SEPTEMBER 2012 I Your Guide to the Best Theatre, Music, Dance and More in the Bay Area!
[THE ARTISTS]
KAREN AKERS SEMYON BYCHKOV [THE SHOWS]
THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL NIAGARA FALLING THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS STALKING CHRISTOPHER WALKEN
+
ÁO DÀI FESTIVAL
[THE COVER]
OLIVIA -JOHN NEWTON She’s Still The One That We Want!
ALSO: DAILY EVENTS + MUSIC & COMEDY CLUB LISTINGS + VENUE DIRECTORIES + MORE
auguSt 31 – September 2
auguSt 31 & September 1
KARRIN ALLYSON
CraZy 1961 the SongS and eventS of 1961
September 2
September 4 - 16
three time grammy nominated voCaliSt
JONATHAN PORETZ
on the night beat: the great ameriCan Song booK – the final Chapter
MARK NADLER
LYPSINKA
AMANDA MCBROOM
in the paSSion of the Crawford by John epperSon direCted by Kevin malony
September 10 & 24, oCt. 1
September 14 - 16
September 7 - 9
“Cinema verite ... amanda goeS to the movieS”
KAREN AKERS
TOMMY IGOE BIG BAND
“live, laugh, love: aKerS SingS Sondheim”
September 15
September 17
thiS ain’t your daddy ’S big band
Stage, SCreen & televiSion legend...
JANIS PAIGE
returnS to the rraZZ room by popular demand... to Celebrate her 90th birthday! one Show only!
September 18
JOHN EPPERSON
in “an evening with lypSinKa’S maid”
September 19 - 23
CHERYL BENTYNE (of the manhattan tranSfer)
the SoundS of philadelphia’S greateSt hit-maKerS live!
September 21
September 26 - oCtober 6 auStralia’S
& her trio “let’S miSbehave” the Cole porter SongbooK
TOM ORR in the devil wearS nada! a late night Cabaret for adultS only & a folSom alternative for the diSCerning
HAROLD MELVIN’S BLUE NOTES
THUNDER FROM DOwN UNDER
prepare to be thunderStruCK!
September 30 the fabulouS
BUD E LUV
laS vegaS Comedy lounge aCt
222 Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Grand Piano courtesy of Baldwin
800-380-3095 • www.TheRrazzRoom.com
editor ROBERT SOKOL editor@baystages.com
THE STAGES AISLE SAY I View From The Editor................................................ 3 CLASSICAL I Semyon Bychkov...................................................... 7 MUSICAL I The Great American Trailer Park Musical.................. 9 FESTIVAL I Stalking Christopher Walken.....................................11 POP I Olivia Newton-John..............................................................13 CULTURAL I Áo Dài Festival..........................................................19 CABARET I Karen Akers.................................................................21 DANCE I Niagara Falling................................................................23 PLAY I The Screwtape Letters........................................................25 RECORDING I For Your Playlist.....................................................27 BACK I Behind the Scenes with
...............................28
Copyright © 2010-2012 by Caselli Partners LLC. All rights reserved. Printed in the Bay Area. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form without written permission is prohibited. BAYSTAGES is published monthly by VIA MEDIA, a division of Caselli Partners LLC. All content not attributed to an author is compiled by BAYSTAGES staff from press releases and other sources. No guarantee is given for the validity of this data. Information is subject to change without notice.
publisher RON WILLIS publisher@baystages.com design VIA MEDIA design@viamedia.net associate editor KAREN MARQUISS daily@baystages.com contributing writers GRIER cooper CHRIS RENÉ WILL SCHMID ROBERT SOKOL LEE WALKER contributing photographer STEVEN UNDERHILL advertising sales MALIA ANDERSON RON WILLIS 415.552.8040 advertise@baystages.com Writers and photographers may submit work samples to editor@baystages.com. Publicists may send press releases and promotional materials to:
thisjustin@baystages.com or by mail to:
BAYSTAGES 584 castro street - #119 san francisco, ca 94109 p: 415.552.8040 I f: 415.869.3700 PDF reprints of individual articles are available upon request. Please call our office if you need additional copies of the current or back issues or would like to become a distribution point for BAYSTAGES.
cover image OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN image: chris ayers (the pearl fishers)
image: michelle day
All other photos are provided by the artists or venues. Photography credits are noted when provided.
the pearl fishers September 8 to 23 California Theatre 345 South First Street, SJ $51 to $111 I 408.437.4450 operasj.org SEPTEMBER 2012 I
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REVOLVING
Robert Cray band Uptown Theatre Napa • 9/8
PALOMA FAITH Rickshaw Stop • 9/15
hal sparks Yoshi’s Jazz Club • 9/22
These venues feature a rapidly changing roster of artists. We advise calling or checking the websites for the latest performance information including minimums and age limits (if any). Please contact daily@baystages.com with additions or corrections.
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FOX THEATRE Oakland thefoxoakland.com I 510.302.2250 FOX THEATRE Redwood City foxrwc.com I 650.369.7770 Freight & Salvage Berkeley freightandsalvage.org I 510.644.2020 George’s NIGHTCLUB San Rafael georgesnightclub.com I 415.226.0262 Great American Music Hall Tenderloin, SF slimspresents.com I 415.255.0333 Hemlock Tavern Polk Gulch, SF hemlocktavern.com I No Calls HOTEL UTAH SALOON SOMA, SF hotelutah.com I 415.546.6300 THE Independent Alamo Square, SF theindependentsf.com I 415.771.1421 jazzschool Berkeley jazzschool.com I 510.845.5373 Johnny Foley’s Union Square, SF johnnyfoleys.com I 415.954.0777 MAKE-OUT ROOM Mission, SF makeoutroom.com I 415.647.2888 MEZZANINE SOMA, SF mezzaninesf.com I 415.625.8880 MILK BAR Haight, SF milksf.com I 415.387.6455 napa valley opera house Napa nvoh.com I 707.226.7372 NEW PARISH Oakland thenewparish.com I 510.444.7474 OAKLAND METRO OPERAHOUSE Oakland oaklandmetro.org I 510.763.1146
Rancho Nicasio Marin ranchonicasio.com I 415.662.2219 Regency Ballroom Civic Center, SF theregencyballroom.com I 800.745.3000 ⇧ Rickshaw Stop Civic Center, SF rickshawstop.com I 415.861.2012 ROCKIT ROOM Richmond District, SF rock-it-room.com I 415.387.6343 THE RRAZZ ROOM Union Square, SF therrazzroom.com I 415. 394.1189 SAVANNAH JAZZ Mission, SF savannajazz.com I 415.624.4549 SHATTUCK DOWN LOW Berkeley shattuckdownlow.com I 510.455.4735 SILO’S Napa silosnapa.com I 707.251.5833 Slim’s SOMA, SF slimspresents.com I 415.255.0333 STARRY PLOUGH Berkeley starryploughpub.com I 510.841.1424 THEE PARKSIDE Potrero Hill, SF theeparkside.com I 415.252.1330 ⇧ UPTOWN THEATRE Napa uptowntheatrenapa.com I 707.259.0123 VIRACOCHA Mission, SF viracochasf.com I 415.374.7048 THE WARFIELD Downtown, SF thewarfieldtheatre.com I 800.745.3000 ⇧ YOSHI’S Oakland + Fillmore, SF yoshis.com I 510-238-9200 + 415.655.5600
images: courtesy photos (robert cray, paloma faith, hal sparks)
330 RITCH SOMA, SF 330ritch.com/ I 415.541.9574 AMNESIA Mission, SF amnesiathebar.com I 415.970.0012 ASHKENAZ Berkeley ashkenaz.com I 510.525.5054 BIMBO’S 365 CLUB North Beach, SF bimbos365club.com I 415.474.0365 BISCUITS & BLUES Union Square, SF biscuitsandblues.com I 415.292.2583 BLANK CLUB San Jose theblankclub.com I 408.292.5265 BLISS BAR Noe Valley, SF blissbarsf.com I 415.826.6200 Bottom of the Hill Potrero Hill, SF bottomofthehill.com I 415.621.4455 BRICK & Mortar MUSIC HALL Mission, SF brickandmortarmusic.com I 415.800.8782 Café du Nord Upper Market, SF cafedunord.com I 415.861.5016 Café ROYALE Lower Nob Hill, SF caferoyale-sf.com I 415.441.4099 club fox Redwood City clubfoxrwc.com I 650.369.7770 DNA LOUNGE SOMA, SF dnalounge.com I 415.626.1409 ELBO ROOM Mission, SF elbo.com I 415.552.7788 EL RIO Mission, SF elriosf.com I 415.282.3325 THE FILLMORE Fillmore, SF thefillmore.com I 415.346.6000
view from the editor If you’ve been with us for a while, you’ll notice that Aisle Say looks a little different this month. Usually we run a below-the-fold, behind-the-scenes image of yours truly sharing the love with some gracious visiting artist or the cast of a local show. This month I’m going solo because something quite extraordinary happened recently and I wanted to share it. As the editor I am always looking for that glorious combination of compelling story and arresting image. They don’t always travel hand in hand, and the former is far easier to fix than the latter. Happily, in almost two years with BAYSTAGES, in addition to fun Back Stages images from contributing photographer Steve Underhill, I’ve come to know, appreciate and even eagerly anticipate the work of a select group of Bay Area studio photographers whose talents have graced these pages again and again, and made my life easier. David Allen, Kevin Berne, Eric Chazankin, Pak Han, RJ Muna, Kent Taylor and Lois Tema are just a few to whom I say a most sincere: “Thank you!” Your talent and visual artistry illuminate the words on our pages and capture a moment of the more ephemeral work of your sibling, the performer.
He came to our office first, to capture the editor in his “natural habitat” he said. Then, as we walked two blocks to the Marines Memorial Theatre, we found we share a similar desire to recognize those usually outside the spotlight. An hour later we parted new friends and soon after came what you see here. I was - and continue to be - gobsmacked by what he created with color and light...and me, to paraphrase Sondheim. Thank you, Mark. I think it’s a wonderful photo and I’m honored to be in it and to have received this gift. It refreshes my sense of awe and delight in the creative process. It reinforces my commitment to celebrating all contributors to the collaborative alchemy known as the performing arts. Perhaps most importantly, it reminds me that we all have a role to play in supporting the arts - actors, musicians, designers, directors, playwrights, dancers, ushers, patrons, donors, photographers and even editors. Our role at BAYSTAGES is to help you find the best theatre, music, dance and more in the Bay Area. If there’s a way we can do it better, please let us hear from you!
ROBERT SOKOL, editor
image: mark kitaoka / mark & tracy photography
Which brings me to this page. Being a “credit where credit is due” person, I try always to thank people for jobs well done. Actors get applause, usually, but the set designer, the publicist, the photographer.. not so much. I’d noticed the consistently great work coming from Tracy Martin and Mark Kitaoka of Mark & Tracy Photography and sent a note to say so. They thanked me for thanking them and yes, Roxie, we all thanked each other. Then Mark did the aforementioned extraordinary thing. He asked to make an appointment to photograph me. For free and for no reason other than he wanted to.
All of the self-consciousness that made me realize long ago that I would never be a very good actor came rushing to the surface. I’ve been in hundreds of “photo opps” over the years, but I have not been formally photographed since high school. I demurred. Mark would have none of it. We made a date.
SEPTEMBER 2012
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DAILY The following listings are compiled from submissions to the baystages.com database and are subject to change without notice. Please be sure to verify performance times and dates when making your ticket purchases. Shows with multiple performances are listed below as of their first public performance, with the final performance date noted in the description. CLOSING SHOWS are listed separately in the sidebar columns with the date of the final scheduled performance noted before the title. ONGOING SHOWS offering regularly scheduled performance throughout the month are also listed separately in the sidebar columns. Closing and ongoing shows are not included in the listings that follow.
