BROADWAY’S BIGGEST BLOCKBUSTER TO RETURN TO SAN FRANCISCO’S SHN ORPHEUM THEATRE MARCH 9 – APRIL 16, 2016
– Broadway’s biggest blockbuster, WICKED, returns home to the Bay Area to cast a spell on audiences once again. San Francisco’s most ‘popular’ musical will play a limited six week engagement at the SHN Orpheum Theatre March 9 through April 16, 2016.
SHN members will have first access to purchase tickets beginning Monday, September 21 and groups of 15 or more on Wednesday, September 23. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, December 4 at 10am.
With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Pippin, Godspell, Academy Award®-winner for Pocahontas and The Prince of Egypt) and book by Winnie Holzman (“My So Called Life,” “Once And Again” and “thirtysomething”), WICKED, the untold story of the witches of Oz, is directed by two-time Tony® Award winner Joe Mantello (Take Me Out, Love! Valour! Compassion!, The Vagina Monologues) and features musical staging by Tony® Award winner Wayne Cilento (Aida, The Who’s Tommy, How To Succeed…).
Based on the best-selling 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire, WICKED, winner of over 100 international awards, including a Grammy® and three Tony® Awards, is the untold story of the witches of Oz. It is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Pictures, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.
Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One – born with emerald-green skin – is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.
WICKED has been declared “A Cultural Phenomenon” by Variety and “The Best Musical of the Decade” by Entertainment Weekly. Since its New York premiere over a decade ago, WICKED has been performed in over 100 cities in 13 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, and Mexico) and has thus far been translated into five languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, and Korean. The musical has grossed over $4 billion worldwide and has been seen by over 50 million people across the globe. WICKED currently has four productions around the world, in New York, London, a U.K. Tour, and a North American National Tour.
Grammy Award-Winning Cast recording available on Decca Broadway. For more information about WICKED log on to www.wickedthemusical.com.
*As a note to all calendar listing editors, the title of the show is WICKED (not WICKED: A New Musical or WICKED, the untold story of the witches of Oz).
Ticket Information:
SHN members will have first access to purchase tickets beginning Monday, September 21. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, December 4 at 10am through shnsf.com and SHN Audience Services at 888-746-1799. Tickets range from $60-$238. Prices are subject to change.
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GOD WILL APPEAR IN SAN FRANCISCO FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER!!! Emmy® Winner SEAN HAYES to star as “God” in the hit Broadway play AN ACT OF GOD
STRICTLY LIMITED THREE-WEEK ENGAGEMENT MARCH 29 – APRIL 17, 2016 SHN GOLDEN GATE THEATRE
Written By God Transcribed By Emmy Award® Winner David Javerbaum Directed By Tony Award® Winner Joe Mantello
– Producer Jeffrey Finn and SHN announced to its Members that Emmy Award® winner Sean Hayes will play God in a limited three-week special engagement of the new Broadway play AN ACT OF GOD at the SHN Golden Gate Theatre March 29 through April 17, 2016. The hit comedy arrives in San Francisco after finishing a critically acclaimed Broadway run.
SHN members will have first access to purchase tickets beginning Monday, October 5, with tickets going on sale to the general public on Friday, October 9 at 10am.
The Agreement for God to use Sean Hayes’ body was brokered through Actor’s Equity Association. The casting of God’s angels will be announced soon.
AN ACT OF GOD was written by God, transcribed by 13-time Emmy® Award winner David Javerbaum and directed by two-time Tony Award® winner Joe Mantello. The play premiered on Broadway on May 7, 2015 and ran in an acclaimed, limited run through August 2, 2015. It was the first Broadway production of the 2015-2016 season to recoup its initial investment.
After conquering Broadway, the King of the Universe is coming to San Francisco for the first time ever! God takes the form of Emmy Award winner Sean Hayes in AN ACT OF GOD, a 90-minute comedy where the Almighty and His devoted Angels answer some of the deepest questions that have plagued mankind since Creation. He’s finally arrived to set the record straight… and He’s not holding back!
AN ACT OF GOD is based on the critically acclaimed book written by God and transcribed by David Javerbaum. Javerbaum is a 13-time Emmy Award® winner for his work as a head writer and executive producer for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” and also curator of the Twitter account @TheTweetOfGod, which has over 2 million followers.
AN ACT OF GOD features scenic design by Tony Award® winner Scott Pask (The Book of Mormon), costume design by Tony Award® nominee David Zinn (Fun Home), lighting design by Tony Award® winner Hugh Vanstone (Matilda) sound design by Drama Desk Award® winner Fitz Patton (It’s Only A Play) and projection design by Drama Desk Award® winner Peter Nigrini (Here Lies Love).
AN ACT OF GOD is produced by Jeffrey Finn. The Broadway producing team included The Shubert Organization, Carl Moellenberg, Arielle Tepper Madover, Stacey Mindich, Bob Boyett, FG Productions, John Frost, Corinne Hayoun, Jamie Kaye-Phillips, Scott Landis, Larry Magid, Stephanie P. McClelland, David Mirvish and Daryl Roth.
The show will be entirely subsidized by angels.
AN ACT OF GOD is a special engagement of the SHN 2015-2016 Season.
