Jim Munson - Page 2

Jim Munson

Jim has been hooked on theater ever since being dazzled by a high school production of “Damn Yankees” in Wilmington, Delaware way back in 1972 featuring his older brother in a cameo role. Fortunately, his horizons have expanded just a bit since then. A longtime San Francisco resident, Jim is an avid theater- and dance-goer throughout the Bay Area. He has also followed the theater scene across the country and loves nothing more than the 3-show days that can occasionally be scheduled in New York City. For the record, he holds a BA in Theater Arts from SUNY Buffalo, but happily learned long ago that his skills as a discerning audience member far exceed his skills as an actor.




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First Show:

Raisin

Favorite Show:

"Falsettoland" at the Lucille Lortel in 1990. Even though I'd seen and loved "March of the Falsettos," I somehow went in having no idea what this sequel of sorts was about. I was absolutely gutted. Living in that time of the worst of the HIV pandemic, it felt like having my community as they actually were reflected right back at me from the stage. Faith Prince was a sublime Trina (the best I've ever seen). Her "Holding to the Ground" haunted me for weeks afterwards. Lonny Price had stepped in as Mendel and gave that character so much gravitas it was heartbreaking. And, of course, Michael Rupert and Stephen Bogardus were unparalleled as Marvin and Whizzer. I don't know if I've ever laughed and cried so hard at a performance. Afterwards, I remember taking a long, silent walk down along the Hudson River with my husband just because we weren't yet ready to be back in the real world, the emotions the show had brought to the surface were still too raw. I've been fortunate to see the full two-act "Falsettos" many times since then, on Broadway, on tour, in regional theaters, but nothing can top that first exposure to "Falsettoland."

Favorite Stories:

  • Interview: Laura Benanti at the Lesher Center for the Arts is a Golden-Age Star for Our Times - Laura was so approachable, direct, honest and generous with her time that it felt like talking to an old friend. Among other things, we took a deep dive into her conception of the character of Eliza Doolittle. I learned so much from her and yet it was like two theater geeks just shooting the breeze. Easiest interview I've ever done, and after it was published her husband told her it was the best interview she'd ever given.


Interview: Giovanna Sardelli Steps up to Lead TheatreWorks Silicon Valley at a Challenging Juncture and Directs MRS. CHRISTIE to Open Their 2023/24 Season
Interview: Giovanna Sardelli Steps up to Lead TheatreWorks Silicon Valley at a Challenging Juncture and Directs MRS. CHRISTIE to Open Their 2023/24 Season
October 18, 2023

BroadwayWorld checks in with Giovanna Sardelli, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's recently appointed Artistic Director, as she directs 'Mrs. Christie,' the madcap mystery that kicks off their 2023/24 season. The West Coast premiere of Heidi Armbruster's fresh take on Agatha Christie runs through October 29th in Mountain View, CA.

Interview: Hershey Felder of HERSHEY FELDER'S GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK SING-ALONG: A ONE-NIGHT ONLY BENEFIT FOR THEATREWORKS at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley
Interview: Hershey Felder of HERSHEY FELDER'S GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK SING-ALONG: A ONE-NIGHT ONLY BENEFIT FOR THEATREWORKS at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley
October 5, 2023

BroadwayWorld chats with the perennially popular performer Hershey Felder about the Great American Songbook Sing-Along benefit he's doing for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley on October 11th in Mountain View California to raise funds for their Save TheatreWorks Now campaign.

Interview: Heidi Armbruster of MRS. CHRISTIE at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Creates a Delightful Contemporary Mystery from the Disappearance of the Famed Author in 1926
Interview: Heidi Armbruster of MRS. CHRISTIE at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Creates a Delightful Contemporary Mystery from the Disappearance of the Famed Author in 1926
September 28, 2023

BroadwayWorld chats with playwright Heidi Armbruster about 'Mrs. Christie' her madcap mystery making its West Coast premiere at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley October 4 to 29. Her play is an imaginative and speculative romp that connects the famed mystery writer's 11-day disappearance in 1926 with the story of a present-day woman struggling to find herself.