WAR HORSE SHN Curran • 9/9 8 | Miss Julie
Actors Theatre of San Francisco $38 | 415.345.1287 actorstheatresf.org Craig Lucas’ adaptation of August Strindbergs’ psycho-sexual drama.
⇧ 9 | War Horse
SHN Curran Theatre | SF $31-$100 | 888.746.1799 https:shnsf.com The award-winning play about a boy and the horse he loves.
Performance and event listings may be submitted to our curated, searchable, online event database at any time via the form at www.baystages.com where they will be promptly processed by our staff. The listings must be submitted to the online database in order to be considered for inclusion in these DAILY STAGES pages and for further editorial consideration. KEY: LF-Lafayette, MV-Mountain View, PA-Palo Alto, RC-Redwood City, SF-San Francisco, SJ-San Jose, SR-Santa Rosa, SU-Sunnyvale, WC-Walnut Creek. 1 | Spring Break
2 | Lonesome Heroes
Eureka Theatre | SF $20-$25 | 888.541.9753 springbreakmusical.com A satirical cocktail of beer, boobs, and ballads. (Ends 9/15)
Café Du Nord | SF $10 | 415.861.5016 cafedunord.com Austin psychedelic country-roots duo. With Mariee Sioux and Jeffrey Manson.
1 | Ragtime
Hillbarn Theatre | Foster City $34 | 650.349.6411 hillbarntheatre.org Powerful portrait of life in turn-of-thecentury America. (Ends 9/23)
2 | John Lawton Trio
Ashby Stage | Berkeley $18-$25 | 510.841.6500 shotgunplayers.org Madeleine George’s play in which the best & worst of human nature collide. 16 | Rights of Passage
1 | Twelfth Night
Hyde Street Pier | SF $30-$80 | 415.547.0189 weplayers.org A jazzy romp through Illyria and the historic ships of Hyde Street. (Ends 10/7)
2 | Vital Signs
New Conservatory Theatre Center | SF $25-$36 | 415.861.8972 nctcsf.org A new play focused on a gay Hindu from Bali and world dignity.
16 | 7 Brides for 7 Brothers
1 | The Fisherman’s Wife
La Val’s Subterranean | Berkeley $10-$17 | 510.224.5744 impacttheatre.com She wants passion. He wants to provide the best he knows how: fishing. (Ends 9/29)
3 | Damir
6th Street Playhouse | SR $26-$38 | 707.523.4185 6thstreetplayhouse.com Boisterous fun that harkens back to the glory days of the movie musical.
Johnny Foley’s Irish House | SF FREE | 415.954.0777 johnnyfoleys.com Live piano near Union Square. Also on 9/10, 9/17, 9/24.
16 | Time Stands Still
1 | Henry V
3 | The Divine Game
9 | Precious Little
Mountain View Center | MV $42-$73 | 650.463.1960 theatreworks.org A war photographer and her correspondent lover return home.
Precious little Shotgun Players • 9/16
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Presidio - Main Post | SF FREE | 415.558.0888 sfshakes.org The King and the events before and after the Battle of Agincourt. (Ends 9/23)
HENRY V SF Shakespeare • 9/1-23
Johnny Foley’s Irish House | SF FREE | 415.954.0777 johnnyfoleys.com Live piano near Union Square. Also on 9/13, 9/16, 9/27, 9/30. Marsh | SF $15-$50 | 415.282.3055 themarsh.org Alison Whittaker’s expose of life on-thejob in a modern hospital. (Ends 9/16)
Ashby Stage | Berkeley $15 | 510.841.6500 shotgunplayers.org Recreation of one of Nabokov’s classroom encounters. (Ends 9/4)
RAGTIME Hillbarn Theatre • 9/1-23
images: brinkhoff/mögenburg (war horse - christopher mai, derek stratton, rob laqui), pak han (precious little - nancy carlin, zehra berkman, rami margron), john western (henry v - craig mrker), nancy fitzgerald-metzler (ragtime - cj blankenship, leslie ivy)
CLOSING SHOWS
THE NEW SEASON
AMERICAN C O N S E R VATO RY T H E AT E R
2012 13
A.C.T.’s 2012–13 season kicks off with the West Coast premiere of George C. Wolfe’s Tony Award–winning staging of Larry Kramer’s landmark drama. B E G I N S S E P 13
DIRECT FROM BROADWAY! WINNER OF THE 2011 TONY AWARD FOR BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
BY
LARRY KRAMER DIRECTED BY
“STUNNING AND PULSE-POUNDING” Time Out New York
GEORGE C. WOLFE
J O I N U S F O R A S E A S O N O F W O R L D P R E M I E R E S, R E I M A G I N E D C L A S S I C S, A N D T H R I L L I N G T H E AT R I C A L E V E N T S ! 4 - P L AY PA C K A G E S S TA R T A S L O W A S
$ 1 4 P E R P L AY ! ACT-SF.ORG/JOIN | 415.749.2250
Photo by Ashley Forrette
Photo by Gene X. Hwang/Orange Photography
DAILY 4 | Lypsinka
6 | The Waiting Period
4 | Stan Erhart Band
6 | Yoni Rechter
5 | The Death of the Novel
6 | Chris Franjola
5 | Terry Savastano
6 | Kurt Braunohler
6 | A Pinoy Midsummer
6 | Tripping at Tipping Point
6 | INVASION!
6 | Alonzo Bodden
6 | The 25th...Spelling Bee
7 | Port Out, Starboard Home
6 | The Danger of Gray Fat
7 | Afro Solo Festival 19
INVASION! Boxcar Playhouse • 9/6-29
port out, starboard home Z Space • 9/7-23
Rrazz Room | SF $35 | 800.380.3095 therrazzroom.com A fantasia on the persona of Joan Crawford using recordings of her. (Ends 9/16)
THE LIAR Marin Shakespeare Company • 9/23
⇧ 23 | The Liar
Forest Meadows | San Rafael $20-$35 | 415.499.4488 marinshakespeare.org West Coast premiere of a new comedy set in the decadent cavalier period. 27 | Our Country’s Good
Redwood Amphitheatre | Ross $15-$30 | 415.251.1027 porchlight.net Royal Marines and convicts come together through theater. 29 | My Fair Lady
SF Playhouse | SF $30-$70 | 415.677.9596 sfplayhouse.org Lerner and Loewe’s classic musical in a gritty and spare new rendering. 29 | All My Sons
Masquers Playhouse | Richmond $20 | 510.232.4031 masquers.org A masterpiece of American theater by Pulitzer Prize-winner Arthur Miller. 30 | A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Forest Meadows | San Rafael $20-$35 | 415.499.4488 marinshakespeare.org Set in Hawaii, the scent of hibiscus and twang of ukuleles permeate. 30 | THE Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity
Aurora Theatre | Berkeley $32-$50 | 510.843.4822 auroratheatre.org A satirical look at American culture via a pair of professional wrestlers.
all my sons Masquers Playhouse • 9/29
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Johnny Foley’s Irish House | SF FREE | 415.954.0777 johnnyfoleys.com Live piano near Union Square. Also on 9/11, 9/18, 9/25. San Jose Repertory Theatre | SJ $29-$74 | 408.367.7255 sjrep Young novelist as a well-adjusted, depressed agoraphobic. (Ends 9/22) Johnny Foley’s Irish House | SF FREE | 415.954.0777 johnnyfoleys.com Live piano near Union Square. Also on 9/9, 9/19, 9/23. Bindlestiff Studio | SF $15-$20 | 800.838.3006 creativestate.sfsu.edu Shakespeare’s classic merging with Tagalog, Philippine folklore. (Ends 9/15) Boxcar Playhouse | SF $10-$35 | 415.746.9238 crowdedfire.org Comedy about our prejudices about identity, race and language. (Ends 9/29) Bus Barn Stage | Los Altos Hills $18-$38 | 650.941.0551 busbarn.org Their 17th season opens The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. (Ends 10/6) EXIT Theatre | SF $3 | 415.673.3847 sffringe.org Playwright Richard Jarboe’s thoughtprovoking one man show. (Ends 9/16)
Marsh | SF $20-$50 | 415.282.3055 themarsh.org Compelling and funny account of living with profound depression. (Ends 9/29) Oshman Family JCC | Palo Alto $50 | 650.223.8618 paloaltojcc.org Iconic Israeli composer, pianist, singer and arranger and his 30-year repertoire. Punch Line San Francisco | SF $15-$22.50 | 415.397.7573 punchlinecomedyclub.com A writer/performer on E!’s late-night hit show Chelsea Lately. (Ends 9/8) Rooster T. Feathers | Sunnyvale $13 | 408.736.0921 roostertfeathers.com Host of IFC’s BUNK! As seen on FOX, MTV and Comedy Central. (Ends 9/9) Stage Werx 446 | SF $20 | 707.322.5731 stagewerx.org Climate change comedy for reformed deniers. (Ends 9/28)
Tommy T’s | Pleasanton $15-$20 | 925.227.1800 tommyts.com American comedian and actor known for Last Comic Standing. (Ends 9/9) Z Space | SF $12-$35 | 800.838.3006 foolsfury.org A black comedy by Sheila Callaghan and directed by Ben Yalom. (Ends 9/23) Buriel Clay Theater | SF $25-$50 | 800.838.3006 afrosolo.org Byb Chanel Bibene, Jovelyn Richards and Edris Cooper-Anifowoshe. (Ends 9/9)
images: eric chazankin (the liar - darren bridgett), jerry telfer (all my sons - marilyn hughes, carina salazar), abie hadjitarkhani (invasion! - wiley naman strasser) richard horatio nelson (port out, starboard home - angela santillo, zac jaffee, jessica unker)
CLOSING SHOWS
CLASSICAL
SEMYON BYCHKOV
citizen of the world’s music by chris rené
It’s a big year for Semyon Bychkov. Not only does he celebrate his 60th birthday, but he will also return to St. Petersburg - the city of his birth - to mark the 150th birthday of his alma mater, the St. Petersburg Conservatory. He will travel to Vienna, the city where he landed as a Jewish refugee in 1974 and where, with a $100 hand-out, he began to build his new life. Next he’s off to Israel where he will conduct both the Vienna Philharmonic and the Israel Philharmonic for his first visit in more than 15 years. Before all of that, however, he leads the San Francisco Symphony during the first two weeks of its 101st season with performances of Bruch’s “Violin Concerto No. 1” featuring Pinchas Zukerman, Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 5,” Wagner’s “Overture to Tannhäuser,” and Shostakovich’s “Symphony No. 11.” The Bay Area is a favorite stop for this world traveler. “I was stuck - many years ago when I first started coming here - by the openness of spirit of the audiences here,” he says. “People are used to hearing music they don’t know. They are open about it and afterwards they will have an opinion about it, but not before! Equally, they are aware of traditional repertoire, but it is this mixture of taste and curiosity that one feels very much and makes them rather exceptional in this country.” Since leaving St. Petersburg in the mid ‘70s, Bychkov has been a guest on the podiums of the world’s finest orchestras. With his time carefully balanced between operatic and symphonic repertoire, he has recently appeared in Europe with the Vienna, Berlin and Munich Philharmonics, the London Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra, as well as the opera houses of Paris, Vienna, Madrid, Milan and London, where he conducted Elektra, The Queen of Spades, Lohengrin, Don Carlos, Tannhäuser, and La bohème.
image: sheila rock
In the United States, in addition to appearances here, he regularly conducts the Cleveland and Philadelphia Orchestras, the Chicago, Los Angeles and New York Philharmonic Orchestras, and will shortly be returning to the Metropolitan Opera for performances of Otello which will be broadcast across the world live in HD. SEMYON BYCHKOV September 5 to 15 Davies Symphony Hall 201 Van Ness Avenue, SF $15 to $150 I 415.864.6000 sfsymphony.org SEPTEMBER 2012 I
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DAILY 7 | Carl Sonny Leland Trio
7 | The 25th...Spelling Bee
7 | Taming of the Shrew
7 | Deno Gianopoulos
7 | Cats
7 | Kiss of the Spider Woman
7 | Hotel California
7 | Todd Wolfe
7 | Stephanie Teel Band
7 | Amanda McBroom
7 | THE Play About the Baby
7 | BATS 25th Anniversary
7 | Katatonia
7 | World Music Journey
Café Du Nord | SF $12-$15 | 415.861.5016 cafedunord.com Boogie woogie and western swing with The West Coast Ramblers.
