Top 20: From a breathtaking Coro Piccolo to a year of excellence at Selma Arts Center, it was a memorable 2025
By Heather Parish, Donald Munro and Doug Hoagland
Sometimes you experience a live musical event that goes far past an emotional connection to something far more special: transcendence.
That was the impact in May, at least for one of us here at The Munro Review, when the Fresno-based group Coro Piccolo, under the confident leadership of Anna Hamre, brought us the choral performance of “Considering Matthew Shepard” at St. James Episcopal Cathedral.
For Hamre’s impact on the greater Fresno cultural scene, we are putting the performance at the top of The Munro Review’s Top 20 list of memorable arts and cultural moments of the year.
This wasn’t the only time in 2025 that Hamre and her Fresno Community Chorus, of which Coro Piccolo is a part, uplifted the local scene. In another sterling performance, this one in April in Shaghoian Hall, the Fresno Master Chorale soared in a far more traditional piece, Haydn’s beloved oratorio “The Creation.” Forget the solemnity of pensive choral masses and requiems. This oratorio was happy, and the joyful rendition stirred the audience.
Related stories:
THE MUNRO REVIEW’S TOP 20 CULTURAL EVENTS OF 2024
And: THE MUNRO REVIEW’S TOP 20 CULTURAL EVENTS OF 2023
And: THE MUNRO REVIEW’s TOP 20 CULTURAL EVENTS OF 2022
And: DONALD’S TOP 20 CULTURAL EVENTS OF 2021
And: DONALD’S TOP 20 CULTURAL EVENTS OF 2020
And: DONALD’S TOP 20 CULTURAL EVENTS OF 2019
And: DONALD’S TOP 20 CULTURAL EVENTS OF 2018
And: DONALD’S TOP 20 CULTURAL EVENTS OF 2017
But it was the Matthew Shepard piece that came across as truly special. Hamre brought an exquisitely honed sense of compassion and tenderness to the performance. She never allowed the material to suffer from sentimental bloat.
Composer Craig Hella Johnson’s oratorio ruminated, through words and music, on the brief life of the young gay Wyoming man who was assaulted, strung up on a rural fence and left to die. Through it we learned specifics: He liked jogging, pasta and “Jeopardy.” We also were confronted with universal truths: that humans have the capacity to do terrible things.
It was as if everyone in the room were connected, from the soloists and singers and (wonderful) professional orchestra to the audience members themselves. We were all plugged in to the same musical current. It was beautiful.
Let’s get to the rest of the Top 20 list, which in this installment also includes some honorable mentions. (Note that besides the top position on the list, the rest does not reflect any other kind of ranking.)
The full title of this list, I guess, would be “Heather and Donald and Doug’s Top 20 Cultural Events of the Year in the Central San Joaquin Valley.” Granted, we can’t get to every event in the greater Fresno area. But we try our best. (A special thanks to The Munro Review’s two wonderful interns for the year, Olivia Pavao and Rachel Yepremian-Owens, for getting out there and covering things for us.)
“Cultural” is a pretty broad term, and we have to narrow that down a bit, too: In this case think of it as shorthand for “theater-classical-music-opera-dance-visual-arts.” As in years past, I declare up-front that The Munro Review covers more theater events than anything else because they’re the most likely to have repeat performances.
As always, we’re interested in what you think we left off. Let us know in the comments.
‘SIX’ became No. 1 on Fresno’s Tu-dor list.
