Backstage

Vote for this Picture!! I took it of the multi-talented actress - Nichole!

Lauren Ambrose to star in Romeo and Juliet

One of my favorite young actresses, Lauren Ambrose, will be starring in Rome and Juiet with The Public Theatre  in their annual Shakespeare in the Park event.  Lauren  was absolutely wonderful on Six Feet Under, possibly the best series that HBO hosted for a few seasons. It's great to see her success there begin to give her these kind of stage opportunities. Not only is she beautiful, she's immensly talented. I'm going to have to get out there for a weekend this summer to see this and a couple of other shows. I think she has the ability and charisma to become one of our next big stars.

Nominations for Foothill!

Almost every year Foothill Music Theatre  receives multiple Bay Area Theatre Critics Award nominations.

This year is no exception.

Urinetown was nominated for outstanding entire production; Robert Brewer, male principal performer; Jessica Lynn Carol, female supporting performer; and Catherine Snider, musical direction.

Annie Get Your Gun, FMT’s summer musical, included nominations for Jessica Raaum, female principal performer; Jay Manley, director; Catherine Snider, musical director; Tyler Risk, choreographer; Joe Ragey, scenic designer; and Janis Bergmann, costume designer.

Congratulations to all!

Bay Area Critics Circle Award Nominations

The annual nominations are in and here they are:

DRAMA

ENTIRE PRODUCTION

• Brooklyn Boy, TheatreWorks
• Killer Joe, Marin Theatre Company & Sankowich/FireMused Productions
• Kiss of the Spider Woman, New Conservatory Theatre Center
• The Little Foxes, American Conservatory Theater
• The Master Builder, Aurora Theatre
• The Miser, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Salome, Aurora Theatre

PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE, FEMALE

• Ivonne Coll, Mother Courage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Lauren Grace, The Master Builder, Aurora Theatre
• Phoebe Moyer, The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue, TheatreWorks
• Rita Moreno, Glass Menagerie, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Susi Damilano, Reckless, SF Playhouse
• Vilma Silva, Anna in the Tropics, TheatreWorks

PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE, MALE

• Eric Lochtefeld, Glass Menagerie, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Francis Jue, M. Butterfly, TheatreWorks
• James Carpenter, The Master Builder, Aurora Theatre
• Javier Galito-Cava, Kiss of the Spider Woman, New Conservatory Theatre Center
• L. Peter Callender, World Music, TheatreFirst
• Ron Campbell, Merry Wives of Windsor, California Shakespeare Theater
• Steven Epp, The Miser, Berkeley Repertory Theatre

SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, FEMALE

• Amy Resnick, Brooklyn Boy, TheatreWorks
• Delia MacDougall, Merry Wives of Windsor, California Shakespeare Theater
• Julia Brothers, Salome, Aurora Theatre
• Maureen McVerry, The Learned Ladies of Park Avenue, TheatreWorks
• Nancy Carlin, The Immigrant, San Jose Repertory Theatre
• Sue Trigg, Noises Off, Willows Theatre

SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, MALE

• Anthony Fusco, Merry Wives of Windsor, California Shakespeare Theater
• Dan Hiatt, The Immigrant, San Jose Repertory Theatre
• Danny Scheie, Merry Wives of Windsor, California Shakespeare Theater
• Danny Scheie, Restoration Comedy, California Shakespeare Theater
• Darren Bridgett, Alice in Wonderland, Marin Shakespeare Company
• Nick Sholley, The Long Christmas Ride Home, Magic Theatre

DIRECTOR

• Barbara Damashek, Laughter on the 23rd Floor, Center REPertory
• Dominique Serrand, The Miser, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Jonathan Moscone, As You Like It, California Shakespeare Theater
• Louis Parnell, Reckless, SF Playhouse
• Mark Jackson, Salome, Aurora Theatre
• Tracy Ward, Hunter Gatherers, Killing My Lobster

SET DESIGN

• Bill English, Roulette, SF Playhouse
• Donald Eastman, The Rivals, American Conservatory Theater
• Kate Edmunds, M. Butterfly, TheatreWorks
• Robert Blackman, The Little Foxes, American Conservatory Theater
• Steve Coleman, Old Wicked Songs, Marin Theatre Company
• Steve Coleman, Sly Fox, Ross Valley Players

