San Francisco Interviews

Cate Hayman of CHESS IN CONCERT at 42nd Street Moon Aims to Be an Old-School Diva for Our Times
by Jim Munson - September 21, 2021, San Francisco

BroadwayWorld chats with Cate Hayman, star of 'CHESS in Concert' at 42nd Street Moon. The show marks Moon's return to live, in-person performance and features a killer score by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus & Benny Andersson and renowned lyricist Tim Rice. It remains the only musical of the modern era to gen...

Marga Gomez of SPANKING MACHINE at The Marsh Returns to Live Performance With Her Hilarious and Intensely Moving Memoir of Growing Up Brown and Queer
by Jim Munson - September 15, 2021, San Francisco

Good news! The Marsh will soon be once again presenting live, in-person performances at their San Francisco location with Marga Gomez's 'Spanking Machine' running September 17 through October 23. BroadwayWorld speaks with Gomez about her hilarious and heart-rending new memoir piece about growing up ...

Don Reed of GOING OUT at The Marsh Is Thrilled to Be Back Where He Belongs, Performing Live Onstage in Berkeley
by Jim Munson - August 19, 2021, San Francisco

The Marsh couldn't have chosen anyone more fitting for its return to live in-person performances than fan favorite Don Reed, whose partnership with The Marsh encompasses many hit shows over the past decade. Starting August 21st, Reed performs his brand-new one-man show 'Going Out' at The Marsh Berke...

Sean San José of THE NEW AGE OF MAGIC GALA at Magic Theatre Wants to Invite Everyone to the Party
by Jim Munson - July 28, 2021, San Francisco

For his opening salvo as Magic Theatre’s newly appointed Artistic Director, Sean San José has decided to throw a party. On Thursday, August 5th, Magic will present its 2021 gala 'The New Age of Magic' outdoors at Fort Mason. San José strongly believes theater should be for everyone, not just people ...

Jessica Bird Beza of BAY AREA PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL at Playwrights Foundation Uplifts the Work of a Diverse Array of Theater Makers
by Jim Munson - July 15, 2021, San Francisco

Pulitzer winners Paula Vogel, Katori Hall, Annie Baker & Sam Shepard are just 4 of the many celebrated playwrights whose work was developed in the Bay Area Playwrights Festival (BAPF). Established in 1976 and currently led by Playwrights Foundation’s Executive Artistic Director Jessica Bird Beza, th...

Festival Opera's Zachary Gordin Working Out His Vocal Cords, His Body & The 2021 Season
by Gil Kaan - July 10, 2021, San Francisco

estival Opera will be offering their first hybrid online/in person event since the pandemic restrictions loosened up - UN RAGGIO DI SPEME (RAY OF HOPE) July 11, 2021. Got the chance to chat with Festival Opera’s general director Zachary Gordin on Festival Opera’s upcoming season and staying sane dur...

Hai-Ting Chinn of ASTRONAUTICA at The Marsh Explores the Wonders of Outer Space from the Perspective of Women Astronauts
by Jim Munson - June 22, 2021, San Francisco

And now for something ethereal, funny and more than a little trippy. On June 26, The Marsh presents 'Astronautica,' a musical drawn from the words of women who have traveled through outer space, to its digital platform, MarshStream. Conceived and performed by Hai-Ting Chinn, Lindsay Kesselman & Kirs...

DC Scarpelli & Peter Budinger of DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL: DC AND PETER'S GLORIOUS ROMP THROUGH THE GOLDEN AGE OF TV THEME SONGS at 42nd Street Moon
by Jim Munson - June 03, 2021, San Francisco

After the myriad stresses of the past year, we could all use some straight-up entertainment and 42nd Street Moon is providing just that with Don’t Touch That Dial: DC and Peter’s Glorious Romp Through the Golden Age of TV Theme Songs. Conceived and directed by DC Scarpelli and Peter Budinger, the sh...

Jeffrey Lo of WRITING FRAGMENTS HOME at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Believes in the Power of Storytelling as a Tool to Foster Empathy
by Jim Munson - June 02, 2021, San Francisco

Jeffrey Lo seems to be just about everywhere these days. As if his day job as TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s Director of Community Partnerships / Casting Director weren’t enough, he is also enjoying quite a successful career as a director and playwright. With the recent, tragic spike in prejudice and...