How to update the story of Henry VIII’s six wives? Put those queens in dazzling costumes, tease out the funky characterizations, bring on the adrenaline-pumped choreography, amp up the sound and give them modern pop soliloquies as they “compete” from the afterlife, American Idol-style, for the honor of most-loved by the king. The good news in this weeklong April engagement was that the national tour transplanted the glitz and glamour of the original Broadway production almost wholly intact to the Saroyan Theatre. The production was so big (and anticipated) that Heather and Donald opted for a joint review. While it stretched a few storylines past the limit of historical authenticity, both lauded the show as enjoyably light entertainment that reframes the stereotypes of these historic women. (HP and DM)
[Read Heather and Donald’s joint review]
[Read Olivia’s interview with one of the queens]
Sister composers created a piece that reflects the mosaic of cultures in the Valley
With the world premiere of the commissioned piece “Meguru: Dreams of Harvest,” a score by Hitomi Oba and Erika Oba inspired by the story of of David “Mas” Masumoto, the poet-slash-organic-peach farmer who has brought such visibility to Fresno, the Fresno Philharmonic kicked off its “Cultural Crossroads” series. The series builds upon the orchestra’s pledge to incorporate new music—particularly by women and people of color—into the culture of the orchestra and, perhaps, the ethos of the city itself, something evidenced by a slew of such pieces over the past eight years programmed by music director Rei Hotoda. The two-year collaboration on the piece remembered things both good and bad, from the juicy plentitude of the fall harvest to the anniversary of the infamous presidential order interning Japanese Americans in camps during World War II. (DM)
[Read Donald’s story about the concert in Symphony magazine]
‘Richard III’ marked an auspicious debut of Chanticleer Shakespeare Co.
Chanticleer Shakespeare’s inaugural production of “Richard III” offered a promising debut at the Warnors Theatre, with its greatest strength found in the women of the ensemble. The evening’s most vivid scenes were powered by Jacqueline Antaramian (Queen Elizabeth), Kathleen McCall (Duchess of York), and Leslie Martin (Queen Margaret), whose performances blended grief, fury, and political intelligence with striking clarity. Antaramian’s regal authority, McCall’s aching maternal guilt, and Martin’s curse-laden sorrow gave the play its emotional weight. Alexandra Everbach tackled Lady Anne’s rapid transformation with fearless intensity, nearly making the impossible feel earned. Adding a sharp, controlled edge, Marika Christine Leal brought chilling focus to Catesby. Together, these performances grounded the production and set a standard for the company’s future. (HP)
[Read Donald’s preview interview with Jacqueline Antaramian]
Linda Lomehaftewa Exhibition at FAM a journey through an artist’s evolution
“Linda Lomahaftewa: The San Francisco Years, Paintings 1965–1972 and Recent Works 2008–2024” at the Fresno Art Museum felt like an invitation into an artist’s lifelong curiosity. Curated by Michele Ellis Pracy, the exhibition traced Linda Lomahaftewa’s early San Francisco–era experiments alongside recent work, revealing a practice rooted equally in structure and wonder. Her early paintings moved between bold geometric abstraction and uncanny, almost anatomical landscapes where plants, bodies, and spirits interlocked. Other works dissolved into drifting color and texture, as if land and memory were bleeding together, rain-soaked and alive. Seeing these pieces beside Lomahaftewa’s newer, pattern-rich works highlighted how that exploratory spirit never faded. There was playfulness, tenderness, and deep respect for land and interior life throughout. The show didn’t just chart an artistic evolution—it made space to linger with roots, ghosts, and the unseen systems that quietly sustain everything around us. (HP) Note: This exhibition continues through Jan. 11.
Thomas-Whit Ellis found new textures in ‘A Raisin in the Sun.’
Fresno State University Theatre’s production of “A Raisin in the Sun” delivered an emotionally satisfying, beautifully grounded take on Lorraine Hansberry’s American classic. Directed by Thomas-Whit Ellis, the production honored the play as a model of the well-made family drama, keeping every element pointed toward its central theme: the survival of a Black family in America. At the center, Teroy Roberts’ Walter Lee carried his frustrations in his chest and gut, making a difficult character deeply sympathetic. But the production truly soared in its women. Levetta Wheeler’s Lena blended steel and tenderness, Marazay Ashford’s Beneatha radiated youthful idealism, and Ananda Desirea’s Ruth emerged as the family’s beating heart—taut, watchful, and quietly devastating. Together, the cast illuminated not just a dream deferred, but the cost of that dream on the women who carry its weight. (HP)
“Fantastic” animals made their mark on Fresno.