Interview: Margo Hall of NOLLYWOOD DREAMS at San Francisco Playhouse Thinks We Could All Use a Good Laugh These Days
Interview: Margo Hall of NOLLYWOOD DREAMS at San Francisco Playhouse Thinks We Could All Use a Good Laugh These Days
September 25, 2023

BroadwayWorld talks to Bay Area theater veteran Margo Hall about directing 'Nollywood Dreams,' red-hot playwright Jocelyn Bioh's rollicking Nigeria-set comedy running at San Francisco Playhouse September 28th to November 4th

Interview: Jessica Dickey of SISTERING: THE ART OF HOLDING CLOSE AND LETTING GO Explores the Joys and Sorrows of a Sibling Bond That Sustains Her Life in the Theater
Interview: Jessica Dickey of SISTERING: THE ART OF HOLDING CLOSE AND LETTING GO Explores the Joys and Sorrows of a Sibling Bond That Sustains Her Life in the Theater
September 21, 2023

Broadway World talks to playwright & actor Jessica Dickey about her captivating new book 'Sistering' written with her sister Danielle Neff, a United Church of Christ pastor, about maintaining their unusually close bond while following very different paths in life.

Interview: Maria-Christina Oliveras of HADESTOWN at The Orpheum Theatre & San Jose Center For The Performing Arts Is Thrilled to Return to the Bay Area
Interview: Maria-Christina Oliveras of HADESTOWN at The Orpheum Theatre & San Jose Center For The Performing Arts Is Thrilled to Return to the Bay Area
September 8, 2023

BroadwayWorld checks in with Maria-Christina Oliveras who is playing Persephone in the national tour of Tony-Award winning Best Musical 'Hadestown' in San Francisco Sept 12-17 and San Jose September 26 - October 1.

Feature: BEFORE THE INK DRIES at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Presented a Delightfully Candid Conversation with David Henry Hwang & Rajiv Joseph
Feature: BEFORE THE INK DRIES at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Presented a Delightfully Candid Conversation with David Henry Hwang & Rajiv Joseph
August 24, 2023

BroadwayWorld reports on 'Before the Ink Dries,' a delightful evening with playwrights David Henry Hwang & Rajiv Joseph that kicked off TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 20th Anniversary New Works Festival.

Review: San Francisco Ballet's STARRY NIGHTS at Stanford Live Offered Up a Sumptuous Summer Evening of Dance
Review: San Francisco Ballet's STARRY NIGHTS at Stanford Live Offered Up a Sumptuous Summer Evening of Dance
August 9, 2023

What did our critic think of San Francisco Ballet's STARRY NIGHTS at Stanford Live? BroadwayWorld reviews San Francisco Ballet's sumptuous summer program.

Interview: Min Kahng of the 20TH ANNIVERSARY NEW WORKS FESTIVAL at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Uses Absurdity to Explore Humanity
Interview: Min Kahng of the 20TH ANNIVERSARY NEW WORKS FESTIVAL at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Uses Absurdity to Explore Humanity
July 27, 2023

BroadwayWorld talks to celebrated Bay Area playwright/composer Min Kahng about his rollicking new show 'Happy Pleasant Valley: A Senior Sex Scandal Murder Mystery Musical,' which is part of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 20th Anniversary New Works Festival at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto August 11th to 20th.

Interview: Fred Pitts of AREN'T YOU...? at The Marsh Offers a Fresh Take on the History of Race Relations in America
Interview: Fred Pitts of AREN'T YOU...? at The Marsh Offers a Fresh Take on the History of Race Relations in America
July 13, 2023

BroadwayWorld talks to actor/writer Fred Pitts about his humorous and insightful solo show 'Aren't You...?' running at The Marsh in San Francisco July 21 to August 18.

Interview: Nicole Helfer of A CHORUS LINE at San Francisco Playhouse Finally Gets Her Chance on Another Go at a Dream Role
Interview: Nicole Helfer of A CHORUS LINE at San Francisco Playhouse Finally Gets Her Chance on Another Go at a Dream Role
June 22, 2023

BroadwayWorld talks to Nicole Helfer, who is both choreographing and starring as Cassie in San Francisco Playhouse's new production of 'A Chorus Line' running June 22 to September 9.