Jeff Greenwald of 108 BELOVED OBJECTS at The Marsh Makes it OK to Let Go of Material Things by Holding Onto Their Stories
by Jim Munson - May 25, 2021, San Francisco

If you've been spending some of your pandemic downtime attempting to declutter your life and have found yourself struggling to let go of certain items of no discernable value or use, Jeff Greenwald has got just the show for you. On May 29th, the acclaimed travel writer and performer will bring his n...

Candace Johnson of MUSIC TO MY EARS - HEARING ADOLPHUS HAILSTORK on MarshStream Shares Her Passion for Art Songs by Black Composers
by Jim Munson - May 18, 2021, San Francisco

If, like me, you’re not all that familiar with art songs by Black composers, Candace Johnson is here to show you what you’ve been missing out on. On May 22nd and 23rd, the acclaimed soprano and actress will perform her new show Music to My Ears - Hearing Adolphus Hailstork to kick off The Marsh’s ne...

Hershey Felder of NICHOLAS, ANNA & SERGEI at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Offers a Moving Portrait of Rachmaninoff in His Latest Virtual World Premiere
by Jim Munson - May 11, 2021, San Francisco

Have you heard the one about Rachmaninoff and Anastasia? Well, Hershey Felder has quite a tale to tell you! On Sunday, May 16th, acclaimed pianist/performer Felder will portray the iconic Russian composer in Nicholas, Anna & Sergei, his latest world premiere livestream from Florence, Italy. Nicholas...

Doris Bumpus of LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL at 42nd Street Moon Portrays the Iconic Billie Holiday in Song and Struggle
by Jim Munson - May 07, 2021, San Francisco

The latest offering in 42nd Street Moon’s 2021 Moonbeams series is a new virtual production of Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill starring Doris Bumpus as the legendary Billie Holiday. Written by Lanie Robertson and directed by Brandon Jackson with musical direction by Marcus McCauley, the play is ...

Mark McGoldrick of COUNTERCOUP at The Marsh Shares His Own Unlikely Journey from Juvenile Delinquent to Public Defender
by Jim Munson - April 27, 2021, San Francisco

Actor-writer-lawyer Mark McGoldrick is someone with an unusually compelling life story. A self-described former “fuckup” whose youth was largely spent in a haze of drug use and delinquency, McGoldrick was involved in a horrifying accident that could have cost him his life and did leave him paralyzed...

Giovanna Sardelli of NEW WORKS FESTIVAL ONLINE at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Champions Boundary-Breaking Theatre
by Jim Munson - April 22, 2021, San Francisco

While the theatre world continues to engage in much-needed conversations about how to make our art form more inclusive and equitable, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is offering a tangible example of what that can look like. Its New Works Festival Online will stream an advance look at tomorrow's boundar...

Darryl Van Leer of THE ESCAPE OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS at The Marsh Brings the Iconic Abolitionist Thrillingly to Life
by Jim Munson - April 20, 2021, San Francisco

honor of Black leaders who shaped and defined American history, The Marsh is presenting Darryl Van Leer’s riveting The Escape of Frederick Douglass on its digital platform, MarshStream. Van Leer wrote and stars in the acclaimed production, which brings to vivid life the early years of African Ameri...

Jason Graae of PERFECT HERMANY at 42nd Street Moon Celebrates the Legacy of His Dear Friend Jerry Herman
by Jim Munson - April 14, 2021, San Francisco

San Francisco’s revered 42nd Street Moon kicks off its 2021 “Moonbeams” season with Jason Graae in Perfect Hermany, a tribute to the late, great Jerry Herman, writer of such classic musicals as Hello, Dolly!, Mame and La Cage Aux Folles. The title Perfect Hermany is an unusually apt one as Graae is ...

Triple Threat Jason Graae Always In PERFECT HERMANY
by Gil Kaan - April 12, 2021, San Francisco

A co-production of San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon and Long Beach's Musical Theatre West, PERFECT HERMANY will be available to stream online through May 2, 2021 as part of Moon’s 2021 Moonbeams season. This homage to legendary Broadway composer Jerry Herman stars the versatile Jason Graae, directed...

Candace Johnson of CJ'S FITNESSING on MarshStream Combines Singing & Exercise to Help You Find Your True Voice
by Jim Munson - April 09, 2021, San Francisco

You may not be aware of World Voice Day, but it’s celebrated every April 16th to demonstrate the enormous importance of the voice in the daily lives of all people. I can’t imagine a better person to observe it with than Candace Johnson, who leads CJ’s FitnesSing!™ on the MarshStream platform every F...

