See-See 1906 - Articles Page 3

Jamie deRoy & friends Presents GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN Part 2 in honor of those we've lost.

Josephine: A Burlesque Cabaret Dream Play, a one-woman musical biographical play about the iconic Josephine Baker,will be performed on the Morris Museum's Back Deck, Thursday, September 17th and Friday, September 18th at 7:00 pm, continuing our season of socially distant performance. 

Fifteen years after its first production of the musical, Musical Theatre West revisits the Tony Award-winning musical RAGTIME for only its second time---smartly reviving the musical in a similarly lavish production that beautifully converges the show's classic staging and vibe with wonderfully integrated 21st Century tech upgrades that help elevate the material rather than hinder its storytelling. Under the enlightened direction of Paul David Bryant (who also provides the production's high-energy choreography), this brand new, spectacularly engrossing production bellows with an emotional fervor and is one of my favorite iterations of this musical I have seen in recent years. This local revival---which continues performances at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach through February 23, 2020---is a feast for the senses.

San Francisco International Arts Festival has shared the full schedule for the 2020 Festival that will run at the Fort Mason Center for Arts & Culture from May 19 - 31.

Nowadays there appears to be an increasing awareness in the theatre about presenting women characters through the aesthetic of male playwrights and directors, much of it involving the movie term 'male gaze' which was coined by Laura Mulvey in the 70s to describe the disproportionately sexualized manner in which women were presented in film.  From that context, it's possible to conclude that this is what playwright/actor Charles Busch has been commenting on all along.

By the late 19th century, the American food supply was rife with frauds, fakes, and legions of untested and often deadly chemicals that threatened the health of consumers. The Poison Squad, based on the acclaimed book by Deborah Blum, tells the story of a little known government chemist named Dr. Harvey Wiley, who, determined to banish these dangerous substances from the American diet, took on the powerful food manufacturers and their allies in government. To demonstrate the peril lurking in these ubiquitous chemicals — from copper sulfate to borax to formaldehyde — Wiley embarked upon a series of bold and controversial trials on human subjects — a dozen brave young men who would become known as the “Poison Squad.” Following Wiley's unusual experiments and tireless crusade for food safety, the film charts the path of the forgotten man whose work would become the basis for our consumer protection laws, and ultimately the creation of the FDA. Written, directed and produced by John Maggio and executive produced by Mark Samels and Susan Bellows, The Poison Squad premieres Tuesday, January 28, 2020, 9:00-11:00 p.m. ET (check local listings) on AMERICAN EXPERIENCE on PBS, PBS.org and the PBS Video App.

RAGTIME is a musical that is as relevant now as it was in 1998 when it premiered and the production currently on at PlayMakers Repertory Company makes that abundantly clear. While the show might be set in the state of New York in 1906, it makes statements about immigration, race relations, corrupt justice, and women's rights that continue to ring true today. Director Zi Alikhan stages the show as you've never seen before, cutting away the period clothing and elaborate setting to focus on its brilliant music and lyrics and the poignant themes it explores. The new 360 degree theatre layout puts the audience firmly into the action, letting them get even closer to the characters than in a normal show. 

CAUTIONARY TALES is a new podcast a?" produced by Malcolm Gladwell and Jacob Weisberg's audio venture Pushkin Industries - that tells stories of history's mishaps and disasters and illuminates what we can learn from each of these remarkable and in some cases, unbelievable true tales. Written and hosted by bestselling author of The Undercover Economist Tim Harford, the podcast will launch with eight episodes on November 15, 2019.

ShPIeL Performing Identity has released an updated schedule for TEATRON: Chicago's Jewish Theatre Festival, to be held from Sunday, November 3 - Sunday, November 10, 2019, with most events at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago.

a?oeRagtimea?? at Musical Theatre Heritage is more than just a great show. It has harnessed extraordinary power to move its audience and remind us of the idea that is America.

This Skylight production is certainly more stripped down, relying on simple orchestrations, bare-bones sets, and a small ensemble to achieve something great. A production like this allows the strongest bit of 'Oklahoma!' -- the music -- to shine.

ShPIeL Performing Identity a?" a theatre and performance incubator and producer based jointly in Chicago and Louisville, Kentucky a?" will present TEATRON: Chicago's Jewish Theatre Festival from Sunday, November 3 a?" Sunday, November 10, 2019 at Victory Gardens Theater, 2433 N. Lincoln Ave., Chicago. The eight-day festival dedicated to Jewish theatre, the first-ever in Chicago, will be presented in conjunction with and will overlap the annual Alliance for Jewish Theatre Conference, hosted by ShPIeL at Victory Gardens Theater and The Theatre School at DePaul University from November 1-3, 2019. (FOR CONFERENCE REGISTRATION AND SCHEDULE visit alljewishtheatre.org). ShPIeL Producing Artistic Director David Y. Chack today announced the festival lineup, which will include staged readings, solo performances, storytelling, cabaret, and comedy.

