The SF Bay Area Theatre Blog

The Jerry Herman Salon at 42nd Street Moon, starring Faith Prince!

2012-01-22T08:16:00.000-08:00

This coming week may I suggest a little entertainment for your calendar?

42nd Street Moon is the theatre on whose board I serve, and they are doing one of their composer salons this Thursday night. Jerry Herman is the man behind Mame, Hello Dolly, and Mack and Mabel among others.

Faith Prince is a Tony-winning actress who burst on the Broadway scene with her Adelaide in Guys & Dolls, opposite Nathan Lane.

These salons are both full of lovely singing from talented performers, but also come with a bit of history and story-telling around the featured composer. Herman is still alive and both Faith and her co-star Jason Graae have worked with Herman, so we should expect some good insider info on the great composer who was a staple on the Broadway stage in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.

Check it out!

Woodminster Theatre announces their season

2012-01-20T18:29:00.001-08:00

And here it is, their 46th season at the outdoor amphitheater in Oakland's Joaquin Miller Park:

Fiddler on the Roof, July 13-22, 2012

What else is there to say? This is a perennial favorite for most musical theatre companies.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, August 10-10, 2012

Sondheim's first Broadway show as lyricist *and* composer

Cats, September 7-16, 2012

The first time they've gotten the rights to perform this one.

Season ticket sales are open now, with individual ticket sales starting on March 1st.

And by the way: They haven't held auditions yet, so if you're interest they're taking place on March 31st-April 1st. If you're Equity, you can call 510-531-9597 to make an appointment after March 20th.

Woodminster has lots of ticket deals...children, seniors, groups...and also opens the final dress rehearsal of each show as a preview performance costing only $12, which is pretty cool. Also cool is the "Kids Come Free" program, where kids 16 or younger may be able to come free when accompanied by a paying adult. They give away about 3,000 tickets per summer this way (so it's understandable they're seeking sponsorship for the program).

I've been to Woodminster many times...outdoor summer theatre is always a lovely outing...especially when you go with a group. Woodminster sort of reminds me of the summer stock theatre where I got my own Equity Card, the Barn Theatre in August, MI. These theaters are a labor of love, so I hope you support them!

Lengthy Sondheim article upon "Look, I Made a Hat" release

2011-11-11T20:14:00.000-08:00

In The Tablet, tagline: A New Read on Jewish Life

Article headline: The Art of Making Art

Some interesting stuff.

Some stuff with which i don't agree. (Sorry, love Sunday in the Park, don't see it as the start of his decline NOT AT ALL!)

but anything that delves into Sondheim, his lyrics and his life is always worth a read from me. And you, if you're like me :)

Enjoy. And you're welcome.

50th anniversary of West Side Story, wow!

2011-11-02T10:42:00.000-07:00

One of the best musicals of all time, wouldn't you agree?

Someone sent me the full opening dance sequence, and I thought it was well worth sharing. To me this is 9 minutes of joy. :)

More on Cirque du Soleil's tour to the Bay Area

2011-10-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

As I wrote back in June, a new Cirque du Soleil is coming to town.

Back then I only had ticket/discount info for the San Francisco leg of the tour, but now I have a discount code for San Jose too. So here are the deets:

WHAT: Cirque du Soleil’s latest touring production is called TOTEM
WHEN: TOTEM starts in San Francisco Friday, October 28th, 2011 and then opens on March 2, 2012 in San Jose.
WHERE: TOTEM will perform at AT&T Park in SF and at the Taylor Street Bridge in San Jose.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?: Well, straight from the horse's mouth: "TOTEM traces the fascinating journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. TOTEM illustrates, through a visual and acrobatic language, the evolutionary progress of species. Somewhere between science and legend TOTEM explores the ties that bind Man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential."

So, all I want to know is: Will there be shirtless flying men. Because that's been a much -loved staple of prior Cirque shows!!

And here is the discount info:

San Francisco Discount Link (20%)

San Jose Discount Link (15%)

Who's excited?

Disclosure: Cirque provided these discounts for me, and I may be able to go see the SF premier at no charge...but probably not because I will likely be traveling :( Maybe they'll let me go to San Jose instead.

New Cirque du Soleil show coming to the Bay Area, and I have discounts

2011-06-22T12:56:00.000-07:00

I have a lot of strong opinions, and I'm not shy to share them. (Hence the seven blogs, I guess.) One thing I don't opine about regularly, but feel very strongly about is Cirque du Soleil. When I saw Nouvelle Experience in San Jose way back in 1990, it was indeed a new experience, and I haven't missed a Bay Area tour since then. I've also seen Mystere, O and Love in Vegas.

Let's just say I'm a fan.

So, I'm pretty excited to learn that a new show is coming to the Bay Area this Fall. I'm going to get to go to a press preview and review it, and I'll share a couple of discounts for you here, as I hear about them.

WHAT: TOTEM by Cirque du Soleil
WHEN: Opens in San Francisco October 28, 2011, Opens in San Jose on March 2, 2012
WHERE: At AT&T Park in San Francisco and at the Taylor Street Bridge in San Jose

HOW TO GET TICKETS NOW:
San Francisco: Until June 25, ONLY Cirque Club members can purchase advance presale tickets for the San Francisco opening. You can join and take advantage of that here.
San Jose: You have a more time for early access (until September 17th), also by being a Cirque Club member and by using this link.

I've been a Circque Club member for some time now (it's free) and while there are a variety of offers and products available by being a member, the one thing I've always used it for is to get early access to tickets to impending shows.

IN addition to the pre-sale access, members will get $10 off Level 1, 2 or 3 tickets by using the above links.

WHAT WILL THE SHOW BE ABOUT?: I think it's generally pretty hard to describe what Cirque shows are about, so here's the official description from Cirque:

TOTEM traces the fascinating journey of the human species from its original amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. TOTEM illustrates, through a visual and acrobatic language, the evolutionary progress of species. Somewhere between science and legend TOTEM explores the ties that bind Man to other species, his dreams and his infinite potential.

So, I'm kind of hoping for a Julie Taymor's Lion King-ish Cirque du Soleil mash-up...wouldn't that be cool?

OK, there you go. You can look for a review from me of the show in October, so if you're in San Jose and are waiting for my "expert" opinion before investing, look for it then :)

Two openings this coming week

2011-05-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

The summer season in the Bay Area is heating up, so I wanted to share two openings coming up this week form theatre companies that reached out to me. (Did you know that? If you send me your info, I am happy to post about various Bay Area shows going on.)

1. Playfest 2011, produced by Woman's Will at the Phoenix Theatre

WHO: Woman's Will, the area's all-female Shakespeare Company
WHAT: Playfest 2011
WHERE: Phoenix Theatre, 414 Mason Street in San Francisco
WHEN: June 3rd and 4th only, 8PM
HOW MUCH: $30 VIP/$20 regular ***This is a Fundraiser event for the theatre***
WHERE TO PURCHASE: Online here
MORE INFO: Woman's Will website

DESCRIPTION: Woman's Will selected the best plays submitted from across the country. From serious plays contemplating the sacrifices and choices that a young woman must make when considering an abortion to playful plays summarizing what women truly want, Playfest 2011 celebrates subject matter that explores the range and depth of women’s experiences, throws light on the muscular talent of our overlooked female playwrights.

THE LINE-UP:
740 is Blue Ribbon by Nancy Gall Clayton
Blood Sisters by Robin Rice Lustig
1960 by Marilyn Hughes
After the Prologue by Carol S. Lashof
It's Good to Know by Megan Cohen
Counting the Minutes by Evelyn Jean Pine
The Suffrage Play by Woman’s Will

2. Assassins, produced by Ray of Light theatre at the Eureka Theatre

WHO: Ray of Light Theatre
WHAT: Assassins, by Stephen Sondheim
WHERE: Eureka Theatre, 215 jackson Street in San Francisco
WHEN: June 2nd-25th (8PM Thursdays, Fridays, 2PM/8PM Saturdays, 2PM Sundays)
HOW MUCH: $20-$36
WHERE TO PURCHASE: Online here
MORE INFO: Ray of Light website

DESCRIPTION: Well, if you've seen Assassins then you know it's sharp, dark, unexpectedly funny and full of Sondheim's usual haunting music and exquisite lyrics. If you haven't seen it, you may know of it as one of Sondheim's more controversial pieces. In this day and age of heightened political rhetoric and increasing gulf between the haves and have-nots, it's only more relevant and resonant than it was in its debut 20 years ago.

San Francisco Special: The Countess Katya Smirnoff-Skyy

2011-05-08T07:15:00.000-07:00

San Francisco is the absolute epicenter of the drag theatre universe. (OK, NYC might argue, but I don't have to listen to them.) Taking it to a higher level of theatre and performance art, one such show is opening this coming week and plays for two weeks only.

J. Conrad Frank has been evolving Countess Katya for six years, including monthly stints at Martuni's (every 3rd Sunday at 7 PM), but this show represents a big leap, as a full-length, stand-alone piece.

Here are the details:

WHAT: Katya Takes You Home: Songs and Stories for the Gypsy, Vamp and Vodka Drinker in Your Soul
WHEN: May 12-22, 2011
WHERE:
The Jewish Theatre
470 Florida Street,
San Francisco
WHAT TIME: May 12-14, May 17, May 19-21 @ 8pm, May 22 @ 4pm
HOW MUCH: $30 general admission, $20 students / seniors
HOW TO GET TICKETS: Tickets – starting at $20 – are available now via Brown Paper Tickets and Katyaʼs Web site

THE STORY: Katya tells tales of her well-travelled life, including struggling in Moscow as the daughter of a ballet prima dona, partying down in Ibiza with Ashton Kutcher, and giving show tips in Las Vegas to Tina Turner. It ends, of course, in San Francisco, where the now-fallen Countess has made her home as a Macy's cosmetics counter lady.

MORE INFO: The Countess Katya Smirnoff-Skyy

I'm in Detroit, NYC and Atlanta over the next two weeks (ah, the glamourous life) so unable to attend myself. If you go, enjoy! And come back and tell us all about it.

Who doesn't like Forever Plaid? And for $10 off?

2011-03-27T16:49:00.000-07:00

No one, that's who.

[I now fully expect to bring the Secret Society of FPHs (Forever Plaid Haters) out to tell me how wrong I am, and why there are SO MANY REASONS to hate it!]

I digress (and hallucinate).

If you're among the wise majority who think Forever Plaid is nothing but adorable simple good times, then you'll be glad to know it's being produced on the Peninsula, starting this week. It has played in the South Bay pretty frequently, but I'm not thinking of a recent production further North.

Until now, thanks to Broadway By the Bay.

The Deets:

WHAT: Forever Plaid
WHEN: MARCH 31—APRIL 17, 2011, 12 Performances only!
WHO: Broadway By The Bay
WHERE: Fox Theatre, Redwood City, 2223 Broadway Street, Redwood City, CA 94063-1641 (CalTrain accessible)
HOW TO SAVE $10: Click here and enter offer code: YELLOW
FINE PRINT: Restrictions may apply. Subject to availability. Not valid on previously purchased tickets. Excludes balcony and student tickets. Cannot be combined with any other offer. $2 Service Fee applies. Not valid on Target Family Matinee Series.

IN CASE YOU'VE BEEN LIVING UNDER A PLAID-LESS ROCK: Forever Plaid is a tuneful, clean-cut musical revue features 50s-style crooning by a foursome of (usually) adorable males. It features well-known songs, such as: “Sixteen Tons,” “Love is a Many Splendored Thing,” “Three Coins in the Fountain” and more!

Enjoy!

Memphis on Broadway, by way of Palo Alto, coming to a (movie) theatre near you!

2011-03-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

Did you get all that from the headline?

That's right: Memphis, the Tony-Award-winning musical, got its start right here in the Bay Area at Theatreworks. It went on to acclaim in NYC, and now it's participating in an interesting phenomenon that has popped up over the last few years.

A taped performance of Memphis is going to be shown in select movie theatres over a four-day period in late April/early May, produced by Fathom Events, which is part of National CineMedia. This has been going on with concerts and other live events for a while, but I'm not sure they've ever done it with a Broadway musical before, and certainly not with the reigning "Best Musical" on Broadway.

