Chad Jones’ Theater Dogs

Let’s go watch a Chazz Palminteri movie … with Chazz Palminteri!
While the venerable movie and stage actor is in town with his one-man show, A Bronx Tale (Sept. 23-Oct. 19 at the Golden Gate Theatre), he’s going to head up Market Street to the Castro Theatre for a screening the 1994 Woody Allen movie Bullets [...]

Duncan Sheik (left) and Steven Sater say they hope to open their new musical, The Nightingale, at American Conservatory Theater. Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images
Could San Francisco be the starting point for the follow-up to Spring Awakening?

If Tony Award-winning creators Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater have anything to say about it, The Nightingale, their follow-up [...]

We here at TheaterDogs are about to kick into high gear with Spring Awakening, which officially kicks off its national tour (after a “preview” run in San Diego) Sept. 4 (official opening night is Sunday, Sept. 7) at the Curran Theatre.
In the next couple weeks, you can expect interviews with composer Duncan Sheik, lyricist/book writer [...]

Opened Aug. 23, 2008 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
 

Beth Glover (left) is Big Edie and Elisa Van Duyne is Little Edie as they perform “Peas in a Pod” in Act 1 of the TheatreWorks production of the musical Grey Gardens. Photos by Mark Kitaoka

`Gardens’ at TheatreWorks is solid production of crumbling [...]

If you’re a fan of Showtime’s “Weeds,” as I have been since the series debuted four seasons ago, you’re probably quite aware of the emergence of Hunter Parrish (right, photo by Joan Marcus), who plays elder son Silas Botwin, as one of the show’s more intriguing characters.
This season Silas a) discovered the gym b) discovered [...]

There aren’t many details yet, but you can check out Sony Pictures’ Web site for “The Hot Ticket” about the final performances of Rent on Broadway being shown in movie theaters around the country on Sept. 24, 25, 27 and 28. You can sign up to receive details when available.
http://www.thehotticket.net/rent/
There’s a little video that promises [...]

Manoel Felciano, a San Francisco native who used to work at Recycled Records on Haight Street, plays Jan, the central character in Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll, an ACT production. Photo by Ashley Forrette Photography
With all this buzz about, there must be a new theater season about to start.

First up is news from American Conservatory [...]

San Jose Repertory Theatre announced today that Rick Lombardo of Boston’s New Repertory Theatre will be the company’s next artistic director, succeeding the Rep’s long-time director, Timothy Near.
According to a press release, the six-month nationwide search landed on Lombardo for “his combination of artistic excellence, programming savvy and leadership abilities.”
“In Rick Lombardo we have [...]

News from the the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, the Bay Area’s premiere African-American theater company that has been left homeless by the Academy of Art University’s virtual takeover of the city.
LHT has found at least a temporary solution to its housing crisis and will is partner with Pacific Gas and Electric Company to present two [...]

Idris Ackamoor debuts a fragment of his work-in-progress, Music for One Hand Clapping, as part of Afro Solo’s Black Voices series at The Marsh. Photo by Pat Mazzera

 
Not to be too dramatic about it, but Idris Ackamoor had a life-changing experience when he nearly cut off his left hand.

He was 21 and studying at Antioch [...]