{"id":237425,"date":"2015-01-02T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-01-02T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/where-were-you-when-the-lights-went-up\/"},"modified":"2015-01-02T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2015-01-02T08:00:00","slug":"where-were-you-when-the-lights-went-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/where-were-you-when-the-lights-went-up\/","title":{"rendered":"Where were you when the lights went up?"},"content":{"rendered":"

A wrap of 2014\u2019s stage performances<\/strong><\/p>\n

Por Charlene Baldridge<\/p>\n

You were sitting in a seat facing the stage, I hope, taking advantage of a San Diego production or even a Broadway tour.<\/p>\n

Like any year, 2014 had its hits and its misses. Across the broad spectrum of entertainments, your intrepid critic and arts fan attended more than 150 events, including musicals, operas, symphonic or chamber music concerts, and straight theater; okay, some of it not so straight.<\/p>\n

\"Bright_Star26_printweb\"<\/a>
The Old Globe’s “Bright Star” (Photo by Joan Marcus)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Venues ranged from the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, to Orange County\u2019s Segerstrom Arts Center, to San Diego County theaters large and small, near and far. Lots of people want my job, but please be assured it\u2019s a pain in the ass sometimes, especially when something you simply must see plays in a folding-chairs venue.<\/p>\n

This was a big year for musicals, some highly touted yet bland, others surprisingly rich. It was also a big year for off-pitch singing. Broadway\/San Diego\u2019s \u201cOnce\u201d was an intriguing and intimate musical mostly lost in the cavernous Civic Theatre.<\/p>\n

Some of the biggest, and not necessarily the best, were as follows: La Jolla Playhouse\u2019s \u201cHunchback of Notre Dame,\u201d buoyed up and somewhat redeemed by the fine singing of the San Diego choral group, SACRA\/PROFANA; The Old Globe\u2019s \u201cBright Star<\/a>,\u201d in which an overwrought book was nearly saved by a rolling bluegrass band and one exceptionally talented heroine.<\/p>\n

\"CT_SA14_TotallyF-_1<\/a>
Cygnet’s “Spring Awakening” (Photo by Daren Scott)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The outstanding musical production of the year was Lamb\u2019s Players Theatre\u2019s much-extended \u201cLes Mis\u00e9rables,\u201d which featured a magnificent company headed by Brandon Joel Maier as Jean Valjean. The other best was ion theatre company\u2019s \u201cPassion,\u201d featuring an indelible performance by Sandy Campbell as Fosca. Cygnet Theatre also produced excellent productions of \u201cPageant\u201d and \u201cDespertar la primavera<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"REP_Pianist_of_Willesden_Lane_Photo<\/a>
San Diego Repertory Theater’s “Pianist of Willesden Lane” (Photo by Carol Rosegg)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

These were my favorite plays: Ayad Akhtar\u2019s \u201cThe Who & the What\u201d at La Jolla Playhouse; \u201dTime and the Conways\u201d at The Old Globe; \u201cAll My Sons\u201d at Intrepid Shakespeare; \u201cMandate Memories\u201d at North Coast Repertory Theatre; \u201cVanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike\u201d at The Old Globe; Herbert Siguenza\u2019s \u201cEl Henry\u201d co-produced by La Jolla Playhouse and San Diego Rep at the outdoor Maker\u2019s Quarter; \u201cThe Pianist of Willesden Lane\u201d at San Diego Rep; \u201cThe Clean House\u201d at New Village Arts; \u201cHonkey\u201d at San Diego Rep; \u201cEnron\u201d at Moxie; and \u201cPericles, Prince of Tyre\u201d acted by The Old Globe\/USD MFA students.<\/p>\n

\"Conways10_printweb\"<\/a>
The Old Globe’s “Time and Conways”
(Foto por Jim Cox)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Notable: San Diego Musical Theatre\u2019s production of \u201cNext to Normal.\u201d Richard Baird is back with New Fortune Players, which produced a fine \u201cHenry V\u201d at ion theatre, starring himself and a mostly grand company. Sledgehammer also reappeared with a production of \u201cHappy Days\u201d at 10th Avenue Arts Center. Speaking of 10th Avenue, it was one of numerous venues for the second annual San Diego International Fringe Festival, bigger and better this year.<\/p>\n

Mercifully and by some kind of miracle, San Diego Opera survived its near closure, and the two recitals performed as fundraisers for the 50th anniversary season \u2014 which opens at the end of January with \u201cLa Boh\u00e8me\u201d \u2014 were exceptional, sung by soprano Ailyn P\u00e9rez and tenor Stephen Costello and by mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, were SRO. All three singers have endeared themselves to San Diego Opera audiences through appearances in previous seasons.<\/p>\n

Epic turkeys were \u201cOrphan of Zhao\u201d and \u201cEther Dome\u201d both at La Jolla Playhouse.<\/p>\n

See you next year at the theater!<\/p>\n

\u2014Charlene Baldridge has been writing about the arts since 1979. Follow her blog at charlenebaldridge.com. She can be reached at charb81@gmail.com.<\/i><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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