The touring exhibition “Alebrijes y Nahuales” graced three locations (Arte Americas, Fresno City College and Fresno State), bringing an eye-popping sense of scale and color to their surroundings. More than 50,000 people have enjoyed the exotic, nearly 20-foot tall sculptures installed at the Arte Américas Plaza Paz and on the Fresno State and Fresno City College campuses. Everyone can find appreciation for the historical significance and work put into the colorful works. Art is art, and history is shared. (Rachel Yepremian-Owens)
[Read Rachel’s story about the exhibition]
‘Something Rotten’ once again sweetens Fresno’s theater scene.
Good Company Players’ revival of “Something Rotten!” still smelled sweet, like a perfectly ripe Broadway banana split loaded with tap-dancing nuts. From Jonathan Wheeler’s opening minstrel pose to Shawn Williams’ swaggering, leather-clad Shakespeare, the production delivered goofy charm, bawdy wit, and nonstop theatrical joy. Set in 1595, the show followed Nick Bottom’s misguided quest to out-Shakespeare Shakespeare by inventing the musical. It remained irreverent, chaotic, and joyfully self-aware. New leads Teddy Maldonado and Nick Sterling made the Bottom brothers a terrific duo. Maldonado’s “God, I Hate Shakespeare” is bitingly relatable as is Nick’s frustration and desperation with the creative process (if you’ve been there, you know!). Returning performances by Emily Pessano and Steve Souza give the audience even more to root for. With crisp direction by Laurie Pessano and energetic choreography by Emily Pessano and Kaye Migaki, this “Something Rotten!” proved once again that there was nothing rotten about it. (HP) Note: “Something Rotten!” continues through Jan. 18.
[Read Donald’s preview story from 2020]
At Selma Arts Center, ‘RENT’ forged a vision for a new generation.
Selma Arts Center’s production of “Rent” radiated energy and heart, striking a joyful balance between ’90s nostalgia and a vivid sense of now. Directed by Michael C. Flores, the show thrummed with ensemble spirit and emotional generosity. Gavin Flores’s Mark was open and instantly likable, while Jack Hammerstrom brought grit and aching vulnerability to Roger. Gabe Facio and Damen Pardo made Collins and Angel a true emotional anchor, overflowing with warmth and joy. Standout performances from Annelise Escobedo, Willow Rogers, and Jessica Ellesse Meredith added sparkle, depth, and fierce chemistry. Thoughtful video projections framed the story as memory in motion, giving this Rent a sense of immediacy—and reminding us why its message still sings. (HP)
Kelley Collection of African American Art highlights the history of Black artists at Fresno Art Museum
Visiting The Harmon & Harriet Kelley Collection of African American Art: Works on Paper at the Fresno Art Museum felt like a meaningful way to mark Juneteenth—both celebratory and reflective. The moving exhibition from Landau Traveling Exhibitions in Los Angeles brought together 65 works spanning the 19th through 21st centuries, offering a vivid view of Black artistic expression across generations. Moving through the gallery, the mix of historical context and artistic excellence was genuinely energizing, particularly works shaped by the WPA era’s support of Black artists. Pieces like Elizabeth Catlett’s “Sharecropper” were arresting in its dignity and directness, while Lionel Lofton’s “Embracing” radiated warmth and connection. More than a survey of remarkable works on paper, the Kelley Collection also honors the care and vision behind its assembly and invites reflection on resilience, creativity, and the ongoing fight for Black representation. It was an exhibition that lingered, visually, emotionally, and historically. (HP)
In ‘Mojada,’ the Medea story received a riveting updating.
Selma Arts Center’s production of Luis Alfaro’s “Mojada” offered a charged and haunting contemporary retelling of the Medea story set in Los Angeles. Director Juan Luis Guzman and his stellar cast (including Mason Beltran and Dalicia Torrecillas) aptly captured themes of gentrification, assimilation and the grind of American-style capitalism. But they didn’t let us forget the ancient, bloody origins of “Mojada.” This is a tale of the subjugation of women. As the storyline tightened, we realized that every male relationship in her life has been steeped in emotional abuse. Her father, brother, lover and, at the end, perhaps even her son, treat her with a disdain that crosses cultures and centuries. The resulting production was smart, intense, briskly staged and fiercely acted. (DM)
[Read Donald’s preview interview with the director]
‘One Small Lie’ showed the power of a good story at the Rogue Festival.