Another local tidbit: James Monroe Iglehart, a longtime local performer here in the Bay Area, traveled to NYC with Memphis and is still one of the featured performers.

There are lots of local showings.

So, my questions for you are: Have you ever gone to one of these kind of events before? Did you see Memphis when it was at Theatreworks? Or have you seen it on Broadway? And finally, of course, would you go see it in a movie theatre?

Opening this Weekend: Working at Foothill Music Theatre

2011-02-19T10:20:00.000-08:00

I've had the music for the musical "Working" for years and sung many a song (and heard others sing many a song) from it. But unbelievably: I've never actually seen it performed.

I have the chance to change that over the next 3 weeks because Foothill Music Theatre is performing it now through March 6th.

It's a show about working people and I have a feeling it's going to resonate pretty strongly during these difficult economic times.
And seriously, if you don't know the music? Great music by the likes of Stephen Schwartz, James Taylor, Craig Carnelia and more.

Here are the deets:

WHAT: Working, the Stud Terkel musical
WHERE: Foothill Music Theatre at Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Road, Los Altos Hills, CA
WHEN: 2/18-3/6. 8PM Thursdays/Fridays, 2PM and 8PM Saturdays, 2PM Sundays
HOW MUCH: $26 General Admission, with discounts for students, seniors and staff
HOW TO BUY TICKETS:
Phone: 650-949-7414
Online Here

MORE INFO: FoothillMusicals.com

Local theatre accepting applications for $1,000 theatre scholarship

2011-02-06T13:16:00.000-08:00

If you are or know a young theatre student, there's a local scholarship available from the West Valley Light Opera.

Here are the details:

The Board of Directors of the West Valley Light Opera Association has announced the 9th. Annual Gene and Cele Pincus Memorial Theater Arts Scholarship for 2011. For 2011 the award has been increased to $1,000.

The Gene and Cele Pincus scholarship will award, on a competitive basis, an amount of $1,000 to a Santa Clara County graduating high school senior who intends to pursue a career in Theater Arts and who has demonstrated a high degree of involvement in the performing arts throughout his/her high school career.

The applicant must be a graduating high school senior going on to a 2 or 4 year college; his/her intended college major must be in the Theater Arts; this includes Acting, Music (vocal), Dance, or Stage Production. Applicants must be a Santa Clara County resident.

Application details are on www.WVLO.ORG

Note, application materials must be postmarked no later than Tuesday March 15, 2011.

Email questions to WVLO@WVLO.org

$1,000 is pretty sweet, so let your young thespians know...they have just a little over a month to apply!

Karen Ziemba, a personal favorite...and I have to miss it!

2011-01-19T08:05:00.000-08:00

What are you doing next Thursday night?

Because Karen Ziemba, one of my favorite musical theatre performers, is coming to town to do a tribute to John Kander for 42d Street Moon, and I'm going to be in NYC that week.

So, I really think all of you should attend in my absence, and then come leave comments on how it was.

And your answer will be "stellar", I am sure.

I first remember seeing Ziemba in a Sondheim Celebration televised on PBS. She sang "Sonner or Later" from Dick Tracy, to a flummoxed Bill Irwin. She was hot hot hot.

She may not be singing Sondheim at "And All that Jazz" next week, but hey, it's Kander, as in Kander & Ebb. I think it's safe to expect other hot, hot, hot numbers :)

WHAT: And All That Jazz, a tribute to John Kander
WHO: 42nd Street Moon, featuring Karen Ziemba and Noah Racey
WHEN: Thursday, January 27th, 7PM
WHERE: The Alcazar Theatre, San Francisco
HOW MUCH: $70

Check it out.

And make me green with envy.

Spiderman delayed again

2011-01-14T16:39:00.000-08:00

Given I wrote about my concerns about the Broadway production of the new Spiderman musical, I thought I'd keep you posted that they've delayed their opening yet again. Another month.

It's kind of ridiculous. By the time they open (if they open) they will have had more previews than any other show in history.

But meanwhile they're charging full price for every ticket.

I'm going to NYC in a couple of weeks, but I'm not planning to try to see it. I'll let it run for some time without injury first!

Ah, the "What's Wrong with Broadway?" meme

2010-12-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

It rears its ugly head about as often as we hear "Where are the women in...[fill in the blank]?" meme here in Silicon Valley. It's the "What's wrong with Broadway?" meme, and having lived in NYC in the late 80s, you can imagine I've heard that question a time or two.

Kimberly Kaye tackles the issue for, of all things, The Economist. I didn't even know they had more of a lifestyle outlet entitled "Intelligent Life".

A factor Kaye brings up that I really hadn't thought about was the economy's impact not on Broadway, but on significant Off-Broadway houses...many have closed, apparently. And that leaves certain shows with more quirk, less sure-fire spectacle, with nowhere else to go but to attempt Broadway. Sometimes it works; often it doesn't.

It's a good read, and as she points out: Nothing new is wrong, specifically, with Broadway. Broadway has long been the most commercial of enterprises, vs. purely an artistic enterprise, and therefore it lives and dies by tourists and their dollars.

Could producers examine the model of lowering prices to bring in a higher volume of audience member? I think they should. It's part of a vicious cycle that's been going for decades...spectacle begets cost. Cost begets higher ticket prices. Higher ticket prices begets expectations of something "spectacular" is going to happen. Expectations beget spectacle. And so on. And this all also begets more dependence on tourists vs. theatre-loving locals.

Vicious circle, as I mentioned.

Here in the Bay Area, over the last few years my theatre-going habits have changed dramatically as I've had less time...but also due to that expectations cycle.

Of course, 42nd Street Moon is always on my list, since I'm on their board. And one of the things I like most about their productions is the intimate space and unamplified voices.

But my other theatre-going has shifted from a brief subscription with TheatreWorks and a very long-term subscription to American Musical Theatre of San Jose (AMT) to the more recent 3 years my S.O. and I have been subscribers to San Jose Rep.

With TheatreWorks, I felt like the prices (and local media hype) begat expectations they couldn't live up to for me. I wanted a level of quality I didn't feel I was getting for the price.

With AMT, I felt like they were resorting to more and more old and tired fare...to fill a 3,000 seat theatre they couldn't really be too out there...not too dissimilar from Broadway I suppose. When it became clear that our subscription was always going to include way more Camelot and Music Man than Spring Awakening or Assassins, we moved on from that subscription too.

Now, with San Jose Rep, we're seeing way fewer musicals, more straight plays.We're seeing more new works. We're seeing things we haven't see (a hundred times) before. And we really like it. And think we're getting our money's worth.

But it is not a big, commercial, for-profit theatre. And it likely never could be.

What's wrong with Broadway: The same thing that was always wrong with it.

But what's right with Broadway also remains: Amazing talent. Beauty, not just spectacle. The shared, live experience of something you can't get anywhere else.

I'm heading to NYC in late January, and I'll be saving an evening for Broadway, no doubt about it.

Thoughts on Spiderman, safety and a union's obligation

2010-12-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

If you're in theatre at all, you might be aware of the impending opening of the most expensive and complicated Broadway musical ever: Spiderman.

It certainly sounds uber-cool. U2's Bono and Edge provide the music and lyrics, and it's directed by Julie Taymor. She of the visionary Broadway version of The Lion King.

Broadway roles are hard to come by. Paying acting gigs are hard to come by. The percentage of Equity actors who actually make a living with their acting is horribly small. The actors who got that call that they had been cast in this show must have been over the moon happy about it.

But is it worth dying for?

And what s the duty of our union, as actors, to step in and shut something down when it is clear things are going horribly awry?

I'd say it's a pretty unmistakable moral duty.

The most recent of several serious accidents happened Monday night. An actor's cable snapped, and he fell 20-30 feet. They're not being incredibly transparent about his injuries, but latest reports cite broken ribs, internal bleeding and have him in serious but stable condition. Apparently undergoing back surgery. Nothing mentioned about head injury.

I'm prone to wonder about that, especially since one of the musicals lead actresses only recently returned form two weeks off due to concussion.She was hit in the head by a heavy rope and knocked out. Another actor broke two wrists during an aerial stunt.

A quite comprehensive look at the injuries and issues is here.

This show has been in development for years, rehearsal for months, and suffering technical setbacks, difficulties and these injuries since the very first preview (which is when the above-mentioned concussion happened). I don't mean to sound frivolous about the $65 million investment that's been made, but oh my God!

There are obvious safety issues. What else needs to happen to prove that? Sure, they can blame human error, and they are, but perhaps then they are asking the humans to do too much.

I think Equity (and OSHA) have an obligation to keep this show dark until every stunt and every set piece and every piece of machinery and equipment and every procedure and every failsafe and every fallback option has been thoroughly vetted...by experts. Not the same people who are already working on it. No, a new and fresh set of eyes and ears and hands.

Because a Broadway role...not worth head injury, not worth a broken back, not worth paralysis, and not worth dying for.

(PS-I think the same thing about sports, including cheerleading, in case you were wondering.)

What do you think?

Next up at 42nd Street Moon: Babes in Arms, a true classic

2010-12-05T17:24:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen Babes in Arms by Rodgers & Hart, you may wonder how that possibly could be once I list all the hit songs. Try this list on for size:

My Funny Valentine
The Lady is a Tramp
Johnny One-Note
Where or When?
I Wish I Were in Love Again
All at Once

Yes. All in one very hit-packed 1937 show. And one that is rarely produced anymore. You may have seen the movie...it's a classic Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney "Let's put on a show" affair, but I'm betting you haven't seen it on stage.

That's where 42nd Street Moon comes in. This is what they were created to do: Let you hear songs like those in their original context. And it's always fascinating.

The show opened this weekend at the Moon and plays for three weekends.

I wouldn't miss it, how about you?

Guess i won't be seeing this on my next NYC trip

2010-11-07T17:10:00.000-08:00

My last two trips to NYC have produced two wonderful theatre-going experiences: Bernadette Peters in A Little Night Music and Marin Mazzie in Next to Normal.

If I want to keep my streak going, according to my entertainment bible, Entertainment Weekly, I guess I betetr not see the new musical version of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. Their review is, um, negative doesn't cover it, let me just put it that way.

As the reviewer himself points out there's a ton of amazing talent on the stage...not least being Patti LuPone and Brian Stokes Mitchell (I've missed him). But that's insufficient to save the show, I guess.

Shame.

And I guess I'll be checking out something else. I just have no idea what.

42nd Street Moon's Next Opening: West Coast Premiere of Murder for Two

2010-10-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

It's a first for 42nd Street Moon (on whose board I sit). They're actually producing a West Coast premiere of a new musical, Murder for Two.

Here's the official scuttlebutt:

Join us for the West Coast Premiere of this hilarious new musical! Take two parts Agatha Christie, mix with one part old-fashioned musical comedy, add a dash of 21st century flair, and you've got Murder For Two, A Killer Musical.

An inspector arrives at an old, dark house to solve a murder and encounters a host of eccentric and cunning suspects. The twist? One actor plays the inspector, the other plays all 13 suspects, and they both play the piano!

It sounds like a great combo of a murder mystery, musical, and novelty play featuring multi-tasking actors...like Greater Tuna.

If you want to learn more, from the horses' mouths so to speak, here are some interviews with the creators on the 42nd Street Moon blog.

42nd Street Moon's Latest: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum

2010-10-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I'm off to see the season opener for 42nd Street Moon (on whose Board I sit).

The show is Stephen Sondheim's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and it's getting some bang-up reviews!!

Like this rave for the non-traditional casting choice for the role of Pseudolus, Megan Cavanaugh.

And this one from the SF Examiner.

I'm looking forward to it, and expect to be thoroughly entertained by a silly show with tremendously fun music and clever lyrics.

Learn more and get your own tickets here.

Broadway by the Bay moving for 2011 season!

2010-09-13T10:03:00.001-07:00

Just got a press release from Broadway By the Bay, and in addition to announcing their new season, they anounced that they're going to bring live theater back to the Fox Theatre in downtown Redwood City.

Peninsula Center Stage used to perform there before they disappeared.

BBB's current home is a former high school auditorium, and while it's not a bad facility, it is kind of off the beaten path and doesn't have a ton of character. The Fox, conversely, is right in the middle of a revitalized RWC downtown, and has all the character in the world. I wonder if it's been refurbished a bit though...I think it had seen better days, and its backstage isn't exactly roomy and well-equipped.

