Author: A Good Reed Review

Dreams from Manhattan’s West Side dazzle audiences at TheatreWorks’ “Somewhere”

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Somewhere 10_TMartinBy Ande Jacobson

TheatreWorks is known for its stunning premieres of shows that go on to greatness, and their current production may well follow that tradition.  Written by Matthew Lopez, Somewhere, opened its Northern California premiere this weekend to an enthusiastic full house, and this looks to be a thrill ride indeed.  Lopez says “the characters are not based on my family; they’re based on my love for my family.”  And love is plentiful in this one: love of family, love of tradition, and love making dreams come true.  Director Giovanna Sardelli says it best in describing what the play is about when she says “Somewhere is the Puerto Rican answer to the question ‘What happens to a dream deferred?’”  Somewhere is a musical but not in the traditional Broadway form.  In this show, dance is featured, but the only vocals heard are those in the period recordings in sound designer Jeremy J. Lee’s soundtrack. Continue reading →

The Pear explores the intimacy of love, friendship, and yes, “Intimate Apparel”

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intimate-apparelBy Ande Jacobson

Lynn Nottage’s title, Intimate Apparel, sounds like it may be an advertisement for Victoria Secret, but that only scratches the surface of the material central to this play as Pear Avenue Theatre’s production explores many levels of intimacy beyond the clothing. This is a play about friendship, love, marriage, class, race, and yes, hand-crafted intimate garments. Continue reading →

The role of the pit musician in musical theatre

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OUaMWatchingWithOrchBy Ande Jacobson

Imagine that you have gone to the theatre to see a performance of that Rodgers and Hammerstein classic, The King and I. You’ve been sitting in the auditorium for a few minutes before curtain reading through the program, and you take note of some of the cast members you may know as you read their biographies. Continue reading →

Saxophones are coming to San Jose as we countdown to 15 December

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SJSaxmas2010_fbBy Ande Jacobson

Sacramento’s 2012 Saxophone Christmas is history, but San Jose is in for a treat on 15 December.  In addition to the many favorites on the program, founder Ray Bernd promises three special new arrivals at this year’s San Jose event.  Alas, he’s keeping them close to the vest until show time. Continue reading →

Hillbarn stages a colorful “Joseph”

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Jacob, his 12 sons and WivesBy Ande Jacobson

Hillbarn Theatre has brought back an early Andrew Lloyd Webber favorite for this year’s holiday season, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. While the work is Lloyd Webber’s second musical collaboration with Tim Rice immediately following The Likes of Us, it was his first to be publicly performed as a short, though it wasn’t fully staged until after Jesus Christ Superstar made its successful debut. With its catchy music, Joseph… is a colorful, family-friendly show based on the biblical story of Joseph’s coat of many colors. Continue reading →

Better than Santa – Saxophone Xmas is coming to town

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By Ande Jacobson

As the holiday season approaches, the one event that stands out above all others isn’t Santa Claus’ arrival.  No, for a reed player at least, it’s that San Jose tradition – Saxophone Christmas.  This year marks the 19th annual gathering where saxophonists of all levels and ages convene on the third Saturday in December (this year the 15th) to renew friendships and make merry playing holiday music on every kind of saxophone one can imagine.  From the tiny, pen-sized soprillo, to the 1.9 meter tall contrabass sax, this is an event not to be missed.  Fear not, the standard alto, tenor, and baritone saxes that you’ve seen in school bands will be there as well, along with many others. Continue reading →

Time marches on for Dragon Productions Theatre Company

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By Ande Jacobson

March, written by Sharyn Rothstein, marks the end of an era as the little Dragon roars one last time in its cozy Palo Alto home. Starting as a group of nomadic thespians in 1999, Dragon Productions Theatre Company settled into its Alma Street space in 2006. After this production seven seasons later, Dragon will be moving to Redwood City to usher in the 2013 season, but first let us look at the finale to 2012. Continue reading →

What is real love?

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By Ande Jacobson

Well known British playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard, born Tomáš Straüssler in Zlín, Czechoslovakia, has a reputation for his writing and romances not unlike Henry’s, the main character in his play The Real Thing currently running at the Pear Avenue Theatre in Mountain View.

In the partially autobiographical story, Henry (Michael Champlin) is an extremely witty playwright who is fixated on the proper and exacting use of language. Continue reading →

Mystery, mayhem, and a Rubik’s Cube

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By Ande Jacobson

In 1978, Ira Levin’s famed play Deathtrap started its four-year Broadway reign combining the nail-biting tension of a thriller with carefully timed witty repartee to lighten the mood.  Levin’s play later moved to the screen in 1982 in a film of the same name starring Michael Caine, Christopher Reeve, and Dyan Cannon, although the final resolutions of play and movie diverge from one another.  There are even passing references to both Michael Caine and the movie Sleuth in the play’s script foreshadowing Levin’s desire for the screen adaptation. Continue reading →

Without music, there is no life

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By Ande Jacobson

Beethoven’s 33 Variations on a Waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op. 120 is thought by some scholars to be one of the composer’s crowning achievements.  It’s a work that takes a mediocre 32-bar waltz written by Anton Diabelli and expands it into a 55 minute work of 33 variations exploring every nuance of the theme, or at least as many as came to Beethoven’s mind.  There are several conflicting theories as to the genesis of Beethoven’s opus, and playwright Moisés Kaufman has drawn from many of them to weave an intricate and captivating tale in his play, 33 Variations, now enjoying its regional premiere at TheatreWorks. Continue reading →