Jim Munson - Page 11

You might not be familiar with the name Philip Labes, but there's a good chance you've seen him in guest roles on buzzy TV shows like a?oeWatchmena?? and a?oeGLOWa?? or co-starring with Anthony Rapp and Cheyenne Jackson in the feature film a?oeOpening Night.a?? Or perhaps you've seen his music videos and sketches online. Mr. Labes is clearly a man with a lot of irons on the fire. He also co-wrote (with Michael O'Konis) and stars in the improbably-named a?oeMore Guns! A Musical Comedy about the NRAa?? which is coming to San Francisco's Z Space in late January after running for 18 months at Second City Hollywood. Labes is the sort of young performing arts polymath who is perhaps just that one key role or project away from becoming something of a household name. BroadwayWorld spoke to him recently from his home base in LA. In conversation, he is both joyful about his work process and sanguine about the challenges of forging a successful career in the performing arts.

Mona Golabek, the sole performer of a?oeThe Pianist of Willesden Lanea?? at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, has truly followed a singular path, both in her career and in her life. She first came to prominence as a virtuoso concert pianist appearing with major orchestras around the world. In 1998, she began hosting her own successful syndicated radio show, a?oeThe Romantic Hour,a?? which combined romantic poetry and classical music. Her life took another unexpected turn in 2002 when she co-wrote the best-seller a?oeThe Children of Willesden Lanea?? which tells the story of her mother, Lisa Jura, whose life was saved as a young girl by the Kindertransport which took her away from her family in Nazi-occupied Austria to safety in London. In 2012, Ms. Golabek collaborated with Hershey Felder to create the stage adaptation a?oeThe Pianist of Willesden Lane.a?? She has since taken the show across the country and toured internationally, and now makes it her mission to use her mother's story as a catalyst to bring reconciliation in our divisive world. BroadwayWorld recently spoke with Ms. Golabek from her home in Los Angeles. In conversation, she exhibits the natural warmth and ease of an accomplished radio host and has just the barest hint of a sort of pan-European accent, perhaps another sign of the enduring influence of her mother.

Tony-nominated composer Paul Gordon is one of those rare musical theater creators who, like Lin-Manuel Miranda, can write the whole show a?" book, music and lyrics. Gordon's latest work is the musical a?oePride and Prejudicea?? soon to start its world premiere run at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. He has formed a close relationship with the company over the years, including hit productions of his shows a?oeJane Eyre,a?? a?oeEmma,a?? a?oeBeing Earnest,a?? and a?oeDaddy Long Legs.a?? Interestingly, Gordon initially found success as a composer of pop music writing for, and collaborating with, numerous recording artists, including Bette Midler, Quincy Jones, Alanis Morissette, Smokey Robinson and Dionne Warwick. An abiding love for musical theater led to a fortuitous meeting with esteemed director John Caird that opened up a whole new career for Gordon. BroadwayWorld caught up with him while he was still in the thick of the rehearsal process for his new show, which can be a very stressful time. In conversation, Gordon appeared surprisingly calm as he chatted about the development of a?oePride and Prejudicea?? and his plans to build new audiences for musical theater.

Jason Graae is soon to star once again as the title character in a?oeScrooge in Love!a?? at 42nd Street Moon, where has found a sort of Bay Area artistic home in recent years. This eternally youthful performer is now a veritable showbiz veteran, having starred on Broadway several times, toured the country with legendary composer Jerry Herman, recorded almost 50 CD's and most recently played The Wizard of Oz in the national tour of a?oeWicked.a?? Known for his spirited comic performances and sterling vocals, you might expect Mr. Graae to be a lot of fun to talk to, and you would be right about that. While quick to express heartfelt gratitude to colleagues, he is also the irrepressible imp who can't resist entertaining you with his mischievous sense of humor.

a?oeGypsya?? is undeniably one of the all-time great achievements of the American musical theater. It possesses a thrilling combination of showbiz razzmatazz and dramatic intensity, grounded in Arthur Laurents' complex book and wrapped in an incomparably tuneful and stirring score by Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim. For anyone who has not yet had the pleasure of seeing a?oeGypsy,a?? here's the basic rundown. This a?oemusical fablea?? is pretty much the ultimate backstage musical, set in the 1920's/30's against the backdrop of the dying vaudeville circuit and based on the true tale of the ultimate stage mother and her two daughters. Momma Rose, dissatisfied with the lousy cards life has dealt her, pushes her two young daughters to careers in show business as a way of fulfilling her own dreams. In real life, one eventually became successful actress June Havoc, and the other perhaps the most famous American stripper of all time, Gypsy Rose Lee. The show is replete with kiddie acts, charm songs, comic numbers and roof-raising anthems, all performed with a dual edge of gusto and desperation.

