre Company in Mill Valley and Sonoma) by Chuck Louden

HOLIDAY CHEESE The Transcendence Theatre Company is based out of Sonoma County and is known for putting on live theater productions usually in the summer, often in actual wineries. They have…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:57AM
Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Theater Review: A WHYNOT CHRISTMAS CAROL (World Premiere at A.C.T. in San Francisco) by Chuck Louden

A.C.T. ASKS US TO PONDER “WHY NOT” – BUT AFTER THIS UPDATED CAROL YOU’LL BE SCREAMING “WHY?!” Last holiday season, American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.) announced that, after ov…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 08:05PM
Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Theater Review: PETER PAN (Panto in the Presidio) by Chuck Louden

WITH ROTIMI AGBABIAKA KILLING IT AS PIRATE CAPTAIN HOOK, IT’S NO WONDER WHY THIS PETER PAN IS SUCH A TREASURE This holiday season, The Presidio Theater presents the fourth incarnation of P…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 09:46PM

Theater Review: CABARET (Theater Rhinoceros in The Castro) by Chuck Louden

A CABARET IN THE HEART OF THE CASTRO Cabaret is a masterpiece of American musical theater that has been presented in a vast variety of musical and physical shapes and sizes since its premier…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:54AM
Sunday, December 8, 2024

Theater Review: THE GOLDEN GIRLS LIVE: THE CHRISTMAS EPISODES (Curran Theatre) by Chuck Louden

This perennial favorite is back for its 19th year. This “drag” version of classic holiday-themed Golden Girls episodes seems to grow in popularity every year. Since its inception in 2005…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:51AM
Friday, November 29, 2024

Theater Review: JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING (Berkeley Repertory Theatre) by Chuck Louden

WEAVING TOGETHER THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE With our post election blues, and immigration becoming a hot button issue again, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding sends a message of love, hope and fa…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 05:27PM
Friday, November 15, 2024

Theater Review: SUESSICAL (Berkeley Playhouse) by Chuck Louden

“HOW LUCKY YOU ARE” TO SEE SEUSSICAL No one does youth and family theater better in the Bay Area than The Berkeley Playhouse. Everything they offer features classic and family friendly s…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:45AM
Thursday, November 14, 2024

Theater Review THE NANNY LIVE! (Oasis Nightclub in SF) by Chuck Louden

Club Oasis, San Francisco’s premiere drag and cabaret theater showcases the best of Bay Area’s queer community’s talent, from fresh performers to campy remakes of pop culture and TV sh…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:39AM
Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Theater Review: THE GULF – AN ELEGY (New Conservatory Theatre Center in San Francisco) by Chuck Louden

EXPLORING THE GULF IN A RELATIONSHIP New Conservatory Theater is premiering in it’s West Coast debut, Audrey Cefaly’s 2017 play The Gulf – An Elegy. This intense one-act two-hander tra…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:23AM
Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Theater Review: TAKES ALL KINDS (Dan Hoyle at The Marsh SF) by Chuck Louden

IT TAKES DAN HOYLE TO CREATE GREAT JOURNALISTIC THEATER San Franciscans pride themselves on their open mindedness towards all walks of life and outlooks. But do we really listen objectively …

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:38PM
Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Theater Review: RIDE THE CYCLONE (NCTC in San Francisco) by Chuck Louden

THIS MUSICAL IS A GOLDRUSHER Post Pandemic, New Conservatory Theatre Center is continuing to branch out in its selection of theater offerings. Primarily known for stories about gay men, comi…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 01:42AM
Tuesday, October 8, 2024

Theater Review: CHOIR BOY (Shotgun Players in Berkeley) by Chuck Louden

CHOIR BOYS TO MEN Shotgun Players in Berkeley is presenting the Bay Area premiere of the Tony-nominated play, Choir Boy. It’s a fine fit. This one-year chronicle of a distinguished African…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 09:44PM
Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Theater Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG (SF Playhouse) by Chuck Louden

