Gavin Newsom News

Casting has been announced for the much anticipated San Francisco return of the smash hit musical WICKED, which begins Tuesday, January 27, 2009 for an open-ended engagement at the Orpheum Theatre. This production is a significant homecoming for WICKED, which premiered in San Francisco before casting its spell on Broadway, winning 20 major awards, including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards.

Academy Award-nominated director Gus Van Sant's Milk, starring Academy Award winner Sean Penn as gay rights icon Harvey Milk, had its world premiere at San Francisco's historic Castro Theatre (at 429 Castro Street) tonight. The evening benefited multiple charities supporting LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) youth. Dinner and dancing followed at City Hall.

Bay Area Theatre Director and Producer John Bisceglie, who is best known for his elaborate and colorful musical productions, will be producing and directing his SF Follies musical revue at the Actors Theatre in San Francisco, opening February 6th, 2009, with auditions on 12/6

Mayor Gavin Newsom proclaimed 'A WICKED Day in San Francisco,' welcoming the international phenomenon back to the city where it had its world premiere. At a special Homecoming Party in Union Square, WICKED Producer David Stone accepted a proclamation from Luis Cancel, Director of Cultural Affairs for the City and County of San Francisco on behalf of Mayor Newsom. Producer David Stone was in San Francisco for the Homecoming as tickets went on sale for the open-ended engagement of WICKED, which begins performances at the Orpheum Theatre January 27, 2009. He was joined by cast members performing in Union Square for a group of enthusiastic fans.

ultureBus will provide easy, economical and eco-friendly service from downtown San Francisco to Golden Gate Park and stop near various cultural institutions along the way, including the Asian Art Museum, the Contemporary Jewish Museum, the de Young Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Yerba Buena Neighborhood and the California Academy of Sciences. For a flat fare of $7 for adults and $5 for seniors, youths [5-17 years old] and people with disabilities, passengers will not only enjoy unlimited travel in any direction on the date of issue. They will also receive discounted admission to certain cultural destinations.

Jo Schuman Silver, producer of Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon announced last night the three Bay Area high school winners of The Steve Silver Foundation and Beach Blanket Babylon 'Scholarship for the Arts.' The event featured an opening performance from the cast of Beach Blanket Babylon as well as a welcome speech from Mayor Gavin Newsom and former Mayor Willie L. Brown, Jr.

The San Francisco touring company of Jersey Boys raised $28,686.00 at the San Francisco AIDS Walk on Sunday, July 15th!

The California State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) will receive the Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin Marriage Equality Award at Equality California's (EQCA) 2007 San Francisco Equality Awards event on February 10.

Some of the 'Special Civil Rights Award' honorees were Harvey Fierstein, Laura Linney (Sight Unseen), Alan Cumming, Hal Sparks, John Tartaglia, Joyce Randolph, Larry Kramer, Christopher Sieber and more...