To learn more, follow our heavenly channels: Follow us @ActOfGodBway on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Be a loyal follower and get daily scripture at the Broadway Twitter account @ActOfGodBway
Official website: www.AnActOfGod.com
#AnActofGod
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Bay Area Musicals! (BAM!) kicks off its inaugural season with the
nine-time Tony Award winning musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying ▪ November 28–December 19, 2015 ▪ Single tickets available now!
– Bay Area Musicals! (BAM!), the newest non-profit theatrical organization to join the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area arts community, kicks off its inaugural season with the nine-time Tony Award winning musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. This classic Broadway satire follows J. Pierrepont Finch on his hilarious journey from lowly window washer to high-powered executive. With the help of a little ‘how-to’ handbook titled “How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying," Finch tackles such familiar but potent dangers as the aggressively compliant "company man," the office party, backstabbing co-workers, caffeine addiction and, of course, true love – all while climbing up the corporate ladder. With music by Frank Loesser and lyrics by Abe Burrows, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying features such show-stopping numbers as “Coffee Break,” “Been A Long Day,” “A Secretary Is Not A Toy,” and “Brotherhood of Man.”
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying will run November 28–December 19, 2015 at San Francisco’s Marines’ Memorial Theatre (609 Sutter Street). Performances are Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m. Press nights for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying will be Saturday, November 28 at 8 p.m. and Thursday, December 3 at 8 p.m. Single tickets for regular performances range in price from $35–$60. Tickets for preview performances (Friday, November 27 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, November 28 at 2 p.m.) are $10. Tickets for the opening night fundraiser on Saturday, November 28 are $100 and include an opening night party with the cast immediately following the performance. All proceeds from the opening night fundraiser ticket sales will benefit future BAM! projects and productions. Tickets are available now by calling 415-340-2207 or visiting www.bamsf.org.
Says BAM! Founder and Artistic Director Matthew McCoy: "As a new company looking to make a strong impact in the Bay Area theater scene, it only made sense for us to choose the satirical Tony-winning show How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying as our inaugural production. Since it first appeared on Broadway in 1961 – having done out-of-town tryouts here in San Francisco – the show has gone on to be revived two times bringing a total of nine Tony Awards to this Pulitzer Prize-winning show. Our version will be set in the same time period as the original production, the funky 60s, but with a sleek edge that will be influenced aesthetically by the booming tech world around us. The cast and artistic team assembled are some of the best in the Bay Area and we are extremely excited to present this hysterical masterpiece to San Francisco."
How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying features a cast of 19 actors led by Kyle Stoner as J. Pierrepont Finch. Joining him are Chloe Condon (Rosemary), Kirk Johnson (J.B. Biggley), Sarah Mitchell (Smitty), Mary Kalita (Hedy LaRue), Nikki Arias (Miss Jones), Michael Cabanlit (Mr. Twimble/Mr. Womper, Matt Ono (Mr. Bratt), Benjamin Nguyen (Mr. Gatch), Brendon North (Bud Frump), RJ San Jose (Mr. Jenkins), Brian Conway (Mr. Tackaberry), Justin Lucas (Mr. Peterson/Mr. Ovonton), Nicole Frydman (Miss Krumholtz), Samantha Pistoresi (Miss Susan Parker), Melissa Martinez (Miss Lisa Lopez) Jackie Dennis (Miss Cynthia Roberts), Janice Engelgau (Miss Patricia Henderson) and Pauli Amornkul (Miss Donna Flores).
Directed by Matthew McCoy, the creative team for How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying includes choreographer Aejay Mitchell, music director Jon Gallo, and costume designer Pasquale Spezzano.
BAM! would like to acknowledge its 2015–16 company sponsors: Core7 Realty, Performing Arts Academy of Marin, and PinkSpots.
The official wine sponsor for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is Wente Vineyards.
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BERKELEY REP ADDS ADDITIONAL PERFORMANCES TO EXTENDED RUNOF AMÉLIE, A NEW MUSICAL — Hit musical must close Sunday, October 18 —
– Amélie, A New Musical continues to win the hearts of Bay Area audiences. Due to popular demand Berkeley Rep announces that the show, which was already extended by a week, will run for an additional eight performances — but it must close Sunday, October 18, 2015. Tickets can be purchased by phone at (510) 647-2949 or online at berkeleyrep.org. The theatrical world premiere presentation has been met with enthusiastic applause and rave reviews from critics:
“Sparkling musical comedy,” declares The Los Angeles Times. “Slyly revels in the infinite possibilities of theatrical merrymaking. The score…flowers with originality. Barks and Chanler-Berat, both in possession of sterling voices, rise in stature when they sing. The impressive lyric writing of Tysen and Messé made me want to listen harder. The best songs mix outlandish wit with genuine feeling. It's a credit to the enchantment of the authors and MacKinnon's production that the storybook ending feels both earned and true.”
“A dreamy movie becomes a dream of a stage musical,” proclaims the San Francisco Chronicle. “Wit crackles and charm fills the house... Director Pam MacKinnon creates a seamless blend of visual, narrative and performance delights. And Samantha Barks inhabits the title role so luminously she might make you forget there was anyone else onstage — if the rest of the cast weren’t perfectly brilliant in turn.”
Adds the Bay Area News Group, “It’s impossible not to be charmed by aspects of Daniel Messé and Nathan Tysen’s score and Craig Lucas’ (“Prelude to a Kiss,” “The Light in the Piazza”) quirky book…. Barks and Chanler-Berat generate more than enough chemistry as the young lovers and their first kiss is beyond precious.”