David Hirata has got quite a lot to offer with his multi-layered 'A Box Without a Bottom (Soko-nashi Bako).' He combines elements of a magic show with his own personal narrative as he also tells the surprising history of Japanese magicians in 19th-century America, all in a tight 55 minutes. It's a tall order, and Hirata largely succeeds. The idea for the show came to Hirata, a lifelong magic nerd, when he learned that the first Japanese person given a passport to leave Japan for the US was magician Namigoro Sumidagawa in 1866.

Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour's eponymous play a?oeNassima?? currently enjoying an all-too-brief run at the Magic Theatre adheres to an unorthodox format. Its sole actor, a different one at each show, does not see the script until it is unsealed onstage at the beginning of the actual performance. That actor can be of any gender, age or race. For the record, it was a very game Sean San Jose the night I attended. Soleimanpour himself is also on hand as a sort of enigmatic, mute guide and companion. Given that the actor knows virtually nothing about the play ahead of time, it would seem churlish of me as a theater critic to spill the beans in this review. Having now seen the play myself, I can also attest that the less you know about it going in, the richer your experience is likely to be.

Filmmaker Robert Townsend is a born entertainer, and his solo show a?oeLiving the Shufflea?? is perhaps more than anything about the pleasure of his company. He seems so comfortable onstage, knowing precisely how to scale his performance to the size of the room, how to punctuate a laugh line for maximum effect, when to pull back a bit to give the material some room to breathe, that it's startling to realize it's been decades since he's done live performance. He first came to national prominence with his groundbreaking, satirical 1987 film, a?oeThe Hollywood Shufflea?? from which his stage show obviously takes its name. In the intervening years, Townsend has had a prolific career as an actor-writer-director-producer in film and TV. Based on the evidence currently onstage at The Marsh Berkeley, it's lucky for us that he's turned his focus to live theater.

David Hirata is the creator and sole performer of a?oeA Box Without a Bottom (Soko-nashi Bako)a?? currently running at The Marsh Berkeley. Within the context of a magic show, Mr. Hirata connects his own personal story to that of earlier Japanese magicians in a way that explores the illusions of race and identity in America. Talking with him, it's evident that he's a true magic geek as he delights in sharing his extensive knowledge about the history of magic and finding hidden links to his heritage as a Japanese American.

Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour has forged quite a singular career. His elliptical works have been performed all over the world, including two lengthy runs in New York featuring a virtual Who's Who of stage actors. His play Nassim adheres to an unorthodox format wherein its sole actor, a different one for each performance, does not even see the script until it is unsealed at the beginning of the actual performance. Soleimanpour himself is present onstage with the actor as a sort of silent companion. BroadwayWorld spoke with Soleimanpour from Berlin the evening before he was set to fly to San Francisco for performances at the Magic Theatre. As you can imagine, travelling to the U.S. these days is very complicated for an Iranian citizen. In conversation, Soleimanpour is thoughtful, funny, quick to express gratitude, and surprisingly calm for someone whose life is so peripatetic.

The first thing you notice as the lights slowly rise on Noche Flamenca's a?oeEntre Tú y Yoa?? is its astonishing lead dancer, Soledad Barrio. Not that she's doing anything to call undue attention to herself, mind you. She is just one of the company's seven dancers and singers, all seated on bistro chairs in a bluish half-light, engaging in a series of simple postures, more or less in unison, while three musicians strike up the opening song. However, even when engaged in the simplest of movements, there is something about Barrio that inevitably leads your eye toward her. This is not intended to in any way disparage the rest of the company, as Noche Flamenca is comprised of some remarkable performers, all accomplished in the art of authentic, Spanish Flamenco.

Ariela Morgenstern's story is a variation on the old chestnut 'local girl makes good.' The San Francisco native returned home a few years ago after a fruitful decade based in New York. BroadwayWorld spoke with her shortly after she had begun rehearsals for that Mount Everest of a role, Gypsy's Momma Rose. Morgenstern is a multi-talented performer with a career that encompasses musical theater, opera and cabaret. And as if that didn't keep her busy enough, she also has a toddler at home. In conversation she is warm and earthy, with a wry perspective indicating a strong sense of who she is in this world.

Filmmaker Robert Townsend has truly had a singular career ever since coming to prominence with his groundbreaking 1987 film a?oeThe Hollywood Shuffle.a?? That satirical comedy about Black actors dealing with racial stereotypes in the film and TV industry was famously self-financed by Townsend maxing out his credit cards. Perhaps even more remarkably, he has successfully maintained simultaneous careers over the ensuing decades as an actor, director, writer and producer working in both film and TV, narratives and documentaries, with the occasional mockumentary thrown in for good measure. Along the way, he has worked with a virtual galaxy of stars - Beyoncé, James Earl Jones and Morgan Freeman to name just a few a?" while surviving the inevitable ups and downs of a career in show business. Townsend is now returning to his roots as a stage performer with his solo show a?oeLiving the Shufflea?? at The Marsh Berkeley.

