The SF Bay Area Theatre Blog

I sit on the board of local theatre company, 42nd Street Moon. They focus on doing musicals that are off the beaten path...lost, need restoration, rarely produced, unusual, vintage, you get the idea.

Their season opener is Irving Berlin's Call Me Madam, and it stars well-known Ethel Merman devotee Klea Blackhurst. I've seen Klea in other shows there, and I have to say I think her voice is clearer and cleaner than Merman's! I've never seen Call Me Madam, so I'm really looking forward to it.

Anyway, you can save $10/ticket if you order online, PLUS they are not charging service fees for online orders, whereas phone and walk-up orders have a per ticket service fee. I think that last part is pretty damn cool

Here's the marketing speak:

10 Dollar Off Internet Special + No Box Office Fee: Tickets as low as $14

Come to the Eureka Theatre and celebrate the triumphant return of Klea Blackhurst to the San Francisco stage in 42nd Street Moon's production of Irving Berlin's Call Me Madam.  When you make your purchase online you can save $10 per ticket!. Additionally, we are no longer charging box office fees for tickets purchased online.

This offer is valid for shows between September 26 and October 17 and does not apply to matinees, phone or walk-in orders.  Quantities are limited, so please purchase your tickets soon.   
 
Just use the code MADAM10 at the checkout page for our $10 discount on your Call Me Madam tickets!  To purchase tickets click here.

Labels: 42nd Street Moon, Call Me Madam, Ethel Merman, Klea Blackhurst

I know I'm not the only person who can recite the entire preamble of the Constitution of the United States of America because of Schoolhouse Rocks. Or, who knows the function of a conjunction. Ot where to get my adverbs. I've got the entire CD box se, if you must know.

So, of course I was intrigued when my friends at Guggenheim Entertainment sent me info on what they're up to.

First of all, they've taken over the old Century 25 movie theatre space at Westgate in West San Jose (only a few miles from my house actually.) They've christened it The Retro Dome.

They will keep it split into two theatre spaces and do various shows there, kicking off this month with, and here's where my Schoolhouse Rocks intro makes sense: Schoolhouse Rocks Live!

I'm going this Sunday and expect to be overcome with a wave of nostalgia and love of learning!

WHAT: SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE!, based on the pop-culture Emmy® Award-winning ABC TV cartoon series Schoolhouse Rock! that taught millions of Generation X-ers everything from adverbs and gravity to math and American history, comes alive on stage with such beloved songs as “Conjunction Junction,” “I’m Just a Bill,”“The Preamble,” “Interplanet Janet,” and much more.

WHERE: The Retro Dome (Formerly Century 25)
1694 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose

WHEN: Opening Night, Friday, September. 4 at 7:30 p.m.
Scheduled Closing (could extend): Sunday, October 4
Showtimes:
Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30p.m.
Saturdays at 1:30p.m. & 7:30p.m.
Sundays at 1:30p.m.

HOW MUCH: $24 - $36

HOW TO BUY:
Internet Sales at www.theRetroDome.com
Charge by Phone for Tickets and Group Sales: 408/404-7711
Discounts are available for children, students, seniors, and groups of 10 or more.

Labels: guggenheim entertainment, retro dome, schoolhouse rocks

Looking back now I'm shocked that my parents let me see the movie Tommy. I was 11 when it came out. And there are drug references. And molestation references. And Ann-Margaret rolling around in baked beans. Seriously, did they not care about warping me at all? Not only did I see the movie, but I bought the soundtrack and listened to it non-stop. That and the Star Wars soundtrack were in constant rotation, and since I saw each movie multiple times, I could picture the movies go by in my head as I listened.

What a geek, eh?

35 years later, and 40 years after the album was first performed at Woodstock, a local theatre company is putting on the Broadway musical version of Tommy (which I did in its Broadway incarnation), and since my S.O. has never seen this version, of course we're going to go.

So, any of you into Tommy?

WHAT: The Who's Tommy
WHERE: Ray of Light Theatre Co.
Victoria Theatre, (16th & Mission) in San Francisco
WHEN: October 16 – November 7, 2009

Labels: Ray of Light, Tommy

The original musical featuring an exclamation point at the end of its name, OKlahoma! is coming to the Hillbarn Theatre in San Mateo. This is actually my favorite Rodgers & Hammerstein show. I'm not generally an R&H fan, but OKlahoma! has some really interesting and dark undertones which intrigue me.

If you know any students who may have never gotten to see this classic, Hillbarn is offering special tickets. Students (all the way through college) may purchase a special $10 student ticket for any performances of Oklahoma! from September 4th through the 27th. Performances are Thursday through Saturday at 8 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. The Hillbarn Theatre is located at 1285 East Hillsdale Boulevard in Foster City.

You must have a current, valid student ID.

How to buy:
- Visit the Hillbarn boxoffice (located at 1285 East Hillsdale Blvd.) Monday through Friday 10 AM - 2 PM or an hour before performance.

- Email boxoffice@hillbarntheatre.org with the student's name, home address, school and phone number. Tickets will be held at the boxoffice and you must present a current student ID for pick up.

For questions, please call the Hillbarn Theatre boxoffice at (650) 349-6411 and select 1.

Labels: Hillbarn, oklahoma, rodgers and Hammerstein