And traffic/parking downtown should get even more annoying, I'm guessing!

But all for a good cause.

Now, I wish BBB's new season was more enthralling to me...Forever Plaid, Gypsy and The Music Man are not at the top of the list of shows I need to see yet again in my life.

But I'm probably likely to see more BBB productions at this new location, than I was to go up to San Mateo.

How about you?

Next show on my list: "Chicago" at Hillbarn

2010-09-06T10:00:00.000-07:00

I like Chicago. I saw the original Broadway production, only not with the original stars Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon. I saw their replacements, including an up and comer named Anne Reinking as Roxie. We did, however, see the great Jerry Orbach.

My grandmother had originally bought tickets for us to see Pippin, but it closed and went out on tour, so Chicago was the replacement. Given the years the show ran ('75-'77) I'm guessing I was about 12 or so when I saw it. Needless to say, my grandmother walked out feeling a little mortified that the show was not exactly appropriate.

(I didn't know until years later that Pippin and its orgy dance sequence would have likely been even more inappropriate!)

The Hillbarn production stars my friend, handsome Will Giamonna, as Billy Flynn, and a frequent Foothill performer who I've always enjoyed, Alicia Teeter, as Roxie. And the theatre is about 10 minutes form my office, so I'm seeing a week night production in my future:

WHAT: Chicago, by Kander & Ebb, originally choregraphed by Bob Fosse
WHERE: The Hillbarn Theatre
1285 East Hillsdale Blvd., Foster City, CA
WHEN: September 2-26
BUY TICKETS: online or call: 650-349-6411
MORE INFO: Hillbarn Theatre website

Ray of Light Theatre: West Coast Premiere of Jerry Springer the Opera

2010-09-01T16:23:00.000-07:00

This one comes with some buzz attached...how do you make a lowest-common-denominator talk show host the fodder for a high-falutin' night at the theatre? See this show and find out:

WHO: Ray of Light Theatre (Their 10th Anniversary season if you can believe it!)
WHAT: The West Coast Premiere of Jerry Springer the Opera
WHERE: The Victoria Theatre in the Mission
WHEN: September 10 – October 16

WEB SITE: www.jerrysf.com and www.roltheatre.com

This was, ironically, a huge British hit, and hasn't played an extended run in New York. There have been regional productions, but this is the first on the West Coast. I'm looking forward to seeing how people react. Will they love it? hate it? Or like the namesake himself...is it something people will love to hate or hate to love?

If you like theatre blogs

2010-08-17T20:55:00.000-07:00

Then check out this list of fifty of them! (Including this one, natch.)

Link bait though it may be, it's a list I'm going to spend some time perusing to find other blogs to add ot my feed reader. (Like I need more blogs that I can fall behind on reading, but still...)

Enjoy!

Cool iPhone/iPad app for theatre lovers

2010-07-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

Got an email from NY producer Ken Davenport alerting me to an awesome new app for theatre lovers. Well, theatre lovers who find themselves in NYC often enough to care about what's playing. It's called "At the Booth", and it let you know what's up at the TKTS booth at what price.

Here's his blog post about it.

And here's the blurb my favorite magazine Entertainment Weekly published about it.

I downloaded it right away! (And I'm not even in NYC that often.) You should too :)

This Summer at Stanford

2010-07-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

Stanford Summer Theatre is presenting an interesting series based around the works of Homer this summer. The centerpiece of the myriad goings on is a fully-staged production of The Wanderings of Odysseus, originally produced in 1992 by the Mark Taper Forum for the Getty Museum in Malibu, directed by Rush Rehm (now Artistic Director, Stanford Summer Theater).

Adapted by Oliver Taplin, The Wanderings of Odysseus is the story of Odysseus’ return to his island home of Ithaca after the Trojan War. You'll know some of these stories: Circe, the Sirens, Calypso, the Cyclops, etc. I read the works of Homer in college and they certainly are epic tales that have inspired other works of art for millennia. (Perhaps my favorite: Suzanne Vega's song "Calypso".)

The Wanderings of Odysseus stars company members L. Peter Callender, Alex Ubokudom, Courtney Walsh, and Paul Baird and features live percussion.

It opened Thursday night and runs through August 15th.

WHAT: The Wandering of Odysseus
WHERE: Stanford Summer Theatre, the Nitery Theater (only 75 seats!)
WHEN: July 22 – August 15, Thursdays and Sundays at 7:00 pm, Sunday matinees at 2 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm
WHERE TO BUY: For ticket information, visit http://summertheater.stanford.edu, call 650-725-5838, or email summertheater@stanford.edu

BlogHer's big annual event is in less than two weeks, so I'll be off to NYC for a full week very soon. So timing doesn't seem good for me, but I held on to the email about this show for a long time, considering whether I could shove it into my schedule somehow.

The Lorraine Hansberry Theatre hit with two tragic blows in just over two short months

2010-07-08T08:36:00.000-07:00

As if this economic environment isn't enough (and as a board member of 42nd Street Moon, I know exactly how hard theatres are working for every dollar) the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre in San Francisco is going through even more devastating hard times.

Back in April one of the show's co-founders and its Executive Director Quentin Easter died.

A month ago the Bay Citizen chronicled how Easter's co-founder, companion and the theatre's Artistic Director, Stanley E. Williams, was recovering from cancer surgery, while trying to cope with the loss of Easter and the theatre's economic hard times.

A poignant quote from Williams in that piece states, "People are telling me to rest. But if I do that, we’ll soon be forgotten because we’re an African-American theater company."

Let's hope he's not right, because sadly Williams too succumbed to cancer last Friday.

The link to their press room says it all: The last two pieces of news from the company both start with the words "In Memoriam".

Williams had a long, storied career, and perhaps this will create a rallying cry in the theatre and philanthropic community to not let the LHT fade away...after all, what could be a less fitting tribute than to let that happen?

If you want to help their Fundraising page is here.

Big Grease fan?

2010-06-28T21:58:00.000-07:00

Then perhaps you've been waiting for the day you could singalong with the movie.

A la the recent Buffy, Sound of Music and other singalong movie showings, a singalong version of the movie Grease is opening around the country on July 8th. Including at the Metreon in San Francisco.

So, is this the "one that you want"?

Tell me about it [your Grease obsession], stud!

Indian Theatre Comes to San Francisco in West Coast Premiere

2010-06-26T12:05:00.000-07:00

Mahesh Dattani is a prominent Indian playwright and screen writer, and next month one of his works will be debuting in San Francisco. While a few Indian movies have broken into the mainstream here in the States, I can't think of another play that has done the same, at least a modern-day family drama type of play.

This area has a large East indian population, but hopefully the play reaches out to a multi-cultural audience. here are the deets:

WHAT: West Coast premiere of 30 Days in September by Mahesh Dattani
PRODUCED BY: The IndiStage
WHERE: Off-Market Theatre, 965 Missions St. in San Francisco
WHEN: July 23rd through August 1, 2010 (that's just two weekends)
HOW MUCH: $20
HOW TO PURCHASE: http://brownpapertickets.com/
MORE INFO (although not much): https://sites.google.com/site/theindistage/

DESCRIPTION (from the show's press release):

Mala’s childhood horrors are hardly behind her; well alive in the dark shadows of her family secrets, they continue to live in her hateful attachment to her mother. Unexpectedly comes along Deepak, with a hopeful promise to change everything with love, but he doesn’t know that he has only scratched the surface. This family’s secrets go far deeper than anyone imagined…

30 Days IN September takes an intricate and in-depth look into a typical atypical Indian family. It follows the painful journey of Mala, who after years of abuse and dysfunctional relationships meets Deepak, a man who refuses to stop loving her. But with his love comes a shattering reckoning and unearthing of darker, deeper secrets no one is ready for. With characterizations and an ending only Dattani can create, 30 Days in September promises an experience that will stay with you long after the performance.

If you see it, come back and share!

Do I need to Tivo Regis and Kelly?

2010-06-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

back in the day (ore specifically the late 80s) I actually used to watch Live with Regis and Kathie Lee. And I enjoyed it. There. Now you know.

It looks like I might need to Tivo this decades rendition, Live with Regis and Kelly, this week, because check out this week's guest-cohost lineup, courtesy of Playbill.com:

* Thursday, June 24: Kristin Chenoweth (co-host)
* Friday, June 25: Bernadette Peters (co-host)

Oh my goodness. One is my idol. (That would be BP...and how much do you think she's bumming about her initials right about now?) And one is, maybe not my idol, but definitely someone whose big big talent in a small small body is much-admired!

I'll probably be disappointed. I mean, of course I will be, it's not like co-hosting is going to entail one-hour concerts from them.

But maybe even one song will be worth it.

What do you think?

Where in the world will I be Monday nIght? The 42nd Street Moon annual gala of course!

2010-06-18T08:18:00.000-07:00

[Disclosure: I am on the board of 42nd Street Moon.]

One night only, just like every year, 42nd Street Moon brings its brightest talent together to perform in a fundraising gala for the theatre.

This year that one night is this Monday, June 21, and the theme is "The songs of Broadway and Hollywood in the 1940s". Which means lots of poignant WWII songs, I would imagine.

It's called Kiss the Boys Goodbye (see, there's that WWII connection) and I'll be there, along with the eight other folks I'm bringing.

I mean check out the composer list: Cole Porter, Harry Warren, Jerome Kern, Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, Johnny Mercer, Irving Berlin

I'll be honest: I don't know who those Rainger and Robin guys are, but everyone else on that list? The creme de la creme.

There's a cocktail reception and silent auction at 5:30, and the show starts at 7PM.

42nd Street Moon is doing something unique and preserving a truly American legacy: The musical theatre. If you're a fan of anything from Rodgers & Hammerstein to Ahrens & Flaherty, their work is part of keeping American musical theatre vibrant and appreciated. I hope you'll join me in helping them do just that. I'm sure you know the recession has hit arts organizations hard, so your $100 ticket makes a HUGE difference.

That's my pitch, so will I see you there?

New one-woman show brings Piaf to SF

2010-06-18T08:09:00.000-07:00

If you're a Piaf fan...either one of those obsessive kinds that think her music is the soundtrack of your life, or just someone who really enjoyed the recent Oscar-nominated biopic, you may be interested in this new show hitting the City ealr next month. Here are all the details:

WHAT: Piaf: Lover Conquers All
WHEN: July 7 - August 7, 2010 at the Eureka Theatre (215 Jackson Street, San Francisco, CA – near the Embarcadero).
HOW MUCH: $25-$36
HOW TO PURCHASE: 1-800-838-3006 or at www.brownpapertickets.com

WHO: Naomi Emmerson besides starring in the PIAF: CONQUERS ALL is also the show’s Director, Production Designer and Producer. Piaf was written by Quebec’s Roger Peace and Adam Blanshay is the Associate Director. Local pianist Alan Choy joins this Bay Area production.

VIDEO PREVIEW: http://www.tonepoetproductions.com/music-and-video.htm

SONG LIST: La Goualante Du Pauvre Jean, Mon Manege A Moi, Sous Le Ciel De Paris, Milord, Padam Padam, L’accordéoniste, La Vie En Rose, Hymne A L’amour, La Foule, C’est L’amour, Bravo Pour Le Clown, Les Blouses Blanches, Mon Dieu, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien

So, if you love Piaf I know you won't want to "regrette rien" and miss it!

Ha! That was a groaner, eh?

So, in keeping with my theatre-loserdom...

2010-06-16T07:40:00.001-07:00

...I slept right through the Tony awards this year :(

At 7:30 I was lying on the couch thinking, "Oh, awesome, I'm actually home and can watch the Tonys as they happen...well, tape-delayed for the West Coast anyway..."

At 12:30AM I woke up on the couch. Tony-less.

Sigh.

It sounds like it was a fun one too, what with the Glee element. Yes, I like Glee...while it started out painting really shrill stereotypical characterizations, particularly of the women characters, the episodes deepened over the season, until Glee was delivering some of the best dramatic moments on TV.

I also hear Sean Hayes was charming. I was wondering if there would be any references to the Newsweek dust-up, and I guess there was at least one.