SOUND DESIGN

• Billie Cox, King Lear, Marin Shakespeare Company
• Dave Malloy, Merry Wives of Windsor, California Shakespeare Theater
• Donald Remedios, The Miser, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Jeff Mockus, Old Wicked Songs, Marin Theatre Company
• Tim Gray, Tartuffe, Marin Theatre Company

LIGHTING DESIGN

• Alexander V. Nichols, Mother Courage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Alexander V. Nichols, Sexual Perversity in Chicago, American Conservatory Theater
• Joe Retsky, Mystery Play, SF Playhouse
• Matt Frey, Glass Menagerie, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Nancy Schertler, The Rivals, American Conservatory Theater
• Russell H. Champa, The Little Foxes, American Conservatory Theater

COSTUME DESIGN

• Anna R. Oliver, Restoration Comedy, California Shakespeare Theater
• Beaver Bauer, The Rivals, American Conservatory Theater
• David Zinn, Mother Courage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Fumiko Bielefeldt, M. Butterfly, TheatreWorks
• Lydia Tanji, Merry Wives of Windsor, California Shakespeare Theater
• Sonya Berlovitz, The Miser, Berkeley Repertory Theatre

ORIGINAL SCRIPT

• Brad Erickson, The War at Home, New Conservatory Theatre Center
• Carey Perloff, Luminescence Dating, American Conservatory Theater/Magic Theatre
• Geoff Sobelle and Trey Lyford, All Wear Bowlers, Berkeley Repertory Theatre

ORIGINAL SCORE

• Gina Leishman, As You Like It, California Shakespeare Theater
• Gina Leishman, Mother Courage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Peter Golub, Glass Menagerie, Berkeley Repertory Theatre

CHOREOGRAPHY OR FIGHT DIRECTION

• Chris Black, Salome, Aurora Theatre
• David Maier, Zorro in Hell, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Joe Goode/Lunatique Fantastique, The Long Christmas Ride Home, Magic Theatre
• Richard Lane, King Lear, Marin Shakespeare Company

SOLO PERFORMANCE

• Ron Severdia, A Christmas Carol, Humbug Theater
• Tim Miller, 101 Beds, New Conservatory Theatre Center
• W. Allen Taylor, Walkin’ Talkin' Bill Hawkins, The Marsh Berkeley

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE

• The Immigrant, San Jose Repertory Theatre
• The Little Foxes, American Conservatory Theater
• The Marriage of Figaro, Center REPertory
• Mother Courage, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• The Rivals, American Conservatory Theater
• Salome, Aurora Theatre

MUSICALS

ENTIRE PRODUCTION

• Love, Janis, Columbia Artists
• Passing Strange, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Putting It Together, SF Playhouse
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Broadway by the Bay
• Urinetown, Foothill Music Theatre
• Vanities, TheatreWorks

PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE, FEMALE

• Charlotte Cohn, Happy End, American Conservatory Theater
• Jessica Raaum, Annie Get Your Gun, Foothill Music Theatre

PRINCIPAL PERFORMANCE, MALE

• Daniel Breaker, Passing Strange, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Noel Anthony, Miss Saigon, Broadway by the Bay
• Rick Williams, 1776, Willows Theatre
• Robert Brewer, Urinetown, Foothill Music Theatre

SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, FEMALE

• Jessica Lynn Carroll, Urinetown, Foothill Music Theatre
• Mary-Pat Green, Putting It Together, SF Playhouse
• Maureen McVerry, Pardon My English, 42nd Street Moon
• Tiffany Marie Austin, Miss Saigon, Broadway by the Bay

SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE, MALE

• Aaron J. Albano, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Post Street Theatre
• David Sattler, Miss Saigon, Broadway by the Bay
• Justin Weatherby, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Broadway by the Bay
• Paul Araquistain, Miss Saigon, Broadway by the Bay
• Stanley Bahorek, 25th Putnam County Annual Spelling Bee, Post Street Theatre

DIRECTOR

• Alex Perez, Miss Saigon, Broadway by the Bay
• Carey Perloff, Happy End, American Conservatory Theater
• Dianna Shuster, Putting It Together, SF Playhouse
• Evan Pappas, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Broadway by the Bay
• Jay Manley, Annie Get Your Gun, Foothill Music Theatre

MUSIC DIRECTOR

• Catherine Snider, Annie Get Your Gun, Foothill Music Theatre
• Catherine Snider, Urinetown, Foothill Music Theatre
• Constantine Kitsopoulos, Happy End, American Conservatory Theater
• Mark Hanson, Miss Saigon, Broadway by the Bay
• Stew, Passing Strange, Berkeley Repertory Theatre