A DOLL’S LIFE Willows Theatre Company • 8/12 EDITOR’S NOTE:
Shows close all the time and that’s to be expected, perhaps even celebrated, for work well done and then on to the next. Having a theatre company close is another matter. There is no next. So it is with great sadness that we note the shuttering of Contra Costa’s Willows Theatre Company. The Willows had nearly withered on the vine once before, and rallied the last couple of years under the new leadership of David Faustina and Eric Inman. Unfortunately their efforts, and that of the staff, actors and volunteers were not enough and the Willows board voted to close the doors for good last month, ending an almost 40 year legacy of theater in the East Bay. The people on or back stage will move on to other projects and fill the unexpected holes in their schedules, but what of the patrons? As is usually the case in times of trouble, other theatre companies have stepped up to help. At least three announced they will honor tickets held by Willows subscribers. Diablo Theatre Company and Center REP, both at the Lesher Center in Walnut Creek, are offering exchanges for their current shows. Diablo Valley College extends the offer to their entire 2012-13 season. Ticket exchanges must be made in person. Please contact the box office personnel at the numbers listed below for additional details. - Robert Sokol
Cameron’s Inn | Half Moon Bay $20 | 650.726.5889 hmbshakespeare.org Half Moon Bay Shakespeare Company’s first show is a Bard classic. (Ends 9/16)
Woodminster Amphitheater | Oakland $27-$56 | 510.531.9597 woodminster.com The musical performed live under the stars in Joaquin Miller Park. (Ends 9/16) El Campanil Theatre | Antioch $27 | 925.757.9500 elcampaniltheatre.com A salute to the American rock band The Eagles and their hits. George’s Nightclub | San Rafael $15 | 415.226.0262 georgesnightclub.com Coastal / rock and R&B, with funk, rock, pop, reggae and dance covers. Gough Street Playhouse | SF $10-$30 | 415.798.2682 custommade.org An absurdist Albee comedy which echoes ...Virginia Woolf? (Ends 10/7)
Napa Valley Playhouse | Napa $20-$40 | 707.255.5483 napavalleyplayhouse.org Six quirky teens + three quirky adults = Tony-winning musical. (Ends 9/30) Old First Church | SF $17 | 415.474.1608 oldfirstconcerts.org David Del Tredici teams up with fellow pianist Marc Peloquin.
Phoenix Theatre | SF $15-$35 | 800.838.3006 secondwind.8m.com Game of cat and mouse between two men forced to share a jail cell. (Ends 9/29) Rancho Nicasio | Nicasio $10-$12 | 415.662.2219 ranchonicasio.com Wolfe is an American blues-rock guitarist and singer-songwriter. Rrazz Room | SF $37.50 | 800.380.3095 therrazzroom.com McBroom dives into the musical world that shaped her. (Ends 9/9) San Francisco Film Centre | SF $150 | 415.474.6776 improv.org BATS first 25 years. Drinks, dinner, dancing, silent auction, and more!
Great American Music Hall | SF $24 | 415.255.0333 slimspresents.com Co-headlining with Devin Townsend, plus Paradise Lost, and Stolen Babies.
Freight & Salvage | Berkeley $22.50-$24.50 | 510.644.2020 thefreight.org World music concert in benefit for Tibetan Aid Project.
7 | My Way
7 | Rigoletto
Lesher Center | WC $35-$53 | 925.943.7469 diablotheatre.org Celebrating Sinatra’s life with the songs that made him famous. (Ends 9/29)
War Memorial Opera House | SF $110-$340 | 415.864.3330 sfopera.com Verdi’s compelling tale of a vengeful court jester. (Ends 9/19)
CENTER REP
925.943.7469 centerrep.org
DIABLO THEATRE COMPANY
925.943.7469 diablotheatre.org
DIABLO VALLEY COLLEGE
925.685.1230 Ext: 2337 dvcdrama.net
MY WAY Diablo Theatre Company • 9/7-29
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CATS Woodminster Amphitheater • 9/7-16
images: david faustina (a doll’s life - mark farrell, lena hart), mark kitaoka (my way - chloe condon, michael kern cassidy, jessica fisher, carlos lopez), kathy kahn (cats - todd schlader, megan jaron, mario martinez, amy franklin leonards)
CLOSING SHOWS
image: eric chazankin (the great american trailer park musical - julianne lorenzen, craig miller, taylor bartolucci)
by lee walker
Barry Martin hadn’t planned on directing 6th Street Playhouse’s production of The Great American Trailer Park Musical but he admits, “It had a lot of resonance for me, being a guy who’s from the Ozarks and not ashamed to say from a sort of white trash background of my own.” Another motivator was the casting of Taylor Bartolucci, his producing partner at Lucky Penny in Napa, in the lead role of Pippi, “the stripper on the run.” Yes, it’s that kind of show and the characters are the sort of people who love Jerry Springer and think it would be an honor to be a guest on his show. “It’s joke after joke,” says Martin. “It’s quite tasteless. Leave the kids at home. This is not a family show. It’s tacky and it draws on stereotypes and we make fun of ourselves.” What keeps things interesting is a score that Martin found surprisingly strong. “The first time I listened to it, I thought, ‘Well, you know, that’s really cute. Somebody did a really good job of writing a bunch of really cute songs.’ Then the second time through, it was like, ‘No wait a minute. This is really good.’ Ever since then, every time I hear it, I am more in tune with the fact that someone did a really good job of writing this music.”
musical
THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL tuning up the double-wide
That someone is David Nehls, who managed to get his largely through-sung music and lyrics wrapped in a kitschy house-dress to Off-Broadway in 2005. As cringe-worthy as it can be, Martin suggests that the popularity of that trailer park stereotype is “because all of us know we’re not very far removed from that in this country. We’re a semi-sophisticated people to begin with. There’s only a very narrow band of sophistication on either coast that separates us from the sort of everybody else that’s out there.” He adds, “I think that we all have either family members who are like these people or we have friends like them somewhere. I heard a long time ago somebody said California was just Iowa with palm trees.” THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL September 7 to 30 6th Street Playhouse 52 West 6th Street, Santa Rosa $15 to $25 I 707.523.4185 6thstreetplayhouse.com
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ONGOING SHOWS
DAILY 7 | Ah, Wilderness!
8 | Strange Travel Suggestions
7 | Grey Gardens
8 | George Cole & Eurocana
8 | Dana Carvey
8 | Twelfth Night
8 | Sista Monica
8 | John Santos
8 | The Pearl Fishers
8 | The Adicts
8 | Left Coast Gospel
8 | Robert Cray Band
8 | Cantata #40
9 | James Joyce’s Ulysses
8 | Tania Libertad
9 | The Bobs
Village Theatre | Danville $20-$28 | 925.314.3400 danvilletheatre.com A look at life in small town America on July 4th in 1906. (Ends 9/22)
sunday’s a drag Harry Denton’s Starlight Room Beach Blanket Babylon
Club Fugazi | SF $25-$130 | 415.421.4222 beachblanketbabylon.com Long-running revue on pop culture with songs, dances and big hats. Roda Theatre | Berkeley $14.50-$99 | 510.647.2949 berkeleyrep.org David Henry Hwang’s canny comedy of cross-cultural errors. (Ends 10/7) ComedySportz
Camera 3 | SJ $12-$15 | 408.985.5233 comedysportzsanjose.com Not comedy about sports, but comedy as a sport! Endgames Improv
Alcove Theater | San Francisco $10-$35 | At the Door endgamesimprov.com Each Tuesday The Open Workout focuses on a different aspect of improv. Lucky Stiff
Lesher Center | WC $38-$47 | 925.943.7469 centerrep.org A zany, offbeat and funny and romantic murder mystery farce! (Ends 10/7)
⇧ Sunday’s A Drag
Harry Denton’s Starlight Room | SF $45 | 415.395.8595 harrydenton.com Brunch and professional drag show. Comedy, music, illusion. Starring Donna Sachet. The Kipling Hotel
142 Throckmorton | Mill Valley $75-$125 | 415.383.9600 142throckmortontheatre.org A night of comedy and conversation benefitting the Maryknoll Sisters. Biscuits & Blues | SF $22 | 415.292.2583 biscuitsandblues.com Singer/songwriter and her show Living in the Danger Zone. California Theatre | SJ $51-$111 | 408.437.4450 operasj.org Bizet’s opera romance about love and friendship in ancient Ceylon. (Ends 9/23) Craneway Pavilion | Richmond $20 | 800.838.3006 craneway.com West Coast gospel recording artists and special guest Troy Sneed. EXIT Stage Left | SF $10-$12.99 | 415.673.3847 sffringe.org This trilogy features winning talents of Best of Fringe 2010/11. (Ends 9/16) Herbst Theatre | SF $55-$150 | 415.392.4400 cityboxoffice.com Peruvian superstar vocalist celebrates her 50th anniversary in the industry.
Mildred Owen Hall | Pacifica $20 | 650.355.1882 pacificaperformances.org Pacifica Performances presents Coles new hybrid swingband, Eurocana.
Montalvo Arts Center | Saratoga $20 | 408.961.5858 montalvoarts.org Shakespeare Santa Cruz presents the Bard’s comic masterpiece. (Ends 9/16) Freight & Salvage | Berkeley $22.50-$24.50 | 510.644.2020 thefreight.org Afro-Latin jazz, with Wayne Wallace and Orestes Vilató. Slim’s | SF $23-$25 | 415.255.0333 slimspresents.com English punk band from Ipswich with guests Brothers of Brazil. Uptown Theatre | Napa $35-$45 | 707.259.0123 uptowntheatrenapa.com American blues guitarist, singer and five-time Grammy Award winner.
142 Throckmorton | Mill Valley $25-$35 | 415.383.9600 142throckmortontheatre.org The 20th Century’s greatest English novel brought to life by James Keller. Freight & Salvage | Berkeley $28.50-$30.50 | 510.644.2020 thefreight.org A capella vocal acrobats skewer the classics and break all the rules.
Marsh | Berkeley $20-$50 | 415.282.3055 themarsh.org Don Reed’s endearing follow-up to his play East 14th. (Ends 10/14) The Shout - Life’s True Stories
Grand Lake Coffee House | Oakland $5-$20 | 510.220.8614 theshoutstorytelling.com Life’s true stories told onstage without notes or scripts on each 2nd Monday.
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GREY GARDENS Douglass Morrisson Theatre • 9/7-30
STRANGE TRAVEL SUGGESTIONS The Marsh • 9/8-29
images: courtesy photo (sunday’s a drag), terry sullivan (grey gardens - jenifer tice), dwayne newton (strange travel suggestions - jeff greenwald)
Chinglish
Douglas Morrisson Theatre | Hayward $20-$28 | 510.881.6777 dmtonline.org Tony-winning musical about Kennedy relation Edie Beale. (Ends 9/30)
Marsh | SF $20-$50 | 415.282.3055 themarsh.org Improvised hit show is back for the first time since 2008. (Ends 9/29)
dancing on the fringe by will schmid
An enigmatic performer, often imitated but never duplicated, Christopher Walken was a child actor, a Broadway musical chorus boy opposite Beatrice Lillie, and - what many people still don’t know - one of the very last people to ever see Natalie Wood alive. It it this twist of fate that forms the core of Stalking Christopher Walken, a music, theatre and dance combination by Gabriel Grilli, who also directs and stars as Walken.
