Chad Jones’ Theater Dogs

Here’s some interesting local theater news — some high-powered casting, a Skywalker-y night out and, be still my heart, the return of Kiki & Herb:
Carl Lumbly, last seen on TV’s “Alias,” heads the cast of Jesus Hopped the `A’ Train, the next show at SF Playhouse. Other cast members include Susi Damilano, Daveed Diggs, Joe [...]

American Conservatory Theater’s first-ever cast album _ for last year’s superb Happy End by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill _ is released Tuesday (Jan.30) on the Ghostlight Records label.

The CD _ the first English-language recording of the score _ is beautifully produced by David Frost and preserves music director/conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos’ excellent work with a [...]

Julia Mitchell (left) is Mona, Eleanor Mason Reinholdt (center) is Sissy and Candice M. Milan is the mysterious Joanne in California Conservatory Theatre’s production of Come Back to the 5 & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Photo by Patrick Tracy.
(opened Jan. 25, 2007)
A group of friends gathers at a small-town Texas reunion to untangle the [...]

Laura Bell Bundy (in pink, naturally) as law student Elle Woods faces off with a law professor (Michael Rupert), much to the delight of fellow student played by Kate Shindle (left) in Legally Blonde, The Musical at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre. Photo Credit: Paul Kolnik
We here at Theater Dogs don’t believe in reviewing [...]

We have confirmation that John Doyle’s revival of Sweeney Todd, the one in which the 10 actors also play all the instruments, will indeed open the American Conservatory Theater season on Aug. 30.
A press release from ACT stated: “The ACT presentation of Sweeney Todd launches the company’s 2007-08 season. Fruther details on the season’s offerings [...]

In this week’s Jones for Theater column, I talked with Michael Lerner, (left, with fellow film director Ludi Boeken) son of famed lyricist and librettist Alan Jay Lerner (My Fair Lady, Brigadoon, Paint Your Wagon, Gigi). Though he has spent his career as a journalist and a filmmaker, Michael finally got involved in the family [...]

“Grease: You’re the One That I Want” is the worst kind of “reality” TV tripe. So why am I watching it and sort of looking forward to Sunday’s TWO-HOUR voting show?

From the outset, I wasn’t going to watch the show at all. Other than “Project Runway,” I don’t do reality TV (insert snobby sniff-sniff here). [...]

In his most recent e-mail newsletter, Mike Daisey, who was recently profiled in the New York Times, dropped a little nugget of information:
Writes Daisey: “If you’re reading this in the Bay Area, be advised that I’ll be performing GREAT MEN OF GENIUS, my 4-part monologue about megalomania and insanity in the lives of Bertolt Brecht, [...]

Caught up late with Rough and Tumble’s production of 43 Plays for 43 Presidents at La Val’s Subterranean Theatre in Berkeley this week. It runs through Jan. 27 and is mostly sold out. Congratulations, Rough and Tumble.
I didn’t find the show nearly as funny as the rest of the audience, though I did think Joshua [...]

Can it be true?
John Doyle’s acclaimed production of Sweeney Todd – you know, the one where the actors also play all the instruments — is going on tour and SAN FRANCISCO is the first stop?
Yes indeed. The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and the worst pies in London will soon be mere blocks from Union [...]