This is probably the first year I missed watching the Tonys in I don't know how long. Even though I rarely have seen any of the productions anymore I still love watching, so bummer for me.

What did you think of them?

From a closing weekend to an opening one: Very Warm For May

2010-05-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I told you about a show closing its run, today I'm going to urge you to see a show where you actually have some time to get to it!

42nd Street Moon theatre (on whose board I sit) is opening the Jerome Kern "uncommon" musical "Very Warm For May" this weekend.

The Chronicle has a great article today that talks about the history of the show, how it was lost after its Broadway close, and how it came to be revived.

The show only plays for three weeks, so I urge you to get your tickets now!

WHAT: Very Warm for May by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II
WHERE: 42nd Street Moon Theatre
at the Eureka
215 Jackson Street
San Francisco, CA
WHEN: Now through May 23rd
HOW TO GET TICKETS: Online Here

Special events you should know about:

Special Family Matinee
:
Saturday, May 15
at 1 pm

Post-Show Discussions
with Director & Cast:
Sunday, May 9 & 16
at 3 pm

MOONShine - Young Professionals Night:
Wednesday, May 12
5 pm pre-show party
at the Old Ship
followed by a 7 pm show

Glitter & Be Gay - LGBT Community Night:
Friday, May 14
6 pm pre-show party
at the L'Oliviers
followed by an 8 pm show

Closing weekend for Sunnyvale Community Players' "Urinetown"

2010-05-05T15:29:00.000-07:00

Little know fact: I grew up in Sunnyvale and did more than my fair share of time with the Sunnyvale Community Players. I was in a couple of their Junior shows, then played piano for a couple of more. And long ago they used to do "Young Adult" productions (meaning high school and college age mostly) during the summer, and I did three of those in a row.

I'm actually not sure I ever did a regular old Adult production, now that I think of it, although I did spend a last-minute evening playing in the pit for "Oliver"!

This is all a preface to say that I hear tell their production of "Urinetown" is closing this weekend, and that it's pretty damn good. I know several of the folks in it, and looks like they have a good cast. The reviews on Artsopolis certainly support that!

I love "Urinetown", so if you're free this weekend and looking for something to do, it's your last chance!

Tony nominations announced

2010-05-04T06:48:00.000-07:00

Full listing here.

One really striking thing I noticed: Have they ever had so few musicals to choose from that one of the (only) four nominations for Best Original Score has been background score of a play????

Happy to hear any explanation about why that's not a sad statement about the state of the American musical today.

Also kind of interesting to me how Broadway is clearly a favorite destination of "serious" Hollywood actors right now. And Broadway producers, faced with mounting budgets, are gobbling that opportunity up to get a big name on their marquee. Lots of the Leading Actor/Actress nominations are folks better known for film.

"American Idiot" score a Best Musical nod, and some technical nominations, but nothing for actors or direction or book. And it wasn't eligible for score, since the songs were all already recorded.

Of course we're long past the days when I would have seen most (or even any) of these shows. I have no dog in the hunt, no opinion really.

How about you?

Sondheim on Sondheim opens

2010-04-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it: When I found out that Internet Week in NYC coincided with the run of Sondheim on Sondheim at the Roundabout, that pretty much sealed the deal for me: I am making a trip to the Big Apple in June.

Any one else?

NewYorkology has a very comprehensive wrap-up of the reviews, and they leave me intrigued and still thrilled I'm going to get to see it.

I haven't seen Barbara Cook perform live in year. I was part of a house papered with Equity members for the opening night of her Broadway one-woman show back in the late 80s.

She was amazing then, and by all accounts, she remains amazing two decades later. (Two decade. Ugh, I'm old.)

Have you seen it? Will you see it? Are you reading this blog but not a Sondheim fan???!!! (The latter being incomprehensible to me!)

Do tell.

Magic Theatre Announces 2010-2011 Season

2010-04-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

Magic Theatre announced its 2010-2011 Season:

The west coast premiere of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brothers Size, an unforgettable tale of brotherhood directed by Octavio Solis

The world premiere of Theresa Rebeck’s What We’re Up Against, a subversive comedy about men, women, and survival in the workplace directed by Loretta Greco

The west coast premiere of Liz Duffy Adams’ Or, a cross-dressing contemporary restoration comedy directed by Loretta Greco

The rolling world premiere of The Lily’s Revenge, a fantastical 5-hour cornucopia of theatre, party, and circus, written by and starring playwright and burlesque performer Taylor Mac.

Magic will also continue the development of new plays in the Martha Heasley Cox Virgin Play Series. These works-in-progress are presented as staged readings throughout theatres and cafes in San Francisco.

Details about the season will be shared in a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, April 13th at 6:30pm at Magic Theatre. Artistic Director Loretta Greco and special guest artists will share behind-the-scenes information about Magic’s exciting plans for next year. This event is free and open to the public.

You can find out a lot more detail about every play, its schedule and the playwrights/directors by visiting the Magic Theatre web site: www.magictheatre.org

Who can resist a show about the Tenderloin?

2010-04-07T16:38:00.000-07:00

I mean, they aren't in huge supply, right? So here's one to fill that void:

WHAT: Lady of the ‘Loin, a cabaret tale in story and song: a "sizzling tribute to San Francisco's raciest, raunchiest, most unrepentant neighborhood: the Tenderloin."
WHO: Songwriting team Don Seaver and Sean Owens with cabaret star Shannon Day
WHEN: Four Saturdays only at 10:00 pm. April 10, 17, 24 & May 1
HOW MUCH: $15-$25. Premium Tables for two, with champagne cocktail, $50.
WHERE: EXIT’s Stage Left Club, 156 Eddy Street, San Francisco.

For tickets: www.theexit.org

Here's a video clip (and wow, Ms. Day has a fabulous voice!):

42nd Street Moon announces their 2010/2011 season

2010-03-11T07:33:00.001-08:00

Greg MacKellan does the honors in this post on the 42nd Street Moon blog.

It's a very interesting season, and somewhat of a departure for the Moon.

First, because they're actually tackling a new musical that will be having its West Coast premiere at the Moon.

Second, because they're doing Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, not exactly the kind of "uncommon" musical they typically do.

Then there's the usual complement of Rodgers & Hart and Cole Porter :)

Greg explains more about the season in his post, so check it out.

And there is earlybird pricing on season subscriptions, so check that out too!

Standard Disclosure: I'm on the board of directors for the Moon.

Long list of theatre bloggers

2010-02-18T07:33:00.001-08:00

I wouldn't say being a theatre blogger out here in the Bay Area is a lonely endeavor, but it's not like it's an over-crowded market either!

So, it's kind of fun to check out the list of bloggers at the Independent Theatre Bloggers Association site.

You know what would be even more fun? If they pulled in an RSS feed of each blogger's headlines...or their Twitter streams. Something to lure you to click on every single one of the bloggers mentioned.

That's my free advice for the day :)

But in the meantime, enjoy checking out other theatre geeks!

The Tap App!

2010-01-24T18:28:00.000-08:00

OK, I'll bite.

I get a lot of PR pitches for some of my blogs, but not really this one. I guess theatre really is a niche subject. So, when I do get one, I definitely take a look. And sometimes, I bite.

Former Bay Area resident Eli Newsom runs a site called Tap Dance Made Easy, and now they have introduced the Tap App.

It includes both visuals and textual descriptions of the various tap steps.

Now, there are a couple of other tap apps, but one is more of a glossary of terms without the visuals, and the other seems to want to tech you to tap via stick figure drawing. (I know, don't ask me.)

So, for those of you who have always wanted to be the next Gregory Hines or the next Ann Miller, this app seems like a low-risk way to start your journey.

Plays that changed your life

2010-01-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

Hat tip to San Jose Merc theatre writer Karen D'Souza for pointing me to an article in the New York Times about the "plays that changed your life". D'Souza shares some of hers, including Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

And the answers in the NY Times run the gamut, from musicals to drama, new and old.

My list would have to include:

The original Broadway production of Sweeney Todd...kicking off my lifelong admiration for every note spilling out of Sondheim's brain

The original Broadway production of Fences, starring James Earl Jones...I alter saw his co-star, Mary Alice, in the elevator in the Equity Building, and it's one of the few times I actually spoke to a famous actor and told them what their performance meant to me.

The Steppenwolf production of Grapes of Wrath once it came to Broadway, starring Gary Sinise and Terry Kinney, and the Broadway production of House of Blue Leaves, starring Joh Mahoney, Swoosie Kurtz and Christine Baranski...truly as gripping productions as I have ever seen. And both featuring endings that leave you, I can only describe it as: Shattered.

It's funny, because I'm a musicals person. I rarely see straight plays, particularly these days when I see maybe one or two shows on broadway a year, if I'm lucky. But clearly, straight plays have wormed their way into my brain (and heart) pretty well!

So. What are yours?

Beach Blanket Babylon will be on Good Morning America

2009-11-24T16:29:00.001-08:00

San Francisco theatre institution Beach Blanket Babylon will be on Good Morning America next Thursday morning, as part of a live broadcast from Union Square. They have the yeoman's duty to show up at 4AM, as part of the 4-6AM broadcast (which will also show here form 7-9AM). Yikes! I hope there will be some brave souls braving the early hour (and cold temperatures) with them.

The broadcast will include the famous San Francisco Skyline Hat, as worn by cast memeber Caitlin McGinty. That hat is 11'4" tall, 10' wide and 4'4" deep and features the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, the Ferry Building, SF MOMA, a cable car and other city landmarks.

If you can believe it, I've never seen BBB! Sounds like Christmastime might be the time to see it, considering they do special Christmasy content.

If you're like me and have managed to live all these years in the Bay Area without seeing BBB, you can correct that by calling (415) 421-4222 or visiting beachblanketbabylon.com.

Review: Tommy at the Ray of Light Theatre

2009-10-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

The review is posted over at my personal blog.

Have you seen it?

Did you see the Broadway production? (I did, and I confess I didn't really get the Michael Cerveris brouhaha!)

Do you have fond memories of the Ken Russell movie? (I do, and looking back I'm shocked that my parents let me see that movie as an 11-year old!) You know you've seen the movie if your first thought about "Tommy" has something to do with baked beans, right?

Check the Ray of Light web site for more info on buying tickets. The show plays through november 7th.

Review: Schoolhouse Rocks Live at the Retro Dome

2009-10-04T09:12:00.000-07:00

They've extended Schoolhouse Rocks Live at the Retro Dome for another week, so my review can still have some meaning!

Two sentence review if you're too lazy to click: Nostalgic for grown-ups like me, while apparently still entertaining and effective for the many kids in the audience. Definition of family entertainment right there.

See Call Me Madam at the Moon. Order online and get $10 off per ticket!

2009-09-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

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.

Guess what I'm seeing this weekend: Schoolhouse Rocks Live!

2009-09-16T10:07:00.000-07:00

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.

Tommy, can you hear me?

2009-09-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

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

Oklahoma! at the Hillbarn Theatre

2009-09-03T07:43:00.000-07:00

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.

Follow Ray to London

2009-07-02T11:42:00.001-07:00

Bay Area theatre dude, Ray Renati, who often sends me tips and link, may be the self-proclaimed "oldest dude" to ever do a summer internship with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, but his midlife crisis (kidding! kidding!) is our gain because he's going to blog about it, of course.

And here's his first post: R.A.D.A., London and London Theatre.

I'm going to enjoy following his journey.

Hits are in the air...for the Magic and San Jose Stage

2009-06-18T16:35:00.000-07:00

Apparently Bay Area theatre goers enjoy attending theatre in May/June, because today I received two different emails about shows being extended past their original runs:

1. San Jose Stage Company is putting on a show that sounds...interesting...to say the least, namely:

THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL
Music and Lyrics by David Nehls
Book by Betsy Kelso
May 27 - July 5, 2009

There's a new tenant at Armadillo Acres, and she wreaking havoc all over Florida's most exclusive trailer park. When Pippi, the stripper on the run, comes between the Dr. Phil-loving, agoraphobic Jeannie and her tollbooth collector husband, the storms begin to brew. The Village Voice calls it "a show that actually lives up to the hype of its title." and, according to Broadway.com, "a sparkling, sharp irreverence lights up this musical and makes it one of the most laugh-out-loud shows in town."

