Jim Munson - Page 8

Jim has been hooked on theater ever since being dazzled by a high school production of “Damn Yankees” in Wilmington, Delaware way back in 1972 featuring his older brother in a cameo role. Fortunately, his horizons have expanded just a bit since then. A recent Maui transplant after 40 years in San Francisco, Jim remains an avid theater- and dance-goer in Hawaii, the Bay Area and beyond. He loves nothing more than the 3-show days that can occasionally be scheduled in New York City. For the record, he holds a BA in Theater Arts from SUNY Buffalo, but happily learned long ago that his skills as a discerning audience member far exceed his skills as an actor.

LEARN MORE ABOUT Jim Munson

First Show:

Raisin

Favorite Show:

Angels in America: Perestroika, Broadway, New Year's Eve 1993, the cast was on fire!

Favorite Stories:

Interview: Laura Benanti at the Lesher Center for the Arts is a Golden-Age Star for Our Times - They say never meet your heroes, but Benanti was so approachable, honest and generous with her time that it felt like talking to an old friend. Among other things, we took a deep dive into her conception of the character of Eliza Doolittle, a role she'd longed to play since she was a kid. Easiest interview I've ever done, and after it was published her husband told her it was the best interview she'd ever given.
Feature: MANON at San Francisco Ballet Showed How Great Dancers Can Put Their Own Unique Imprint on the Same Story - I love dance as much as I love theater so it's always a pleasure to cover San Francisco Ballet, one of the top companies in the world. I also rarely get a chance to issue a mea culpa, and in this case I had underestimated a ballet on opening night, yet subsequent viewings revealed depths and nuances I hadn't grasped on initial exposure so I appreciated the chance to correct the record.
Interview: Khori Dastoor of THREE DECEMBERS at Opera San Jose Is Up to the Job of Making Art That Is Relevant for Our Times - I don't get to cover opera as often as theater and dance so this was the first time I got to talk to the leader of an opera company. I went in not knowing what to expect, plus it was the afternoon of election day 2020 and I was feeling very anxious about where our country was headed. I decided to fess up about that first thing and Dastoor told me she was feeling the same way and thanked me for giving her something else to think about for the next hour. We had a delightful conversation and I went away impressed with - 1) what a kind and down-to-earth person she was and 2) how incredibly smart she was. As soon as I got off the phone, I remember telling my husband, "That woman is amazing. I'm surprised a larger company hasn't already snapped her up." About a month later, she was announced as the new general manager for Houston Grand Opera.
nterview: Francis Jue of TIGER STYLE! at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Hits His Stride by Being True to Himself - I had interviewed Jue 5 years earlier and he'd been so delightful and forthcoming that I couldn't wait to talk to him again. He did not disappoint - so kind and honest, and it is a pleasure talking with theater artists who've been around long enough to know who they are in this world and no longer feel a need to play games. After the interview, I saw the play "Tiger Style" and reviewed it for BwayWorld. He was so fabulous in it that I thought to myself, "Francis is such an amazing actor. Why can't a guy like him ever win a Tony?" Bingo!
Interview: Hershey Felder of GEORGE GERSHWIN ALONE at Mountain View Center For The Performing Arts Reprises the Role that First Brought Him International Acclaim - I've had the pleasure of interviewing Felder over a dozen times and I could have chosen any one of those here. He's always super interesting, coming up with interesting facts and funny stories. As the child of immigrants who grew up in Montreal, yet largely makes his career in the U.S. and has chosen to reside in Florence, Italy he's just an intrinsically fascinating guy. Plus he's super intelligent and has a mind like a steel trap so you he keeps me on my toes. I love that!

Interview: Maria-Christina Oliveras of HADESTOWN at The Orpheum Theatre & San Jose Center For The Performing Arts Is Thrilled to Return to the Bay Area
September 8, 2023

BroadwayWorld checks in with Maria-Christina Oliveras who is playing Persephone in the national tour of Tony-Award winning Best Musical 'Hadestown' in San Francisco Sept 12-17 and San Jose September 26 - October 1.

Feature: BEFORE THE INK DRIES at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Presented a Delightfully Candid Conversation with David Henry Hwang & Rajiv Joseph
August 24, 2023

BroadwayWorld reports on 'Before the Ink Dries,' a delightful evening with playwrights David Henry Hwang & Rajiv Joseph that kicked off TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 20th Anniversary New Works Festival.

Review: San Francisco Ballet's STARRY NIGHTS at Stanford Live Offered Up a Sumptuous Summer Evening of Dance
August 9, 2023

What did our critic think of San Francisco Ballet's STARRY NIGHTS at Stanford Live? BroadwayWorld reviews San Francisco Ballet's sumptuous summer program.

Interview: Min Kahng of the 20TH ANNIVERSARY NEW WORKS FESTIVAL at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Uses Absurdity to Explore Humanity
July 27, 2023

BroadwayWorld talks to celebrated Bay Area playwright/composer Min Kahng about his rollicking new show 'Happy Pleasant Valley: A Senior Sex Scandal Murder Mystery Musical,' which is part of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 20th Anniversary New Works Festival at the Lucie Stern Theatre in Palo Alto August 11th to 20th.