Amélie captured our hearts in the five-time Academy Award-nominated 2001 French film. Now she comes to the stage in an inventive and captivating new musical directed by Tony Award winner Pam MacKinnon, who is known for her work on Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Clybourne Park. With a book by Craig Lucas (An American in Paris, Prelude to Kiss), the musical features a stirring score by Daniel Messé of the band Hem and lyrics by Messé and Nathan Tysen (The Burnt Part Boys). Amélie, A New Musical is produced by special arrangement with Aaron Harnick, Triptyck Studios, and SBR Productions.
The cast for Amélie, A New Musical in alphabetical order includes David Andino (Blind Beggar/Garden Gnome), Samantha Barks (Amélie), Randy Blair (Hipoloto), Adam Chanler-Berat (Nino), Alison Cimmet (Amandine/Philomene), Savvy Crawford (Young Amélie), Carla Duren (Gina), John Hickok (Raphael/Bretodeaux), Alyse Alan Louis (Georgette), Maria-Christina Oliveras (Suzanne), Tony Sheldon (Dufayel/Collignon), Perry Sherman (Lucien), Paul Whitty (Joseph), Shannon O’Boyle (Swing), and Jacob Keith Watson (Swing).
The creative team features David Zinn (scenic and costume designer), Jane Cox (lighting designer), Kai Harada (sound designer), Peter Nigrini (projection designer), Kimberly Grigsby and Daniel Messé (vocal arrangers), and Bruce Coughlin (orchestrator).
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BERKELEY REP PRESENTS THE WEST COAST PREMIERE OF AYAD AKHTAR’S DISGRACED
The Pulitzer Prize-winning drama explores the complexities of faith and identity in America
– Berkeley Repertory Theatre is proud to present the West Coast premiere of Disgraced by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Ayad Akhtar. Critically lauded as “breathtaking, raw and blistering” (Associated Press), and “terrific, turbulent, with fresh currents of dramatic electricity” (New York Times), Disgraced is the story of Amir Kapoor, who is living the American Dream — an upper East Side apartment, Italian suits, and the promise of becoming partner at the law firm. But when he and his wife Emily, an artist influenced by Islamic imagery, host a dinner party for their friends and colleagues, lies and deception threaten to shatter Amir’s carefully constructed life of cultural assimilation. Akhtar won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for this engrossing and combustible drama that probes the complexity of identity, the place of faith in today’s world, and the hidden prejudices still alive in liberal society.
Director Kimberly Senior makes her Berkeley Rep debut to stage the provocative play that she shepherded from Chicago to London to its triumphant run on Broadway. Disgraced begins previews Friday, November 6 and runs through Sunday, December 20, 2015. Press night for Disgraced will be held on Friday, November 13, 2015. Individual tickets start at $29 and can be purchased by phone at 510-647-2949 or online at berkeleyrep.org.
Disgraced, produced in association with Goodman Theatre and Seattle Repertory Theatre, stars Bernard White as Amir Kapoor, a successful Muslim American lawyer; Nisi Sturgis (Emily, Amir’s wife and a visual artist); Zakiya Young (Jory, Amir’s co-worker); J. Anthony Crane (Isaac, Jory’s husband); and Behzad Dabu (Amir’s nephew Abe). Headshots and bio information can be found in the Berkeley Rep press room.
“Disgraced has earned a series of accolades for good reason,” says Tony Taccone, Berkeley Rep’s Michael Leibert Artistic Director. “It’s an explosive play about identity, religion, and self-hatred, focused on the story of a Pakistani American man who has chosen to suppress his Muslim heritage in order to expedite his professional success. When he is forced to admit his family heritage, his life spins into chaos. The play tears the mask off of civil platitudes and dares to give voice to arguments about ethnic bias, racial conflict, and religious prejudice. It’s impossible to watch without being swept up into a passionate swirl of contradictory ideas and a thrilling dramatic conflict.”
“I’m thrilled that Disgraced will have its West Coast premiere at Berkeley Rep,” remarks Akhtar. “The play seems to function as a kind of litmus test; it tells you where you are in society, and has the capacity to connect people to themselves and others in a heartfelt way. I’ve gotten an equal amount of feedback from both sides of the Muslim community; some ask, ‘Why are you doing this?’ and others say, ‘Thank God you are doing this!’ Much work was done at every stage of development of Disgraced, but it finally feels like it has found its most mature form.”
Senior adds, “When audiences interact with Disgraced, they think they’ll align with the person who looks like them or who has the same background as they do — and they find very quickly that’s not the case. As an Arab-Jewish woman, I never feel more Jewish than when I’m the only Jew in the room; and the least Jewish I felt was when I was in Israel. I think the play makes the characters stand by their identities and defend their point of view in a way they might not otherwise because each of them is a minority.”
American Theater Magazine recently named Disgraced as the most produced play in the country. The play will be produced at 18 major American regional theatres this season and will have 32 productions in the next 24 months. Akhtar is currently working on the screen adaptation of the play for HBO.
