by Ron Friedenthal

  As the name implies, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s production of Mike Lew’s “Tiger Style!”, currently performing through April 28 at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts (500 Castro Street), in Mountain View, CA., is a comedic satire of tiger parenting, often stereotypically portrayed of East Asian societies.

Through the representation of a Chinese family, the theme of of this production will resonate with any parents who try to navigate the coming of age of their children and the subsequent blame the children may have of their parents when things do not work out as planned.

This is a five-actor all-star ensemble, three of whom play multiple roles superbly, including Francis Jue, Emily Kuroda, and Jeremy Kahn. The lead actors, William Dao and Jenny Nguyen Nelson, who play brother (Albert Chen) and sister (Jennifer Chen), are excellent, using humor and insight into the young adults they portray. They demonstrate how, with their parents’ strict cultural guidance, it helps them to exceed in academia. However, heir exceptional early years did not prepare them for coping in society. As a result, their early successes did not translate into having a very happy and productive adulthood.

by Ed Brice

     Center Repertory Company of Walnut Creek presents “The Great Leap”, a high-stakes work that follows a University of San Francisco college basketball team that travels to Beijing in 1989 for a well-publicized exhibition game. The play takes place in San Francisco’s Chinatown and Beijing China in 1971 and 1989, featuring a USF basketball coach, a walk-on Chinese American player in ’89, and the Chinese team’s coach.

     1971 and 1989 are pivotal years in Communist China: Communist China’s “Great Leap” by Mao Zedong in 1958-61, then Cultural Revolution resulted in incredible upheaval, famine, deaths, etc. By 1971, tension between China and the U.S. was thawing, including international ping-pong, visits and…basketball!

     In 1989 there were the Chinese student-led peaceful demonstrations in Tiananmen Square, including the famous “tank guy” looking for more reform. As we know, that was physically and forcefully put down by the Chinese communist government without major reforms achieved for individuals.

by Darlene Jurow

     Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic “The 39 Steps” is ripe for satire, and San Francisco Playhouse’s (450 Post Street) stage version of this 1935 film, performing through Saturday, April 20, offers high energy, vaudevillian flair, impeccable comic timing, and overall, is a zany gem of a show!

     “The 39 Steps” has a superb cast of four actors playing some 100 characters as it follows the high-speed adventures of protagonist Richard Hannay (superbly portrayed by Phil Wong), who is kept busy chasing villains through the U.K.., cracking an international spy ring and, naturally, finally, getting the girl!

     Phil Wong plays Richard Hannay, who is being falsely accused on murder, and having to go on the run to clear his name. Hannay, after having a mysterious woman, Annabella Schmidt (Maggie Mason), murdered in his apartment, heads off to the Scottish countryside in search of a certain house, stays over at a farmhouse where he encounters a woman who helps him (also Maggie Mason), encounters a shady professor named Jordan (Renee Rogoff), is disbelieved by the town sheriff after he's nearly killed (also Renee Rogoff), encounters another woman, Pamela (again, Maggie Mason), who ends up handcuffed to him, and more hilarity ensues as the two head back to London to figure out how to finally clear Hannay's name and foil the spies' plot. The fourth member of the cast, Greg Ayers, is also an extremely talented humorist, and takes on the roles of dozens of characters.

   August 25, 1966. Specialist Dan Crowley was among the handful of demolition experts assigned to a route clearing mission in support of Operation AMARILLO. His equipment load was the same as it had been numerous times before: a Claymore mine, TNT, C-4 explosives, blasting caps, time fuse, det cord, eighteen rounds for his M-79 grenade launcher, two hand grenades, and his Colt .45.
     But this would be no ordinary mission.
     The Viet Cong had just surrounded an American patrol along Highway 16. Crowley’s outfit – Charlie Company, 1st Engineer Battalion – was among the smattering of units thrown together for this impromptu “relief force.” History would call it the Battle of Bong Trang.
     In a war dominated by airmobile infantry, the combat engineers played a critical role in shaping America’s battlefield victories. They built obstacles, dug defensive positions, set landmines, performed various types of demolition, and could fight as infantry whenever ordered.
     “Fire in the Hole” tells the story of Charlie Company, 1st Engineer Battalion during their deployment to the Republic of Vietnam in 1965-66. Told from the perspective of four Charlie Company veterans – Dan Crowley, Larry Blair, Chuck Humphrey, and Jay Franz – this book provides an intimate, no-holds-barred account of the combat engineers in Vietnam.