SET DESIGN

• Joe Ragey, Annie Get Your Gun, Foothill Music Theatre
• Walt Spangler, Happy End, American Conservatory Theater

SOUND DESIGN

• Jeff Curtis, Happy End, American Conservatory Theater

LIGHTING DESIGN

• Kevin Adams, Passing Strange, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Michael Ramsaur, Miss Saigon, Broadway by the Bay

COSTUME DESIGN

• Candice Donnelly, Happy End, American Conservatory Theater
• Janis Bergmann, Annie Get Your Gun, Foothill Music Theatre

CHOREOGRAPHY

• Berle Davis, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Broadway by the Bay
• John Carraffa, Happy End, American Conservatory Theater
• Robyn Tribuzi, Miss Saigon, Broadway by the Bay
• Tyler Risk, Annie Get Your Gun, Foothill Music Theatre

ORIGINAL SCRIPT

• Morris Bobrow, Shopping! The Musical, AWAT Productions
• Jay Kuo, Insignificant Others, New Conservatory Theatre Center
• Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange, Berkeley Repertory Theatre

ORIGINAL SCORE

• David Kirshenbaum, Vanities, TheatreWorks
• Morris Bobrow, Shopping! The Musical, AWAT Productions

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE

• 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Post Street Theatre
• Happy End, American Conservatory Theater
• Miss Saigon, Broadway by the Bay
• Passing Strange, Berkeley Repertory Theatre
• Putting It Together, SF Playhouse
• Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, Broadway by the Bay

TOURING PRODUCTIONS:

• Doubt, Carol Shorenstein Hays, MTC Productions
• Hairspray, American Musical Theatre of San Jose
• Jersey Boys, Best of Broadway
• A Light in the Piazza, Best of Broadway
• Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake, Best of Broadway

"Pippin" at Foothill

In 1973 we were all traumatized by the Viet Nam War which was finally coming to an end, and by Watergate which was just erupting. What did Broadway do in response? They gave us the frivolity we so desperately desired. Take a look a the shows that were nominated for Tonys that year: Pippin, A Little Night Music, The Sunshine Boys and Much Ado About Nothing. All these plays try to address serious issues in very subtle ways, but are careful not to whack the audience over the head with anything too heavy or emotional.

In Foothill Music Theatre's recent production, the choreography by Joe Duffy was excellent with just enough Fosse to pay tribute to his legacy. Jay Manley's direction was fantastic as always, and Catherine Snyder's music was excellent. But, what really struck me was how Pippin reflects the social atmosphere of the early 1970s.  Much of Pippin is whimsy. We were worn out as a nation and we needed to feel unencumbered. There is no gut wrenching conflict in the first act of Pippin. It's mostly light humor and fun.

Sometimes when I watch a musical, I get the feeling that the writers create a first act that exists merely to fulfill an audience's desire to just listen to nice music and watch people dance. Then once they have them in the seats, they give them Act II. Act II often is the musical they want people to see. This for me was the case with Pippin. Act II turned out to be something much more touching and personal. The thrust of the second act revolves around Pippin's (Nathan Baynard) growing love for Catherine, a charming and beautiful peasant woman played wonderfully by Alicia Teeter. He is in conflict over his love for her and his own self perception. He sees himself as a prince that could never live the life of a farmer. The scenes between the two are written with humor and love and the actors really were excellent in bringing it to life. Mr. Baynard and Ms. Teeter create some wonderful moments in the second act that made me both laugh and cry a little.

More than anything, Pippin made me think of life in the early 1970s. It made me remember our need for innocence. It made me think of how in 2007 we are in another war that looks all too similar to Viet Nam. And, it made me long for a time when we could hum along to songs of hope as the flower children we were, or wished we could be.

 

Technorati tags: pippin, foothill music theatre

Arcadia at The Pear Avenue Theatre

The Pear Avenue Theatre is currently showing a wonderful production of Arcadia written by Tom Stoppard. Stoppard's play is truly a modern masterpiece. The direction by Rebecca Ennals is superb and the acting is excellent.

I hear that the show is completely sold out for the remainder of the run. I think you can possibly get in if you arrive early and get your name on the waiting list. There are often a couple of no-shows. Come by yourself if you can, there is almost always at least one empty seat for a walk-up.

Where: The Pear Avenue Theatre in Mtn. View

When: February 23-March 18, 2007

Tickets: $10-$25

Info Phone: 650-254-1148

Official Web Site