Audiences are invited to meet Akhtar at Berkeley Rep’s Page to Stage, a discussion free that is open to the public designed to give audiences additional insight into the plays and playwrights. Resident Dramaturg Madeleine Oldham will interview Akhtar on Thursday, November 19 at 7:00 PM at the Goldman Theater at the Brower Center, 2150 Allston Way, in Berkeley. Past Page to Stage discussions have featured theatre luminaries such as David Edgar, Sarah Jones, Tony Kushner, Delroy Lindo, Donald Margulies, Terrence McNally, Charles Mee, Rita Moreno, Salman Rushdie, and the Chicano performance trio Culture Clash. For more information visit http://www.berkeleyrep.org/season/1516/9311.asp#tabbed-nav=events
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San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus Launches its 38th Season with “Crescendo Turns 10!” Featuring the Nation’s #1 Cher Impersonator and Winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars – Chad Michaels October 11, 2015Ritz-Carlton San Francisco
S – The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus (SFGMC) kicks off Season 38: Expect the Unexpected with its fabulous annual fundraising gala, Crescendo Turns 10! This year marks the tenth iteration of SFGMC’s signature fundraiser, and will be held on Sunday, October 11, 2015 from 12 – 3 p.m. at The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco (600 Stockton St, San Francisco).
“With nine years of wonderfully fun and successful Crescendo fundraising events behind us, the San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus will launch our Season 38 with a spectacle of fun, frivolity and touching beauty,” writes Dennis Stradford, SFGMC Board Chairman. “With our new venue this year at the stunning Ritz-Carlton we are gratified to find we are 85% sold out already. The Board of Directors and I are most grateful to welcome back our longtime loyal donors plus so many new ones, and the many generous people who have provided such exquisite gifts for auction.”
Crescendo Turns 10! includes a preview of Season 38, fabulous silent and live auctions with items valued collectively at over $50,000, sumptuous food, an open bar reception, a breathtaking location, performances by all four SFGMC vocal ensembles – The Lollipop Guild, Vocal Minority, SWAG and The HomoPhonics - and, of course, “brunch with the boys!”
Joining Crescendo Turns 10! from The Ritz-Carlton San Francisco: Luis Lujan (Executive Chef), Charles Brunk (Executive Sous Chef), Cynthia Falatic (Pastry Chef) and Cooks Robert Green, Ron Capistrano, Chris Bean and Jared Young.
In addition, SFGMC presents the nation’s #1 Cher impersonator and winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars - Chad Michaels. Michaels will perform two Cher medleys at the event, and VIP guest experiences include an exclusive meet-and-greet with the performer on the Ritz-Carlton rooftop.
Chad Michael’s tribute to Cher has earned him international acclaim and granted him the opportunity to collaborate with, and entertain for, industry favorites including Elton John, David Foster, Cyndi Lauper, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Tori Spelling, and even the Diva herself, Cher. Chad’s television credits include The Cher E! True Hollywood Story, The Cher A&E Biography, MADtv, Tori and Dean – Inn Love, Women’s Murder Club, and Comedy Central’s Gene Simmons Celebrity Roast.
VIP tickets for Crescendo Turns 10! are SOLD OUT, and single tickets for the event are already 85% sold. For more information about Crescendo Turns 10! please visit http://www.SFGMC.org.
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42ND STREET MOON PRESENTS “SAIL AWAY” Book, Music, and Lyrics by Noel Coward Directed by Greg MacKellan The Eureka Theatre, San FranciscoOctober 28-November 15, 2015
-- 42nd Street Moon, San Francisco’s oldest resident professional musical theatre company, opens its 23rd season with Noel Coward’s penultimate musical, the sparkling high seas comedy SAIL AWAY. Although this saucy look at travelers on a Mediterranean cruise opened on Broadway in 1961 and the West End in 1962, it has never been fully staged on the West Coast, until now. Allison F. Rich (recently seen as “Tracy Harding” in Nick & Nora) will star in the role that made Elaine Stritch famous, a brash American ex-actress named Mimi Paragon who works as a cruise director on the British ship S.S. Coronia and finds herself drawn into an affair with one of her passengers. The dazzling, witty score includes “Why Do the Wrong People Travel?,” “Sail Away,” “Later Than Spring,” “Useless Useful Phrases,” and “Something Very Strange.” Directed by Artistic Director Greg MacKellan, SAIL AWAY will run October 28-November 15, 2015 (Press nights: Friday, October 30 and Saturday, October 31) at the Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson Street, San Francisco. For tickets (Subscriptions $80-$195/Single tickets $25-$75) or more information, the public may call (415) 255-8207 or visit www.42ndstmoon.org.
This nautical jaunt takes sail with the fashionably late entrance of Mimi Paragon, who breezes onto the S.S. Coronia to the delight of fawning crew members and passengers. Though she is ambivalent about most of the eccentric passengers on her tour, she plays the part of convivial hostess so well that she catches the eye of the young and handsome Johnny Van Mier. Their light-hearted flirtation builds with the tides of the ocean, both enlivened and hindered by a quirky cast of characters including Johnny’s meddlesome mother and a famous and eccentric romance novelist.
SAIL AWAY opened October 3, 1961 at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York, receiving acclaim for its spirited and inventive score as well as the show-stoppingly hilarious performance from Elaine Stritch. The show ran for several months, and then transferred to the West End in 1962, and Sydney in 1963. Elaine Stritch led a concert revival in NY in 1999, and it was also presented in concert in Los Angeles in 2008.