Livermore, CA – Concluding the first year of the exciting new partnership where Bankhead Presents The Rae Dorough Speaker Series, Livermore Valley Arts is excited to share two thrilling speakers for the Tri-Valley. From an entertainer direct from Hollywood, a needs-no-introduction “Evening with Henry Winkler” on March 14, to an out-of-this-world speaker with Dr. Aomawa Shields, Ph.D., discussing “Life on Other Planets: A Memoir of Finding My Place in the Universe” on May 2, these two final starry speakers in the 2023-2024 RDSS season will truly light up the Tri-Valley; both of these stellar Thursday evening performances will take place right at the Bankhead Theater in Downtown Livermore, CA.

    Two women dream of shattering academia’s glass ceiling and saving the bees in “Queen”, presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Written by San Jose-born playwright and filmmaker Madhuri Shekar (“House of Joy”, Amazon/Blumhouse’s “Evil Eye”, and HBO’s “The Nevers”), this topical and engaging work follows Sanam and Ariel, Ph. D. candidates from India and the U.S., as they research the collapse of bee colonies worldwide. When a flaw emerges in their research, their friendship, careers, and even an arranged marriage are at risk. With ecological disaster on the horizon, Sanam and Ariel debate whether they should withdraw their findings or compromise them to protect the planet. Miriam A. Laube directs this production, which is presented in collaboration with Silicon Valley-based EnActe Arts. “Queen” is currently being presented through March 31, 2024 at Lucie Stern Theatre (1305 Middlefield Road), Palo Alto, CA.

     Director Laube has assembled a talented cast to bring this story to life. Seen in the 2023 TheatreWorks New Works Festival reading of “Nerve”, Uma Paranjpe makes her TheatreWorks main stage debut as Sanam Shah, an applied mathematician and Ph. D. candidate from India.

by Jan Miller

     Center Repertory Company presents “Mystic Pizza,” a hot musical based on the MGM romantic comedy from the late ‘80s that starred Julia Roberts. This musical follows the complexities of lives and loves of three young waitresses working at Mystic Pizza in Connecticut. Each girl tries to find her own way, but while the theme of the show is that of friendship and self-discovery, the true hit of this coming-of-age show are the music hits from the ‘80s, interwoven through the entire production.

     “Mystic Pizza” centers around sisters Daily Arujo (Krystina Alabado) and Kat Arujo (Kyra Kennedy), whose relationship is much like that of oil and water, and Jojo Barboza (Gianna Yanelli), who in the opening scene faints at the altar and is unable to wed her devoted fiancé Bill (Jordan Friend). Together, they are the three waitresses at Mystic Pizza, and each tries to find her path in life with energy and charm.

     Throughout the show, each of the three girls tries to find her own way — Daisy wants to marry a rich preppy and get out of her small town; Kat is headed to Yale and is scraping together enough money for tuition; and Jojo is trying to figure out why she isn’t ready to marry Bill, the man she loves, but isn’t quite ready to settle down.

by Darlene Jurow

    Minna Lee’s “My Home on The Moon”, currently playing through February 24 at the San Francisco Playhouse (450 Post Street), is both creative and thought-provoking, as it captures an epic sci-fi journey into the metaverse. It explores how we are on the threshold of allowing artificial intelligence to create a reality for us that captivates the expected, the unexpected and the dreams of tomorrow.

     This sci-fi production centers on a struggling Vietnamese pho restaurant that appears on the brink of closing amid vast neighborhood changes. Then a mysterious marketing consultant steps in and suddenly things dramatically change as they are not all as they seem as the restaurant’s owner Pho Lan and her chef Mai discover artificial intelligence-powered simulations may be taking over, blurring the line between metaverse and reality.

     One of the interesting aspects of the performance is its interactivity. Audience members become customers when Lan and Mai work in the restaurant. Later, they become corporate presentation viewers as Gigi conducts a data testing debrief and food is actually cooked live on stage, making the restaurant feel active and real.