Interview: Fred Pitts of AREN'T YOU...? at The Marsh Offers a Fresh Take on the History of Race Relations in America
July 13, 2023

BroadwayWorld talks to actor/writer Fred Pitts about his humorous and insightful solo show 'Aren't You...?' running at The Marsh in San Francisco July 21 to August 18.

Interview: Nicole Helfer of A CHORUS LINE at San Francisco Playhouse Finally Gets Her Chance on Another Go at a Dream Role
June 22, 2023

BroadwayWorld talks to Nicole Helfer, who is both choreographing and starring as Cassie in San Francisco Playhouse's new production of 'A Chorus Line' running June 22 to September 9.

Interview: Josh Kornbluth of CITIZEN BRAIN at The Marsh Berkeley Explores Our Collective Dementia in an Effort to Foster Empathy
June 16, 2023

BroadwayWorld chats with eminent Bay Area monologist Josh Kornbluth about his latest work, 'Citizen Brain,' running through July 29th at The Marsh Berkeley.

Interview: Elizabeth Carter of STEEL MAGNOLIAS at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Explores the In-Between Places That Foster Community
May 18, 2023

BroadwayWorld chats with director Elizabeth Carter about her new production of Robert Harling's 'Steel Magnolias' running at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley in Mountain View June 7 to July 2 with a multicultural cast of stage veterans.

Interview: Timothy Near of THE ROAD TO MECCA at Z Below Reunites with Her Lead Actors to Present Another Fugard Classic
May 17, 2023

BroadwayWorld talks to director Timothy Near about her new production of Athol Fugard's incandescent 'The Road to Mecca' playing at Z Below in San Francisco June 4 to 30.

Feature: The 2023 Season at San Francisco Ballet Left Memories to Last a Lifetime
May 5, 2023

BroadwayWorld takes a look back at highlights from San Francisco Ballet's just-concluded 2023 season.

Review: ROMEO & JULIET at San Francisco Ballet Concludes the Season on a Gloriously Romantic High Note
April 28, 2023

What did our critic think of ROMEO & JULIET at San Francisco Ballet? BroadwayWorld reviews San Francisco Ballet's gloriously romantic 'Romeo & Juliet' running through April 30th.

Interview: Itamar Moses of AN AMERICAN TAIL THE MUSICAL at CHILDREN'S THEATRE COMPANY Adapts the Beloved Animated Film for the Stage
April 20, 2023

BroadwayWorld chats with Itamar Moses, Tony-winning book writer for 'The Band's Visit,' about his new show 'An American Tail the Musical' enjoying its world premiere at Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis April 25- June 18.

Interview: Tara Branham of TOSCA at Opera San José Shines a New Light on the Operatic Canon
April 12, 2023

BroadwayWorld chats with Tara Branham who is making her mainstage debut as director at Opera San Jose with the Puccini classic 'Tosca' running April 15 to 30.

Review: ENGLISH at Berkeley Rep Shows How Language Runs Deeper Than Just Words
April 10, 2023

What did our critic think of ENGLISH at Berkeley Rep? BroadwayWorld reviews Sanaz Toossi's beguilingly serious comedy running through May 7th.

Interview: Kareem Fahmy & Giovanna Sardelli of A DISTINCT SOCIETY at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Bring a New Play to Life That Makes the Political Personal
March 31, 2023

BroadwayWorld talks to playwright Kareem Fahmy and director Giovanna Sardelli about TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's world premiere production of 'A Distinct Society' inspired by the Muslim travel ban. The intensely moving play runs April 5th to 30th in Mountain View, CA.

Review: A MUSICAL CONVERSATION ABOUT STEPHEN SONDHEIM Sheds New Light on the Composer's Genius
March 22, 2023

What did our critic think of A MUSICAL CONVERSATION ABOUT STEPHEN SONDHEIM at Hershey Felder Presents? BroadwayWorld reviews pianist-actor Hershey Felder's fascinating and entertaining new film exploring the composer's genius.

Review: THE COLORS OF DANCE at San Francisco Ballet Is Truly a Thing of Beauty
March 16, 2023

What did our critic think of THE COLORS OF DANCE at San Francisco Ballet? BroadwayWorld reviews SFB's 'The Colors of Dance,' a gorgeous new program of 3 contemporary ballets running through March 19th at the War Memorial Opera House.

Interview: Greta Oglesby of FANNIE: THE MUSIC AND LIFE OF FANNIE LOU HAMER at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Has Clearly Found Her Calling
March 9, 2023

BroadwayWorld speaks with acclaimed actor Greta Oglesby about playing a civil rights icon in Cheryl L. West's 'Fannie: The Music and Life of Fannie Lou Hamer' running at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley through April 2.

Review: GISELLE at San Francisco Ballet Casts an Otherworldly Spell
February 28, 2023

What did our critic think of GISELLE at San Francisco Ballet? BroadwayWorld reviews SFB's stunning production of 'Giselle,' a classic ballet that still has the power to startle and move us, running through March 5th at the War Memorial Opera House.

Interview: Hershey Felder of GEORGE GERSHWIN ALONE at Mountain View Center For The Performing Arts Reprises the Role that First Brought Him International Acclaim
February 24, 2023

BroadwayWorld chats with virtuoso pianist/actor/playwright Hershey Felder about returning to the Bay Area in 'George Gershwin Alone,' the show that initially brought him international acclaim. It will run in a strictly limited engagement at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts March 2nd to March 5th

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