Noel Coward was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what Time magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and chic, pose and poise." SAIL AWAY was the last musical for which he wrote both book and music, and his first written explicitly for an American audience. Many of his plays, such as Hay Fever, Private Lives, Design for Living, Present Laughter and Blithe Spirit, have remained mainstays of the theatrical cannon. Among many other accolades, Coward won an Honorary Academy Award for his naval drama, In Which We Serve, and was knighted in 1969. In 2006, the former Albery Theatre (originally the New Theatre) in London was renamed the Noel Coward Theatre in his honor.
Bay Area favorite Allison F. Rich stars as Mimi Paragon. She has previously appeared on the Moon stage in I Married an Angel, Painting the Clouds with Sunshine, Call Me Madam, and most recently Nick & Nora. Other recent credits include The Addams Family and Venus in Fur at San Jose Stage Company. Lucas Coleman will star opposite Rich as Johnny Van Mier, her love interest. Coleman starred as the title character in 42nd Street Moon’s It’s A Bird…It’s A Plane…It’s Superman,” and has been seen in productions throughout Southern California including Musical Theatre West’s production of Sunset Boulevard and La Jolla Playhouse’s production of Accomplice.
Additional high-spirited passengers include Andy Collins as Joe, Khalia Davis as Nancy Foyle, Nathaniel Rothrock as Barnaby Slade, Michael Gaffney as Shuttleworth/Sir Gerald, Lucinda Hitchcock-Cone as Evelyn Van Mier, Darlene Popovic as Eleanor Spencer-Bollard, Jordan Martin as Alvin Lush, Ashley Garlick as Alvin’s Mother, Kate Cooper as Mamie Candijack, Maria Mikheyenko as Lady Millicent Nutfield, and Davern Wright as Brewster/Edgar Candijack. Musical direction is by Dave Dobrusky, and Brittany Danielle will choreograph.
42nd Street Moon Artistic Director Greg MacKellan will direct this production of SAIL AWAY. A veteran musical theatre writer, director, performer, and producer, his producing credits in New York and Los Angeles include The Baker’s Wife, a musical he developed in collaboration with Stephen Schwartz and Joseph Stein. In addition to his work on dozens of 42nd Street Moon productions, Mr. MacKellan has served as director and writer in more than fifteen revues for various Bay Area groups
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Cutting Ball Theater opens its 17th season with LIFE IS A DREAM by Pedro Calderón de la Barca in a new translation from resident playwright Andrew Saito, commissioned by Cutting Ball. First published in 1635, LIFE IS A DREAM is a philosophical allegory regarding the human situation and the mystery of life. Often described as the supreme example of Spanish Golden Age drama, it tells the story of Segismundo, a Prince of Poland, who has been imprisoned in a tower by his father following a prophecy that the prince would bring disaster to the country. When the prince is briefly freed and goes on a rampage, he is put back in jail and persuaded that his momentary freedom was all a dream. Wrestling with free will and fate,
Following the sold-out success of Antigone, Acting Artistic Director Paige Rogers helms this Calderón classic about free will and fate, featuring David Sinaiko, Asher Sinaiko, Grace Ng, Sango Tajima, Matthew Hannon, Michael Wayne Turner III, Peter Warden and Barry Despenza.
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Theatre Bay Area Announces TBA Awards Recommended Productions for the week of September 23, 2015
– Each week, hundreds of adjudicators attend and evaluate eligible productions from all over the Bay Area on behalf of the TBA Awards. Based on the overall production scores from their peers, Theatre Bay Area issues a weekly list of productions that have reached the required threshold of scoring to be deemed "TBA Awards Recommended."
This week, nine new productions are recommended through the TBA Awards process, which involves more than 250 industry volunteers attending shows and logging scores within 48 hours of viewing the performances.
New productions receiving TBA Awards Recommended status this week are:
Amélie, A New Musical / Berkeley Repertory Theatre / Berkeley Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1963 REVIEW IS UP ON SF REGIONAL
Avenue Q / Berkeley Playhouse / Berkeley
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1752
Chicago / Palo Alto Players / Palo Alto
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1754
REVIEW IS UP ON SF REGIONAL
Dead Man’s Cell Phone / Los Altos Stage Company / Los Altos
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1975
Don’t Be Evil / The Department of Badassery / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/2039
For the Love of Comrades / New Conservatory Theatre Center / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1837
REVIEW IS UP ON SF REGIONAL
King Lear / California Shakespeare Theater / Orinda Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/2011
REVIEW IS UP ON SF REGIONAL
Loveland / The Marsh / San Francisco Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1900
The Oldest Boy / Marin Theatre Company / Mill Valley Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1891
REVIEW IS UP ON SF REGIONAL
Previous TBA Awards Recommended productions still running:
Between Riverside and Crazy / American Conservatory Theater / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/2014
Black Virgins Are Not for Hipsters / The Marsh / San Francisco
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1233
REVIEW IS UP ON SF REGIONAL
Eurydice / Shotgun Players / Berkeley
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1713
REVIEW IS UP ON SF REGIONAL
The Gun Show / Impact Theatre / Berkeley
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/2028
Mud Blue Sky / Aurora Theatre Company / Berkeley
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1981
The Real Thing / Masquers Playhouse / Richmond
Information: awards.theatrebayarea.org/listings/event/1814
Information about the TBA Awards program can be found at theatrebayarea.org/?page=Awards.
