Saturday NightJulius J. Epstein (Book); Stephen Sondheim (Music & Lyrics)42nd Street MoonThe Cast of Saturday NightWhile it is not that unusual to hear about a first-born baby arriving late, forty-three years is probably some kind of a Guinness world record. That is exactly how long it took Stephen Sondheim’s first musical, Saturday Night, to receive its first … [Read more...] about “Saturday Night”
3.5 E
“Cowboy Versus Samurai”
Cowboy Versus SamuraiMichael GolamcoPear TheatreChuck Lacson A delightfully entertaining, laugh-out-loud funny, and altogether sweet Cowboy Versus Samurai by Michael Golamco, is now receiving a staging at Pear Theatre. Four twenty-somethings are all in search of their true identities; and their journeys’ bumpy routes are full of racial, personal, and … [Read more...] about “Cowboy Versus Samurai”
“OUT of Site”
OUT of SiteSeth EisenEye Zen PresentsCast Members of OUT of Site“We have been here, laying the stones, paving the way for you.”The ghosts of LGBTQ heroes of the past 150 years come to life in the very back alleys, neighborhood bars, and hidden basements where they lived in both flair and fear in what we now know as North Beach, San Francisco. Twenty or so of us are led on a … [Read more...] about “OUT of Site”
“Non-Player Character”
Non-Player CharacterWalt McGoughSan Francisco Playhouse, Sandbox SeriesDevin O'Brien, Annemaria Rajala, Tyler McKenna & Emily RadosevichAs #MeToo revelations proliferate from the worlds of business, entertainment, politics, education, and beyond and as stories continue to emerge of high school and college students being harassed online by jealous and spiteful classmates, … [Read more...] about “Non-Player Character”
“Insignificance”
InsignificanceTerry JohnsonDragon Productions TheatreJim Johnson & Jessica Lea Risco Terry Johnson’s 1982 play, Insignificance, imagines that in a cheap hotel four people come together for a few short hours – people so universally recognizable that they are only referenced as The Professor, The Senator, The Actress, and The Ballplayer. Their … [Read more...] about “Insignificance”
“Rent: 20th Anniversary Tour”
Rent: 20thAnniversary TourJonathan Larson (Book, Music & Lyrics)Broadway San JoseThe Cast of Rent: 20th Anniversary TourA year ago, “Rent: 20thAnniversary Tour” rolled into San Francisco for a multi-week run at the Golden Gate Theatre, resulting in many rave reviews from critics and audience members alike (including this reviewer). A year later, the tour that began in … [Read more...] about “Rent: 20th Anniversary Tour”
“A Christmas Story: The Musical”
A Christmas Story: The MusicalBenj Pasek & Justin Paul (Music & Lyrics); Joseph Robinette (Book)San Francisco PlayhouseThe Kids of A Christmas Story: The MusicalFor those who celebrate it, Christmas universally evokes feelings of nostalgia based on memories that often seem even more precious and wonderful than the actual events may have actually been, especially when it … [Read more...] about “A Christmas Story: The Musical”
“The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes 2017”
The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes 2017D’Arcy Drollinger & Matthew Martin, DirectorsVictoria TheatreMatthew Martin, Heklina, D'Arcy Drollinger & (in front) Holotta TymesThere are many ‘only-in-SF’ traditions all year round, including during the holidays. The Embarcadero buildings light up to be seen from Marin County to Oakland. SantaCon (which … [Read more...] about “The Golden Girls: The Christmas Episodes 2017”
“Singing in the Rain”
Singin’ in the RainBetty Comden & Adolph Green (Book); Arthur Freed (Lyrics); Nacio Herb Brown (Music)Broadway by the BayThe Cast of Singin' in the RainAs the orchestra ticks through well-known number after number during the “Overture,” the music swells until the one everyone knows is coming begins its familiar float of notes. And at that moment, a man in hat and with … [Read more...] about “Singing in the Rain”
“An Enemy of the People”
An Enemy of the PeopleHenrik Ibsen, Adapted by Rebecca LenkiewiczPear TheatreThe Cast of An Enemy of the People Rebecca Lenkiewicz has stripped Ibsen’s original play of some of its extraneous moralizing and sidetracks for a slimmer version of An Enemy of the People that brings the nineteenth century story right into 2017 relevance. Pear Theatre is now staging this 2008 … [Read more...] about “An Enemy of the People”
“Million Dollar Quartet”
Million Dollar QuartetColin Escott & Floyd Mutrux (Book)Palo Alto Players The Cast of Million Dollar QuartetMillion Dollar Quartet finds its way to the Palo Alto Players stage, featuring two dozen songs guaranteed to ensure audience toe taps, head bops, and hand claps along to familiar beats and rhythms. The musical is a staged … [Read more...] about “Million Dollar Quartet”
“Henry IV, Parts One and Two”: Day 8, Plays 9 & 10, OSF Ashland 2017
Henry IV: Parts One and TwoWilliam ShakespeareOregon Shakespeare FestivalOregon Shakespeare Festival this season offers the rare opportunity to see what one might call William Shakespeare’s ‘Falstaff Triad.’ Along with The Merry Wives of Windsor, the third in the so-called Falstaff sequence, Henry IV, Part One and Henry IV, Part Two document parallel journeys of the … [Read more...] about “Henry IV, Parts One and Two”: Day 8, Plays 9 & 10, OSF Ashland 2017
“Merry Wives of Windsor”: Day 1, Paly 1 TheatreEddys at OSF Ashland 2017
Merry Wives of WindsorWilliam ShakespeareOregon Shakespeare FestivalFirst, two rather bizarre-dressed women and then an entire stage of quirky characters dance onto the multi-level Elizabethan stage, looking as if they had arrived from some sort of “Alice in Wonderland,” fractured-fairy-tale costume party. All are rocking out, singing in ‘80s-familiar harmony, “I wanna … [Read more...] about “Merry Wives of Windsor”: Day 1, Paly 1 TheatreEddys at OSF Ashland 2017
“Warplay”
WarplayJC LeeNew Conservatory Theatre Center JC Sclazo & Ed BerkeleyHow inevitable is it that most boys will play war when they are kids, that plastic helmets and swords will be badges of honor to wear, and that lifelong bonds will often form with other guys as they tumble on the fields of backyard battle? And how likely is it that those same boys will grow to be men … [Read more...] about “Warplay”
“Grandeur”
GrandeurHan OngMagic TheatreCarl Lumbly“Time is the greatest writer of us all.Time has written over what I’ve written. Time has made me more moving than I set out to be and less potent than I was before.”Time’s march toward some inevitable but as-yet-undefined end for one man is an underlying tension point in Han Ong’s new play, Grandeur, now in its world premiere at Magic … [Read more...] about “Grandeur”