Martin Dockery’s “One Small Lie” was the year’s standout indie performance—smart, tense, and sneakily funny. Premiering at the Rogue Festival, it played like a fireside crime story told by someone you instantly trusted… right up until you didn’t. Set in the warmly lit Levy Historic Family Home, the show used its intimate setting to pull the audience deep into a moral mess involving good intentions, bad decisions, and a lot of cash. Dockery’s relaxed, conversational storytelling made the slow slide into trouble feel unsettlingly plausible and totally gripping. (HP)
Strong direction helped ‘Salome’ dance.
Fresno City College Theatre Department’s production of “Salomé” announced itself first through bold directorial choices. Director Summer Session-Plevny reimagined Oscar Wilde’s Biblical fever dream as a gritty, post-apocalyptic world, transforming the black box space into a vertical wasteland of catwalks, ladders, and shadow. The immersive design by Johnny Cano and Christina McCollam-Martinez kept the action in constant motion, while dim, moon-soaked lighting and an ominous soundscape emphasized a world slowly fading into scarcity and obsession. Within that frame, performances rose to meet the vision. Jimmie Haynie’s Herod anchored the production with nervous energy and dangerous charm, sparking vivid scenes with Bri Villanueva-Hardcastle’s sharp-edged Herodias. Alexander Gonzalez brought commanding presence to Jokanaan, while Zelia Ankrum’s Salomé stretched as she claimed her power. Ambitious, physical, and imaginatively staged, this “Salomé” embraced creative risk and made it count. (HP)
[Read Heather’s review]
‘Wings of the City’ invited us to reflect and create at Fresno State
Experiencing “Wings of the City” presented by the Center for Creativity and the Arts on the California State University, Fresno campus became a quietly moving, personal ritual, especially in the soft, contemplative light of a winter morning. Sculptor Jorge Marín’s monumental winged figures felt less like objects to observe and more like companions for reflection, grounded in the landscape yet hovering between myth and humanity. As I sketched and lingered among them, each sculpture invited a different emotional response: defiance held in check, precarious balance, bodies marked by time, moments of rest, and an intimate embrace that spoke of shared endurance and compassion. The campus itself is open, park-like, and encouraged slowing down, making space for looking, thinking, and creating. More than a sculpture walk, Wings of the City felt like an open invitation to join an ongoing conversation between art, place, and the quiet human need to respond creatively to what moves us. (HP)
[Read Heather’s reflection and see her watercolor sketches]
A new musical was born at Selma Arts Center: ‘Dysfunction’
We all go through bad times, some of us more than others. The key is not to suffer silently because of a misguided view that to do so is to be “strong.” Be open with your pain, and people will step up to help and commiserate. This wasn’t exactly a light-hearted theme for a musical written in song-cycle style, but writer-director Ke’lea Flowers never let the heft of the material or the sheer scale of the production outweigh its essential human truths. I hope I get to see another permutation of this musical someday.
Two Keyboard Concerts brought rapturous sounds to the Fresno State Concert Hall.
