The SF Bay Area Theatre Blog

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

Labels: Foothill Music Theatre

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?

Labels: 42nd Street Moon, Foothill Music Theatre, Lyric Theatre, San Jose Rep, TheatreWorks

Is up at my personal blog.

Labels: Foothill Music Theatre, My Fair Lady

I saw My Fair Lady, the inaugural production in the new Lohmann Theatre at Foothill, last weekend. It's a lovely, intimate production that packs a surprising wallop.

I still need to write my full review, but in the meantime, you can read the review at the Metro.

I totally agree with the reviewer talking about the lack of real believable dirtiness on the part of Eliza and her Covent Garden cohorts...they were a shiny sparkly bunch with a few artfully placed and quite evenly distributed smudges of dirt. I'm not sure My Fair Lady needs to get the nitty-gritty naturalistic treatment, though, so I was pretty OK despite that little quibble.

I've always had a little trouble with the interplay between an incredibly arrogant and verbally abusive Higgins and Doolittle, and especially with her coming back in the end (and the whole giving him his slippers thing...ugh!) This production doesn't necessarily eliminate that discomfort, but it certainly plays up her feistiness and transformation into not just a "lady", but a woman who has self-regard.

And no handing him slippers. Thankfully.

Have you seen it? I hear it's totally sold out at this point! except maybe on Thursday evenings.

Labels: Foothill Music Theatre, My Fair Lady

I saw Carousel last weekend, but only had the time to sit down and record my thoughts just now...sorry about the delay, especially given the show closes this weekend.

The review is here over at my personal blog, where I do all my reviewing.

And I will give you the same warning about bias with which I kick off the review:

Bias to the positive: I know the two leads and the director, and am inclined to like them and their work.

Bias to the negative: Carousel is on my list of "shows I never have to see again", and truth be told I saw this precisely because of bias to the positive listed above. Moreover, I'm not even a Rodgers & Hammerstein fan in general. They have two other shows on my aforementioned "never have to see again" list. [Sound of Music and South Pacific, if you must know.] Oklahoma! is my favorite R&H, but I'm not sure it would even make my top ten list.

Meanwhile there are plenty of people who think Carousel is one of the greatest musicals of all time. I could say "what do they know?" And they could say the same about me!

There is no accounting for taste, and you should bear that in mind when reading my review which, to be honest, rambles on a lot more about the show itself than about this production. (A pet peeve of a least one friend of mine...who hates when reviewers do that.)

Caveat Lector :)

Labels: Carousel, Foothill Music Theatre, Musical Theatre, theatre