Fall Season Theatre Line-up By Jeanie Smith
So many riches for your enjoyment!
Live theatre is alive and well in Sonoma County, with over 20 venues offering quality entertainment, from blockbuster musicals to intimate plays and everything in between. With so much happening, I can only highlight a few of the gems I’m looking forward to seeing on our prolific stages this Fall. So many, so little space!
At the end of this article you’ll find a brief rundown of some theatres and their productions slated through December. Don’t wait to get tickets — some of these are sure to sell out quickly. And of course the best, least expensive way to see any theatre is to become a subscriber — be sure to check out the options online to take advantage of some sweet deals for theatre lovers.
Speaking of blockbusters, grab a seat for Little Shop of Horrors, the cultish doo-wop show about a man-eating alien plant, playing at Cinnabar Theatre, August 30-September 22.
Slip over to Napa and Lucky Penny Theatre for some fun with 9 to 5 the Musical, running September 6-22.
Don’t miss the classic Gypsy, filled with memorable songs and Broadway performer Kathy Fitzgerald as Mama Rose, on the 6th Street Playhouse stage from September 20-October 20.
For something different, head to Sonoma Arts Live for Merman’s Apprentice, running September 27-October 13 and starring Daniela Innocenti-Beem as Ethel Merman in a sweet kid-makes-it-on-Broadway tale — a brand-new musical that wowed them in NYC.
Don’t ignore the many excellent options for plays — to name just a few, there’s the award-winning new play Eureka Day at Spreckels Theatre Company in Rohnert Park, concerning a mumps outbreak in a Berkeley private school, from August 30-September 22.
Nuts examines who is really crazy, running at Left Edge Theatre September 6-29; and Body Awareness will surprise you at Main Stage West, September 6-22.
Take an unflinching look at the ethics of policing parenting in Luna Gale at Cinnabar Theatre, October 11-27.
For a gasp-out-loud thriller, catch Wait Until Dark at 6th Street Playhouse, October 18-November 10, and enjoy the rowdy dark comedy .Between Riverside and Crazy playing the same dates atLeft Edge.
Raven Players in Healdsburg runs the beloved comedy Chestnut Arsenic & Old Lace, September 13-29, and the powerfully relevant The Laramie Project,October 18-November 3
Holiday Delights
6th Street Playhouse kicks off the holidays with another giant classic,Oliver!,from November 15-December 15 — “More, sir!”— and I can’t wait to see another Conor McPherson play,The Seafarer, at Main Stage West, November 29-December 21.
Take the family to see Miracle on 34th Street at Lucky Penny and then hop over to Sonoma Arts Live forA Christmas Story, the Musical, both running December 6-22.
Cinnabar Theatre mounts a favorite revue featuring the music of Kander and Ebb, The World Goes ‘Round, from December 13-January 5.
You’ll no doubt see me at Luther Burbank Center when Transcendence Theatre Company opens their Broadway Holiday Spectacular on December 6, running only two weekends.
Some companies haven’t announced their seasons yet — check websites for Cloverdale Performing Arts, Sonoma State University and Santa Rosa Junior College — and this is by no means an exhaustive list. Keep an eye on this column each month for more highlights of upcoming shows. But mostly, plan this Fall to give yourself the treat of live theatre — there’s nothing else like the magic that happens on stage…
Companies mentioned, with website and box office phone:
Cinnabar Theatre, Petaluma
Cloverdale Performing Arts, Cloverdale
https://www.cloverdaleperformingarts.com/
Left Edge Theatre, Santa Rosa
https://www.leftedgetheatre.com/
Lucky Penny Productions, Napa
http://www.luckypennynapa.com/
Main Stage West, Sebastopol
Raven Players, Healdsburg
Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa
https://theatrearts.santarosa.edu/
6th Street Playhouse, Santa Rosa
https://www.6thstreetplayhouse.com/home/
(707) 523-4185 Ext 1
Sonoma Arts Live, Sonoma
http://www.sonomaartslive.org/
Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park
http://web.sonoma.edu/theatreanddance/
Spreckels Theatre Company, Rohnert Park
Transcendence Theatre Company, Santa Rosa/Napa/Sonoma
https://transcendencetheatre.org/
(877) 424-1414 Ext 1
Contact:
Jeanie Smith
