by Terrance Mc Arthur & Lorie Lewis Ham

Editor’s note: Terrance saw way more shows than I did in 2023 so he takes the lead on this one. I will share a few of my thoughts at the end, and there were many more shows in this Valley that we weren’t able to make it to. When it comes to theatre, this Valley is blessed!

“All the world’s a stage…”

Shakespeare was right, and 2023 took me to more than 30 shows in Fresno, Clovis, Selma, and Visalia. Here are some of the best shows I reviewed, and some I didn’t review: touring company productions that were only in town for a few days and closed before they could be reviewed, and one I didn’t get to review…because I was in it.

The Bad Seed (Good Company Players’ 2nd Space)—One of the scariest experiences you will ever have. Rhoda Penmark (Campbell Sloas and Finley Van Vleet, alternated) is a sweet, perfect child—too perfect. Is her character formed by nurture or nature? Could she be a demon child formed by heredity? Campbell oozed an icy chill behind her calm demeanor; Finley had a cheerful smile while she acknowledged dreadful doings. Amalie Larsen, as Rhoda’s mother discovering the true nature of her family tree, gave a meltdown worthy of an igloo in the tropics. Renee Newlove, as the blowsy, boozy mother of a murdered boy, powerfully proved that even the lower classes deserve respect.

Fresno Rogue Festival (venues all around the Tower District, Fresno)—Another year, another Rogue (keep an eye out for 2024 Rogue coverage). Home-grown talent and performers from afar come together to show Fresno what they’ve got, and it’s really good. My favorites of the ones I saw:

• Ashes to Ashes—A one-person show with three people? The luminous Kate McKnight, aided by a musical chorus of Sarah Serafimidis and Abigail Nolte, explored loss, death, the loss of her father, and the ashes of love.
• Hmong Class 101—This short show was a wonderful surprise. I didn’t learn any Hmong words, but I learned about culture clashes, assimilation, and that mothers all speak the same language. Jasmine Vang, perky and doubtful, tries to teach a class of students who don’t care about their own culture and ponders if being “Asian” is easier than identifying as “Hmong.” Thought-provoking.
• The Real Black Swann: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen—Les Kurkendaal-Barrett returned with an examination of homophobia, racism, and hiding inside the Good Witch of the North’s pink bubble, wrapped around the life of William Dorsey Swann. The former slave was America’s first Black drag queen and gay activist. This show crossed borders, culturally and performance-wise (performed across the USA and off to Great Britain). It keeps getting better.
• Rosegold—Donna Kay Yarborough knows how to scare people. She turns a 12-step meeting confessional into a paranormal experience that transforms a simple smile into a horrifying promise of death. I’ve seen this over several years of Rogue, and it still gives me the willies.

Godspell (Fresno Pacific University, Fresno)—I look upon Godspell as the Book of St. Matthew played in a junior Sunday School, with the teacher leading the children in acting out the parables of Jesus. The FPU production Brandi Martin directed contained a good deal of that light-hearted whimsy. Jeff Jones as Jesus, slim, head shaven, bearded, majestic, whimsical, and fatherly, performed with a confidence born of having several productions of the show under his belt. Stephen Schwartz’s songs still ring clearly, and the cast made a joyful noise.

Once (CenterStage Clovis, Clovis)—A musical I didn’t want to see became one of my favorite musical theatre events of the year. Based on a 2007 musical Irish film, this 2011 musical brought Dublin to Clovis with projected images ringing the stage as set pieces. The performers were the orchestra, carrying instruments up the aisles, through the audience, and behind the walls. They played, they sang, they danced, and they acted. Ted Nunes (“Guy”) and Carly Oliver (“Girl”) shone as they became characters who learned to make difficult choices to go after their dreams and to love . . . someone else.

Sweeney Todd (Ice House, Visalia)—Electrifying, intense, and feral, Joseph Ham prowled the stage as Sweeney Todd, the homicidal London barber in the Stephen Sondheim musical. Aided by Phae Elfont as Mrs. Lovett, the baker with a way with human flesh. Chase Stubblefield’s evil Judge Turpin was almost as maniacal as Sweeney, and Becca Coffey-Godfrey’s voice as Sweeney’s daughter lusted after by the judge soared like the birds to which she sang.

And

Broadway in Fresno shows (Saroyan Theatre, Fresno)—Hairspray was a joyous lark, Fiddler on the Roof brought gasps with its ability to link Tevye’s story to the Holocaust and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Les Miserables put power vocals all through the Saroyan auditorium.

And

A Christmas Carol (GCP 2nd Space)—Emily Pessano’s adaptation of the Charles Dicken’s ghost story folded modern issues around the timeless tale. Henry Montelongo made a snarling Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation to a warm-hearted cuddle bear a highlight of the Christmas season. I enjoyed being in the cast with a talented host of hard-working, quick-changing players.

Final Note—It was quite a year with a world’s worth of worthwhile theatre. I can’t wait to write my recap of 2024 shows, so I can go on again about how good Beautiful: The Carol King Musical was.

Terrance V. Mc Arthur worked for the Fresno County Public Library for three decades. He is retired, but not retiring. A storyteller, puppeteer, writer, actor, magician, basketmaker, and all-around interesting person, his goal is to make life more unusual for everyone he meets.

My theatre experience in 2023 started off with Broadway Fresno. We saw one of our favorite musicals, Dear Evan Hansen. Some people hate this musical and don’t seem to be able to grasp the sad story that it tells–but if you deal with anxiety or are close to someone who does, it will speak to you and leave in you tears. And the music is beautiful! We also saw Les Miserables and that show is always an amazing experience.

Ride the Cyclone soared at the Selma Arts Center and took the audience on a dark, and emotional ride with a very vocally skilled cast–the singing was amazing.

Another Selma Arts Center show I saw this year was Next To Normal. This one is another heartbreaker with amazing performances by well-known Valley names such as Camille Gaston and Terry Lewis, and from the rest of the cast as well. Next to Normal is another show that deals with mental health–music and performances were all amazing!

This seems to have been the year of Selma Arts Center theatre for me, as I also saw She Kills Monsters. This was a very unusual show that involved a Dungeons and Dragons campaign–which helped spur my new love this year of the game. I am now part of a campaign myself! Would you believe I’m a wizard? On one level this show was a lot of fun, but on another, it was very sad as it dealt with the death of a sibling. Where most of the shows I saw this year I had seen before, this was a new show for me that I definitely would go see again!

Speaking of dark shows, I too saw Sweeney Todd and thought it was incredible, of course I may be a bit prejudiced since Joseph Ham is my son!

I also got to see the amazing Audra McDonald perform in honor of Good Company Players 50th Anniversary! As expected, she was incredible! And theatre in the Valley wouldn’t be what it is today if not for GCP! So many of the performers and theatre companies here have roots that go back to GCP.

Terrance and I both look forward to another wonderful year of Valley theatre!

Check out more local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. And don’t miss out on Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast where we feature mystery stories read by local actors!

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and a contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet. Lorie’s latest mystery novel, One of Us, is set in the Tower District of Fresno and the world of community theatre!<