Cirque du Soleil kicked-off its nine-week run of KOOZA, performing under the iconic Big Top in San Francisco’s vibrant Mission Rock district for the first time since 2019. The performance with high-flying acrobatics, whimsical characters, lavish costumes, hilarious clowning, and a powerful live score wowed attendees. Due to overwhelming demand, the production has been extended through Sunday, March 17, 2024. Following the San Francisco engagement, KOOZA will perform under the Big Top at the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds (344 Tully Rd., San Jose) from April 18–May 19, 2024.

Livermore, Calif. – Del Valle Fine Arts continues its 44th season with Guitarist Paul Galbraith on Saturday February 3rd at 7:30 pm in the Bankhead Theater. This internationally renowned, Grammy-nominated guitarist was most recently honored with the 2024 Guitar Foundation of America’s Hall of Fame Artistic Achievement Award. While still in his teens, he was silver medalist at the Segovia International Guitar Competition. He has performed with top orchestras and as a recitalist throughout Europe and North America, including three times on Lincoln Center’s “Great Performances” series.

by Ron Friedenthal

Theatreworks Silicon Valley’s production of “August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned”, currently being presented at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts (500 Castro Street), in Mountain View, CA. through February 3 features Steven Anthony Jones in a heartfelt delivery that channels the late August Wilson’s autobiographical experiences in an impressive ninety-minute one-man show.

As I watched the show, I felt I was watching August Wilson himself. It was that convincing as he tells stories of his ‘becoming’ at age 20 in the colorful black neighborhood of Pittsburgh’s The Hill. Jones commands the audience’s attention with his gentle chiding anger, pride, and humor.

The play covers the stories of August Wilson’s early life as a young, black American trying to move forward in an era of blatant racism. As the story develops, the audience meets the characters he encounters along the way in this journey. For example, Cy Morocco, who can’t read but won’t let anyone know, and attempts to play the saxophone when he simply can’t. Stories about his struggle to sustain jobs display his newfound sense of self-respect, honor, and dignity.

by Ed Brice

“Every Brilliant Thing”, currently performing at Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, CA., is a very clever, interactive solo performance that takes the audience on a journey that counts the moments that make life worthwhile, such as falling in love, as well as grief, healing, and discovering all that it has to offer.

Directed by celebrated Bay Area director Jeffrey Lo and starring William Thomas Hodgson, this story of the human experience is loaded with opportunities for audience interaction, which is both heart-wrenching and hilarious, all at the same time.

“Every Brilliant Thing” does have a serious nature, but it is cleverly balanced through the balance of humor and audience participation. I’m always amazed and impressed when an actor can perform for a solid hour-plus, without cue cards, and also does some quick, on your feet adlibbing with the audience as Hodgson does in this performance.

The musical that never goes out of style, Bankhead Presents is tickled pink to ring in the New Year as it presents Tri-Valley Theatre Company’s production of “LEGALLY BLONDE The Musical”, performing January 13-28, 2024.

This fun, upbeat story of self-discovery with Harvard’s beloved leading lady is an Olivier Award-winning Best Musical with a Book by Heather Hach and Music and Lyrics by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, based on the novel by Amanda Brown and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture. “LEGALLY BLONDE” will play for seven (7) performances at the Bankhead Theater located at 2400 First Street in Downtown Livermore, CA.

“LEGALLY BLONDE The Musical” follows the transformation of Elle Woods (Gwymevere Cristobal) as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Action-packed and exploding with memorable songs and dynamic dances, this musical is so much fun it should be illegal!

Center Repertory Company presents “The Great Leap” by San Francisco native and award-winning playwright Lauren Yee, performing March 16 through April 7, 2024 at the Lesher Center for the Arts (1601 Civic Dr.) in Walnut Creek, CA.

When University of San Francisco’s college basketball team travels to Beijing in 1989 for a high-stakes exhibition game, the unfolding drama goes deeper than the strain between countries. For coaches and players, the game offers a chance to claim personal victories on and off the court. Tensions escalate right up to the final buzzer, as a pivotal historical moment collides with the action in the arena.