According to the audience reviews on Artsopolis, it's the best thing since sliced bread.

But hey, see for yourself, they've got a clip on YouTube:

2. The Magic Theatre has extended another intriguing piece, called Mauritius:

MAURITIUS
By Theresa Rebeck
May 23 – June 28, 2009

Who knew stamp collecting could be so dangerous? A young woman unknowingly discovers the rarest of stamps in her dead mother’s inheritance. Can she maneuver her way past scheming collectors, greedy dealers, and her own sister all the way to the bank? Pulitzer Prize nominated and Emmy Award winner Rebeck weaves a wickedly smart thriller that will keep your eyes on the prize!

Have you seen either of these hot hits?

Broadway coming back to San Jose

2009-06-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

Team San Jose, the city organization that books the San Jose Center for Performing Arts, announced a partnership with the Nederlander organization to bring national tours of Broadway musicals back to San jose for the 2009-2010 season.

You can read all about it in the Merc.

While I'm glad, in general, to get more theatre to San Jose, it's still a shame for local actors and workers. Their inaugural season does look fun...including Spamalot, Avenue Q and Spring Awakening, any of which I would see.

But will future seasons be as current and interesting, or will we be back to tours of Sound of Music with Debbie Boone?

What do you think of this new plan?

Are you watching the Tony's tonight?

2009-06-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

Yet another year goes by in which I saw NONE of the nominated performances or productions. :(

I just spent all of last week in NYC and didn't have a spare evening to catch a show. I got some low-down from one of my local buddies about his thoughts (loved Hair, loved Alice Ripley).

The New York Times has a special Tony section, including a run-down of who has the best odds of winning.

Also, wrote a little post over at my green blog about how they're trying to "green" Broadway and the Tony Awards. If you're into the green movement at all, it's an interesting look at how even an old institution, working out of old buildings, with old traditions, can still work towards environmental responsibility.

But tonight I'll be watching as a complete outside observer, with no dog in the hunt, so to speak.

Except this (and feel free to call me a killjoy): I absolutely cannot wrap my head around this idea of nominating all three boys that play Billy Elliott to win the Best Actor in a Musical award.

See, there is a rule that you have to play a certain # of performances per week to qualify for a nomination. And since there are three of them splitting the role, none of them play it often enough to qualify.

To me, that should have been end of story, but no, they nominated all three to win the single award.

And I find it ridiculous. Anyone with me?

That's about all the pre-Tony commentary I got...how about you?

Guess who I just saw?

2009-05-31T16:27:00.001-07:00

Why, Ms Patti LuPone sitting in first class as I boarded a Virgin America flight to NYC!

I did actually catch her eye (my staring, doubtless) and came theesclose to simply saying "I love your work" or "I'm a big fan", as opposed to saying "Oh my God, I saw you play Evita when I was like 14 years old, and you were so awesome!!!!"

But I kept quiet.

When I sat down, back in my seat many rows away in Coach, I did ask the guy sitting next to me if he knew who Patti Lupone was.

Turns out, out of probably 200 people on that plane, I was sitting next to someone who works for her. Color me red-faced. he was nice, though, and gave me the program from a show she's touring about with Mandy Patinkin. I, of course, rambled on to him about how I'd seen them in Evita, and he kind of nodded and then put on his noise-canceling headphones.

I tweeted it for a while, and considered showing Patti's person the power of Twitter, as people responded, but I thought better of it.

I saw her later at Baggage Claim, and she was being perfectly nice to people who approached her, but I had a brush with fame's handler, not fame itself :)

One Night Only Cabaret Fundraiser for AIDS

2009-05-23T10:10:00.000-07:00

If you like good entertainment and a good cause, sounds like the J’LaChic Theatre 39, on Pier 39 in San Francisco is the place to be this June 15th. Cast members from the touring companies of both Wicked and Spamalot will be on hand, and the fund raised will benefit The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation (REAF) and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

here are the deets as I know them to be:

WHAT: The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation (REAF) presents a special One Night Only Cabaret
WHO: With cast members from the casts of Wicked and Spamalot with special guest, TOP SHELF
BENEFITTING: REAF and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
WHERE: J’LaChic Theatre 39, on Pier 39 in San Francisco
WHEN: June 15th, 2009 at 7:30PM
HOW MUCH: $40 General Reserved and $65 Preferred Reserved.
HOW TO ORDER: Phone: 415-273-1620 or Online www.helpisontheway.org. A limited number of tickets are also available for the dessert party with the cast at the Hard Rock Café below the theatre on Pier 39 for an additional $25/person.

A little background info: The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation has worked with over 25 touring casts to date to produce "One Night Only Cabaret" events. To date, REAF has distributed well over $2 million to AIDS service agencies.

Heading to the San Jose Rep tonight

2009-05-16T16:43:00.000-07:00

Tonight the S.O., my folks and I are headed downtown to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at the San Jose Rep.

I actually saw the national tour of the show when it came through San Francisco a few years back, but it should be fun to see it again, especially with some local faves in the cast. Faves like Molly Bell and James Iglehart, among others. Kudos to SJ Rep for casting local!

Hopefully I'll have time to write a review and let you know what I think. In the meantime...did you see it? And what did you think?

A chance to represent for the Arts at San Jose City Hall this Tuesday

2009-05-09T15:05:00.000-07:00

Got an interesting email from the San Jose Stage Company asking for our local community to stand up and represent for the arts at a San jose City Council meeting this Tuesday:

Please join San Jose Stage Company and fellow members of the San Jose Arts Alliance* to make a visual statement in support of Arts Funding at the 7pm session of the San Jose City Council Meeting on Tuesday, May 12th at San Jose City Hall.

Our goal is to mobilize as many Board members, staff, artists, and supporters of San Jose arts organizations to attend the Public Hearing on the Proposed Operating & Capital Budget for FY09-10.

At the May 7th Budget Study Session, District 3 Council member Sam Liccardo, who is also our Arts Commission Liaison, proposed that the City look for ways to shore up funding for arts organizations, like San Jose Stage Company and other members of the Alliance. Other council members supported this proposal.

As a follow-up we need to show a major presence at the 7pm session of the May 12th Council Meeting.
Wear a black shirt

We will provide a sticker with a red letter A that says "Support SJ Arts."

If you really want to speak you can, but the main goal is to present a visual representation to the City Council regarding the number of constituents who support the arts.

Our message is simple -- the Arts add value to our city and we are requesting that the City find ways to shore up the declining TOT - Transient Occupancy Tax (hotel tax) to ensure our grants remain at the current levels.

It's a Wildcat Weekend!

2009-05-08T21:14:00.000-07:00

So last Sunday's Board Dinner for the cast/staff of Wildcat was a lot of fun, and my vegan dinner from Golden Era Vegetarian Restaurant went over like gangbusters!!

Along the way I got to see a bit of the show (which opens tomorrow, FYI) and it was not at all what I was expecting.

The one song I know from it is the quite perky "Hey, Look Me Over", but the scenes I saw being rehearsed on Sunday were a little darker than that song would lead you to expect.

I'm looking forward to seeing it all, and that perky song in context!

For a little more info, check out an interview with Wildcat's director, Kalon Thibodeaux, over at the 42nd Street Moon blog. And check out this article from the San Francisco Examiner.

Disclosure: I'm on the board of 42nd Street Moon

Tony Nominees Announced

2009-05-05T06:23:00.000-07:00

You can see the full list here.

Apparently hair metal rock jukebox musical Rock of Ages, starring American Idol Season 4 6th place finisher Constantine Maroulis got a nod for Best Musical. And Maroulis himself got a nomination for Best Leading Actor in a musical! And if those aren't odd sentences, I don't know what would be.

Intrepid blogger and twitterer Jane Fonda got a nod for Best Actress.

In what may be a first, all three boys playing Billy Elliott have been nominated together as Best Actor in a musical. Frankly, I think seems that's incredibly lame. Granted, I haven't seen the show, but are they really saying all three boys are Tony caliber? Did they nominate all three so as not to hurt anyone's feelings? It's just weird. If they're all three just that good, then give them 3 of the 5 nominated slots.

Lots of star power not nominated for their performances this year. I'm sure someone will round that up. But nice to see that veterans like Angela Lansbury, Carole Shelley and Stockard Channing still got it.

Who's a surprise or who's missing in your book?

And congrats to all the nominees!

When blogging worlds collide: Theatre and Green??

2009-05-04T13:28:00.000-07:00

Ultra-intrigued to see this Ecorazzi post about New York's first LEED-certified Broadway theatre!

The full text of the press release can be read here. There is a ton of great info about all the ways this theatre has been built to be green (and how the former building on the site was torn down and re-used, again to be green.

The Roundabout Theatre will be in residence there. They of the current celebrity-filled Waiting for Godot.

Cross-posted from my green blog...and it's not often I write those words!!

Spending my Sunday at the Moon

2009-05-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Later this afternoon I'm heading up to see a run-through of 42nd Street Moon's newest show, Wildcat. The Moon has this nice tradition where the Sunday before Opening, two board members provide dinner for the cast and crew, who will be in the middle of a very long day.

It's a way to let the cast and crew know that the theatre supports them and is invested in their success. This will be my first time providing dinner, and I'm hoping everyone will be cool with the fact that I'm providing a vegan dinner from Golden Era Vegetarian Restaurant. (Of course I told management that I was bringing the vegan.)

I've never worked at another theatre where they did this, and in fact I don't think they did this back in the 90s when I did shows there. It's a nice touch.

The 42nd Street Moon blog has an interview with Wildcat star Maureen McVerry up right now, and she points out something else that has become rare amongst theatre companies:

"The Moon is such a positive company. It has a very refreshing attitude about putting on shows and retains a sense of joy and community that other theater companies don’t have. Come to think of it, I don’t know of other companies that even practice communal vocal warm-ups."

I think some community theatres must still do group warm-ups, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Moon is a rarity amongst professional theatre companies.

Anyway, I've never seen Wildcatand know very little about it except that it features the famous song "Hey, Look Me Over!". Looking forward to a fun afternoon/evening getting an early look at it!

Cool to use Facebook, but how about more info please?

2009-04-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Got an email today about the next show at the Pear Avenue Theatre in Mountain View, William Congreve's Way of the World. The email was an invite from the show's Facebook page. It's playing May 8-31 at their Mountain View space.

I haven't seen a good Restoration comedy since I was in college probably, when I was in a production of the The Country Wife.

The Facebook page has a nice synopsis of the play, but what neither it, nor the theatre's web site, have more info...like a cast list! Or photos.

I love a cast list, personally. I want to know who I know.

In the rush to use social media tools, which can be so highly customizable and personalized, sometimes traditional web sites are stripped down before the social media site is beefed up!

Maybe they were never providing this info anywhere, but if so: We love to see cast lists, don't we?

Or is it just me?

[UPDATE: Just got a note from Ray Renati who, it turns out, actually helps Pear Avenue Theatre with their web site. He told me the following: "The site got hacked last week and I had to pull it down completely and rebuild it from scratch. I am putting up a detail page about the show and the cast today. Just FYI." Editor's comment: Yay!]

Nice run-down of the 42nd Street Moon '09-'10 season

2009-04-21T16:21:00.000-07:00

Playbill.com has a nice run-down of next season at 42nd Street Moon here. Although, you gotta love the typo in the headline! ouch.

Disclosure: I'm on the board of 42nd Street Moon

42nd Street Moon revives blog, hooray!

2009-04-17T14:54:00.000-07:00

Of course I'm biased because:

a. I'm now on the board of 42nd Street Moon and

b. I used to write their old blog

But I'm quite happy to see that they've brought someone on board to revive their new blog, and their Facebook fan page too.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Emily Goligoski brings to the table as she helps get the word out about 42nd Street Moon.

Next trip to the theatre: Shadows of Pompeii, again

2009-04-15T16:33:00.000-07:00

Some weeks ago, a friend and I made a trip to the Moon Space to see an early concert reading of a new musical form the composer of Romance, Romance. It needed work, to be sure, but it had but a short time frame in which to do that work, considering it's opening tomorrow at 42nd Street Moon!

I'm going back this Sunday to see it in this new, staged incarnation, and I'm anxious to see what they've done.

