Thanks to a confluence of creative calendars, Sacramentans are spoiled for choice when it comes to picking a play this August. In a sort of synchronicity, many of the plays being staged this month share themes that might make them unexpected companion pieces.
For Broadway lovers, “In The Heights” and “Tick, Tick… Boom!” both stand out as examples of premiere playwright talents from before their biggest-named shows — “Hamilton” and “Rent,” respectively — had been penned. Protagonists in “Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors” and “Chicken and Biscuits” would agree blood is thicker than water, though their exact intent in saying so might differ. Finally, finicky financials may lead to frustration or fortune in “The Lehman Trilogy” and “You Can’t Take it With You.”
“In The Heights”
Before Hamilton took the world by storm, Lin-Manuel Miranda established himself as a musical master to keep an eye on with the multiple Tony-winning Best Musical “In The Heights.” The show explores a New York City neighborhood on the brink of change, following a bodega owner whose life is intertwined with the neighbors who visit his store. Miranda’s now-trademark mix of latin rhythms, hip-hop and pop brings the score to life as characters chase their dreams and find what home truly means.
Venue: UC Davis Health Pavilion, 1419 H St., Sacramento
Dates: Aug. 1–7
Cost: $58–$130
Tickets: https://www.broadwaysacramento.com/production/in-the-heights/
“Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors”
Chaos and comedy are inevitable as an incompetent real estate agent crosses paths with the world’s most infamous vampire. This horror-comedy is packed with outrageous characters and rapid-fire jokes, and the witty script is poised to leave the audience dying of laughter: unless Dracula gets to them first.
Venue: The Sofia, Home of B Street Theatre, 2700 Capitol Ave., Sacramento
Dates: Aug. 6–31
Cost: $33–$37
Tickets: https://bstreettheatre.org/mainstage/dracula-a-comedy-of-terrors/
“Chicken and Biscuits”
As the Jenkins family gathers at a funeral service for Baneatta and Beverly’s father, will the rival sisters succumb to the urge to kill one another? Between family drama and flaring tempers, the sisters and their children are thrown into a family reunion filled with secrets. Navigating humor, heartache and healing, the Jenkins will stay true to their faith and their love in a story full of lively characters and witty dialogue. Directed by the powerhouse team of Sacramento-based talents Imani Mitchell and Devin Valdez, Celebration Arts’ newest offering is likely to have audiences coming back for seconds.
Venue: Celebration Arts, 2727 B St., Sacramento
Dates: Aug. 8–24
Cost: $16–$27
Tickets: https://celebrationarts.vbotickets.com/events
“Tick, Tick… Boom!”
Before Jonathan Larson rocked Broadway with “Rent,” he created this autobiographical musical. The story of a composer and the sacrifices he must make to find his big break in theater, “Tick, Tick… Boom!” takes audiences on a journey that leads to a Broadway blockbuster. The score’s 14 songs are full of instantly catchy melodies that blend musical theater and rock stylings masterfully.
Venue: The Ooley Theatre, 2007 28th St., Sacramento
Dates: Aug. 15–31
Cost: $27
“Hair”
What can you say about “Hair” that hasn’t already been said by generations of Broadway lovers? The musical that brought rock and thespians together for the first time, “Hair” broke ground in a way that left a lasting mark. Set against a backdrop of the Vietnam era, a group of late 1960s youth join a social revolution and “Let the Sun Shine In.” An exhilarating, emotionally intense ride that Variety calls “A rock musical that communicates viscerally with its audience. The score’s vigorousness and variety are remarkable.” Experience the iconic score that includes “Aquarius,” “Good Morning Starshine,” “Easy To Be Hard” and more.
Venue: UC Davis Health Pavilion, 1419 H St., Sacramento, CA 95814
Dates: Aug. 22–28
Cost: $58-$125
Tickets: https://www.broadwaysacramento.com/production/hair-2/
“The Lehman Trilogy”
Capital Stage’s next show took home the Tony Award for Best Play in 2022 for its complex and compelling portrayal of a firm that shook finance to its foundations. “The Lehman Trilogy” is an American epic that starts on a cold September morning in 1844 when a young man from Bavaria steps out onto a New York dockside with a dream of a new life, and tracks the tale of the firm he and his brothers create: Lehman Brothers.
Venue: Capital Stage, 2215 J St., Sacramento
Dates: Aug. 27 through Sept. 28
Cost: $40-$52
Tickets: https://capstage.org/tickets/
“You Can’t Take it With You”
The Vanderhof family is a veritable rogues’ gallery of charming eccentrics of all stripes, and Martin — better known as Grandpa — is the head of the large and extended family. Alice (Martin’s granddaughter) is embarrassed by the family’s idiosyncrasies. When she falls for her boss — a handsome scion of Wall Street named Tony — Alice can’t imagine how her two families will ever come together. But why be obsessed with money? After all, you can’t take it with you.
Venue: Sutter Street Theatre, 717 Sutter St., Folsom
Dates: Aug. 29 through Sept. 21
Cost: $21-$30
Tickets: https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/sutterstreettheatre/5276
This story is part of the Solving Sacramento journalism collaborative. This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics, the city had no editorial influence over this story. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Hmong Daily News, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review and Sacramento Observer. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.
By Odin Rasco