Interview: Josh Kornbluth of CITIZEN BRAIN at The Marsh Berkeley Explores Our Collective Dementia in an Effort to Foster Empathy
Interview: Josh Kornbluth of CITIZEN BRAIN at The Marsh Berkeley Explores Our Collective Dementia in an Effort to Foster Empathy
June 16, 2023

BroadwayWorld chats with eminent Bay Area monologist Josh Kornbluth about his latest work, 'Citizen Brain,' running through July 29th at The Marsh Berkeley.

Interview: Elizabeth Carter of STEEL MAGNOLIAS at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Explores the In-Between Places That Foster Community
Interview: Elizabeth Carter of STEEL MAGNOLIAS at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Explores the In-Between Places That Foster Community
May 18, 2023

BroadwayWorld chats with director Elizabeth Carter about her new production of Robert Harling's 'Steel Magnolias' running at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley in Mountain View June 7 to July 2 with a multicultural cast of stage veterans.

Interview: Timothy Near of THE ROAD TO MECCA at Z Below Reunites with Her Lead Actors to Present Another Fugard Classic
Interview: Timothy Near of THE ROAD TO MECCA at Z Below Reunites with Her Lead Actors to Present Another Fugard Classic
May 17, 2023

BroadwayWorld talks to director Timothy Near about her new production of Athol Fugard's incandescent 'The Road to Mecca' playing at Z Below in San Francisco June 4 to 30.

Feature: The 2023 Season at San Francisco Ballet Left Memories to Last a Lifetime
Feature: The 2023 Season at San Francisco Ballet Left Memories to Last a Lifetime
May 5, 2023

BroadwayWorld takes a look back at highlights from San Francisco Ballet's just-concluded 2023 season.

Review: ROMEO & JULIET at San Francisco Ballet Concludes the Season on a Gloriously Romantic High Note
Review: ROMEO & JULIET at San Francisco Ballet Concludes the Season on a Gloriously Romantic High Note
April 28, 2023

What did our critic think of ROMEO & JULIET at San Francisco Ballet? BroadwayWorld reviews San Francisco Ballet's gloriously romantic 'Romeo & Juliet' running through April 30th.

Interview: Itamar Moses of AN AMERICAN TAIL THE MUSICAL at CHILDREN'S THEATRE COMPANY Adapts the Beloved Animated Film for the Stage
Interview: Itamar Moses of AN AMERICAN TAIL THE MUSICAL at CHILDREN'S THEATRE COMPANY Adapts the Beloved Animated Film for the Stage
April 20, 2023

BroadwayWorld chats with Itamar Moses, Tony-winning book writer for 'The Band's Visit,' about his new show 'An American Tail the Musical' enjoying its world premiere at Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis April 25- June 18.

Interview: Tara Branham of TOSCA at Opera San José Shines a New Light on the Operatic Canon
Interview: Tara Branham of TOSCA at Opera San José Shines a New Light on the Operatic Canon
April 12, 2023

BroadwayWorld chats with Tara Branham who is making her mainstage debut as director at Opera San Jose with the Puccini classic 'Tosca' running April 15 to 30.

Review: ENGLISH at Berkeley Rep Shows How Language Runs Deeper Than Just Words
Review: ENGLISH at Berkeley Rep Shows How Language Runs Deeper Than Just Words
April 10, 2023

What did our critic think of ENGLISH at Berkeley Rep? BroadwayWorld reviews Sanaz Toossi's beguilingly serious comedy running through May 7th.

Interview: Kareem Fahmy & Giovanna Sardelli of A DISTINCT SOCIETY at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Bring a New Play to Life That Makes the Political Personal
Interview: Kareem Fahmy & Giovanna Sardelli of A DISTINCT SOCIETY at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Bring a New Play to Life That Makes the Political Personal
March 31, 2023

BroadwayWorld talks to playwright Kareem Fahmy and director Giovanna Sardelli about TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's world premiere production of 'A Distinct Society' inspired by the Muslim travel ban. The intensely moving play runs April 5th to 30th in Mountain View, CA.



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