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PlayGround announces 2015-16 Writers Pool & Resident Playwrights
– PlayGround has announced the thirty-six playwrights selected for the 2015-16 PlayGround Writers Pool. Over the next six months, these playwrights will generate more than 180 original short plays inspired by monthly prompts as part of the Monday Night PlayGround staged reading series. The top six plays each month will receive professional script-in-hand staged readings led by leading Bay Area directors and actors. PlayGround officially kicked off its 22nd season on Monday with a special Monday Night PlayGround “Alumni Night” featuring six short plays on the topic “Race Matters” by PlayGround alumni writers. The next Monday Night PlayGround is Monday, October 12 at Berkeley Rep, with six plays on an environmental topic to be announced, as part of the second annual Planet Earth New Play Festival. The remaining Monday Night dates are: November 16 (“Musical Theatre Night”), December 21 (“Holiday Extravaganza”), January 25 (“S.T.E.M. Night”, date still to be confirmed), February 15, and March 21 (“WomenArts Night”). Tickets are on sale for all performances and six-event subscriptions begin at $60. For more information and tickets, visit http://playground-sf.org/monday.
The 2015-16 Writers Pool are: Zara Benner, William Bivins, Kathy Boussina, Erin Bregman, Rachel Bublitz, Madeleine Butler, Amy Claussen, Patricia Cotter, Victoria Der, Nancy Fishman, Jerome Joseph Gentes, Ruben Grijalva, Garret Groenveld, Tanya Grove, Karen Hartline, Colin Johnson, Melissa Keith, Sang Kim, Elliott Kopstein, Bonnie Kwong, Karen Macklin, Katie May, Naomi Newman, Isaac Ontiveros, Erin Panttaja, Evelyn Pine, Madeline Puccioni, Jennifer Roberts, Amy Sass, Kirk Shimano, Cleavon Smith, Amber Sommerfeld, Cherie Song, Martha Soukup, Aimee Suzara, Steven Westdahl, Josh Williams, Davern Wright, Zoe Young, Maury Zeff, Lesli Zephyr, and Ignacio Zulueta. In addition, PlayGround has selected ten playwrights to participate in its Playwrights Residency program, each working on the development of a new full-length play over the next year: William Bivins, Erin Bregman, Rachel Bublitz, Victoria Der, Ruben Grijalva, Garret Groenveld, Evelyn Pine, Amy Sass, Steven Westdahl, and Davern Wright.
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THIRTY SEVENTH ANNUAL SHELLIE AWARDS NOMINEES ANNOUNCED
‐‐ The Shellie Committee announced the names of the nominees for the
THIRTY SEVENTH ANNUAL SHELLIE AWARDS. The nominees will be feted at a gala celebration honoring
outstanding performing arts achievements in Central Contra Costa to be held Saturday, January 16, 2016 at
7:30pm at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Tickets for the event will go on sale October 24th,
2015 at the Center Ticket Office. Tickets are priced at $30, which includes a post ceremony reception.
All
proceeds from ticket sales go towards the continued support of the Shellie Awards program and the
participating performing arts companies. The Shellie Awards are sponsored by a generous donation from the
Diablo Regional Arts Association.
The evening will feature production numbers from each of the nominated musicals along with scenes from the
nominated plays. Ken Bergmann will conduct the Shellie Awards Orchestra. Shellie Awards innovator,
producer, director, Scott Denison, says "The Shellie Awards were founded thirty seven years ago in order to
recognize outstanding achievement in the performing arts in the Central Contra Costa/Diablo Valley region.
This is an evening to honor the nominees as well as the award winners."
Patterned after Broadway's Tony awards, the 37th Annual Shellies will honor over 100 individuals and their
work in musical and non‐musical theatrical productions, which took place between September 1, 2014 and
August 31, 2015. The ten regional companies participating this year are: Brentwood Theater Company, Center
REPertory Company, Clayton Theatre Company, Contra Costa Musical Theatre, OMG, I Love That Show!
Productions, Onstage Repertory Theatre, Pittsburg Community Theatre, San Ramon Community Theater,
Town Hall Theatre Company, and The Vagabond Players, Inc.