Berkeley Repertory Theatre has announced that Emmy Award winner and New York Times bestselling author W. Kamau Bell will return to his stand-up comedy roots after a five-year hiatus with “W. Kamau Bell Gets His Act Together,” a two-month Ground Floor residency at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Every Saturday from January 20 – March 16, 2024 (except February 3), Bell will take the stage at Berkeley Rep’s Bakery Studio at Berkeley Rep School of Theatre (2071 Addison St., Berkeley) to experiment with fresh material, comment on the day’s news, talk to the audience, and share new stories about his life and family, while he tries not to freak out about the upcoming election. The goal is that Bell gets a new tour to take around the country…and the hope is that whatever is left of America’s democracy survives into 2025.

Said Berkeley Rep Artistic Director Johanna Pfaelzer: “Kamau is one of the great storytellers of our time, and the chance to get to support his process as he crafts a new piece that speaks to and about this particular moment is a privilege and a thrill.”


By Ron Friedenthal

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley production of “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” offers a rather jolly treat for this holiday season as it is fun, full of laughs, and is very uplifting. In this charming musical comedy, middle-school misfits personified by adult actors face off in a spelling showdown, vying for glory and a coveted slot at the National Spelling Bee. While they wage war with words like “crepuscular” and “hasenpfeffer,” this ragtag crew wrestles with the highs and lows of competition, finding self-discovery along the way. This heartwarming hit is a joyous look at adolescence through an adult’s lens, and captures all the chaos, heartbreak, and elation of becoming a childhood champion.

A talented cast has been assembled to bring to life this exuberant musical including a number of cast members who are making their TheatreWorks debut. Among them are Dave J. Abrams, who makes his TheatreWorks mainstage debut as Chip Tolentino, a Boy Scout who won last year’s Putnam County Spelling Bee but experiences an unfortunate obstacle while defending his title. Blake Kevin Dwyer also makes his TheatreWorks debut as Leaf Coneybear, a homeschooled kid who is the second runner-up from his district and is constantly distracted.

Center Repertory Company will ring in the new year with the remarkable, resplendent hit solo performance “Every Brilliant Thing”. Making a list of things that make life worth living would get different responses, and what would be at the top? Ice cream? Family? The even-numbered Star Trek films? For the lead character in this uplifting show, it’s his mother. This surprising and immersive theatrical experience by Duncan Macmillan and Jonny Donahoe delves into the human experience with playfulness and love. With poignant humor and joy,

“Every Brilliant Thing” takes audiences on a journey through favorite moments such as falling in love, as well as grief, healing, and (re)discovering all that life has to give. Directed by celebrated Bay Area director Jeffrey Lo and starring Oakland Theater Project Co-Artistic Director William Thomas Hodgson, the story is filled with opportunities for warm, fun audience participation. “Every Brilliant Thing” will perform January 6-28, 2024 at the Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr, Walnut Creek.

Smuin’s Contemporary Ballet kicked off the holiday dance season with “The Christmas Ballet” at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, CA. As always, Smuin’s joyful holiday ballet offers something for everyone as it showcases its signature classical and contemporary dances set to the tone of festival music.

There are true gems in the ‘Classical Christmas’ first act, set to beloved traditional carols. This year, “The Christmas Ballet’s” first act unveils a new trio by Seiwert titled ‘Catalan Carol,’ in addition to traditional favorites such as Michael Smuin’s ‘Bach Magnificat,’ ‘Gloucestershire Wassail,’ and ‘Licht bensh’n’.

Livermore Valley Arts will close out 2023 with a season of events sure to please every appetite. From swinging holiday concerts at “Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s Wild and Swingin’ Holiday Party” on November 25 and “Holiday Swingin’! A Kat Edmonson Christmas” on December 1, to beautiful insights into how Christmas is cherished and celebrated around the globe at “Irish Christmas in America” on December 3 and “Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular” on December 23, The Bankhead has a winter season full of events that will all lead up to a glamorous way in the Tri-Valley to toast “New Year’s Eve with The Four Freshmen” on December 31. All of these sparkling performances will take place at the beautiful Bankhead Theater (2400 First Street) in Downtown Livermore.