While I find Beckett's plays often too intensely intellectual for my comprehension, this was not the case with Irwin's seemingly effortless way of donning a bowler hat (or 2 or 3), juggling them until the perfect one is atop his head, and then going on to flop around the stage in his baggy pants and oversize shoes as a quintessential clown while explaining his interpretation of passages reflecting a?oethe noise of lifea?? in Beckett's a?oeText for Noting,a?? a?oeWatt,a?? a?oeWaiting for Godot,a?? a?oeEndgame,a?? and a?oeThe Unnamable.a?? It was an extraordinary evening of watching a master of the stage interpret the life and brilliance of a theatre legend.

'Journey On' with Stagecrafters' current production of Ragtime, playing at Royal Oak's Baldwin Theatre until October 6th. Since premiering in Toronto in 1996 and opening on Broadway in 1998, Ragtime has received several worldwide productions, becoming an absolute phenomenon.

The persistent legend, mystique and fascination of what may have happened to Anastasia during Russia's revolution finds a new home in the musical ANASTASIA

A sweeping, grandiose, and emotionally-searing stage musical adaptation of E.L. Doctorow's expansive 1975 novel, RAGTIME is a gripping, multi-character, and multi-story theatrical experience that uses era-authentic specificity to depict America's past during a time when its increasingly diverse population has been forced to adjust to the ramifications of new technological, social, political, and economic changes that are spreading throughout the nation. Of course, one can't help but observe that, eerily, many of these very same issues are somehow still top-of-mind today, particularly in recent years with the surge in anti-immigrant policies and sentiments, the increasing gap between the rich and the poor, and, of course, the horrific rise of racist sentiments and, worse, racist acts against people of color. Perhaps this overarching motif---that many of these era-specific issues that RAGTIME's characters struggled with in 1906 are still alarmingly present in 2019---is the true motivator behind director Casey Stangl's impressive, 'intimate' theater reimagining of RAGTIME for Chance Theater, which continues performances in Anaheim through August 11, 2019.

INDECENT now onstage at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in a co-production with Huntington Theatre Company, magnificently directed by Rebecca Taichman, is as close to a Broadway-quality production as you will ever see in the City of Angels, with incredibly entertaining, stylized movement performed by triple-threat performers, guaranteed to draw you into not only the story but the necessity of its truth being brought to the stage now.

Paula Vogel's INDECENT has already begun its previews at the Ahmanson Theatre. Vogel and director Rebecca Taichman continue their collaboration, from the workshops and the Broadway run (for which Rebecca won her Tony Award directing INDECENT), to this co-production between the Center Theatre Group and the Huntington Theatre Company. I had the opportunity to delve into the inner creative workings of the man portraying Sholem Asch - Joby Earle.

As part of BroadwayWorld's expansive coverage of the 73rd Annual Tony Awards, we're bringing you the full text of all of the acceptance speeches; from the emotional to the bizarre, and everything in between. Keep up with all of the winners' speeches on our continuously updated list below.

This Spring Pontine Theatre will present their original staging of stories written by Hampton Falls' Alice Brown,  Tales of New England Life will be presented at assisted living communities, senior centers, libraries and historical societies throughout the region.  The tour is made possible with support from the Fuller Foundation and the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts.   The FullerFoundation, is a nonprofit organization  that  supports projects that improve the quality of life for people, animals and the environment.  

We got the chance to chat with Tony-nominated director and choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge about RAGTIME -- its relevance to the current U.S. political climate and what makes it one of the best musicals of the 20th (and 21st century).

In 1906, San Francisco had an intense earthquake and resulting fires. Little did my newly immigrant grandfather know that when he went to build 'shacks' in the city by the bay, that he would be part of what has recently become a new trend-building 'Little Houses.' He constructed many 200 square feet or less temporary homes, some of which became permanent residences.

INDECENT is a more than decent as good theatre. I'd see it again if only for the beauty of the production. Performances run through April 14th with tickets available at http://bluebarn.org/tickets/ or by calling 402-345-1576.

Multiple Grammy and Oscar winning artist, musician and producer T Bone Burnett gave a thought provoking keynote speech at SXSW today, warning of the current dangers of the dominance of digital monopolies like Google and Facebook, while championing the value of the independence of artists. See below for the full text of the speech.