According to the book author, RC Staab, "The main love relationship has been strengthened, clarified and intensified, lyrics have been rewritten, songs have been re-ordered, a new opening has been written and, importantly, the volcano Vesuvius appears as a major character in its own right."

Staab also sat down with Chad Jones to describe his perspective on that fateful reading:

“That audience was brutal,” Staab says over coffee in his downtown San Francisco neighborhood. “One guy wanted us to change the location of the show from Pompeii to Herculaneum. Another wanted the volcano to erupt at the beginning of the show. I was fairly depressed the next day.”

I can see that. We were, indeed, brutal.

But we're going back for seconds, so that's gotta mean something, right?

Disclosure: I'm on the board of 42nd Street Moon

Another stellar review of High Spirits, even after the fact

2009-04-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

Chad Jones delivered some high praise indeed for 42nd St. Moon's production of High Spirits in this post:

If you happen to be in New York these days, you can pop in on the revival of Blithe Spirit and see Rupert Everett, Jayne Atkinson, Christine Ebersole and the redoubtable Angela Lansbury in the roles, and lucky you. But it’s hard to imagine that starry foursome being funnier or more charming than the 42nd Street Moon crew.

Wow, pretty nice!

I saw it last Saturday, the day before they closed, myself, and enjoyed it very much. Chad brings up the point that there's not much commercial point to reviewing it so late, but I suppose I will eventually get around to it anyway!

Disclosure: I am now on the board of 42nd Street Moon

When blogging worlds collide

2009-04-09T07:28:00.001-07:00

Over on my personal blog I like to publish recaps of American Idol, and have been doing so since Season 3. On this blog I talk theatre.

Today these worlds collide, as the Broadway musical Rock of Ages opens, starring American Idol Season 4 contestant, Constantine Maroulis.It is basically a Jukebox musical, featuring the glam rock music of the 80s.

Imagine my surprise when the New York Times, of all publications, gave it a rave review!

Don't know if that will get me to the theatre, but I guess judos to them.

So, is Rock of Ages the kind of show you'd see if you only had one night in New York?

2009-04-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Patty Duke, currently appearing as Madame Morrible in Wicked, has been added to the line-up as MC of the upcoming ne-night only benefit to raise funds for The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

The benefit cabaret evening will also feature performers from the casts of Wicked, Grease and Burn the Floor.

WHEN: Monday, April 13, 7:30 pm
WHERE: Club Fugazi, home of Beach Blanket Babylon, 678 Green Street, SF

The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation has worked with over 25 touring casts to date to produce "One Night Only Cabaret" events and looks forward to another successful evening benefiting these worth-while charity organizations. To date, REAF has distributed well over $2 million to AIDS service agencies.

Tickets for this "One Night Only Cabaret" range from $25 to $100. Tickets are available by phone by calling the Beach Blanket Babylon box office at 415-421-4222. A limited number of tickets are also available for the dessert party with the cast at nearby Joey & Eddie’s Restaurant at 1652 Stockton Street for an additional $20/person.

For additional information, please contact Ken Henderson, Executive Director, The Richmond/Ermet AIDS Foundation, at:

415-931-2515 or
ken@richmondermet.org.

San Jose Rep: The Kite Runner extends

2009-04-02T17:39:00.000-07:00

According to the Merc the Kite Runner will run through April 26th.

Good for them...happy they have a hit on their hands, and one generated by local talent!!

In case you missed it, here's my review.

Reviews For High Spirits Are In...

2009-04-01T12:50:00.001-07:00

...and they are quite gushy!

The San Francisco Examiner exclaims:

Those in charge of opera houses and Broadway productions should flock to 42nd Street Moon’s tiny Eureka Theatre on Jackson Street to learn about doing a better job.

It’s where the 1964 Hugh Martin-Timothy Gray musical “High Spirits” (based on the 1941 Noel Coward play and 1945 film “Blithe Spirit”) opened Saturday, in a production that stands as a shining example of good judgment, judicious use of available resources and artistic excellence.

Wow.

The Examiner also seems to be saying that there will be a Broadway revival of High Spirits soon, starring Angela Lansbury, Christine Ebersole and Rupert Evertt...that's quite a cast!

The Contra Cost Times raves:

Cavanagh is just stunning in the Arcati role — extremely funny and worth the price of admission on her own. Gaffney, McBride and McVerry are a hilariously confused love triangle. The highlight of the show is the role of the maid, played by Rena Wilson who stumbles zanily through the house in her ill-fated attempts to please.

Nice.

I'm not going myself until the second-to-last performance on April 11th, but if you're interested in beating me to it you can visit the 42nd Street Moon Facebook page for more info, and go here for the online box office.

Let me know what you think.

Quite a rave review for Broadway revival of Hair

2009-04-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

I'm not remembering the last time I heard Ben Brantley axing quite so rhapsodic as in his review of the revival of Hair. This is a production that started at the Public this summer and has moved to Broadway, apparently to singlehandedly revive it.

In my crowd in high school, we didn't go see Rocky Horror at the midnight movies. We went and saw Hair. I've seen that movie many times and could practically replay the entire thing in my head. The only time I have ever seen it live and in its original incarnation was at my alma mater. SJSU did a production back in the 90s, I believe. I was so struck by how different the musical actually is than the movie, it was distracting. (Sort of like Wicked: If you love the book, you will realize after 5 minutes that Wicked, the Musical! is certainly inspired by the book, but it's not trying to present the book in musical form.)

So, normally, Hair wouldn't be tops on my list of Broadway musicals I need to see.

Brantley's review makes me re-think that, what about you?

Review: San Jose Rep's The Kite Runner

2009-03-29T12:29:00.001-07:00

A moving night at the theatre. Explained as best I can without giving away any plot spoilers, over at my personal blog.

Anyone else seen it?

My theatre schedule: Foothill, SJ Rep, Lyric Theatre, 42nd Street Moon

2009-03-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

OK, after months of being in a live theatre desert, I'm hitting a busy two week period, filled with theatre-going opportunities.

Last night we went and saw Bat Boy at Foothill Music Theatre. It closes today, so unless you movie quickly, you've missed your chance, but we really enjoyed. it. I saw it at TheatreWorks a few years ago, and really wasn't that into it...I felt it lacked the inherent heart that a show of similar style and tone (LIttle Shop of Horrors) had. BUt last night's production convinced me that this was a problem of direction and acting approach, not the piece itself. When you take your characters absolutely seriously in the face of completely absurd comedy, it's the only way to make the audience care from curtain to curtain. Foothill and Jay Manley excel at that approach, which is why I've typically enjoyed Foothill productions of such shows more than TheatreWorks.

Next Saturday night we're seeing The Kite Runner at San Jose Rep. Great book, local connections, world premiere. Fascinated to see how they adapt this to the stage. I didn't see the movie, so only have the book in my head.

On April 11th, my birthday, I'll be seeing High Spirits at 42nd Street Moon. This is the musical adaptation of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, which I've never seen. This will be the first show I've seen there in a while, and since I joined their board. Last time I went they were still holding binders and doing staged concerts, so it should be quite fun to see them to more traditional stagings. I love the glamour of this photo of Dyan McBride as Elvira.

That leaves only one question mark. A good friend is playing Guenevere in the Lyric Theatre's production of Camelot. I don't understand these theatres that do runs of only two weekends. We lead busy lives, people, come on!! I don't know if I can make it. There is literally only one date that I can make, and I need to check with the S.O., but it's on a week night...which he usually totally shuns for social activities (this is a night owl software engineer, folks.) I'll have to play it by ear :(

So, seen any of those? What's on your March/April theatre agenda?

Although she doesn't read them, Jane Fonda's reviews look good

2009-03-15T15:53:00.001-07:00

As I blogged a few weeks ago, Jane Fonda is blogging and tweeting up a storm, which is how I know that she decided not to read her reviews of her first Broadway performance in 46 years: 33 Variations.

Too bad, because the NY Times review was very kind indeed.

So, do you read your reviews?

I could never resist.

Hey, I totally forgot to blog: I've joined 42nd Street Moon's Board!!

2009-03-13T19:45:00.000-07:00

Can't believe I forgot to blog this, but last month I joined the Board of Directors of 42nd Street Moon, a very fine purveyor of "uncommon musicals" in San Francisco.

Back in the 90s I did about five shows with Moon, and they have come a long way since then. They no longer do only "staged concerts". Back in my day we held binders containing the scripts, and we just wore some nice outfit of our own as a costume. The best we really went for was that it was somewhat evocative of what kind of costume the character might wear. These days 42nd Street Moon is doing more full-fledged productions.

Why did they want me on the board? Well, they did know me from not only my acting days, but from my Worker Bees days, as I did some marketing and social media consulting for them.

They wanted to grow and diversify the board. I think I'm the only Silicon Valley type, the only entrepreneur type, the only Internetty type. They also wanted help, at a high level, re-thinking how they market and brand themselves, and how they get their word out.

One new way they're getting their word out is their Facebook fan page.

You can also check out their impending productions on Facebook. Sure you could check out the season on their web site too, but isn't it fun to check it out somewhere interactive where you could leave a little comment if you wanted too?

The next show is High Spirits (a musical version of the Noel Cowad play, Blithe Spirit.)

Gotta figure out when I'm going, because it starts previews this coming week (Thursday to be exact)! And only runs through April 12th.

Hmmm. It closes on my birthday weekend. Maybe I'll talk to the S.O. about spending the weekend in Sn Francisco!

OK, enough real-time life planning on my blog. This was big news, and I can't believe I didn't share it until now. I hope I'll see y'all at a 42nd Street moon show soon (or every 42nd Street Moon show, I should say.) Like any arts organization right now, they are feeling the pinch of the bad economy. I hope I can help them get through this with flying colors!

Once on This Island in Berkeley

2009-03-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite musicals is actually a fairly rarely produced one: Once on This Island, by Ahrens and Flaherty, the pair who brought you another favorite musical Ragtime. The score is especially tuneful, and the story is sweet and poignant.

Turns out The Berkeley Playhouse is producing the lovely show, but I only heard about it now, when it ENDS this weekend, March 13,14 and 15. I leave tomorrow morning for Austin, TX, for the annual geek fest SXSW.

For those of you who are in town, you might want to check it out, especially if you've never seen it. The production is directed by Kimberly Dooley, with musical direction by Phil Gorman and choreography by Dane Paul Andres.

Showtimes: Friday 7:30, Saturday 3 and 7:30; and Sunday 1 and last show @ 5. Tickets are $22/$28 available online at www.berkeleyplayhouse.org

If you go, let me know how it is. So I can be more jealous.

Not Just Jane Blogs...

2009-03-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

I totally meant to post this on this blog before I left on vacation, and instead I posted it on my Worker Bees blog about social media marketing and business. (Good thing it was somewhat relevant there too.)

Anyway, what I meant to post was:

NewYorkology has a list of other Broadway shows that are blogging or otherwise participating in social media.

See, my Worker Bees business (originally started to help arts and non-profit organizations leverage blogging etc.) was totally ahead of its time!

Jane Fonda and her Broadway Blog

2009-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

Have you heard that Jane Fonda is back on Broadway (after 45 years) and that she's blogging it?

Now, it's not such a surprise as you may think. Fonda has always been plugged into media. Not just because of her marriage to Ted Turner. No, she also has been either a founder or founding board member of a couple of women's oriented media companies...the late Greenstone Media and the current Women's Media Center, most notably.

The site includes various features, including a slide show of personal photos you likely haven't seen before, but the intriguing part for this blog's audience is her blog from backstage of her new Broadway show, 33 Variations.

I think Fonda has taken to her blog like a duck to water...now will she keep it up? Come raves or pans? Come closing night? Who knows, but I'm enjoying it.

Graduating Seniors, here's a chance for $500 for college

2009-01-29T23:26:00.000-08:00

Got the following little note from Jay Sternin from the West Valley Light Opera Association.

WHAT: The 7th annual Gene Pincus Memorial Theater Arts Scholarship for 2009.
HOW MUCH: $500
DETAILS: The scholarship will be awarded, on a competitive basis, to a Santa Clara County graduating high school senior who intends to pursue a career in Theater Arts and who has demonstrated a high degree of involvement in the performing arts throughout his/her high school career. The applicant must be a graduating high school senior going on to a 2 or 4 year college; their intended college major must be in the Theater Arts; this includes Acting, Music (vocal), Dance, or Stage Production; they must be a Santa Clara County resident.