FESTIVAL
STALKING CHRISTOPHER WALKEN
Grilli knew Walken in the ‘90s. “I worked on a show that he wrote and starred in at a Public Theatre in New York,” he says. “It was called Him and he played Elvis. It turns out Elvis is one of his big inspirations.”
images: mollie kate taylor (stalking christopher walken - catherine tandy, gabriel grilli), cameron cole (vgl 5’4” - lucas brooks)
The show, which runs about an hour, is part this month’s San Francisco Fringe Festival and combines Grilli’s original dialogue with excerpts from transcripts of Walken’s interviews and other public appearances. The dialogue plays on his unique cadences, pauses and other speech affects, as well as some of the more curious statements Walken has made over the years. “I’m thinking right now of a passage,” Grilli says, “where he was doing an interview and for some reason he started to talk about a house he has in Connecticut where just he sits alone and waits for the phone to ring. It’s sort of this very Beckettian image that I got of him. This man just sitting alone in a room by the phone waiting for it to ring and really needing to work, because when he’s not working he doesn’t do anything except sit and stare into space. So that’s in the show, and that’s taken directly from something that he said. Then there are other things that we’ve just fictionalized or made up that are the gaps in between things that he said and things that we’re interested in exploring.” STALKING CHRISTOPHER WALKEN September 8 to 15 EXIT Theatre 156 Eddy Street, SF $10 to $12.99 I 415.673.3847 brickabracktheatre.org
SPOTLIGHT
SF FRINGE FESTIVAL September 5 to 16 EXIT Theatre 156 Eddy Street, SF $10 to $12.99 I 415.673.3847 sffringe.org Fringe festivals are a theatre enthusiast’s equivalent of an all you can eat buffet. Something a little sweet, something more tart, and then perhaps something you can’t readily place on your palate at all. Christina Augello has been running the San Francisco Fringe Festival for 21 years at her EXIT Theatre complex in the Tenderloin. This year embraces an “Occupy” theme and you might well want to camp out inside the theatre and catch this years offerings which include The Mad Stash, sketch comedy and short films from Battlestache Studios; Legacy of Tiger Mother, a culturally irreverent musical with Broadway star Satomi Hoffman; Journey of Light, A Glo-Opera, an arrangement of lights chaotically choreographed to music; and VGL 5’4” Top, a comedic riff on height snobbery and gay sex by New Yorker Lucas Brooks (photo above). “Expect the unexpected” is a good rule of thumb with fringes. Language can be adult, humor coarse, and nudity is not unheard of. Lorraine Olsen risked a chill at last year’s SF Fringe as a working artist’s model in Figuratively Speaking, but now her show has a return engagement later this month at SF Playhouse. At the EXIT this year there are over 40 productions offering 200-plus performances, which make the Frequent Fringer Pass (five shows for $40 or ten for $75) a good deal. Individual advance and at the door tickets are also available. - Will Schmid
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STILL STANDING (UP)
DAILY 9 | Performers Under Stress
9 | Marcia Ball
9 | Willie Nelson
9 | Dave Matthews Band
9 | KT Tatara
9 | THE Vagina Monologues
9 | Styx
9 | Musically Modified ’12
Garage | SF $30 | 415.585.1221 pustheatre.com Wine, treats and performance benefit to produce You Need To Read Poetry!
kurt weitzman Hella Gay Comedy • 9/23 COMEDY RETURNS TO EL RIO
El Rio I SF $7-$20 I 800.838.3006 elriosf.com Laughs in the Mission the second Monday of every month at 8:00 pm.
HARVEY’S FUNNY TUESDAYS
Harvey’s I SF FREE I 415.431.4278 harveyssf.com Ronn Vigh and a roster of LGBT-friendly comics on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm.
⇧ HELLA GAY COMEDY Deco Lounge I SF $20 I 415.346.3025 decosf.com LGBT comedy variety show that changes its theme every month.
JILLARIOUS TUESDAYS
Tommy T’s Showroom I SF $10 I 415.346.5597 tommyts.com/showroom Jill Bourque hosts a night of stand-up every Tuesday at 7:30 pm. MARK PITTA & FRIENDS
MINORITIES STAND UP
StageWerx I SF $10-$15 I At The Door stagewerx.org Edwin Li & Samson Koletkar blast away at stereotypes every 3rd Wednesday. SFCC UNDERGROUND
Cobb’s Comedy Club | SF $15 | 415.928.4320 cobbscomedyclub.com Tatara’s comedy is sometimes brutally honest but always funny.
Shoreline Amphitheatre | MV $40.50-$75 | 800.745.3000 davematthewsband.com Concert tour in support of new CD release Away From The World.
Various Venues & Cities $16-$25 | 800.838.3006 cabaretsf.wordpress.com Eve Ensler’s play tours the Bay Area. See website for schedule. (Ends 11/11)
Mountain Winery | Saratoga $45-$95 | 888.929.7849 concerts.mountainwinery.com American band known for its albums of the late 70s. With Picture Atlantic.
Wells Fargo Center | SR $43-$63 | 707.546.3600 wellsfargocenterarts.org Elvin Bishop and Maria Muldaur present special guests in support of local farmers.
9 | Jack DeJohnette Trio
9 | Musical Art Quintet
9 | Benise
10 | The Hives
9 | American Me Comedy
10 | Tommy Igoe Big Band
9 | Magic in the Garden
11 | Slanted Comedy
Napa Valley Opera House | Napa $80-$85 | 707.226.7372 nvoh.org Famed drummer with guests Chick Corea and Stanley Clarke. Palace of Fine Arts Theater | SF $35-$95 | 415.392.4400 cityboxoffice.com Queen, Bach, and The Eagles, interpreted by Spanish guitar and dance. Punch Line San Francisco | SF $15 | 510.669.9832 punchlinecomedyclub.com A showcase of some the best up and coming comics in the Bay Area.
Queen’s Lane | Petaluma $15-$45 | 707.763.8920 cinnabartheater.org Food, wine and Alphabet Orchestra plays excerpts from Purcell’s The Fairie Queen.
Yoshi’s | SF $20 | 415.655.5600 yoshis.com Formed in 2008 in the Mission district during chamber music jam sessions.
Fox Theater | Oakland $29.50 | 800.745.3000 apeconcerts.com Swedish garage rock band that gained fame in the early 2000s. With FIDLAR. Rrazz Room | SF $25 | 800.380.3095 therrazzroom.com Musicians include members of Tower of Power and Santana. Also 9/24. Punch Line San Francisco | SF $15 | 415.397.7573 punchlinecomedyclub.com Longest running premier Asian comedy show in the Bay Area.
Purple Onion I SF $7 I 800.838.3006 sfcomedycollege.com SF Comedy College on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 pm.
KT TATARA Cobb’s Comedy Club • 9/9
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DIANE AMOS El Rio • 9/10
images: courtesy photos (kurt weitzman, kt tatara), lisa keating (diane amos)
142 Throckmorton I Mill Valley $15-$20 I 415. 383.9600 142throckmortontheatre.org National headliner from SF comedy scene hosts Tuesday at 8:00 pm.
Marin Center | San Rafael $69.50-$89.50 | 415.499.6800 rbpconcerts.com The iconic Texan is the creative genius behind historic recordings like “Crazy.”
Rancho Nicasio | Nicasio $25 | 415.662.2219 ranchonicasio.com BBQ on the lawn with a Rancho fave American blues singer and pianist.
she’s still the one that we want! by robert sokol
POP
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN She’s been hopelessly devoted, physical, mellow and has honestly loved us. She’s played a lesbian on television, starred in both one of the most successful movie musicals of all time and one of the least. She’s beaten cancer, raised a daughter and, this month, Olivia Newton-John turns 64!
swimming and walking on the beach and kayaking. We ride our bikes at dawn or dusk because it’s cool, and I have a treadmill at home,” she adds. “You create energy by using energy, and I always feel better when I’ve done something every day.”
It hardly seems possible that it’s been almost 40 years since a young Australian woman took the American pop and country charts by storm with “Let Me Be There” and took home the first of four Grammys to date for her efforts.
Following that mantra, she should be feeling justifiably great as she has just opened the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Centre at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, released a healthy-living cookbook in support of it, and launched the www.liv.com website to teach women about good breast health, all of which she calls “an amazing, amazing achievement.”
Encouraged by sister Aussie Helen Reddy, home soon became the U.S. “Helen was the one who said if you want to make it here, you need to be here. It was at her house that I met Allan Carr, who was the producer of Grease. So I owe her that and always acknowledge it.”
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN September 13 I 8:00 pm SHN Golden Gate Theatre 1 Taylor Street, SF $50 to $150 I 888.746.1799 rbpconcerts.com
image: chad smith
Newton-John is the picture of health and attributes that to a happy marriage and lots of getting physical. “We live on the water in Florida, so swimming is my new love. I never was really much of a water dog, but my husband is, so I’ve really been enjoying
Yet even with those accomplishments she still feels susceptible to the lure to tour. “Yeah, I do enjoy it. I just saw Stevie Nicks and she said, ‘This is what I do.’ I thought, ‘Yeah, that’s right. This is what we do.’”
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SPOTLIGHT
DAILY 13 | Tommy Johnagin
12 | Pokey LaFarge
13 | Lend Me a Tenor
12 | The Other Place
13 | 2BEHOLDEN: Or Not 2B!
12 | Joe Derosa
13 | Figuratively Speaking
13 | Mike Rinta
14 | Lila Downs
13 | J.B. Smoove
13 | Rex Navarete
13 | THE Little Dog Laughed
14 | Pride & Joy
13 | Mark Hummel
14 | Doubt
Theatre on San Pedro Square | SJ $29-$35 | 800.838.3006 tabardtheatre.org A screwball comedy packed with The King’s unforgettable music. (Ends 10/14) Café Du Nord | SF $12.50-$14 | 415.861.5016 cafedunord.com Appearing with The South City Three and The Two Gentlemen Band.
THE NORMAL HEART September 13 to October 7 American Conservatory Theater 415 Geary Street, SF $20 to $95 I 415.749.2228 act-sf.org Playwright and LGBT activist Larry Kramer’s powerful 1985 Off-Broadway drama chronicling the early ‘80s rise of HIV/AIDS among a close group of friends received a Tony-winning revival on Broadway last year. That production, directed by George C. Wolfe, arrives this month with Patrick Breen, of the original cast, and Michael Berresse.
Magic Theatre | SF $22-$62 | 415.441.8822 magictheatre.org “Cagy, emotionally resonant drama packed with plot twists” - NY Times (Ends 10/7) Punch Line San Francisco | SF $19 | 415.397.7573 punchlinecomedyclub.com A regular on The Opie and Anthony Show. (Ends 9/15) Amnesia | SF $5 | 866.920.5299 sfjazz.org Local trombone legend pays homage to post-swing trailblazer J.J. Johnson. Cobb’s Comedy Club | SF $18.50 | 415.928.4320 cobbscomedyclub.com Actor and writer who began on Russell Simmons’s Def Comedy Jam. (Ends 9/15) Dragon Theatre | Palo Alto $16-$25 | 800.838.3006 dragonproductions.net A satire lampooning Hollywood by Douglas Carter Beane. (Ends 10/7)
THE DEVIL WEARS NADA September 21 I 10:30 pm The Rrazz Room 222 Mason Street, SF $25 to $30 I 800.380.3095 therrazzroom.com Tom Orr, creator of the wickedly funny Dirty Little Showtunes! is back with a late-night, grown-up cabaret. A master of parody lyrics, Orr works the Bay Area musical theatre scene as well as starring in one-man shows like Aging Bull and I Feel A Thong Coming On! He promises “all new raunchy and risqué parodies of Broadway showstoppers” while accompanied by the Tom Shaw Trio.
