Past Reviews

Regional Reviews: San Francisco

The Pastures of Heaven, Beach Blanket Babylon and Cloris: A One-Woman Show


A Bold and Inventive Production of John Steinbeck's The Pastures of Heaven


Rod Gnapp and Charles Shaw Robinson
California Shakespeare Theatre is presenting the first world premiere in the company's 10-year history, an intriguing production of John Steinbeck's 1932 novel of the hardworking people of the Salinas Valley. The Pastures of Heaven charts the highs and lows of a close knit farming community in the lush California valley just south of San Francisco.

The three-hour The Pastures of Heavens is a series of vignettes in which characters float through stories in a shared location. They all have some connection to one family in particular. The production should be consisted "epic" theatre with a cast of brilliant actors playing people, animals and narrators in a multi-colored theatrical tapestry. The opening, with the actors come onto the stage to form a human statue of hardworking folks, is straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.

Pastures of Heaven is a collaboration with Word for Word, and the actors give descriptions of what is going on in their minds and actions. Playwright Octavio Solis' script makes inventive use of Word's proficiency in embodying narrative passages. People pass through one story and become key actors in another. Sometimes the play goes backward in time and then forward which might be confusing to many in the audience. The play is not linear.

Octavio Solis used all ten stories in John Steinbeck's book and he has changed the order to make a more dramatic arc. The audience sees three generation of the Munroes in the house known as Whitesides. Sometimes there are problems with the sheer number of stories that are being told in this very long epic production.

There are many brilliant scenes, including a delightful zarzuela about the story of the owners of a cantina who are prostitutes in denial. The corrido-style songs are wonderfully sung by Catherine Castellanos (SFBATCC outstanding actress of 2009 for Romeo and Juliet) and JoAnne Winter (co-artistic director of Word for Word) to the exuberant melodies of Obadiah Eaves with dance movements by Erika Chong Shuch and music direction by Julie Wolf.

Rod Knapp (SFBATCC outstanding actor for 2009 for Mauritius ) is brilliant in many scenes, including am expressive, driven Shark Wicks seeking the hand of a lovely teacher. He also is powerful playing a strong-minded father, Pat Humbert. Charles Shaw Robinson (Equivocation) who has one of the most distinctive voices in Bay Area Theatre, is excellent as the meek but firm Bert Munroe. Dan Hiatt (Cal Shakes last season: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Romeo and Juliet) gives an absorbing performance as affectionate, studious John Whiteside.

Richard Thieriot (A Midsummer Night's Dream) is great as one of the cornerstones playing various roles. He gives a solid performance in each role. Julie Eccles (Romeo and Juliet, An Ideal Husband) gives stimulating performances, especially as rich Russian Hill widow Helen Van Deventer, whose husband, played stoically by Andy Murray (Twelfth Night), has been killed in a hunting accident. (He says, "Mount me on the wall between the bull moose and the big horn.") Helen tells the audience, "I'm frantic yet poised" when her mentally disturbed child, played wonderful by Amy Kossow (Charter Company member of Word for Word), goes missing.

Emily Kitchen (A.C.T. MFA productions) is marvelous as the naïve schoolteacher with a past who learns much from her students. Tobie Windham is outstanding as Tularecito, a mentally disabled young boy trying to find a place in the world. Andy Murray excellently plays many roles. Everyone shines in this incredible production.

Annie Short's three-story set is amazing—a jumble of period furnished rooms framed by the rolling hills behind stage. York Kennedy gives dramatic lighting, not only to set but to the real trees that are in back of the outside stage. Meg Neville's costumes are authentic to the period of 1860 to 1930. Jonathan Moscone has crafted an enchanting evening as an ode to our great state of California.

A word about the new additions. The grounds have been revamped and there are new modern rest rooms. There is an expanded terrace and a not quite finished café where light food, beer and wine are sold.

The Pastures of Heaven ran through June 27 at Bruns Amphitheatre, 100 California Shakespeare Way (former 100 Gateway Blvd), Orinda. It is just off Highway 24, one mile past Caldecott Tunnel. Coming up next will be George Bernard Shaw's Mrs. Warren's Profession. For tickets call 510-548-9666 or visit www.calshakes.org.

Photo: Kevin Berne


Beach Blanket Babylon is Still Alive and Kicking



Beach Blanket Babylon is still the nation's longest running musical revue, started by Steve Silver on June 7, 1974. It has been seen by over four millions people over the years. Like the Golden Gate Bridge, it is a San Francisco institution. There is no other show like this in the world.

