Joanne Engelhardt

1 month ago | stageandcinema.com | Joanne Engelhardt

WILD ROMP IN SENIOR LIVINGTheatreWorks Silicon Valley has launched an uproarious spoof of senior living with Happy Pleasant Valley: A Senior Sex Scandal Murder Mystery Musical. It’s an all-encompassing effort by Min Kahng. She knows her stuff: she’s definitely of an age to qualify for Medicare, but Kahng wrote book, music and lyrics, and produced this absolutely hilarious, ribald and definitely over-the-top musical about shenanigans in a retirement community.

1 month ago | stageandcinema.com | Joanne Engelhardt

A MUSICAL THAT CURVES IN CONCENTRIC CIRCLESFly by Night, an affecting chamber musical which premiered in 2014 at Playwrights Horizon, has been described as a “darkly comic rock-fable,” and that’s about as accurate as any attempt to define this quirky show. With a book, music, and lyrics by Kim Rosenstock, Will Connolly, and Michael Mitnick, the musical blends folk, rock, and theatrical storytelling into a sweeping tale of fate, love, and loss.

1 month ago | stageandcinema.com | Joanne Engelhardt

WHO ARE YOU ASKING TO THE PROM? It may not be high school or college prom season just yet, but in the San Francisco Bay Area, at least three theatre companies have decided it’s time to dust off their corsages and take The Prom for a spin. And given the recent American political events that are changing life in the United States very quickly, the 2016 musical comedy—music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, book by Bob Martin—feels timelier than ever.

2 months ago | stageandcinema.com | Joanne Engelhardt

NOSTALGIA NEVER GETS OLDWhen The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams premiered on Broadway in 1945, it became his first major success. Nearly 80 years later, the play remains relevant, touching on themes of family conflict, personal failure, and the power of memory.

2 months ago | stageandcinema.com | Joanne Engelhardt

THE MINUTE THAT CHANGED POLITICAL CAMPAIGNING FOREVEROn September 7, 1964, a 60-second TV ad transformed American politics. Known as “Daisy Girl,” it featured a young girl counting daisy petals, followed by a countdown and a nuclear explosion. The ad became iconic for its emotional, innovative approach to negative political advertising. It’s even better known for pioneering visceral, fear-based political messaging.