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Napa Valley Opera House | Napa $20-$25 | 707.226.7372 nvoh.org Blues harmonica player, vocalist, songwriter and bandleader of The Blues Survivors.
2BEHOLDEN: OR NOT 2B! Royce Gallery • 9/13-29
Rooster T. Feathers | Sunnyvale $14 | 408.736.0921 roostertfeathers.com The Late Show with David Letterman (4X) and Last Comic Standing. (Ends 9/16) Ross Valley Players | Ross $15-$20 | 415.456.9555 rossvalleyplayers.com Backstage romp of celebrity worship and mistaken identities. (Ends 10/14) Royce Gallery | SF $15-$22 | 800.838.3006 southernrailroadtheatrecompany.blogspot.com The Emancipation Proclamation, ghosts, murder, bigamy, camouflage. (Ends 9/29) SF Playhouse - Stage 2 | SF $10 | 800.838.3006 theatrevalentine.com The naked truth from the artist model’s stand with Lorraine Olsen. (Ends 9/29)
Uptown Theatre | Napa $35 | 707.259.0123 uptowntheatrenapa.com Mexican singer-songwriter. With special guest La Santa Cecelia. Tommy T’s | Pleasanton $15-$25 | 925.227.1800 tommyts.com Filipino American comedian with material geared to Filipinos. (Ends 9/16) Bimbo’s 365 Club | SF $25 | 877.435.9849 bimbos365club.com Popular Bay Area dance band playing Motown grooves and more. Coastal Repertory | Half Moon Bay $25-$30 | 650.569.3266 coastalrep.com Pulitzer & Tony-winning drama in a ‘60s Catholic school in the Bronx. (Ends 10/6)
LILA DOWNS Uptown Theatre Napa • 9/14
images: scott suchman (the normal heart - michael berresse, tom berklund), courtesy photo (tom orr), stacy marshall (2beholden: or not to 2b! - eric nelson, diana brown), ricardo trabulsi (lila downs)
11 | Elvis Has Left the BLDG
sandra marlowe The Jazz School • 9/14
AUSTRA The Independent • 9/16
14 | Inner Riddim
Dance Palace | Point Reyes Station $6-$10 | 415.663.1075 dancepalace.org High-energy Reggae band with Emilien “Sky-I” Deschamps of Martinique. 14 | Wonderbread 5
George’s Nightclub | San Rafael $20 | 415.226.0262 georgesnightclub.com Wonderbread 5 covers everything from Motown to Bean-town and back again.
Season Partner
14 | Bonnie Raitt
14 | Big Wide Grin
14 | Strunz & Farah
14 | Legally Blonde
14 | SANDRA MARLOWE
14 | Mac DeMarco
Greek Theatre | Berkeley $39.50-$115 | 800.745.3000 apeconcerts.com Blues singer-songwriter is a nine-time Grammy winner.
images: jeffrey luhn photography (sandra marlowe), courtesy photos (austra, j.b. smoove)
J.B. Smoove Cobb’s Comedy Club • 9/13-15
Herbst Theatre | SF $25-$45 | 415.392.4400 cityboxoffice.com An original mix of Latin, Middle Eastern, jazz & flamenco music. The Jazz School | Berkeley $12-$15 | 510.845.5373 jazzschool.org Marlowe brings warmth, finesse and power to concerts and her CD, True Blue.
Studio 55 Marin | San Rafael $13-$15 | 800.838.3006 studio55marin.com Bi-coastal trio from CA and VA form a rich, soulful blend and deep harmony. Sunnyvale Community Theatre $13-$26 | 408.733.6611 sunnyvaleplayers.org Ohmigod you guys, Elle Woods is back in the Tony-nominated musical. (Ends 10/7) Rickshaw Stop | SF $10 | 415.861.2011 rickshawstop.com 21-year old songwriter-singer-producer with Melted Toys and Surf Club.
14 | David Del Tredici
14 | Killing My Lobster
14 | Candye Kane
14 | Mason Jennings
Old First Church | SF $17 | 415.474.1608 oldfirstconcerts.org Liana Bérubé, violin; Michelle Kwon, cello; Jeffrey LaDeur, piano.
Rancho Nicasio | Nicasio $12-$15 | 415.662.2219 ranchonicasio.com Singer, songwriter best known for blues and jazz. With guitarist Laura Chavez. 14 | Chanticleer
Conservatory of Music | SF $20-$50 | 415.392.4400 chanticleer.org Chanticleer’s 35th anniversary program - several other Bay Area venues, as well.
Verdi Club | SF $35-$50 | 800.838.3006 killingmylobster.com 15th anniversary, Quinceanara-style, with special guest Marga Gomez. (Ends 9/15)
September 7 THRU
September 29 The must-see musical that celebrates the mystique of Ol’ Blue Eyes and the songs he made famous.
Yoshi’s | SF $28 | 415.655.5600 yoshis.com Singer/songwriter blends insight of a poet with rock & roll passion. (Ends 9/15)
FOR TICKETS:
15 | Battle of the Dad Bands
(925)
Bimbo’s 365 Club | SF $35 | 877.435.9849 bimbos365club.com With guests The Yes Men, Big Twang Theory, and Bird Seed.
943-SHOW • • • 7469
www.diablotheatre.org
SEPTEMBER 2012 I
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DAILY 15 | Flor Y Canto
15 | The Good Hurt
15 | Close to You
15 | Fiesta de Independencia
15 | Roslyn Kind
16 | Johansson & McKay
Brava Theatre | SF $10-$20 | 800.380.3095 brava.org Poets and musicians gather to celebrate Son Jarocho culture. Preshow at 5 pm. El Campanil Theatre | Antioch $27 | 925.757.9500 elcampaniltheatre.com Tribute to The Carpenters featuring Michelle Whited and Don Stamey.
Freight & Salvage | Berkeley $20.50-$22.50 | 510.644.2020 thefreight.org Lush Swedish nykelharpa & Celtic harp duo.
15 | Doobie Brothers
16 | Austra
15 | Celtic Sands
16 | Tommy Castro
15 | Corazon Latino
16 | PREVIOUSLY Secret Information
Mildred Owen Hall | Pacifica $20 | 650.355.1882 pacificaperformances.org Combining the folk music of Ireland, Scotland, Great Britain and the U.S.
Independent | SF $15 | 415.771.1421 theindependentsf.com Toronto trio shares the stage with Nightmare Fortress and Vice Device. Rancho Nicasio | Nicasio $20 | 415.662.2219 ranchonicasio.com With his band The Painkillers. BBQ on the lawn at the Rancho.
Napa Valley Opera House | Napa $25-$30 | 707.226.7372 nvoh.org 2nd Annual Latin Music Festival with Tarasco, Los Gallos, Impulzo and more.
Stage Werx 446 | SF $15 | 888.541.9753 standupjoe.com It’s not stand-up comedy or traditional storytelling. It’s something else.
15 | Janis Paige
17 | John Epperson
15 | Anything Goes
18 | Pat Metheny
Rrazz Room | SF $35-$45 | 800.380.3095 therrazzroom.com The Pajama Game star’s career spans every facet of show business.
JANIS PAIGE The Rrazz Room • 9/15
Rrazz Room | SF $25 | 800.380.3095 therrazzroom.com Spend an evening with Lypsinka’s domestic, John Epperson and his stories. Napa Valley Opera House | Napa $60-$65 | 707.226.7372 nvoh.org With his Unity Band, featuring Chris Potter, Ben Williams & Antonio Sanchez.
TOMMY CASTRO Rancho Nicasio • 9/16
images: jane hunt (janis paige), dana curley (tommy castro)
Saratoga Civic Theater | Saratoga $26-$42 | 408.266.4734 southbaymt.com Cole Porter’s romantic adventure set on board a luxury cruise ship. (Ends 10/6)
I SEPTEMBER 2012
Wells Fargo Center | SR FREE | 707.546.3600 wellsfargocenterarts.org Celebrate Mexico’s independence with a taste of Mexico in Sonoma County!
Firehouse Arts Center | Pleasanton $28-$37 | 925.931.4848 firehousearts.org Barbra Streisand’s sister is a dynamic, multi-talented entertainer. Mountain Winery | Saratoga $49.50-$89.50 | 888.929.7849 concerts.mountainwinery.com The band has sold over 40 million albums. With David Jacobs-Strain.
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Slim’s | SF $13-$15 | 415.255.0333 slimspresents.com Newest release is “Only In Your Mind.” With Matt Masih & The Messengers.
HALL & OATES Mountain Winery • 9/18
HAMLET Cal Shakes • 9/19-10/14
18 | Paloma Faith
Rickshaw Stop | SF $15 | 415.861.2011 rickshawstop.com A rabble-rousing entertainer and theatrical fashion chameleon.
images: mick rock (darryl hall, john oates), kevin berne (hamlet - leroy mcclain, julie eccles, adrian roberts), elise boos (trombone shorty)
18 | Cheryl Bentyne
Rrazz Room | SF $35-$40 | 800.380.3095 therrazzroom.com One-fourth of The Manhattan Transfer swings solo with Cole Porter.
TROMBONE SHORTY Wells Fargo Center • 9/19
18 | Hall & Oates
19 | Blue Notes
18 | Turtle Island Quartet
19 | Trombone Shorty
19 | SF SYMPHONY GALA
19 | Linda Kosut DUO
19 | Hamlet
20 | The Blues Broads
19 | Crosby, Stills & Nash
20 | 5 Franjas
19 | Roy Zimmerman
20 | 44 Plays FOR 44 Presidents
Mountain Winery | Saratoga $44.50-$99.50 | 888.929.7849 concerts.mountainwinery.com With their Do What You Want, Be What You Are Tour 2012, with guest Mutlu. Yoshi’s | SF $16-$20 | 415.655.5600 yoshis.com Double Grammy-winning chamber jazz quartet, with Tierney Sutton.
Davies Symphony Hall | SF $150-$295 | 415.864.6000 sfsymphony.org Violinist Joshua Bell is part of the gala season opening festivities. Bruns Amphitheater | Orinda $35-$71 | 510.548.9666 calshakes.org Liesl Tommy finds new revelations in Shakespeare’s tragedy. (Ends 10/14) Fillmore | SF $61 | 800.745.3000 livenation.com Super-group of David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. (Ends 9/20)
142 Throckmorton | Mill Valley $18-$21 | 415.383.9600 142throckmortontheatre.org Hope, Struggle and Change is satirical songs about ignorance, war and greed.
Rrazz Room | SF $30-$37.50 | 800.380.3095 therrazzroom.com Harold Melvyn’s group was founded in Philadelphia in the ‘50s. (Ends 9/23) Wells Fargo Center | SR $30-$45 | 707.546.3600 wellsfargocenterarts.org Celebrated Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews and his Orleans Avenue band. Zingari Jazz Lounge | SF FREE | 415.876.1745 zingari.com The Linda Kosut Duo presents an evening of romantic jazz.
142 Throckmorton | Mill Valley $25-$35 | 415.383.9600 142throckmortontheatre.org Dorothy Morrison, Tracy Nelson, Angela Strehli and Annie Sampson. Brava Theatre | SF $20-$25 | 800.380.3095 brava.org A concert featuring Vicente Feliu of the Cuban Nueva Trova movement. City Lights Theater | SJ $17-$40 | 408.295.4200 cltc.org A fun, fast-paced look at the history of the Oval Office. (Ends 10/21)
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COMEDY & IMPROV
DAILY 20 | Sylvia Herold
21 | Mexican Independence Day
20 | Crazy Dreams
21 | The Last Romance
20 | Lindsay Aline
21 | The Blues Broads
20 | Anthony Hamilton
21 | Huun Huur Tu
20 | Will Durst
21 | Gui Boratto
20 | Maximo Park
21 | The Laramie Project
20 | Camelot
21 | THE Cherry Orchard
21 | Allen Toussaint & Band
21 | Holograms
Freight & Salvage | Berkeley $20.50-$22.50 | 510.644.2020 thefreight.org With the Rhythm Bugs for hot swing tunes and retro songs.
comedysports: 25 years Camera 3 Theater • 9/13-15
Lesher Center | WC $25 | 925.943.7469 lesherartscenter.org Singer compared to Sarah McLachlan, but with a Celtic twist. Paramount Theatre | Oakland $47-$77 | 800.745.3000 paramounttheatre.com The Grammy-winning R&B singersongwriter, and producer.