DEADLINE: Application materials must be postmarked no later than Tuesday March 10, 2009. For application details please see www.wvlo.org. Or email questions to WVLO@WVLO.org.

Going to see staging of a new musical tonight

2009-01-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight a friend and I are going to see a staged reading of Shadows of Pompeii, a new "dramatic musical" from the Broadway composer Keith Hermann (Romance, Romance).

Tonight the show will be performed with actors holding scripts, and they'll be looking for feedback, but the show will be presented in a fully staged workshop production in April at the Eureka Theater, and there are plans to submit to a major new works festival in NYC. Tonight's reading is booked beyond capacity, but I've got an in because 42nd Street Moon is helping with backing.

Led by Director Dianna Shuster, former artistic director of American Musical Theatre of San Jose, "Shadows of Pompeii" features nine local actors (see cast list below). The show features a score by the afore-mentioned Tony-nominated composer Herrmann and libretto by Bay Area playwright R.C. Staab.

STORY: Shadows of Pompeii is a full-length, fully-staged workshop production of a dramatic new musical that that tells a story of a young female artist's desire to express herself and to live life to the fullest in the shadow of the male-dominated Roman Empire in Pompeii 79AD. Lila is a young woman fervent about painting, despite Roman society restrictions. She paints a mural of Pompeii's governor, Tiberius, who is furious at the artist's treatment and imprisons her. Yet, he is enticed by her fervor and passion. When Lila paints his portrait in prison to appease Tiberius' wife, they slowly discover their attraction for each other. Will Lila and Tiberius' love be fulfilled? The musical echoes our fast-paced world where tragedy can happen at any moment or the eruption of a volcano can alter lives forever in an idyllic seaside town.

CAST
Juliet Heller
Russ Lorenson*
Lane McKenna*
Sean Patrick Murtagh
Lillian Askew
Alex Rodriguez
Mike Figueira
Mauricio Villa-Lobos*
Stephen Vaught

*Actors indicated with an asterisk are members of ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION, the union of professional actors in the United States.

I'll let you know what I think after I see tonight's production.

In case you were wondering what's up with the Magic Theatre

2009-01-11T17:23:00.000-08:00

Per my earlier post the Magic Theatre joined other local theatres in being in dire straits.

They are very very close to their $350K goal (only $39,500 away), and if they reach it an anonymous donor will give them another $100K.

But KCBS is reporting that it is far from a done deal that they'll raise that last remaining piece.

They've gone into rehearsal on their next play assuming they will make it.

I've given a bit, how about you?

January 2009: Reports of Broadway's death no longer seem greatly exaggerated?

2009-01-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

Hard to read this article from the NY Times, by Christopher Isherwood, and not feel like Broadway is suffering a decline from which it may be hard to recover.

Talk about depressing:

"...more than a dozen plays and musicals — almost half of the current lineup, incredible though it may seem — get ready to close by the end of the month."

So, there were only little more than 24 shows running (musical and plays) in the first place? Yikes.

I remember seeing the final performance of Song and Dance on Broadway. Betty Buckley had taken over the role from Bernadette Peters (who I also saw). Song and Dance is by no means a great show, and is written by my least favorite wildly successful composer. But it is a tour-de-force opportunity for any great singer/interpreter...which both Peters and Buckley most certainly are.

The thrill was in watching those two perform, not in the show itself.

Isherwood is right that final performances have a certain extra bond between performer and audience. More people out there in the dark are likely to know the people on stage more intimately. Either because they actually really know them, or because they're diehard fans.

Betty brought her dog out on stage for her curtain call with her, and stayed out there a good long time soaking up the adulation. People around me shouted out to Betty...and her dog....by name.

Every night in the theatre is unique, is its own, not just the closing night. I saw the closing performance of Song and Dance. I also saw the 5000th performance of A Chorus Line (when "One" was performed by lottery winners who had performed in regional, summer stock and community productions of A Chorus Line). I saw the first post-9/11 performance of The Producers...when the cast and audience stood together at the end and sang "God Bless America". I got up on stage with Ian McKellan during his limited run of Acting Shakespeare.

Looks like it's going to be a grim winter on Broadway, but I can only hope, fervently, that the singular magic of live theatre brings the audiences back...the minute they can afford to do so.

The Merc critic picks her Top 10 of 2008, do you agree?

2008-12-30T16:36:00.001-08:00

Karen D'Souza picks her 2008 Top 10 in Theatre here.

It is:

Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage at Berkeley’s Shotgun Players
Splitting Infinity at San Jose Rep
The Andersen Project at Berkeley’s Cal Performances
A Midsummer Night’s Dream at SF’s Best of Broadway Series
Caroline, or Change at Mountain View’s TheatreWorks
Bone to Pick at SF’s Cutting Ball Theater
Coronado at SF Playhouse
The Devil’s Disciple at Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre Company
Tragedy: a tragedy at Berkeley Rep
Wishful Drinking at Berkeley Rep (and later San Jose Rep)

Of which I saw a whopping ONE, Splitting infinity at the Rep.

So, clearly 2008 was not the year I can judge her picks, because my own theatre-going was so sporadic.

How about you? Anyone agree/disagree/have their own list?

Another theatre doing a desperate fundraising drive, this time The Magic

2008-12-30T08:11:00.001-08:00

If you visit San Francisco's Magic Theatre's web site today you'll be greeted by this notice:

MAGIC THEATRE ON THE VERGE OF CLOSING

Please donate now to save this treasure of American Theatre

San Francisco's nationally acclaimed new plays theatre, MAGIC THEATRE, is on the brink of shutting its doors. Now in the midst of a staff shutdown, MAGIC may be forced to cancel the remainder of its season and close for good. To keep our doors open we must raise $350,000 by January 9, 2009. This will allow us to bring back our staff, go on with our season, and remain responsible to our creditors. You can make a difference! Please help us save this historic institution.

Our core value of risk over commercial gain makes MAGIC a challenging endeavor in any economy, and in going forward, MAGIC is committed to a new model of financial stability for a new world-- without compromising our mission. Today however, MAGIC's accumulated debt of $600,000, combined with sharp declines in earned and contributed revenue due to the global economy, place us in imminent peril of shutting our doors.

For 42 years, San Francisco's MAGIC THEATRE has been central to the cultural life of the Bay Area and beyond, giving life to some of the most important, diverse, and powerful voices of contemporary American artists, including four Pulitzer Prize winners. From its humble beginnings in a Berkeley bar, MAGIC has emerged as one of the crown jewels of American Theatre. Please donate now.

The closing of MAGIC THEATRE would be a great loss for artists and audiences here and across the country. The second largest theatre in San Francisco, MAGIC employs 200 artists annually and touches the lives of tens of thousands of people. We need to keep our artists and our work on the stage!

The Board remains committed to MAGIC's new plays mission and in concert with the staff has been proactive in drastically cutting its $2 million budget by over $300,000 and raising additional funds in an attempt to close the gap between MAGIC's expenses and revenue lost as a result of the recession. With rehearsals for MAGIC's next production--Tough Titty by Oni Faida Lampley--slated to begin in early January, MAGIC must raise $350,000 within the next twelve days in order to continue its 43rd season. Please donate now.

Artistically, MAGIC is thriving, building upon its rich legacy under the artistic direction of Loretta Greco, who joined the theatre last spring. The critical success of the first two productions of this season demonstrate the rigor MAGIC passionately brings to each aspect of new play production — and the hoped for excitement, awe, and wonder that come from watching great art play out for audiences.

We need YOU to help us raise $350,000 by January 9, 2009. Please help us keep our doors open by making a donation today of $15.00 or more. Please give whatever you can to save MAGIC THEATRE. No amount is too small or too large. Each of you can make a difference.

What with AMTSJ closing its doors, and Shakespeare Santa Cruz needing to do a desperate plea like the Magic's, these are not good times for arts organizations.

And while the Magic might do theatre a bit more off the beaten path, commercially-speaking, AMT had tried to stay in there by doing absolutely commercial shows.

So, what theatre is doing really well financially, I wonder? Anyone know?

Hat tip: Bay Area Stage & Screen

New Marketing for a Struggling Broadway

2008-12-26T14:05:00.000-08:00

The NY Times has an interesting article today about how Broadway is turning to the Internet and new marketing as a way to try to survive and thrive in these times.

While they do cite some examples of truly innovative and creative uses of the medium, most notably by the creator/star of In the Heights, they also talk starry-eyed about some stuff that's just the same old tired marketing delivered via new web 2.0 tools.

That show's producer has it right when he says: "“Technology is the tool, not the destination,” Mr. McCollum said. “The destination is a live audience.”" He also opines: "His theory is that the more people gravitate toward technology, the more they will hunger for human interaction."

Exactly right.

And text messaging to enter a sweepstakes or contest may indeed use a new channel, but it's not delivering that promise of human interaction. Starting a walled garden social network attached to a Broadway show site is also using modern technology, but not embracing the modern concepts of distributing and participating all across the Internet where your audience is already hanging out, rather than trying to lure them to you.

When I started my Worker Bees consulting practice, I focused on local theatres because I thought blogging and other social media had tremendous promise to bring new and existing audience members backstage virtually and make them feel as much an integral part of any live performance as, in truth, they are.

Then, as now with BlogHer, I have a core belief that one size does not fit all in this new media world. I can't imagine why some of the ideas being tried, as described in the Times article, would actually bring people into the theatre, hearts racing as the lights dim.

But the creator of In the Heights using his own time and talents to develop something unique and share it with the world? Now, that could inspire a trip to the theatre next time I'm in NYC!

cross-posted to the Worker Bees Blog

Shakespeare Santa Cruz saved

2008-12-22T16:02:00.000-08:00

Unlike AMT, which continues to be unsaved, Shakespeare Santa Cruz found enough donations during a do or die fundraising period to stay afloat. Source: San Jose Mercury (and apparently there will be a story in tomorrow's paper about it.)

The Marsh's new Winter-Spring season

2008-12-09T17:52:00.000-08:00

The Marsh Theatre at 1062 Valencia in San Francisco just announced their new season, and as usual it's full of unique, fresh fare, featuring young, local talent:

Here's the season, which actually kicks off with an extension of something playing right now, and then digs into six more shows:

EXTENDED!
January 3 – January 25, 2009
Carlo D’Amore’s
NO PAROLE
Directed by Margarett Perry
Thursday, Saturday at 8 pm & Sunday at 7 pm
Tickets: $15-50
In this wry, energetic adventure play, No Parole takes you on a wild journey through the life a flamboyant, live-for-the-moment con artist mother, who has no trouble posing as an attorney, professor, daycare worker, or nun—as seen through the eyes of her young son who acts as her look-out, bail and partner-in-crime. From Peru to the streets of New York, No Parole provides a hilarious look into the life of an extraordinary woman and the son who must save her from herself.

January 8 – January 17, 2009
Marga Gomez’s
LONG ISLAND ICED LATINA
Two weeks of Workshop Performances
Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8 pm
Tickets $15-$50

Gomez continues to workshop this intoxicating comedic memoir of her awkward adolescence in Massapequa, Long Island, mixing equal parts cultural confusion, chronic virginity, mother-daughter instability and a splash of polyester fashion to paint a sardonic picture of her uprooted life as the new brown girl in a white high school.

January 16 – February 14, 2009
Brian Copeland’s
NOT A GENUINE BLACK MAN
Friday, 8 pm; Saturday, 5 pm
Tickets: $20-50
Not A Genuine Black Man returns to celebrate its fifth anniversary at The Marsh, the proud theatrical producer of what became the longest running solo show in San Francisco history. In 1971, San Leandro was named one of the most racist suburbs in America. Congressional hearings were held. The next year, the then eight-year-old Brian Copeland and his African-American family moved to San Leandro. In a monologue that's both funny and poignant, Brian explores how surroundings make us who we are. Join us for an evening of laughter tears and ociology.

