Posts Tagged ‘New Village Arts’
A Decade of Theatre in San Diego
January 1, 2020, marks the start of a new decade. Looking back, I notice that I have been reviewing theatre in San Diego for more than ten years. It seems appropriate to consult what I’ve written and see, what has changed about San Diego theatre. So, instead of summarizing 2019, I’m returning to 2010 and working my way forward to the present.
Read MoreChorus, Sadistic DDS, and Gender Flips Feed ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ at New Village Arts
Director AJ Knox sticks to the plot, but switches the gender of several characters with success, and the music has a bouncy 60’s vibe. Philip David Black’s evil Orin Scrivello DDS and multiple character changes have the audience screaming. If you have not seen either of the B movies, you’re in for a shock to your funny bone…
Read MoreSerendipity Is the Key to NVA’s Outstanding ‘Smokey Joe’s Cafe’
Songwriting legends Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller almost never saw the light of day together — but the aftermath of a ship disaster eventually made short work of any doubt. Today, we have ‘Smokey Joe’s Cafe: The Music of Leiber and Stoller,’ New Village Arts’ absolutely outstanding account of their careers.
Read MoreFamily Dynamic Comes to Call in TPN’s Earnest ‘Guadalupe in the Guest Room’
Television stakes its own reality, often at the expense of real life. In Teatro Pueblo Nuevo’s good ‘Guadalupe in the Guest Room’, a Mexico native and her former son-in-law learn this indelibly — and two cultures come away a little wiser.
Read MoreMaelstrom That Is NVA’s ‘Avenue Q’ Has the Theatrical Goods from A to Z
Egypt’s pharaohs had nothing on the puppets their dynasties loved, just as the postmodern era has embraced puppetry with vigor and delight. New Village Arts’ very good ‘Avenue Q’ capitalizes on our centuries-old affair with our inner marionettes — with a big dose of the real world to keep things in perspective.
Read MoreThe Title Is Misleading, But NVA’s ‘American Hero’ Is Not
It carried its harmful side effects, but in many quarters, the Great Recession was no match for human enterprise and ingenuity. If something like it ever happens again — and it will — New Village Arts’ good ‘American Hero’ will serve as a marker for those who showed their colors despite themselves.
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