Beach Blanket Babylon is frequently updated with caricatures of the latest people in the news, and this 35th edition is no exception. The plot is the same: a naïve Snow White (Shawna Ferris) is looking for her prince with Glinda the Good Witch (Renee Lubin) wearing a cotton candy dress helping her find the man of her dreams. She goes to Rome and Paris but has no luck. Where does she find happiness? Well right here in San Francisco, of course.

Some favorites are still in the show: Curt Branom's flamboyantly played King Louis and his prancing French Poodles, led by Doug Magpiong, still rock the crowd. Bill Clinton and Hillary get lampooned. Sarah Palin, who has a very large silver pistol attached to her belt, tells the audience she can see Russia from her front yard and Tiger Woods sings "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing." Our current president gets satirized by the chorus singing "Barack Around the Clock." Senator McCain comes off looking like a feeble old man. No celebrity is safe from these quick-paced, talented actors. Lady Gaga, the Jonas Brothers, Britney Spears and Beyonce are parodied. The audience sees Senator Larry Gates coming out of a men's room stall with Richard Simmons as the senator sings "I'm Not Gay."

Shawna Ferris is captivating as the cheerful, immature Snow White sounding like the Disney character. Tammy Nelson, who took over Val Diamond's roles, is outstanding as many characters. Renee Lubin is charismatic as Tina Turner with a high-rise Turner wig. Curt Branom is a real hoot camping up King Louis. Jacqui Heck is wonderful as Nancy Pelosi, Sarah Palin and Britney Spears, and Caitlin McGinty is hilarious as Hilary Clinton and Barbra Streisand. Paulino Duran, Doug Magpiong, Ryan Rigazzi and Phillip Percy Williams add merriment to their various celerity characters. The orchestra, under the leadership of Bill Keck, are dressed in Blues Brother outfits and add to energy of the performers.

Beach Blanket Babylon is a must for any visitor coming to our city. You will leave exhausted from laughing through this fast-paced 90-minute revue. For tickets call 415-421-4222 or visit www.beachblanketbabylon.com.


A Fascinating Night with Cloris Leachman at the Rrazz Room

The legendary Cloris Leachman recently brought Cloris: A One Woman Show to San Francisco's distinctive Rrazz Room in the Hotel Nikko. This Oscar-winning actress started her journey into the cabaret world in Palm Springs earlier this year. This was the second stop on the club tour. She knows how to put on a show and for 90 minutes she regaled the audience with tales of her astonishing life in films, stage and yes "Dancing with the Stars," where she rocked the viewers last year.

Ms. Leachman opened the show by saying, "I am fucking 84 years old"; she is proud that she still loves life. She spoofed about getting older (the word "cremation" she said, "makes it sound like you're going to wind up a nondairy coffee additive"). She also presented an ersatz videotape "commercial" for estate planning. It was a very hilarious video that also stars her former husband George Englund.

Two screens were used throughout the production showing films from her Oscar-winning performance in The Last Picture Show to the side-spitting role of Frau Blücher in Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein ("He vas my boyfriend"). There were scenes from her role as Phyllis Lindstrom on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," Nurse Diesel in High Anxiety and the recent caper in TV's "Dancing with the Stars."

She held the audience spellbound talking about her upbringing in Iowa, working with legendary Katharine Hepburn and how she almost missed an entrance in As You Like it (Ms. Hepburn was not pleased). She told of the successful audition for Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein to play Nellie Forbush as a replacement during South Pacific's original Broadway production. She sang "A Wonderful Guy" from the musical.

The artist went on to tell more marvelous stories, turning sad with tears in her eyes when she talked about the death of her son Bryan from a drug overdose in 1986. She also talked about her ongoing relationship with ex-husband George. She sang the sweet and emotional "Love is a Very Light Thing," "Tara", and "You Again." She ended the enthralling show by singing "Pass This Way Again."

Cloris: A One Woman Show played the Rrazz Room from June 1 to June 4 and June 8 to June 12. The Rrazz Room is located in the Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason Street, San Francisco. For upcoming attractions go to www.therrazzroom.com. For reservations call 866-468-3399 or 415-394-1189.


Cheers - and be sure to Check the lineup of great shows this season in the San Francisco area

- Richard Connema