The winners will be awarded a custom‐designed porcelain Shellie statuette. Guest presenters for the evening
will include presidents, producers and artistic directors of all of the participating theatre companies along with
special guest dignitaries. And the evening will conclude with a champagne gala honoring the nominees and
award recipients. This year’s nominees are:
NOMINEES – MUSICALS
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS –
Shelly McDowell for Hello Dolly!, Brentwood Theater Company
Molly Bell for Anything Goes, Center REPertory Company
Mariela Cordova for A Trip Down Broadway, Clayton Theatre Company
Kelly Britt for The Music Man, Contra Costa Musical Theatre
Elizabeth Curtis for Dogfight, OMG, I Love that Show! Productions
Mariah Heath for Into the Woods, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Nancy Blom for Sleeping Beauty, San Ramon Community Theater
Deborah Black for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
OUTSTANDING ACTOR –
Lance Millar for Hello Dolly!, Brentwood Theater Company
Joshua Hollister for Anything Goes, Center REPertory Company
Ben Botello for A Trip Down Broadway, Clayton Theatre Company
Noel Anthony for The Music Man, Contra Costa Musical Theatre
Lewis Rawlinson for Godspell, OMG, I Love that Show! Productions
Trevor Gomez for Into the Woods, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Dillon Aurelio Peralta for Sleeping Beauty, San Ramon Community Theater
Derek Travis Collard for Company, Town Hall Theatre Company
Randall Nott for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS –
Charlotte Kinsella for Hello Dolly!, Brentwood Theater Company
Lizzie O’Hara for Anything Goes, Center REPertory Company
Debra Harvey for A Trip Down Broadway, Clayton Theatre Company
Kerri Shawn for The Music Man, Contra Costa Musical Theatre
Jill Gould for Forbidden Broadway, OMG, I Love that Show! Productions
Tina Smith for Into the Woods, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Ariel McIntyre for Sleeping Beauty, San Ramon Community Theater
Suzie Shepard for Company, Town Hall Theatre Company
Jarusha Ariel for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
SUPPORTING ACTOR –
Chris Finetti for Hello Dolly!, Brentwood Theater Company
Jeffrey Draper for Anything Goes, Center REPertory Company
Wayne Steffen for A Trip Down Broadway, Clayton Theatre Company
Benjamin Pither for The Music Man, Contra Costa Musical Theatre
Jordan Smith for Forbidden Broadway, OMG, I Love that Show! Productions
Steven Mergogey‐Conti for Into the Woods, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Kyle Bloomster for Sleeping Beauty, San Ramon Community Theater
Craig Eychner for Company, Town Hall Theatre Company
Lance Millar for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
DIRECTOR –
Steve Kinsella for Hello Dolly!, Brentwood Theater Company
Michael Butler for Anything Goes, Center REPertory Company
Roxanne Pardi for A Trip Down Broadway, Clayton Theatre Company
Christina Lazo for Bye Bye Birdie, Contra Costa Musical Theatre
Jasen Jeffrey for Dogfight, OMG, I Love that Show! Productions
Dianna Schepers for Into the Woods, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Lisa Barber for Sleeping Beauty, San Ramon Community Theater
Joel Roster for Company, Town Hall Theatre Company
Sharon Redman for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
MUSIC DIRECTOR –
Rose Marie Forment for Forever Plaid, Brentwood Theater Company
Brandon Adams for Anything Goes, Center REPertory Company
Santiago Martinez for A Trip Down Broadway, Clayton Theatre Company
Matt Smart for Bye Bye Birdie, Contra Costa Musical Theatre
Sean Kana for Dogfight, OMG, I Love that Show! Productions
Carille Bruno‐Thayer for Into the Woods, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Allison Rich for Sleeping Beauty, San Ramon Community Theater
Margaret Halbig for Company, Town Hall Theatre Company
Joan Cifarelli for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
CHOREOGRAPHY –
Shelly McDowell for Hello Dolly!, Brentwood Theater Company
Amanda Folena for Anything Goes, Center REPertory Company
La Tonya Watts for A Trip Down Broadway, Clayton Theatre Company
Jennifer Perry for The Music Man, Contra Costa Musical Theatre
Lauren Rosi for Godspell, OMG, I Love that Show! Productions
Alicia Nicole Andreatta‐Jacques for Disney’s Mulan Jr., Pittsburg Community Theatre
Debbie Saravia for Sleeping Beauty, San Ramon Community Theater
Jennifer Perry for Company, Town Hall Theatre Company
La Tonya Watts for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
COSTUMER –
Robin Blount for Hello Dolly!, Brentwood Theater Company
Victoria Livingston‐Hall for Anything Goes, Center REPertory Company
Sharon Bell for A Trip Down Broadway, Clayton Theatre Company
Liz Martin for The Music Man, Contra Costa Musical Theatre
Ryan Cowles for Forbidden Broadway, OMG, I Love that Show! Productions
Lora Oliver & Courtney Shaffer for Into the Woods, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Gail Edwards for Sleeping Beauty, San Ramon Community Theater
Marianna Ford for Company, Town Hall Theatre Company
Allena Behnke for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
SCENIC DESIGN –
Doug Brown for Hello Dolly!, Brentwood Theater Company
David Manoguerra for A Trip Down Broadway, Clayton Theatre Company
Kelly J. Tighe for The Music Man, Contra Costa Musical Theatre
Kelly J. Tighe for Dogfight, OMG, I Love that Show! Productions
Dianna Schepers for Into the Woods, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Lisa Barber for Sleeping Beauty, San Ramon Community Theater
Martin David Flynn for Company, Town Hall Theatre Company
LIGHTING DESIGN –
Helen Dixon for Hello Dolly!, Brentwood Theater Company
Kurt Landisman for Anything Goes, Center REPertory Company
David Manoguerra for A Trip Down Broadway, Clayton Theatre Company
Marcia Madeira for The Music Man, Contra Costa Musical Theatre
Eric Johnson for Dogfight, OMG, I Love that Show! Productions
Sunny Shergill for Into the Woods, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Lisa Barber for Sleeping Beauty, San Ramon Community Theater
