Review: ‘Mary Poppins’ at San Francisco Playhouse (****1/2)
by Charles Kruger Advertisements
Review: ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ at San Francisco Opera (***1/2)
by Charles Kruger To begin with, everybody who knows the Frank Capra movie (and who doesn’t, if they are drawn to attend this opera) brings a lot of baggage to the party. Will George Bailey sing “Buffalo Gals?” Will there be a “Hee Haw” aria? Will the opera be too cute and sentimental? Will it […]
Review: ‘You Mean To Do Me Harm’ at San Francisco Playhouse (***)
by Charles Kruger Award winning local playwright Christopher Chen is a rising star on the regional theatre circuit, his plays being produced both in the Bay area (Cutting Ball Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, Berkeley Repertory) on the East Coast (Long Wharf Theatre), and points in between. Last year, he was part of SF Playhouse’s popular […]
Review: ‘The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia’ at Custom Made Theatre (****)
by Gary Gonser Director Paul Stout has crafted a masterful rendition of this Tony Award winning play by Edward Albee. Martin and Stevie Gray (played by Matt Weimer and Hillary Hesse) have a delightful marriage. Martin, about to turn 50, has just received the Pritzker Prize for architecture. Stevie is relaxed in the marriage and […]
TheatreStorm’s Weekend Recommendations for September 29-30: Opera in the East Bay + Cabaret in The City
by Charles Kruger East Bay (Saturday Night) East Bay opera fans may want to attend a one-off concert performance on Saturday night benefitting Vallejo’s Verismo opera, featuring the company’s founder and artistic director, tenor Frederick Winthrop, and soprano Cecilia X. Cai. Verismo opera has recently received rave notices for their remarkable production of the classics […]
Review: ‘Pool of Unknown Wonders: Undertow of the Soul’ a world premier by Philip Kan Gotanda by Ubuntu Theatre Project (*****)
by Charles Kruger Theatergoer, if you take an interest in the avante garde, in experimental theatre, in art theatre, in the kind of theatre that goes well beyond the everyday and reaches for greatness, I urge you to go see Ubuntu Theater Project’s extraordinary, inspiring, mind boggling world premiere production of “Pool of Unknown Wonders: […]
Review: Cavelleria Rusticana + Paglicacci (Cav/Pag) at San Francisco Opera (***)
by Charles Kruger In the 19th and early 20th centuries, as realism came to the fore of theatrical culture, opera composers were quick to follow suit. Composers sensitive to the new style created “Opera Verismo” (“true opera”) telling real stories of real people, sometimes sordid and tragic (think of “Carmen”), sometimes noble and tragic (think […]