Hayoto Sumino is a rock star in the world of classical piano who played at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2024 and has 1.3 million YouTube followers. His October performance with the Keyboard series was a season highlight and an experience that drew a large, appreciative audience. With such favorites as Chopin’s Nocturne in C Minor, arrangements of Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” and Ravel’s “Bolero,” and an original composition by Sumino titled “Big Cat Waltz,” the virtuosity of this Japanese pianist and composer brought world glamour to Fresno. (Doug Hoagland)
For sheer artistic ebullience, a Keyboard visit from a pair of musicians (Greg Anderson and Elizabeth Joy Roe) performing on two pianos stood out in the season. The first half of the concert emphasized “darkness,” Anderson told the audience, and the second half celebrated the light. This journey from death to life gave the evening an emotional sweep almost breathtaking in its scope. For those who think of solo piano as somehow old and creaky, the first pieces on the program dissipated that myth entirely: It began with a light, tender Beethoven piece that slid into two songs by Radiohead stripped of lyrics and even melody, giving us a hypnotic dirge that suggested the shades of Hades shuffling through a big, dark, cavern. At times as soft as a pond ripple and at others nearly exploding in cacophonous chords, the concert swooped and tittered, lavishing the audience with feeling. With a conclusive group sing of an arrangement of “Let It Be,” it was surely the first time a Keyboard crowd has sung a Beatles song together in more than half a century of series history. (DM)
[Read Doug’s Measure P story on Keyboard Concerts]
Supporting roles were the backbone of Good Company Players’ 2025 season.
Star turns may grab the spotlight, but no theatrical season truly works without a strong ensemble and memorable supporting performances. At Good Company Players, where nearly a dozen productions are staged each year, it’s often the depth of the bench that gives shows their texture, momentum, and emotional punch. This year, that bench was especially deep, with supporting actors delivering performances that lingered long after the curtain fell.
‘Beautiful: The Carole King Musical’ [read Heather’s review]
• Adrian Ammsso and Haleigh Cook balanced humor and heart.
• Jonathan Wheeler’s Goffin added the needed edge to the story and launched a solid run of performances during the 2025 GCP season.
“Waitress” [read Heather’s review]
• Brian Rhea, Michael Fidalgo, and the late Patrick Allan Tromborg lit up the stage with charm and comic precision.
‘Silent Sky’ [read Heather’s review]
• Erin Brown added emotional depth as Margaret Leavitt.
• Valerie Muñoz and Aurora Nibley energized the ensemble with intelligence and nuance.
“1776” [read Heather’s review]
• Daniel Sutherland delivered a chilling Rutledge in “Molasses to Rum”; Briston Diffey supplied the show’s emotional gut punch in “Mama Look Sharp.”
• Steve Souza and Gordon Moore sharpened the musical’s cynical wit and satire.
“A Christmas Carol” [read Heather’s commentary]
• Camille Gaston and Jasmine Parmer anchored the modern framing with crackling chemistry.
• Christopher Baeza and Amalie Larsen brought warmth and sensitivity as the Cratchits.
Taken together, these performances underscore just how much Good Company Players thrived on ensemble strength in 2025.
Youth Orchestras of Fresno made things pop in the Saroyan.
The cannons are the payoff at the end of Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture,” of course, and Thomas Loewenheim – the always canny music director of the Youth Orchestras of Fresno – got the audience in on the action in a rousing 75th anniversary celebration in May. Audience members received empty popcorn bags to blow full of air and then pop upon cue. The effect was surprisingly impactful; the sound came at us like it was in stereo. Loewenheim added to the 75th pomp with a world premiere of Fresno favorite Juan Pablo Contreras’ first symphony, “My Dream,” dedicated to his two homelands (Mexico and the U.S.) which included not only a tribute to bandera music but also heavy metal. (DM)
Selma Arts Center brought us a fascinating musical take on the Alice story.
Careful readers of this column will no doubt recognize that in the eyes of The Munro Review, 2025 was a superlative year for Selma Arts Center. The fourth theatrical title for the company on this list for the year is “Alice by Heart,” which brought Lewis Carroll’s classic “Alice in Wonderland” tale to life in the London underground amidst the terrors of the Blitz. Leads Kaci Clason and Tyler Murphy displayed undeniable stage chemistry and presence, their voices blending together seamlessly to make a perfect pair. Co-directors Claudio Laso and Toph Ortiz’s willingness to experiment with smaller, newer musicals – this one premiered in London in 2012 – is an always welcome development. (Olivia Pavao)
Fresno State’s Phebe Conley Gallery swished some fascinating conceptual art at us.
