Ill wind, you’re blowing me no good. Actually, the winds are favorable. If you’ve ever heard the original London cast album of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman’s Whistle Down the Wind, you may be relieved to know that the American touring production of the show, which had previously been announced as part of the [...]
Home > January, 2008
Breaking `Wind’
Archived in the category: Andrew Lloyd Webber, SHN/Best of Broadway, backstage, local theater, musicals
Posted by Chad Jones on 31 Jan 08 - 0 Comments
Mark McKinney: From Kids to `Arrows’
Posted by Chad Jones on 31 Jan 08 - 1 Comment
Mark McKinney (above right) spent last Saturday night onstage at San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts Theatre with his fellow Kids in the Hall: Dave Foley, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald and Scott Thompson. The Canadian comedians were the deserving subjects of a SketchFest tribute. Though he’s best known for his Kids characters — the Chicken [...]
Daphne Zuniga comes home
Posted by Chad Jones on 29 Jan 08 - 0 Comments
After a career of movies (The Sure Thing, Spaceballs) and TV (Melrose Place, One Tree Hill), Daphne Zuniga was ready to go back where it all started: to the theater. The Berkeley native was something of a rebel as a girl until a wise teacher channeled her energy into something completely foreign to her at [...]
`Ha’penny’ replaces `Wiz’
Posted by Chad Jones on 28 Jan 08 - 0 Comments
SHN/Best of Broadway has announced that a new Irish musical will make its U.S. debut in San Francisco this summer. Ha’penny Bridge is a love story set against, according to press materials, “a backdrop of political unrest and divided loyalties.” The show plays the Golden Gate Theatre July 6 through Aug. 10 and replaces the [...]
`Shrek’ sings, `Strange’ passes, Clay spams a lot
Archived in the category: Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Broadway, Clay Aiken, Passing Strange, Rent, SF Playhouse, Shrek the Musical, Spamalot
Posted by Chad Jones on 22 Jan 08 - 0 Comments
With that nasty kerfuffle involving the stagehands and the dark Broadway theaters well behind us, it’s time to take a look at what’s going on in New York, where the play is really the thing. Sure wish I could go see Tracy Letts’ August: Osage County, the hottest play on Broadway right now. On a [...]
Dan Hoyle wins Glickman Award
Posted by Chad Jones on 21 Jan 08 - 0 Comments
Tings certainly do happen when you’re Dan Hoyle. The young performer, both author and performer of Tings Dey Happen, is this year’s winner of the Will Glickman Playwright Award, which brings with it a check for $4,000. The award is given annually to a playwright whose work makes its world premiere in the Bay Area. [...]
Review: `Territories’
Posted by Chad Jones on 20 Jan 08 - 1 Comment
Opened Jan. 19, 2007, Magic Theatre Knights, princesses, justice battle in Magic’s bold Territories three 1/2 stars (Riveting, re-imagined history) History is full of incredible, intelligent, brave women who helped change the course of the world. Trouble is, because they were women living in unenlightened times or places, their names have been lost to us. [...]
Lucy Simon’s `Garden’ grows
Posted by Chad Jones on 18 Jan 08 - 0 Comments
Lucy Simon and I have something interesting in common. We both saw our first Broadway shows at the St. James Theatre. Hers was Carousel. Mine was The Secret Garden, which just happens to have a score by Simon. During previews for The Secret Garden, which opened in 1991, Simon recalls standing backstage and feeling overwhelmed [...]
Review: `Taking Over’
Archived in the category: Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Danny Hoch, Tony Taccone, local theater, theater review
Posted by Chad Jones on 17 Jan 08 - 0 Comments
Opened Jan. 16 on Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Thrust Stage Hoch’s solo artistry takes `Over’ Three stars Brilliance and brio Let there be no question about Danny Hoch’s genius. To throw around a few adjectives, the man is fascinating, funny, provocative, entertaining and powerful. His new solo show, Taking Over, now having its world premiere on [...]
Review: `Dead Mother, Or Shirley Not All in Vain’
Archived in the category: Deb Fink, Gabe Marin, Liam Vincent, Thick Description, Tony Kelly, Traveling Jewish Theatre
Posted by Chad Jones on 14 Jan 08 - 0 Comments
opened Jan. 13, 2007 at Traveling Jewish Theatre, San Francisco Wacky `Dead Mother’ springs to vibrant life three 1/2 stars Shirley not to be missed Dead Mother, contrary to its title, is quite a lively evening of theater. The full title of David Greenspan’s wickedly playful, intelligent play, Dead Mother, Or Shirley Not All in [...]
