Author: A Good Reed Review

WVLO Spells Success Under Challenging Circumstances

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WVLO’s Home – Saratoga Civic Theatre

By Ande Jacobson

Originally conceived by Rebecca Feldman as an improvisational play for The Farm, William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin worked with Feldman to flesh out “C-R-E-P-U-S-C-L-E” into a full length, one act musical – “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”. After a winter workshop and a short Off-Broadway trial, adding some additional material from Jay Reiss, “Spelling Bee” debuted on Broadway in 2005. The show was subsequently nominated for six and won two Tony Awards. Continue reading →

WVLO’s Spelling Bee is Coming

A Good Reed Review Promo

By Ande Jacobson

West Valley Light Opera’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee opens Saturday, 12 March and runs through Saturday, 9 April at the Saratoga Civic Theatre, located at:  13777 Fruitvale Avenue Saratoga, CA 95070.

They promise a fun-filled evening of entertainment following the wacky contestants, with some surprises in store.  A Good Reed Review will be there opening night, so look for the review soon.

For more information about tickets and the show, see:

http://www.wvlo.org/.

Tabard’s 10th Season Finale Takes the Concert Out of “Follies Concert Version”

A Good Reed Review Review
Tabard’s Theatre on the Square

By Ande Jacobson

(Originally appeared on Facebook on Sunday, March 6, 2011)

Tabard Theatre Company’s 10th season closes with Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman’s Follies Concert Version, a rather bold departure from their usual family oriented faire. As Tabard’s Executive Director Cathy Spielberger Cassetta explains in her program note, this is a “Tabard Too!” production carrying a PG-13 rating. This is also a show that celebrates the magnificence of Broadway in a way that very few can. Continue reading →

Death Comes to Life On Pear Avenue

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By Ande Jacobson

(Originally appeared on Facebook on Saturday, February 26, 2011)

Arthur Miller’s iconic play, Death of a Salesman, is a slice of Americana, in some ways ageless, in some ways married to the time in which it was written. A tragedy packed with emotion that should take the audience through Willy Loman’s hopes and dreams for himself and his family, and ultimately, his deterioration and final demise. The story mixes “present day”, which is the post World War II era, with memories and imagination, nay, hallucinations of the past creeping into the present as Willy’s life spirals out of control. Continue reading →