David Lam for Company, Town Hall Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION –
Hello Dolly!, Brentwood Theater Company
Anything Goes, Center REPertory Company
A Trip Down Broadway, Clayton Theatre Company
The Music Man, Contra Costa Musical Theatre
Dogfight, OMG, I Love that Show! Productions
Into the Woods by Pittsburg Community Theatre
Sleeping Beauty, San Ramon Community Theater
Company, Town Hall Theatre Company
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
NOMINEES – PLAYS
OUTSTANDING ACTRESS –
Danielle Childs for 12 Dates of Christmas, Brentwood Theater Company
Tracy Hazas for Mirandolina! Mistress of a Tuscan Inn, Center REPertory Company
Teresa Grosserode for Arsenic and Old Lace, Clayton Theatre Company
Jennifer Brown Peabody for MaMa Won’t Fly, Onstage Repertory Theatre
Courtney Shaffer for Barefoot in the Park, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Nitsa Dimitrakos for Treasure Island, San Ramon Community Theater
Beth Chastain for Moon Over Buffalo, Town Hall Theatre Company
Lisa Luttinger for Leading Ladies, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
OUTSTANDING ACTOR –
Gary Mutz for Christmas at the Biltmore, Brentwood Theater Company
Gabriel Marin for Mirandolina! Mistress of a Tuscan Inn, Center REPertory Company
Sean Aten for Arsenic and Old Lace, Clayton Theatre Company
Ben Ortega for Beau Jest, Onstage Repertory Theatre
Brian Villanueva for Greater Tuna, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Josh Ze for Treasure Island, San Ramon Community Theater
Jeffrey Draper for Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Town Hall Theatre Company
Gary Mutz for Leading Ladies, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
SUPPORTING ACTRESS –
Natalie Montijo for Christmas at the Biltmore, Brentwood Theater Company
Khalia Davis for The Book Club Play, Center REPertory Company
Nathalie Archangel for Arsenic and Old Lace, Clayton Theatre Company
AnJu Hyppolite for MaMa Won’t Fly, Onstage Repertory Theatre
Roberta Tibbetts for Barefoot in the Park, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Victorian King Bowman for Treasure Island, San Ramon Community Theater
Kerri Shawn for Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Town Hall Theatre Company
Meghan Telles for Leading Ladies, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
SUPPORTING ACTOR –
David Gard for Christmas at the Biltmore, Brentwood Theater Company
Mark Anderson Phillips for Mirandolina! Mistress of a Tuscan Inn, Center REPertory Company
Ben Botello for Arsenic and Old Lace, Clayton Theatre Company
Edwin Peabody for MaMa Won’t Fly, Onstage Repertory Theatre
Gregory Brown for Greater Tuna, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Terry Cunningham for Treasure Island, San Ramon Community Theater
David Westphal for Leading Ladies, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
Dennis Markam for Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Town Hall Theatre Company
DIRECTOR –
Steve Kinsella for Christmas at the Biltmore, Brentwood Theater Company
Timothy Near for Mirandolina! Mistress of a Tuscan Inn, Center REPertory Company
La Tonya Watts for Arsenic and Old Lace, Clayton Theatre Company
Helen Means for Beau Jest, Onstage Repertory Theatre
Betty Gregg for Barefoot in the Park, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Roger Craig for Treasure Island, San Ramon Community Theater
Joel Roster for Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Town Hall Theatre Company
Sharon Redman for Leading Ladies, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
COSTUMER –
Hope Birdwell for Christmas at the Biltmore, Brentwood Theater Company
Victoria Livingston‐Hall for Mirandolina! Mistress of a Tuscan Inn, Center REPertory Company
La Tonya Watts and Roxanne Pardi for Arsenic and Old Lace, Clayton Theatre Company
Claudia Bucaccio Gallup for MaMa Won’t Fly, Onstage Repertory Theatre
Roberta Tibbetts for Greater Tuna, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Gail Edwards for Treasure Island, San Ramon Community Theater
Hope Birdwell for Moon Over Buffalo, Town Hall Theatre Company
SCENIC DESIGN –
Shara Main for 12 Dates of Christmas, Brentwood Theater Company
Nina Ball for Mirandolina! Mistress of a Tuscan Inn, Center REPertory Company
Adam Puglielli for Arsenic and Old Lace, Clayton Theatre Company
Ryan Terry for Familiar Visage, Onstage Repertory Theatre
David Ward for Barefoot in the Park, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Martin David Flynn for Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Town Hall Theatre Company
SCENIC DESIGN –
Shara Main for 12 Dates of Christmas, Brentwood Theater Company
Nina Ball for Mirandolina! Mistress of a Tuscan Inn, Center REPertory Company
Adam Puglielli for Arsenic and Old Lace, Clayton Theatre Company
Ryan Terry for Familiar Visage, Onstage Repertory Theatre
David Ward for Barefoot in the Park, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Martin David Flynn for Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Town Hall Theatre Company
LIGHTING DESIGN –
Hanna Johnson for Christmas at the Biltmore, Brentwood Theater Company
Kurt Landisman for Mirandolina! Mistress of a Tuscan Inn, Center REPertory Company
Jon Gourdine for Arsenic and Old Lace, Clayton Theatre Company
Randall Nott for Familiar Visage, Onstage Repertory Theatre
Sunny Shergill for Greater Tuna, Pittsburg Community Theatre
Lisa Barber for Treasure Island, San Ramon Community Theater
David Lam for Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Town Hall Theatre Company
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION –
Christmas at the Biltmore, Brentwood Theater Company
Mirandolina! Mistress of a Tuscan Inn, Center REPertory Company
Arsenic and Old Lace, Clayton Theatre Company
Beau Jest, Onstage Repertory Theatre
Greater Tuna, by Pittsburg Community Theatre
Treasure Island, San Ramon Community Theater
Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Town Hall Theatre Company
Leading Ladies, The Vagabond Players, Inc.
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