Clik here to view.
Farewell to the Fringe
Farewell to the FringeBy Saturday (August 1) I Brenda reached the end of my mental and physical endurance, but there was still one show I wanted to catch and another (my favorite, Blythe Barton Dance’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Brenda does Man Clan
Compulsion Dance & Theatre DebutsAppropriately, Diversionary Theatre was the site this weekend for the West Coast premiere of Michael Mizerany’s new Compulsion Dance & Theatre (CD&T). It...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Shrek and Pinter
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardAn Ogre, His Ass and Princess FionaThe only thing more enjoyable than the 2009 Broadway musical, Shrek the Musical, at Moonlight Stage Productions in Vista...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Comedy and Song
Charlene Baldridgeby Ken Howard A weekend of contrasts: The Old Globe’s Comedy of Errors and Backyard Renaissance’s Parlour SongWhere Old Globe director Scott Ellis’s mission seems to be to demystify...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Pippin special
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardThe Pippin specialThe “eye-popping” circus Pippin, which played i at New York City’s Music Box Theatre and which copped four 2013 Tony Awards (for Best Revival,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Big Fish special
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardBig Fish in VistaAs the final production of the 2015 season at Moonllght Amphitheatre, Moonlight Stage Productions presents John August and Andrew Lippa’s 2013...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Amazons and a Round of Golf
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardAmazons!Photos by www.simpatika.comDiversionary Theatre opened its 30th anniversary season Saturday night (September 12). The production of Jordan Harrison’s...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Tenor from Texas meets a Princess
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardThe Tenor from Texasheard at Balboa TheatreBy the time 9 o’clock rolled around Saturday night I was saturated with high tones, tenor René Barbera having commenced...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mozart, the Mind and Maria Callas
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardThe Mozart Mindset, parts one and twoandan Extraordinary Master Class It was 5:30 on a hot night (September 25) and I had a challenge getting out of Hillcrest; two...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Full Gallop, Orange Julius, Cell, Healing Wars
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by KenhowardThe Weekend: Intimate to Immense– a Spectrum of WordinessFull Gallop with Mercedes Ruehl at Old GlobeDiana Vreeland (1903-1989) was known as “The Empress of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Phantoms, Fairies and Bread Baskets
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardSomalia Quartet at RepTuesday evening at San Diego Repertory I attended the world premiere of Yale Strom’s new classical work, Somalia Quartet, played by the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
What I did on my time off
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken Howard‘Downtime,'or what I did on my time 'off'What does a theatre/arts critic do during her “downtime”? She attends performances and tends to other things. The week of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Women's work
CharlenealdridgePhoto by Ken HowardBack in the Groove at lastThe weekend was a veritable glut of theatre. It began on Friday when I interviewed composer Jake Heggie about his comic opera, Great Scott,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Aliens and All That Jazz
November 23Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardThe Oldest BoySan Diego Rep Wednesday night (Nov. 18) – the opening of Sarah Ruhl’s The Oldest Boy, which was originally produced at Lincoln Center in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
White Christmas
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardHappy HolidaysSan Diego Musical Theatre's 4th 'White Christmas'San Diego Musical Theatre (SDMT) has its own holiday tradition going now, with presentation of Irving...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Cherry Orchard -- UCSD
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardThe Cherry Orchard at UCSDDefining the word thesis.A thesis is what an individual thinks about a given subject. Hopefully, a thesis posits, or shines light on a...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hershey as Irving
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardHershey Felder as Irving BerlinIn the best so far of his “Composers Sonata” series, which essays the lives of Gershwin, Bernstein, Beethoven and Chopin, Canadian...
View ArticleClik here to view.
If/Then and Va Va Voom
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardHow We’ve GrownIf/Then and The Va Va Voom RoomI should have known that If/Then would be gnarled and dense. It’s the same team that brought us Next to Normal, Tom...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mozart, Avo Part and All that Jazz
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardIn the space of four days, this reader/music listener/arts appreciator has been inspired by the connections made, mostly without words, tying together everything...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Bloggish Again -- Metromaniacs and Ragtime
Charlene BaldridgePhoto by Ken HowardBloggish againThe MetromaniacsThere are many characters and at least five leading characters in David Ives’ The Metromaniacs, a play with a proven track record...
View Article