Ever visited a saliva bar? Guest national artist Lauren Lee McCarthy’s exhibition titled “Saliva” raised questions of bodily autonomy and consent as visitors were encouraged to offer a vial of their own saliva – in exchange for someone else’s. Each volunteer got to stipulate in writing how their saliva could be “used,” mirroring the experience we all have with agreeing to terms and conditions before handing over our personal information (including DNA) to money-making interests. A companion show, titled “Surrogate,” centered on another conceptual project, this one an app that would allow birth parents to control the actions of their chosen surrogate mother. In a world in which we routinely hand over highly personal information (including our DNA) to corporations, the exhibition raised interesting questions. It was co-presented by the university’s Center for Creativity and the Arts.
[Read Catherine Cole Weber’s story about the exhibition in the Fresno State Collegian]
Honorable mentions
• Two of this year’s theater honorable mentions go to Meg Clark and Terry Lewis. Lewis offered a three-peat of quirk and vulnerability (“Chapter Two,” “Silent Sky,” and “My Fair Lady,” all with Good Company Players) bringing nuance and a touch of melancholy to each role. Clark, meanwhile, delivered impeccable vocals and remarkable stamina, carrying back-to-back blockbusters (“Beautiful” and “Waitress”) on the Roger Rocka’s stage seemingly without breaking a sweat. Both Lewis and Clark—no pun intended— are local superstars who operate at their own level and in their own ways, consistently excellent and undoubtedly fixtures on audience Best Of Lists. What stands out in 2025 is the deepening richness of their work overall, not just maintaining excellence, but beginning to expand it. (HP)
• Another theater honorable attention goes to the Children’s Musical Theaterworks production of “Bye Bye Birdie,” ably directed by Randy Kohlruss (who managed to keep the two rather strange ballet sequences on track) and given the customary visual pop by CMT’s creative team. Ella Rutiaga, as Rose Alvarez, and Isaac Mora Zuazo, as Albert Peterson, offered standout performances. (DM)
• Composer Juan Pablo Contreras, already mentioned in the Top 20 list above, had another special moment in September with the Fresno Philharmonic, which performed his Dia de los Muertos-themed piece “Alma Manarca.” Drawing upon his own childhood experiences in a small Michoacan town, the piece encompassed the notion that if you see a Monarch butterfly flying around the tombstone of your loved one, it represents a soul migrating to heaven. There was a festive, jaunty feel to much of the piece, but also a dreamy, introspective through line touching upon lineage, rebirth and mortality. I could see a closeup in my mind of the fluttering butterflies winging past the children chasing and racing around the cemetery. (DM)
• Finally, it was the year of “Nutcracker” at The Munro Review, thanks to intern Rachel Yepremian-Owens, who not only participated in The Dancing School of Selma’s “Nutty Nutcracker” but also photographed it backstage. She attended two other “Nutcrackers” as well, including the annual Central California Ballet version at the Saroyan, which she loved. You can read her review for the Fresno State Collegian here. (DM)
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Victor E Kral
As has been said many times before, Fresno has a plethora of fine Programs in the Arts to offer our Community. While the Measure P Funds are helping these Organizations, it is also necessary that Fresno buy tickets to these Performances and show up. Support the Arts…Attend.
Steph
A: Whew! When you mentioned the ensemble standouts I thought “yes but what about Meg? And Terry?!” Luckily they did make the list.
2. Another Top 20 standout for me is/was the artistic development of HP’s reviews. I’ve commented on Donald’s pure art and near perfection in his most inspired reviews over the years, and 2025 for me found Heather right alongside.
C: There is no C
D: Honorable mentions for me include the sheer amount of new talent blossoming in the Central Valley. I don’t know where they’re coming from but the area is for sure cultivating future stars.
5. And one more shoutout goes to Selma’s theatrical excellence. The amount of brilliance they bring to that tiny stage is profoundly inspiring. I hope all that new talent I mentioned appreciates how great they have it in Selma. They have been putting on world class productions for years.
Great Top 20! I look forward to the list every year.
Anna R Hamre
Thank you Donald for all you do to keep the arts scene in the public eye. Your work is means the world to all of us.