Fred Chacon, Altarena’s Artistic Director as well as the director of the Drama program at Alameda High School, has been selected as one of five Alameda County Arts Leadership Award winners for 2010! The award recognizes arts leaders for “commitment to enhancing the quality of life in Alameda County, providing leadership in the arts, and serving as a role model to others.” All of us at Altarena are fortunate and proud to have Fred as the artistic leader of the organization, and we congratulate him on the recognition of his great work!

Alice Chalip’s review captures the warm yet bittersweet tone of Altarena’s Steel Magnolias.  Jacqui Herrera’s Truvy is “oustanding…the kind of person most people would enjoy having for a friend.”  Of the cast as an ensemble, “the depth and inner strength of [these] six Louisiana women is lovingly evoked” by the talented cast and by director [...]

Gene Kahane “masterfully directs this delightful, multi-layered comedy… that is more about pets owning people than people owning pets,” says Jeffrey Smith of the Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle. ”For a great evening in the wonderful City of Alameda, get thee to SYLVIA!”

Local critic Higgins agrees, praising Kahane’s “persistent ability to see, understand [...]

7 of the first 9 shows were sold out or nearly sold out, but we’re releasing some 1/2 price tickets to promote our new Thursday shows!

Ken Bullock calls The Nerd “crisp and funny”, and Alice Chalip enjoys its “Lighthearted fun”! Tickets still available for most performances!

Today’s Alameda Sun says of The Spitfire Grill: “By the end of the show you will have fallen in love with every character on stage…there isn’t a weak link” and praises director Fred Chacon’s “invisibly perfect” staging and “most impressive” cast for putting on a show with “the kind of heart that you root and cheer for.”

Bat Boy, The Musical opened at the Altarena last weekend to sold-out crowds and standing ovations. So we had a pretty good idea that there’s a lot of love for for our pointy-eared hero, but it’s always nice to see that the local critics [...]

The reviews are in for our production of Noel Coward’s “Hay Fever,” and everyone seems to agree… it’s a hit!

Alice Chalip, writing for the Alameda Journal, opens this way:

“Politely sexy, magnificently costumed and produced, and downright hilarious are apt descriptions of “Hay Fever,” the [...]

Tom Billings, writing for today’s Alameda Journal, weighs in with his review of the Altarena’s Urinetown, The Musical. One quote sums it up:

“So far, this is the most must-see show of the Alameda theatrical season. Don’t miss it.”

What can we say? We agree with Tom completely.

Read the full review |

The Oakland Tribune published a glowing review of Urinetown in today’s paper. Alice Chalip writes:

“URINETOWN, THE MUSICAL, now at Altarena Playhouse in Alameda, is like nothing you’ve ever seen and like everything you’ve ever seen.

It is a strange, but fascinating, and superbly done show.

This is possibly one of the most successful musicals Frederick L. [...]