January 30 – February 8, 2009
Marsh Youth Theater’s Teen Program
FEARS OF YOUR LIFE
Directed by Kim Epifano
Times to be confirmed
Tickets: $12 General Admission; $6 Student Rate
Marsh Youth Theater's new Teen Troupe is partnering with Epiphany Productions to produce Fears of Your Life. Based on the book of the same name by Michael Bernard Loggins, an artist with developmental disabilities at Creativity Explored, Fears of Your Life uses dance, music, poetry, video and huge paper mache puppets to explore our relationship with the sometimes serious and often humorous things that scare us—from our tear ducts to our funny bone. Monsters, speeding bus drivers and hugs from someone you don’t like are only some of the fears that stalk the stage in this exciting production.

February 19 – April 5, 2009
Press Opening Saturday, March 7
Charlie Varon’s
RABBI SAM
Thursday and Saturday at 8 pm
Sunday, February 22, March 1, 15 and 29 at 7 pm
Sunday matinee at 2 pm on March 8 and 22
Tickets: $18-50
Rabbi Sam tells the story of a rabbi who wants to reinvent American Judaism, and the congregation that hires him. Some people love the new rabbi. Some can’t stand him. And, of course, some can’t stand each other. Varon plays all 12 characters, including the rabbi and eight contentious board members. Funny, moving, bursting with energy and ideas, RABBI SAM is a play for Jews, Gentiles and anyone who has ever attended a meeting.

April 2 – 25, 2009
Press Opening, Friday, April 10
Carolyn Doyle’s
LIFE AS A REFRIGERATOR MOTHER
Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm
Tickets: $15-50
Carolyn Doyle’s Confessions Of A Refrigerator Mother, a serio-comic look at raising a child with special needs. The piece is a multi-media exploration of a day-in-the-life of a nine-year-old boy and his family as they navigate the mysterious world of autism.

May 1 – June 6, 2009
Press Opening: To be announced
Dan Hoyle’s
RIGHT?
Thursday through Saturday at 8 pm
Tickets: $15-50
Dan Hoyle, who won the 2007 Will Glickman award for best new play, brings us Right? —a 100 day, thirty state journey through small-town and rural America. Meetings with cowboys, frontiers men, soldiers in training, drug dealers, aryan brotherhood executives and many others….

WVLO's Plaid Tidings

2008-12-07T12:03:00.000-08:00

We saw the closing performance of Plaid Tidings last night, so I can't encourage to or dissuade you form going, but here's my review over on my personal blog nonetheless.

Sondheim's latest at the Public...will it be Broadway Bound?

2008-12-07T11:48:00.001-08:00

Today's NY Times features a story on frequent Sondheim musical director Paul Gemignani's scion and current Sondheim start, Alexander Gemignani. He's starring in the third incarnation of Sondheim's musical about the Meisner Brothers...first called Wise Guys, then Bounce, and now: Road Show.

No mention of whether Road Show will be Broadway Bound, and with shows closing left and right on Broadway, I wouldn't want to have a new show on its way there right now.

I'll probably be in NYC in January or February, though, so I'm going to remain hopeful.

More on AMT's demise

2008-12-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

This time from the Bay Area Stage blog.

Like the BAS blogger I am totally both bemused and amused by the Theatre of the Stars president's comment:

"...we were working with them behind the scenes on solutions. San Jose apparently took matters into its own hands and sent out a press release [on Monday]"

Reminds me of John McCain's contention that he had to go negative because Obama didn't want to do 16 town hall meetings. As though one had anything to do with the other.

Grumble grumble.

Wow, did you hear the one about AMTSJ?

2008-12-03T15:25:00.000-08:00

And the fact that it's closing!!!???

And all because another theatre (Theatre Under the Stars in Atlanta) totally screwed them. I mean totally. I mean, it sounds like they basically stole money from them.

Details in this Merc piece.

I was a subscriber to AMTSJ for many years. I didn't actually mind when they transitioned to doing mostly tours and contracted shows with non-locals. I thought the quality actually went up a bit when they started doing that, as sacrilegious as that might sound. We finally didn't renew our subscription a couple of years ago...after about 15 seasons.

It was mostly the fact that they started producing only "crowd pleasers"...including showing many shows I never really needed to see again, let alone every five years, which is how it felt. Shows like Music Man and South Pacific and Camelot. Yawn.

Still, I am very sorry to see such an ignominious end to a local institution.

Again: Wow.

Holiday Theatre Plans?

2008-11-22T08:45:00.000-08:00

So, what theatre are you going to see during this holiday season?

The one confirmed show on my list is the latest offering from San Jose Rep, which is the only season subscription I have: Around the World in 80 Days. It doesn't seem particularly holiday-ish, but perhaps it qualifies simply by being very festive. I'm seeing it in a couple of weeks.

The other show I need to see and have yet to buy tix for is Plaid Tidings over at the West Valley Light Opera in Saratoga. It's a Christmas-focused sequel to Forever Plaid, and this production features a couple of guys I know. I have to get off my butt on this one, since it only plays through December 6th! (What up with that anyway?)

Finally, my buddies over at Bus Bar Theatre in Los Altos are putting on Seasons Greetings, which sounds like a wacky, holiday farce from playwright Alan Ayckbourn. It's playing through December 20th, like any good holiday show should!

What are you going to see this holiday season?

One night only: A Little Night Music on Broadway

2008-11-17T15:23:00.000-08:00

Well, how intriguing: The Roundabout Theatre is putting on a one-night concert reading of Sondheim's A Little Night Music on January 12, 2009.

The pricing is a bit out of my league:

Pricing:
Premium Tickets at $2,500, includes pre-show reception with cast, premium seating, open bar at intermission, and post-show cast party ($2,150 tax-deductible)
Reception Tickets at $1,000, includes house seats and post-show cast party ($750 tax-deductible)
Orchestra/Front Mezzanine Tickets at $500
Mid-Mezzanine Tickets at $250
Rear Mezzanine Tickets at $150 SOLD OUT

But I would be very intrigued to see this cast at work:

Natasha Richardson as Desirée
Victor Garber as Frederick
Christine Baranski as Charlotte
Laura Benanti as Anne
Marc Kudisch as Carl-Magnus
Vanessa Redgrave as Madame Armfeldt

Particularly Garber. He of course got his start in musicals, but has since gone on to do non-musical work on stage and major bad-ass work on TV!

Intriguing, but probably not in the cards for me...how about you?

West Side Story Broadway revival casting announced

2008-10-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

I loves me some West Side Story, from the movie to the community theatre. Despite how complex and difficult WSS is to put on, it's actually hard to screw it up...the material is just that strong and stands up just that well. IMHO of course.

I didn't know it was coming back to Broadway, and I actually would have to think about whether I'd shell out the big Broadway bucks for it, the cast is, if nothing else, international and intriguing.

WSS is one of my top favorite musicals fo all time, and probably in the top 2 or 3 if you take Sondheim out of the equation. What about you...does this go on your lsit?

SJ Rep on the menu

2008-10-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

Going to see Splitting Infinity at the San Jose Rep tomorrow night.

I probably hadn't been to the Rep in half a decade when we got the mini-season for a wedding present last year. We decided to renew, and it's been a nice change of pace from our usual 100% musical theatre menu. The last show was The Foreigner, which I never did write an official review for, but it was quite good.

I was familiar with The Foreigner because the summer stock theatre I apprenticed with back in the mid-80s did it the first season I was there. It's from back in the early 80s, but it holds up fairly well.

While The Foreigner is more light fun, Splitting Infinity is supposed to be "smart and witty." I'm pretty wiped out from a week of travel, hitting three cities in 6 days, so I think I better get some good sleep tonight, or I won't be able to keep up with the smart and the witty.

I'll keep you post on what wins: the wit or the exhaustion.

You know I loved it on Broadway, but does it play in SF?

2008-10-01T20:58:00.000-07:00

I'm talking about Tony-award winning Spring Awakening winding up its run in San Francisco.

Despite an annoying experience with the show's PR person (you can read all about it here) I did see this show in NY, loved it, and highly recommend it.

I have at least one friend who saw it here in the City and loved it as well...and I was really wondering how he would react to it, since he's a big fan of, let's say, the Golden era of musicals, not the modern era. He also said that despite a rapturous audience, the house was far from full. Which is sad.

What's also sad is that I'm traveling this weekend and next, and so am going to miss it.

Anybody out there see it yet? What did you think?

What? Rufus was going to write an opera for the Met, and now he's not!?

2008-08-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

If you are a theatre person. but not familiar with pop start Rufus Wainwright, you probably should be. He is the purveyor of a brand of expansive, theatrical pop music that should appeal to actual theatre aficianados.

I learned this morning (via the NY Times) that Rufus is working on an opera, and that it was origianally intended to debut at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. But it won't.

Why? Because they're idiots! Seriously. Rufus was raised in Montreal and was writing the opera with a French libretto. The Met insisted it should be presented in English. He didn't feel like complying.

Isn't this the same Met where they've featured operas in about 10 different languages? It's not the City Opera we're talking about here? And isn't this the same Met that has featured supertitles with English translations for decades?

What's the BFD?

Oh, because he's a pop star you hope he'll bring in "the yoots", and they might not come if it's not in English? I can only imagine that must be the Met's thinking, but my thinking would be that Rufus probably has a fairly sophisticated fan base who could handle the Frenchiness.

So, now he's taking it to some Festival in England for its debut nextyear instead.

Boo! Silly Met!

I might actually get to the theatre next month!

2008-08-24T10:04:00.000-07:00

I've been head down, focused on my company (BlogHer) for a few months now, and I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a movie in the theatre or stepped out to the live theatre itself. (It was probably when I was in NYC and saw SUnday in the Park.)

But next month I may actually hit the local theatre scene three times! What's on my agenda?

1. We were given a mini-subscription to the San Jose Rep as a wedding present last year, and we decided to renew. It's really very convenient, and having a built-in excuse for a date-night several times a year is a good thing in our (or at least my) workaholic world. Their season opener is The Foreigner by Larry Shue (who also wrote The Nerd). Back when I did summer stock during the summers of 1985 and 1986, we did The Foreigner. I wasn't in it, so instead i got to see it as an audience member. I remember it being quite charming and amusing, but I'm wondering how it will hold up some 25 years after its initial debut. I'll find out, I guess.

Side note: San Jose Rep honestly needs some help on their web presence. The show, and therefore their season, opens in a week and there is still no link to more information about the play, just the little blurb on the home page. Plus they have a link to their "new blogs:, which still features a "blog" by their now-gone Artistic Director, and another "blog" by the Managing Director...whose actual goal is only to post once per month (and he doesn't always achieve that.) I mean I know I'm a bad blogger too, but this ain't a marketing tool for a business here, you know? End side note.

2. Having never seen it, I'm a bit intrigues to see San Jose Stage Company's Altar Boyz. I've heard the show is fun and funny a la Forever Plaid or Nunsense. It stars friend CJ Blankenship, who I haven't seen perform in quite some time.

Anybody out there seen Altar Boyz and can vouch for it as a fine evening's entertainment?

3. It's a no-brainer that I'm going to see Broadway By the Bay's Into the Woods. One of my favorite shows, and starring some of my favorite performers, including buddy Paul Araquistain in one of his dream roles he has yet to play, the Baker.

Those are my September theatre choices. What are yours?

Sondheim's "Bounce" gets new life as "Road Trip"

2008-08-15T17:44:00.001-07:00

Well, I had no idea at all that Stephen Sondheim was attempting to revive his last (and ill-received) work, formerly known as Bounce.

Playbill Online has the story here: Sondheim Explains Evolution from 'Bounce' to 'Road Show'

I am not a huge fan of the Bounce CD, so I'm curious to see if this is worth reviving. Foothill's Jay Manley tells me I'm wrong, plain wrong about not liking Bounce, and I think he actually saw it, so he may indeed be right.

What I found much more exciting about the article, though, was that it talked about Sondheim working on both another new musical and a book...an annotated lyrics project:

Now, Sondheim and Weidman are faced with the problem of what to ponder other than how to musicalize the Mizners. Happily, they're already "discussing" another show to fill that void.

"But I'm spending most of my time writing a book," said Sondheim, meaning his tome of annotated lyrics. "It's going to be long. I'm not, by nature, a prose writer, but I'm literate, and I have a couple of people who are vetting it for me, whom I trust, who are excellent prose writers."

Now, those projects I can get excited about!