by Charles Kruger Sometimes a soufflê just won’t rise. “La Traviata” boasts one of the loveliest scores in the entire Verdi repertoire with soaring melodies, thrilling orchestrations, charming choruses, and exquisite opportunities for bel canto singing. But, even the loveliest music and most enticing story requires some commitment on the part of the artists to […]
by Charles Kruger It has been said of “Hamlet” that the poetic and philosophical content is so rich, the characters so perfectly realized, the plotting so masterfully intricate, the humor and tragedy so delicately balanced, that it is impossible for any production to completely fail. I get the point, but I’ve seen some Hamlets (emphatically […]
by Charles Kruger Word has it that the final performance for the short run of Richard Strauss’s “Elektra” presented by SF Opera is very nearly sold out. If you can, consider trying to purchase one of the remaining seats, or wait for a cancellation, or stand in line for standing room tickets. Why? Because it […]
by Charles Kruger It is often noted that many Grand Opera plots are silly. Even the tragedies. Many an appreciative opera fan cannot resist the occasional titter at operatic melodrama. Puccini’s “Turandot” is one such giggle-inducing classic. Supposedly set in China in the city of Peking, it is hardly an accurate portrayal of that ancient […]
by Charles Kruger Paula Vogel is one of the most awarded playwrights in the United States, and for good reason. Her Pulitzer prize-winning play about family sexual trauma, “How I Learned To Drive,” brilliantly displays her skill, and Custom Made Theatre’s revival is an outstanding production. Li’l Bit looks forward to escaping her family drama […]
by Sean Taylor I spent August 4th, 2017, listening, fifty years after its original production, to the first step that “Hair” took at the Great Star Theater. Does it hold up? Is it a dance step or a forced march? Is it embarrassed after all these years? It certainly had a spring in its step. […]
By Sean Taylor Kat Robichaud has carved out a unique place for herself and company with her serial perofmances at The Great Star Theater in North Beach, under the umbrella “Misfit Cabaret.” Previous editions included “Whimsea” (July, 2016) and “Wilde Women” (December, 2016). More recently, she was at it again with her second installment of the […]