Ray of Light's (ROL's) production of The Rocky Horror Show filled me with hope for the youth of America. Lest that sound a bit strange, allow me to explain. Yes, ROL's a?oeRockya?? delivers in spades on the sexy entertainment value of this transgressive, go-for-broke show. But a?" it is also grounded in layers and layers of queer showbiz history even though it is presented by performers and designers who are way too young to have been around for the real thing. Taking the written-in-the-1970s-but-set-in-the-1950s show as its starting point, this production adds loopy gay cultural references from the 1930s right up to the present day - as if concocted by some crazed drag queen and thrown into a blender to see if it will explode. Surprisingly, it never does and it somehow all works.

BroadwayWorld spoke with Jackie Evancho in advance of her November 1st concert in San Jose. It's hard to believe, but the little girl with the big voice who rose to instant fame on 'America's Got Talent' is now a young adult. Her most recent album is titled 'The Debut' and is comprised entirely of contemporary theater music. Talking to her, it's evident that she is eager to spread her wings as she more fully explores musical theater opportunities. She retains her girl-next-door approachability even as she's become a seasoned professional with clear ideas on where she'd like to take her career.

Following on the rousing success of Antigona, their acclaimed and wildly popular flamenco adaptation of Sophocles' Antigone, Noche Flamenca returns to San Francisco's Z Space with their latest program Entre Tú y Yo (You and I). Conceived, choreographed, and directed by Noche Flamenca Artistic Director Martín Santangelo and lead dancer Soledad Barrio, Entre Tú y Yo explores romantic relationships through dance, music, and song. BroadwayWorld recently caught up with Mr. Santangelo, who also just happens to be married to Ms. Barrio. A legendary dancer known for the drama and ferocity of her movements, Barrio has been called the a?oecrown jewel of flamencoa?? by Dance Magazine and a?oea force of naturea?? by The New York Times. Santangelo himself also has a rich history as a dancer, including performing on Broadway in Julie Taymor and Elliot Goldenthal's Juan Darien.

Magic Theatre kicks off its 2019-20 season with Lloyd Suh's intriguing a?oeThe Chinese Lady.a?? Suh's point of departure is one of those fascinating a?oetruth is stranger than fictiona?? tales that are so compelling it's hard to believe they aren't more widely known. His play tells the story of Afong Moy, the first Chinese female to set foot on American soil in 1834. Moy was brought to New York at the tender age of 14 by a pair of businessmen in their effort to sell affordable Chinese furniture to America's growing middle class. They created an exhibition wherein patrons could pay to view a real Chinese lady in her supposedly authentic surrounds. This exhibition proved so popular to the public it went on tour throughout the Eastern U.S., and Moy was taken to the White House to meet President Andrew Jackson. Unfortunately, we have no historical record in Moy's own words, and virtually all of the story of her latter life is lost to history. Thus, playwright Suh describes this work as a conjuring of who he imagines Moy might have been.

Director Mina Morita spoke with BroadwayWorld the day before Lloyd Suh's a?oeThe Chinese Ladya?? started performances at the Magic Theatre. Ms. Morita has a thriving career as a theatre maker, serving as Artistic Director of Potrero Hill's Crowded Fire Theater, which is devoted to the creation of challenging new work. Talking to her, it is clear that she is a very conceptual thinker, often weaving several complex ideas into a single sentence. Her passion for creating new forms of theater in the interest of fostering human connection is evident throughout the conversation.

Watching Richard O'Brien's a?oeThe Rocky Horror Showa?? at San Jose Stage Company, I was struck by what an odd duck the show is. There really is nothing else even remotely like it in the musical theater canon. At this point in its stage-to-screen-back-to-stage evolution, it invites you not just to experience the live stage play unfolding in front of you, but also encourages you to re-enact own your own experience of having seen the movie, probably decades ago. To aid in the latter, goody bags including all the necessary accoutrements such as newspaper, squirt guns, toilet paper, etc. are available in the lobby at 5 bucks a pop. Audience members gleefully shout out all the expected callbacks from midnight screenings of yore (a?oeAsshole!a??, a?oeSlut!a??) while engaging in a playful competition to come up with the most clever and unexpected contemporary retorts. Surely audiences in the late 1970's did not reference such things as Mar-a-Lago. So here we have a show set more or less in the 1950's, written in the 1970's, and with references to 2019. Talk about your time warp!  

I was super excited to learn that SF Playhouse was kicking off its 19-20 season with Clare Barron's a?oeDance Nationa?? based on what I'd read and heard about its 2018 world premiere at New York's Playwrights Horizons. I was certain it was going to be right up my alley: an edgy, satirical, unsettling play that looks at gender, body image, burgeoning sexuality and our unhealthy obsession with competition and winning a?' and from a feminist perspective to boot. As added enticement, the play won the prestigious Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and was a 2019 Pulitzer finalist. It thus makes me very sad to report that, having now actually seen the play, I am left mystified by the rapturous response it received in prior productions.