Rooster T. Feathers | Sunnyvale $15 | 408.736.0921 roostertfeathers.com Satirist considers himself a mix of Mort Sahl and Will Rogers. (Ends 9/23) Slim’s | SF $18-$20 | 415.255.0333 slimspresents.com British alternative rock band with The Neighbourhood, and Zambri. Spreckels Center | Rohnert Park $20-$26 | 707.588.3400 spreckelsonline.com King Arthur musical by Alan J. Lerner and Frederick Loewe. (Ends 11/20) Bimbo’s 365 Club | SF $75-$150 | 877.435.9849 bimbos365club.com With The California Honeydrops, The Shots, and other special guests.
joshua bell Davies Symphony Hall • 9/19
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Diablo Actors’ Ensemble Theatre | WC $25 | 866.811.4111 diabloactors.com Life is a thrill again when 83-year-old Ralph stumbles into romance. (Ends 10/6) Freight & Salvage | Berkeley $22.50-$24.50 | 510.644.2020 thefreight.org Tracy Nelson, Dorothy Morrison, Annie Sampson, Angela Strehli & Deanna Bogart. Great American Music Hall | SF $26 | 415.255.0333 slimspresents.com The incredible Throat Singers of Tuva, a republic on the Mongolian border. Mezzanine | SF $16.50 | 415.625.8880 mezzaninesf.com Brazilian house, techno and minimal musician, composer and producer. Napa Valley College | Napa $15-$20 | 707.256.7510 napavalleytheater.org An epilogue to Matthew Shepard story, with follow-up interviews. (Ends 10/7) Pear Avenue Theatre | MV $10-$25 | 650.254.1148 thepear.org Chekhov’s comedy in new translation by Marina Brodskaya. (Ends 10/14) Rickshaw Stop | SF $10-$12 | 415.861.2011 rickshawstop.com Their sound synthesizes the drudgery of existence. With Maus Haus, Group Rhoda.
WILL DURST Rooster T. Feathers • 9/20-23
images: courtesy photo (comedysportz), marc hom (joshua bell), courtesy photo (will durst)
BATS IMPROV Marina, SF improv.org I 415.474.6776 BLUE BLANKET IMPROV Half Moon Bay blueblanketimprov.com I 650.726.0770 BUNJO’S COMEDY LOUNGE Dublin bunjoscomedy.com I 925.264.4413 COBB’S COMEDY CLUB North Beach, SF cobbscomedyclub.com I 415.928.4320 ⇧ COMEDYSportz San Jose comedysportzsanjose.com DARK ROOM Mission, SF darkroomsf.com I 415.401.7987 ENDGAMES IMPROV Union Square, SF endgamesimprov.com ENSO Half Moon Bay ensohmb.com I 650.726.1409 IMPROV San Jose improv.com I 408.280.7475 MADE UP THEATRE Fremont madeuptheatre.com I 510.573.3633 PUNCH LINE Embarcadero, SF punchlinecomedyclub.com I 415.397.7573 ROOSTER T. FEATHERS Sunnyvale roostertfeathers.com I 408.736.0921 SAN FRANCISCO COMEDY CELLAR Union Square, SF sfcomedycellar.jigsy.com I 415.345.8222 SECRET IMPROV SOCIETY Union Square, SF improvsociety.com STONE SOUP IMPROV Berkeley stonesoupimprov.com I 510.380.6808 TOMMY T’S Showroom Downtown, SF tommyts.com I 415.346.5597
Garret at A.C.T. | SF $15 | 415.749.2228 act-sf.org MFA students take you on a musical journey through life. (Ends 9/22)
Dance Palace | Point Reyes Station $5-$10 | 415.663.1075 dancepalace.org Local band Tenientes Del Norte and Mexican food and drink.
by grier cooper One hundred dancers and forty drummers open the Áo Dài Festival, against a tapestry of colored flags and red silks. This celebration of Vietnamese culture features fashion, arts, music and food. Highlights include a showcase of Áo Dài (the traditional Vietnamese costume of long gown worn with trousers) by international designers, a fine arts exhibition by California Vietnamese artists and music by Emmy Award winner Vanessa Vo, whose unique musical formula weaves traditional Vietnamese music with jazz and blues. “We give the essence and spirit of the culture. The Áo Dài is symbolic, a motif that everyone can connect with visually and emotionally,” says producer and creative director Jenny Do. “The Áo Dài is timeless. Everyone loves it and we use that symbol to unite everybody. All aspects of our culture - literature, paintings, poetry, sculptures, music, everything - are combined into the story of the Áo Dài.”
CULTURAL
Áo Dài Festival
celebrating vietnamese culture
Proceeds from the festival fund the Friends of Hue Foundation’s Children Shelter, located in Hue, Vietnam. The shelter takes in damaged children, rehabilitates them, and turns them into leaders who, in turn, go into the community to help others. Many go on to attend college or receive vocational training. “They have had horrible backgrounds but if you visit the children today you would never know,” says Do. “They are wise beyond their years.”
image: dinh duz (mai thu huyen - dress designed by duc hung)
Do is especially excited about the opening sequence of the festival, which she created. “The opening is going to be spectacular,” she says. “We have elders, we have children, we have performers all coming together.” The passion of sharing her culture was the reason she created the festival and this family-friendly event will be a stunning visual feast appealing to everyone who appreciates beauty, fashion and cultural diversity. “Everything we do has a story and a history behind it,” she says. “We hope that the young generation and mainstream community will pick up on that and know us beyond the war.” Áo Dài Festival September 15 I 12:00 pm Center For The Performing Arts 255 Almaden Boulevard, San Jose $29 to $104 I 408.792.4111 aodaifestival.com
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SPOTLIGHT
DAILY 22 | George Thorogood
21 | We Won’t Pay!
22 | Ballet Folklorico
CIRQUE CHINOIS September 14 I 7:30 pm Bankhead Theater 2400 First Street, Livermore $43 to $63 I 925.373.6800 mylvpac.com
22 | Dave Mason Duo
22 | Tainted Love
September 21 I 7:00 pm Napa Valley Opera House 1040 Main Street, Napa $35 I 707.226.7372 nvoh.org
22 | Gina Yashere
22 | Chickfactor 2012
22 | The Real Nasty
22 | Hal Sparks
22 | Fausto
22 | Alice in Wonderland
22 | A Chorus Line
23 | Catherine Russell
22 | Pat Kirtley
23 | Delphi Trio
Tommy T’s | Pleasanton $20-$30 | 925.227.1800 tommyts.com Now starring on the Disney Channel’s hit show A.N.T. Farm. (Ends 9/23) Cinnabar Theater | Petaluma $15-$25 | 707.763.8920 cinnabartheater.org Desperate efforts “to make ends meet” is a tangle of escapades. (Ends 10/7)
Direct from Beijing, the National Circus of the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1953, making it one of the longest running and most distinguished circus troupes in China.
Bankhead Theater | Livermore $34-$54 | 925.373.6800 mylvpac.com After 40 years, still skillfully blending classic rock with a touch of the blues. Brava Theatre | SF $18-$20 | 800.838.3006 brava.org Live comedy taping of British-native’s new show Laughing to America. Café Du Nord | SF $10-$12 | 415.861.5016 cafedunord.com Oakland-based trio formed in 2009. With Jay Trainer and his CD release show. Cowell Theater | SF $18-$25 | 415.345.7575 fortmason.org Napoles Ballet presents a contemporary take on dealing with the devil. (Ends 9/23) Fox Theatre | Redwood City $37.50-$57.50 | 650.369.7770 broadwaybythebay.org The enduring Broadway hit - winner of 9 Tony awards and the Pulitzer. (Ends 10/7)
FAMILY PROGRAMMING September 21 to October 13 Shelton Theatre 533 Sutter Street, SF $15 to $20 I 415.404.9810 leftcoasttheatreco.org An evening of comedic, short plays exploring love, laughter and absurdity in the modern family dynamic: Best Man by Steven Kobar, Baby Christina by Rodney “Rhoda” Taylor, Tough Cookie and Vowed & Wowed by Rich Orloff, What Would Scott B. Do? by Joseph Frank and Aaron Tworek, The Buck Naked Church of Truth by James A. Martin, and Cocktails with Maestro by Joseph Frank. The show promises to contain “hilarious nudity.”
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Mildred Owen Hall | Pacifica $20 | 650.355.1882 pacificaperformances.org Pacifica Performances presents this former US National Guitar Champion.
we won’t pay! We won’t pay! Cinnabar Theater • 9/21-10/7
Mountain Winery | Saratoga $35-$85.50 | 888.929.7849 concerts.mountainwinery.com With his band The Destroyers, and special guest Taj Mahal.
Napa Valley Opera House | Napa $15-$25 | 707.226.7372 nvoh.org Ballet Folklorico de Napa presents traditional Mexican folk dance. Regency Ballroom | SF $23-$25 | 888.929.7849 theregencyballroom.com Covering the ‘80s hits of Human League, Joan Jett, Scandal, INXS and more. Rickshaw Stop | SF $20-$25 | 415.861.2011 rickshawstop.com Stevie Jackson, The Softies, Lilys, Kim Baxter, Allen Clapp and Daniel Handler. Yoshi’s | SF $28 | 415.655.5600 yoshis.com The Queer as Folk and Talk Soup star’s stand-up routines. Young Performers Theatre | SF $7-$10 | 415.346.5550 cabaretsf.wordpress.com Alice must take good care of the Queen’s tarts which get stolen! (Ends 10/14) Filoli | Woodside $60 | 650.364.8300 filoli.org Russell is known for rediscovering and reinterpreting jazz classics. Old First Church | SF $17 | 415.474.1608 oldfirstconcerts.org Delphi Trio is dedicated to the richly diverse standard piano trio repertory.
DELPHI TRIO Old First Church • 9/23
images: courtesy photos (national circus of the people’s republic of china, family programming), eric chazankin (we won’t pay! we won’t pay! - sarah mckereghan, liz jahren), courtesy photo (delphi trio)
21 | Finesse Mitchell
by chris rené It is surprising that Karen Akers has never played a character in a Stephen Sondheim show. Charlotte or Desirée in A Little Night Music would have been right for her and the “smart, tart, dry as a martini” character of Phyllis Rogers Stone from Follies would seem tailor-made for her elegant grace. Still, the closest she has ever come is a production of the revue Side By Side By Sondheim at the Olney Theatre Center in Maryland. Then - some might say “Finally!” - late last year Akers debuted Live, Laugh, Love: Akers Sings Sondheim in the Oak Room at New York’s Algonquin Hotel and survived having the subject composer and lyricist in attendance. “He knows he intimidates me,” says Akers of Sondheim, “because he sent me an email the night before he was coming saying, ‘Don’t be nervous.’ Right. God will be in the audience tomorrow night. Don’t be nervous,” she laughs. She was nervous and she blew a lyric on the opening song, but “Steve loved it,” she says of the show.
“Was it daunting?” asks Akers about the prospect of mounting her own Sondheim evening. “Yes, of course it was daunting. However, this was something I had really wanted to do and I felt close to the lyrics.” A bonus for her has been exploring some of Sondheim’s lesser known songs. “Wait ‘til you hear ‘Water Under the Bridge,’” she says excitedly. “Oh boy! You’re in for a treat.”
cabaret
KAREN AKERS
singing songs of sondheim
Karen Akers September 14 to 16 The Rrazz Room 222 Mason Street, SF $45 to $47.50 I 800.380.3095 therrazzroom.com
Others loved it too, but Akers will never really know. “I just can’t,” she says. “I cannot read reviews. I don’t know. It makes me too self-conscious. In New York, for example, you assume that people have read the Times review, so I wouldn’t touch it with a ten-foot pole. I do not want to know what they are expecting. I want to be able to be in the moment, otherwise it’s not fun. It’s like I’m discovering these things as I say them. To come at it like that is really a joyful experience. I don’t want that encroached upon.”
image: courtesy photo
When Sondheim turned 80 in 2010, the world seemed to turn out one concert celebration after another to honor him. He’s had six shows on Broadway in the last five years and artists like Barbara Cook, Patti LuPone, Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch have been recording and performing his work with great regularity.
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SAN FRANCISCO VENUES
DAILY 23 | NCC Orchestra
26 | Dean Obeidallah
23 | Irving Berlin
26 | Papa Bear & Easy Love
23 | Zulu Spear
26 | Thunder Down Under
24 | Classical at Freight
26 | Paula West
24 | Wyclef Jean
27 | Citizen de la Cruz
25 | Tribute To Cal Tjader
27 | Topdog/Underdog
25 | Ryan Bingham
27 | Mystical Abyss
26 | Menomena
27 | Cy Amundson
Osher Marin JCC | San Rafael $29-$59 | 415.392.4400 ncco.org New Century Chamber Orchestra celebrates the birth of Benjamin Britten.
WYCLEF JEAN Palace of Fine Arts • 9/24
Rancho Nicasio | Nicasio $17-$20 | 415.662.2219 ranchonicasio.com Afro-beat influenced by South African mbaqanga rhythms. With Beso Negro. Freight & Salvage | Berkeley $8.50-$10.50 | 510.644.2020 thefreight.org Robin Sharp and Laura Dahl present an evening of chamber music.
Palace of Fine Arts Theater | SF $25-$30 | 415.392.4400 cityarts.net Grammy-winner, producer and politician in conversation with Peter Rosenberg. Yoshi’s | SF $20-$24 | 415.655.5600 yoshis.com Latin jazz tribute with Pete Escovedo, Michael Wolff, Warren Wolf, John Santos. Great American Music Hall | SF $26 | 415.255.0333 slimspresents.com Oscar-winning singer-songwriter with La Santa Cecilia. Bimbo’s 365 Club | SF $20 | 877.435.9849 bimbos365club.com Indie rock band from Portland made up of Justin Harris and Danny Seim.
RYAN BINGHAM Great American Music Hall • 9/25
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Great American Music Hall | SF $14-$16 | 415.255.0333 slimspresents.com Aaron Glass, co-headlining with Kelly McFarling and DonCat.
Rrazz Room | SF $35-$55 | 800.380.3095 therrazzroom.com Celebrating 20 years of setting the standard in adult male shows. (Ends 10/6) Yoshi’s | SF $30 | 415.655.5600 yoshis.com San Francisco’s acclaimed jazz vocalist and her “insinuating sense of swing.” (Ends 9/27) Bindlestiff Studio | SF $10-$25 | 800.838.3006 bindlestiffstudio.org Protagonist goes from mild-mannered husband to government agent. (Ends 10/13) Marin Theatre Company | Mill Valley $15-$57 | 415.388.5208 marintheatre.org Two brothers face off in this lyrical Pulitzer Prize winner. (Ends 10/21) ODC Theater | SF $17-$45 | 415.863.9834 odctheater.org World Premiere of John O’Keefe’s piece directed by Yuriko Doi. (Ends 9/30) Rooster T. Feathers | Sunnyvale $13 | 408.736.0921 roostertfeathers.com Featured on CMT’s Next Big Comic, Conan, and Just for Laughs. (Ends 9/30)
MENOMENA Bimbo’s 365 Club • 9/26
images: courtesy photos (wyclef jean, ryan bingham, menomena)
alcove theatre Union Square thealcovetheater.com I 415.383.9600 bill graham auditorium Civic Center apeconcerts.com I 415.624.8900 castro theatre Castro castrotheatre.com I 415.621.6120 exit theatre Tenderloin theexit.org I 415.673.3847 FORT MASON CEnTER Marina fortmason.org I 415.345.7500 herbst theatre Civic Center sfwmpac.org I 415.392.4400 louise m. davies hall Civic Center sfsymphony.org I 415.864.6000 marines’ memorial Union Square marinesmemorialtheatre.org I 415.771.6900 masonic auditorium Nob Hill masonicauditorium.com I 800.745.3000 odc theatre Mission odctheater.org I 415.978.2787 ⇧ palace of fine arts Marina palaceoffinearts.org I 415.567.6642 shelton theatre Union Square sheltontheater.org I 415.882.9100 stage werx Mission stagewerx.org I No Number Available victoria theatre Mission victoriatheatre.org I 415.863.7576 war memorial opera Civic Center sfwmpac.org I 415.392.4400 yerba buena center SoMa ybca.org I 415.978.2787
Oshman Family JCC | Palo Alto FREE | 650.223.8618 paloaltojcc.org A multi-media look at the life and work of the beloved composer/lyricist.
Cobb’s Comedy Club | SF $20 | 415.928.4320 cobbscomedyclub.com Palestinian-Italian-American in Dean Obeidallah for Vice President. (Ends 9/27)
the dance of urban decay by grier cooper
The west wall of the Renoir Hotel sets the stage for the world premiere of the aerial dance and multimedia event Niagara Falling, by Flyaway Productions’ Jo Kreiter and video artists David and Hi-Jin Hodge. Dancers suspended in life jackets will be juxtaposed against the Hodge’s images of what is thriving and what is collapsing in the urban landscape and an original score by Carla Kihlstedt and Matthias Bossi.
DANCE
NIAGARA FALLING
From the project’s inception, while Ms. Kreiter and the Hodges were discussing the collapse of the town of Niagara Falls over the last 30 or 40 years, it became apparent that the issue was more widespread. “The problems of video artist David Hodge’s hometown of Niagara Falls are a microcosm of the urban decay that has infested our country on a national scale,” says Kreiter.
images: rapt productions (niagara falling - jen chien, caity beard), courtesy photo (roslyn kind)
“It was interesting to me to think about these issues on that scale and also very locally. Looking at San Francisco, focusing on the stories that have come off of 6th Street. I feel like we are telling a story that could happen in any town in the country, and is happening,” she continues. “Niagara Falling is an effort to represent this reality through an artistic, interdisciplinary language.” Thus the issue will be brought to life through performance in the middle of one of the busiest intersections amidst one of the most aggressive homeless populations in San Francisco. What about San Francisco’s future? “While there’s this huge economic gap growing there’s also this incredible spirit of hope among economic activists, such as Urban Solutions, who are finding day-to-day solutions to problems and not whining,” says Kreiter. “There’s a lot more hope here. That was an interesting thing to note. It’s been wonderful to me to get the voice of people who live and work on 6th Street out via this project… that is my hope.” NIAGARA FALLING September 26 to 29 West Wall, Renoir Hotel 7th & Market Streets, SF FREE I flyawayproductions.com
BAY AREA VENUES
roslyn kind Firehouse Arts Center • 9/15 142 Throckmorton Mill Valley 142throckmortontheatre.org I 415.383.9600 CALIFORNIA THEATRE San Jose sanjose.org I 408.792.4111 CAL PERFORMANCES Berkeley calperfs.berkeley.edu I 510.642.9988 EL CAMPANIL THEATRE Antioch elcampaniltheatre.com I 408.864.8816 ⇧ FIREHOUSE arts center Pleasanton firehousearts.org I 925.931.4848 flint CENTER Cupertino flintcenter.com I 408.864.8816 GREEN MUSIC CENTER Rohnert Park gmc.sonoma.edu I 866.955.6040 LESHER CENTER Walnut Creek lesherartscenter.org I 925.943.7469 marin CENTER San Rafael marincenter.org I 415.473.6800 MONTGOMERY THEATRE San Jose sanjose.org I 408.792.4111 mountain view CENTER Mountain View mvcpa.com I 650.903.6000 PARAMOUNT THEATRE Oakland paramounttheatre.com I 800.745.3000 SAN JOSE CENTER San Jose sanjose.org I 408.792.4111 SPRECKELS ARTS CENTER Rohnert Park spreckelsonline.com I 707.588.3400 STANFORD LIVELY ARTS Palo Alto livelyarts.stanford.edu I 650.725.2787 wells fargo center Santa Rosa wellsfargocenterarts.org I 707.546.3600
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JUST THE TICKET!
DAILY 27 | Tom Papa
28 | Jason Mraz
27 | Sly Fox
28 | Much Ado About Nothing
27 | Turbulence
28 | Zodiac Death Valley
28 | The Fantasticks
28 | Paul McKenna Band
28 | This Charming Band
29 | Earl Thomas
28 | Fabulous Follies
29 | Geezer
28 | Tender Mercies
29 | Aimee Mann
28 | Brecker Brothers Band
29 | Lang Lang
Tommy T’s | Pleasanton $20-$30 | 925.227.1800 tommyts.com Star of film and television, Papa is also a veteran stand-up comic. (Ends 9/29)
BONNIE RAITT Greek Theatre • 9/14 ONLINE/PHONE SALES ANOTHER PLANET apeconcerts.com I 510.548.3010 Brown Paper Tickets brownpapertickets.com I 800.838.3006 City Box Office cityboxoffice.com I 415.392.4400 EventBrite eventbrite.com I 888.541.9753 InTicketing inticketing.com I 866.558.4253 LIVE NATION CONCERTS livenation.com I 800.745.3000 SJTix sjtix.com I 408.792.4111 StubHub stubhub.com I 415.222.8400 TicketFly ticketfly.com I 877.435.9849 ⇧ TicketMaster ticketmaster.com I 800.745.3000 TicketWeb ticketweb.com I 866.468.3399
DISCOUNT SALES
UNION SQUARE 350 Powell Street 10:00 am to 6:00 pm CITY SIGHTSEEING 2800 Leavenworth Street 7:00 am to 8:00 pm CALIFORNIA WELCOME CENTER Pier 39, Building B - Level 2 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Yerba Buena Gardens | SF $20-$30 | 415.978.2787 ybca.org A dance about the economy by Keith Hennessy/Circo Zero. (Ends 9/29) Altarena Playhouse | Alameda $22 | 510.523.1553 altarena.org The longest-running musical ever with a timeless tale of youth and love. (Ends 11/4) Café Du Nord | SF $10.50-$12 | 415.861.5016 cafedunord.com Tribute to The Smiths. With Depeche Mode tribute band For The Masses. El Campanil Theatre | Antioch $24 | 925.757.9500 elcampaniltheatre.com A bevy of beautiful women and handsome men. (Ends 10/7)
George’s Nightclub | San Rafael $10-$15 | 415.226.0262 georgesnightclub.com Playing new studio versions of classic songs, with guests Windshield Cowboys. Herbst Theatre | SF $30-$70 | 866.920.5299 sfjazz.org Rare concert since the death of band member Michael Brecker in 2007.
Pacifica Spindrift Theatre $20 | 650.359.8002 pacificaspindriftplayers.com Shakespeare’s timeless parable of love and trickery. (Ends 10/21) Rickshaw Stop | SF $12 | 415.861.2011 rickshawstop.com With Finish Ticket, The Dandelion War and The Chaw. Studio 55 Marin | San Rafael $18-$20 | 800.838.3006 studio55marin.com Scottish & Irish bands from Europe. With Comas.
Biscuits & Blues | SF $22 | 415.292.2583 biscuitsandblues.com Musical styles from blues, rock, soul and funk with The Blues Ambassadors. Dance Palace | Point Reyes Station $12-$26 | 415.663.1075 dancepalace.org Geoff Hoyle’s one-man show about his father and life as a comedic actor. Fillmore | SF $35 | 800.745.3000 livenation.com Rock singer-songwriter, guitarist with special guest Field Report. Green Music Center | Rohnert Park $55-$155 | 866.955.6040 gmc.sonoma.edu Chinese pianist Lang Lang launches the Green Music Center’s grand opening.
Goldstar.COM Free and discounted performance and event tickets. Registration required.
.............................................. The vendors listed are legitimate, licensed ticket sellers. Please exercise caution when purchasing tickets from second-hand vendors. paula west Yoshi’s Jazz Club • 9/26-27
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turbulence Yerba Buena Center • 9/27-29
images: courtesy photos (bonnie raitt, paula west), robbie sweeney (turbulence)
TixBayArea.COM Online and walk-up tickets for theatre, music, dance and more.
Town Hall Theatre | Lafayette $29-$32 | 925.283.1557 thtc.org A clever tale of fleecing the richest men of the Barbary Coast. (Ends 10/20)
HP Pavilion At San Jose | SJ $38-$56.50 | 800.745.3000 hppavilion.com Presenting his “Tour is a Four Letter Word” with guest Christina Perri.
having a devil of a good time by robert sokol
C.S. Lewis never intended The Screwtape Letters to be a stage work. He barely intended the epistolary novel to be published. After completing the work Lewis wrote to friend J.R.R Tolkien: “The work into which I had to project myself while I spoke through Screwtape was all dust, grit, thirst, and itch. Every trace of beauty, freshness, and geniality had to be excluded.” Inspired by a speech by Hitler in 1940, Lewis created the character of Screwtape, a master demon, who is coaching a subordinate on how to tempt and win the soul of a man identified only as Patient. The genial author of The Chronicles of Narnia further noted to Tolkien, “Though I had never written anything more easily, I never wrote with less enjoyment...though it was easy to twist one’s mind into the diabolical attitude, it was not fun, or not for long.” Actor Max McLean, who is appearing in a touring version of the Off-Broadway production he helped adapt and direct with Jeff Fiske, also did not consider the work stage material...at least not initially.
“I think the thing that makes the play work is the morally inverted universe that Lewis created,” says McLean. “It is probably one of the best examples of reverse psychology in literature and the character Screwtape is one of the great literary creations in the 20th century.” McLean holds what might be considered perverse admiration for the questionable character he portrays. “He loves the way he looks, loves the way he talks, loves the way he dresses, smartest guy in the room. He’s pure pride. He’s so ironic. He’s so smart. I think people like watching somebody that’s really good at his job. He’s like Iago, kind of Iago on steroids...and a little bit of Hannibal Lector.“ THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS September 22 I 4:00 + 8:00 pm San Jose McEnery Convention Center 150 West San Carlos Street, SJ $39 to $89 I 408.792.4111 screwtapeonstage.com
image: gerry goodstein (the screwtape letters - max mclean, beckley andrews)
“I had read the book in my twenties and was really engaged when I read it. The world view of it was something like, ‘Wow, what is this?’ But I never did see it as theatrical literature. I kind of saw it as sort of devotions in reverse.” It was Fiske who planted
the seed for a stage version and the pair sought and received permission from the Lewis estate to develop the project.
PLAY
THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS
SEPTEMBER 2012 I
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WHO’S ON (THE) FIRST?
DAILY 29 | Miles Smiles
30 | Alison Krauss
29 | UnderCover presents Joni
30 | Sonny Rollins
29 | Sophisticated Ladies
30 | Santa Rosa Symphony
29 | Lisa Lampaneli
30 | Moody / Rachmaninoff
29 | Tiara Drag Pageant
30 | Joe WaLsh
Herbst Theatre | SF $30-$70 | 866.920.5299 sfjazz.org Tribute to Miles Davis featuring Wallace Roney, Bill Evans, Robben Ford, and more.
GARBAGE The Warfield • 10/1 Left Coast Chamber Ensemble
Conservatory of Music I SF $15-$30 I 415.617.5223 sfcm.edu Portraits in Sound, a concert exploring the interplay of music and visual arts. DEERHOOF
Slim’s I SF $18-$42.95 I 415.255.0333 slimspresents.com San Francisco noise act has become influential with ecstatic takes on pop. BLOOD RED SHOES
Rickshaw Stop I SF $10-$12 I 415.861.2011 rickshawstop.com Singer/guitarist Laura-Mary Carter and drummer/singer Steven Ansell. OUTLAWS
⇧ GARBAGE
The Warfield I SF $36-$48 I 415.345.0900 thewarfieldtheatre.com Alternative pop-rock dance group is fronted by lead singer Shirley Manson. my SISTER’S BABY
Playwrights’ Center I SF $5-$10 I playwrightscentersf.org Developmental reading of a new play by Rachel Bubliltz.
Martuni’s | SF $7 | 415.241.0205 shannonmariewolfe.com Ballads, boogies and harmonies by Shannon Wolfe and Molly Mahoney.
Mountain Winery | Saratoga $35-$65 | 888.929.7849 concerts.mountainwinery.com America’s “Queen of Mean” comes to Saratoga with Joe Bartnick.
Davies Symphony Hall | SF $30-$95 | 866.920.5299 sfjazz.org At 82, the tenor sax titan keeps delivering brilliance and intensity. Green Music Center | Rohnert Park $60-$75 | 707.546.8742 santarosasymphony.com Inaugural concert in their new resident hall, includes Gasser, Copland, and Ravel. Lesher Center | WC $35-$65 | 925.943.7469 lesherartscenter.org George Moody conducts the California Symphony with pianist Gergory Taboloff.
Rickshaw Stop | SF $10-$20 | 415.861.2011 rickshawstop.com With Glamamore, VivvyAnne, DIAmanda Kallas, Alexis Blair Penney and more.
Montalvo Arts Center | Saratoga $62.50-$128 | 408.961.5858 montalvoarts.org Former member of James Gang, Barnstorm, and the Eagles.
29 | William Elliott Whitmore
30 | MusicAEterna
29 | Loretta Lynch
30 | Bud E. Luv
29 | SF Comedy Competition
30 | THE GO-GOs
Slim’s | SF $16 | 415.255.0333 slimspresents.com Blues singer and musician from Lee County, Iowa, with guest Samantha Crain. Studio 55 Marin | San Rafael $13-$15 | 800.838.3006 studio55marin.com Stirring songs reach the shady grove in all of us. With guest The Muddy Roses. Wells Fargo Center | SR $39.75 | 707.546.3600 wellsfargocenterarts.org Popular competition launched careers for Robin Williams and Dana Carvey.
Old First Church | SF $17 | 415.474.1608 oldfirstconcerts.org Presenting Tradition, Innovation & Collaboration with several guests. Rrazz Room | SF $30 | 800.380.3095 therrazzroom.com With his loyal band-mates, Bud is a bona fide Las Vegas performer. Mountain Winery | Saratoga $35-$85 | 888.929.7849 concerts.mountainwinery.com First all-female band that both wrote their own songs. With Psychedelic Furs.
Grouplove
The Fillmore I SF $25 I 415.346.6000 thefillmore.com Mid-ground between the quirky, Modest Mouse and the spirited Arcade Fire.
JASON MRAZ HP Pavilion • 9/28
26 I
I SEPTEMBER 2012
loretta lynch Studio 55 Marin • 9/29
images: autumn de wilde (garbage), emily shur (jason mraz), myles boison (loretta lynch)
Sweetwater Music Hall I Mill Valley $42 I 415.388.3850 sweetwatermusichall.com A band of brothers bound together by history, harmony and the road.
Brava Theatre | SF $12-$35 | 800.838.3006 brava.org Bay Area musicians gather to cover Joni Mitchell’s Blue. (Ends 9/30)
Green Music Center | Rohnert Park $55 | 866.955.6040 gmc.sonoma.edu Bluegrass-country singer, songwriter and fiddler appearing with Jerry Douglas.
RECORDING Your destination for tickets to
CHERYL BENTYNE Let’s Misbehave
Bentyne sings some of this CD at the Rrazz on 9/18. (summitrecords.com)
GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES 2012 Concert Cast
Megan Hilty (Smash) gets the Marilyn role at last. (masterworksbroadway.com)
TOMMY CECIL & BILL MAYS Side by Side: Sondheim Duos Instrumental jazz arrangements for piano and bass. (tommycecil.com)
Live & Cultural Events in the
San Francisco Bay Area
LAURA OSNES Dream A Little Dream
B’way soprano dubbed the “new Julie Andrews.” (broadwayrecords.com)
Visit us at one of our three locations: PIPE DREAM 2012 Concert Cast
Musical Steinbeck by Rodgers & Hammerstein. (ghostlightrecords.com)
BETTY BUCKLEY Ah, Men! The Boys of Broadway Tony-winner sings songs written for men’s roles. (palmetto-records.com)
TIX Booth
@Union Square 350 Powell St San Francisco
City Sightseeing
@Fishermans Wharf 2800 Leavenworth St, San Francisco
California Welcome Center CALVIN BERGER Original Cast
Cyrano de Bergerac as a musical by Barry Wyner. (ghostlightrecords.com)
CARRIE 2012 Off-Broadway Cast
The legendary flop gets its first legit recording. (ghostlightrecords.com)
@Pier 39 Building B, Level 2 San Francisco SEPTEMBER 2012 I
I 27
BACK Trampolina, Rachel, Winnie & Trixie - aka The Kinsey Sicks of Electile Dysfunction at The Rrazz Room
Alan Paul of The Manhattan Transfer at the Uptown Theatre Napa
image: steven underhill
image: via media
Liz Sklar and Lesley Currier of King John at Marin Shakespeare
Arwen Anderson, Rod Gnapp & Julia Brothers at Marin Theatre Company
Rebecca Dines, Rolf Saxon & Sarah Moser of Time Stands Still at TheatreWorks
image: via media
image: via media
image: via media
Dan Hiatt of Upright Grand at at the Lucie Stern
Tim Kniffen, Kelly Britt (center) and the cast of 110 in the Shade at Cinnabar
Sam Harris at Help is on the Way: That’s Entertainment at the Herbst
image: via media
image: via media
image: via media
Grant Tambellini, Lukas Thompson, Jimmy Gagarin, Ivy Rose Miller, Barry Martin, Sheri Lee Miller & Benjamin Stowe at Main Stage West
Director Nick Olivero and the cast of Dog Sees God at Boxcar Playhouse
image: via media
image: via media
OLIVIA’S ONLY NORTHERN CALIFORNIA APPEARANCE
ONE NIGHT ONLY
SEPTEMBER 13 8:00 P.M. SHN GOLDEN GATE
THEATRE
TICKETS ON SALE NOW T ICK ET S A VA I L A BL E A T R B PC ONC ER T S. CO M , S H NS F.CO M OR CH AR GE BY PH O N E AT 88 8 .7 4 6 .17 9 9
tickets available at
RBPCONCERTS.COM
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!
And Fresh from it’s New York Premiere:
Oh, Inverted World / Trey McIntyre set to music by the Shins West Coast Premiere of
Cold Virtues / Adam Hougland set to music by Philip Glass
Three stunning short works by Michael Smuin set to music by Ravel, Paul Simon, and the Gipsy Kings
A “don’t miss” evening of dance! “engaging, fresh, irresistible” – Alistair Macaulay, New York Times
“ liquid clockwork… intensely physical, humanly engaged, and sweetly comic.”
Scan for Tickets
Palace of Fine Arts Oct. 5 - 14
•
415 912 1899
smuinballet.org
Jane Rehm featured with men of Smuin Ballet / Photography by Ellen Crane
– Ann Murphy, InsideBayArea.com