FUNNY HOW IT GOES WRONG, BUT IT KEEPS GETTING WRONGER AND WRONGER AND… San Francisco Playhouse launches into its 2025-25 season with the fast-paced comedy: The Play That Goes Wrong.   Th…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 09:56PM
Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Theater Review: PRIVATE LIVES (A.C.T. in San Francisco) by Chuck Louden

JAGGED WITH SOPHISTICATION A.C.T. is bringing back on stage to the Bay Area a tried and true favorite: Noël Coward’s Private Lives. An ultimate comedy of manners, this three-act play cent…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 03:09PM

Theater Review: MEXODUS (Berkeley Repertory Theatre) by Chuck Louden

STUNNING STORYTELLING Many times when I go to see a show, whether as a critic or just a patron, I’ll come in not knowing in advance what I’m going to see. With a reputable theater compan…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:52AM
Saturday, September 21, 2024

Theater Review: ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (Center Rep) by Chuck Louden

Arsenic and Old Lace, the classic black comedy about two sweet old sisters poisoning old men lodgers has been told on stage and screen for decades. This includes the original play written by…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:59AM
Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Theater Review: LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL (Ray of Light Theatre at San Francisco’s Victoria Theater) by Chuck Louden

LET THIS SILLY BLONDE MUSICAL ENTERTAIN YOU Post-pandemic, as the world is seemingly opening up, local theater and the arts have not rebounded. Many venues are suffering or have gone out of …

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 12:45AM
Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Theater Review: COLLECTIVE RAGE: A PLAY IN 5 BETTIES (Shotgun Players in Berkeley) by Chuck Louden

WHAT’S ALL THE HOO-HA? Last Saturday, Berkeley’s Shotgun Players opened a play by Jen Silverman which is so provocative that some publications won’t publish its full title: Collective …

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:50AM
Friday, July 5, 2024

Theater | Music Interview: DEBBY BOONE (Appearing in “Broadway & Beyond” for REAF at the Marines Memorial Theater) by Chuck Louden

DEBBY BOONE DOES INDEED LIGHT UP MY LIFE On Sunday July 14, the Richmond/Ermet Aid Foundation (REAF) is celebrating 30 years of producing Cabaret Concerts to fundraise for HIV and AIDS with …

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 12:48AM
Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Theater Review: HEAD OVER HEELS (Berkeley Playhouse) by Chuck Louden

MY HEAD SAID “STAY” BUT MY HEELS SAID “RUN” Since 2007 the Berkeley Playhouse is one of the few theaters in the Bay Area that offers classes and camps for youths. Consequently their …

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:00AM
Saturday, June 1, 2024

Theater Review: CABARET (Center Repertory Company at the Lesher Theater in Walnut Creek) by Chuck Louden

COME TO THIS CABARET Cabaret is a masterpiece of American musical theater that has been presented in a vast variety of musical and physical shapes and sizes since its premiere on Broadway in…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:53PM
Wednesday, May 22, 2024

Theater Review: TORCH SONG (Marin Theatre in Mill Valley) by Chuck Louden

A SONG WHICH HAS BECOME A STANDARD Harvey Fierstein wrote his semi-autobiographical Torch Song Trilogy in the late 1970s. In it, Arnold Beckoff, a gay, Jewish man and professional drag quee…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:50AM
Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Theater Review: THE TUTOR (NCTC in San Francisco) by Chuck Louden

New Conservatory Theatre Center is offering The Tutor, a gripping and thought-provoking three-person drama that tells a timely story of love, lies, survival, and culture. With insightful min…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 11:01AM
Friday, April 12, 2024

Theater Review: THE PRIDE OF LIONS (Theater Rhinoceros) by Chuck Louden

A MAJESTY OF DRAG QUEENS BECOMES A PRIDE OF LIONS Founded in 1977 The Castro District’s Theatre Rhinoceros is the longest-running queer theater in the nation. This month is the world premi…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:57AM
Wednesday, April 3, 2024

Theater Review: SIGN MY NAME TO FREEDOM (San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company at Z Space) by Chuck Louden

FREEDOM WRITER San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company (SFBATCO) is presenting a terrific production that tells the amazing true story of Bay Area icon Betty Reid Soskin, known to residents i…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 09:36AM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Nov 17, 2024: Elf - Marquis Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre