By Odin Rasco<\/p>\n
Celebration of \u2014 and reflection on \u2014 history is prevalent at Sacramento stages this month, and I couldn\u2019t be more giddy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This month\u2019s theater offerings come in a variety of flavors \u2014 from the classic presentation of \u201cRomeo and Juliet,\u201d the satirical look at musicals of yesteryear in \u201cThe Drowsy Chaperone\u201d or stories of historical Black figures like in \u201cThurgood.\u201d But they all hold to the common theme of tales rooted in the past. Audiences can see Shakespeare like he hasn\u2019t been staged in hundreds of years, or see stories of Harriet Tubman that will reach thousands of local students.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There\u2019s opportunity aplenty to consider the past (both factual and imagined) from a comfy theater seat this month, so consider tickets to a local show a perfect Valentine\u2019s Day gift for your special someone or yourself.<\/p>\n
\u201cThurgood<\/a>\u201d (One night only)<\/p>\n As part of Black History Month<\/a> Programming, The Guild Theater presents \u201cThurgood.\u201d The one-man play, performed by Sacramento talent James Ellison, brings to life the journey of Thurgood Marshall, the first African American Justice of the United States Supreme Court. The show goes past Marshall\u2019s legal victories to the man behind the robe \u2014 his wit, doubts and unwavering commitment to justice. The show also serves as the initial offering from Sacramento\u2019s newest theater group, The 40 Acres Theatre Company.<\/p>\n Venue: The Guild Theater, 2828 35th St., Sacramento<\/p>\n Date: Feb. 7<\/p>\n Cost: $25-35<\/p>\n Tickets: The 40 Acres Theatre Company<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe Drowsy Chaperone<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n Rise Up Theatre Company\u2019s<\/a> upcoming production is a treat for lovers of classic Broadway shows. Parodying vintage 1920s-era musical theater, \u201cThe Drowsy Chaperone\u201d sees a musical come to life in the living room of a fan of a fictional 1928 show of the same name. Broadway star Janet van de Graaf is eyeing the door on show business as she plans to marry wealthy man Robert Martin \u2014 and her producer is none too happy about it. As the farcical play unfolds, the Broadway fan provides commentary and explanation that elevate the musical cliches with a wry self-awareness.<\/p>\n Venue: The Recital Hall at Cosumnes River College, 8401 Center Parkway, Sacramento<\/p>\n Dates: Feb. 6-21<\/p>\n Cost: $15-20<\/p>\n Tickets: Rise Up Theatre<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cRomeo and Juliet<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n California Volunteer Theater\u2019s second production is promising a Shakespeare experience that audiences haven\u2019t seen in centuries. Not only will \u201cRomeo and Juliet\u201d be coming to California Stage in full Renaissance costume, but it will be staged with original music from Shakespeare\u2019s production \u2014 which CVT claims will be the first time it\u2019s been done in such a fashion for at least 300 years. A classic even in Shakespeare terms \u2014 and the bane of many high school freshmen \u2014 \u201cRomeo and Juliet\u201d is a tragic romance with plenty of violence and death on the way to the final curtain.<\/p>\n Venue: California Stage, 2509 R St., Sacramento<\/p>\n Dates: Feb. 6 through Mar. 8<\/p>\n Cost: $15-25<\/p>\n Tickets: California Volunteer Theater<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe Colored Museum<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n This February, take a trip to a museum where the exhibits come to life, exploring Black identity, history and culture. Celebration Arts is marking the start of its 40th anniversary season with \u201cThe Colored Museum,\u201d which itself is turning 40 this year. Characters from across history, including an overenthusiastic middle passage guide, a tortured soldier and a diva with a secret share their stories, creating a satirical \u201cmuseum of ourselves.\u201d The show existed as a kind of precursor to skit shows like \u201cIn Living Color\u201d and \u201cThe Dave Chappelle Show,\u201d but it feels timely and urgent in the current moment.<\/p>\n Venue: Celebration Arts, 2727 B St., Sacramento<\/p>\n Dates: Feb. 6-22<\/p>\n Cost: $16-27<\/p>\n Tickets: Celebration Arts<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHarriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n B Street Theatre\u2019s most popular show is coming back for a limited time this February. \u201cHarriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad\u201d dives into the extraordinary true story of the escaped slave who later took on perilous journeys to lead other slaves to freedom. Tubman\u2019s history is told through music, storytelling and dramatic reenactment, led by Tiffany Oglesby playing the titular role.\u00a0<\/p>\n 15,000 students are set to see the show during field trips this year, but six public performances through February and early March are sure to entertain families, students and lifelong learners.\u00a0<\/p>\n Venue: The Sofia, 2700 Capitol Ave., Sacramento<\/p>\n Dates: Feb. 8 through Mar. 8<\/p>\n Cost: $17-29<\/p>\n Tickets: B Street Theatre<\/a>
This story was funded by the City of Sacramento\u2019s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento<\/a>. Following our journalism code of ethics and protocols, the city had no editorial influence over this story and no city official reviewed this story before it was published. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, CapRadio, Capitol Weekly, Hmong Daily News, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review and Sacramento Observer. Sign up for our \u201cSac Art Pulse\u201d newsletter here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"By Odin Rasco Celebration of \u2014 and reflection on \u2014 history is prevalent at Sacramento stages this month,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":166880,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[121,123,122,80412],"class_list":{"0":"post-166879","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sacramento","8":"tag-sacramento","9":"tag-sacramento-headlines","10":"tag-sacramento-news","11":"tag-sacramento-theater-productions-2026"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=166879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/166879\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/166880"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=166879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=166879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=166879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}