Mary Goggin of RUNAWAY PRINCESS Shares Her Unlikely Journey on MarshStream's 'Solo Arts Heals'
by Jim Munson - February 12, 2021, San Francisco

Mary Goggin has quite a story to tell in her play Runaway Princess, and perhaps the most astonishing thing is that it’s all true. She left home at 13 to escape her strict Irish Catholic upbringing, then spent years in drug addiction and prostitution before becoming sober and finding her true calling...

Darryl Van Leer of MANDELA: LET FREEDOM REIGN at MarshStream Uses His Many Talents to Uplift Us All
by Jim Munson - February 02, 2021, San Francisco

The uncommonly versatile actor/writer/musician Darryl Van Leer has made it his mission to provide inspiration to others. It would therefore be hard to think of a more perfect way for The Marsh to launch Black History Month than with a live performance of his electrifying one-man play, Mandela: Let F...

Hershey Felder of BEFORE FIDDLER at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Brings Seminal Writer Sholem Aleichem to Life
by Jim Munson - January 29, 2021, San Francisco

Good news for Hershey Felder fans and musical theater afficionados everywhere! TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is launching the New Year with three world premiere livestreamed performances in partnership with Hershey Felder Presents Live from Florence. First up is Hershey Felder as Sholem Aleichem in BE...

Lynne Kaufman of DIVINE MADNESS at MarshStream Explores the Boundaries Between Creativity and Insanity
by Jim Munson - January 28, 2021, San Francisco

If your former spouse wrote a book describing how they left you to take up with someone else, even quoting your personal letters during the breakup – what would you do? That is the tantalizing question explored by Lynne Kaufman in her newest play, 'Divine Madness,' debuting January 30th and 31st on ...

Maya Kherani of THREE DECEMBERS at Opera San Jose Brings a Complex Terrance McNally Character to Life
by Jim Munson - December 29, 2020, San Francisco

Opera San José hits it out of the park with its immensely moving new virtual production of Three Decembers, the chamber opera by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer, based on an unpublished play by Terrance McNally. Due to popular demand, streaming access has now been extended through Ja...

Khori Dastoor of THREE DECEMBERS at Opera San Jose Is Up to the Job of Making Art That Is Relevant for Our Times
by Jim Munson - December 18, 2020, San Francisco

Talking to Khori Dastoor, General Director of Opera San José brings to mind that old quote from Elizabeth Taylor when she was faced with unimaginable adversity, “Now is the time for guts and guile.” Just one year into her tenure as GD, Dastoor is faced with an almost impossible situation due to the ...

Hershey Felder of HERSHEY FELDER TCHAIKOVSKY at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Embodies the Iconic Composer of 'The Nutcracker'
by Jim Munson - December 17, 2020, San Francisco

Virtuoso actor/pianist/playwright Hershey Felder is bringing us a holiday treat with a livestreamed performance of his hit show Hershey Felder TCHAIKOVSKY presented live from Florence, Italy where Tchaikovsky lived and worked. It is also not so incidentally where Felder himself lives and has been hu...

Gail Schickele of SOLO ARTS HEAL at MarshStream Helps Us Explore Serious Issues with Humor and Heart
by Jim Munson - December 15, 2020, San Francisco

As we all continue to navigate our way through these unprecedented times, The Marsh is meeting this moment with its weekly Solo Arts Heal series, which uses lightness and humor to explore some of the challenging issues we’re all grappling with. The series comes from artists’ inspiring true stories t...

Tim Bond of SIMPLE GIFTS at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Celebrates Our Common Humanity
by Jim Munson - December 11, 2020, San Francisco

If there’s any truth to the notion that names can become our destiny, then I can’t think of a more apt name for TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s new Artistic Director than Tim Bond. As an artist, as a leader and as a person, he is all about finding and honoring those things that can bring us all togeth...

Efraín Solís of THREE DECEMBERS at Opera San Jose Loves Performing Works That Reflect Who We Are Now
by Jim Munson - December 10, 2020, San Francisco

While performing arts organizations around the world are dusting off existing productions of the usual chestnuts during the month of December, Opera San José is taking a more audacious approach with its holiday programming. They are presenting a new, fully-staged production of Jake Heggie’s immensel...

Marga Gomez of NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER at MarshStream Explores the Humor in Life's Uncomfortable Truths
by Jim Munson - December 02, 2020, San Francisco

It's hard to believe, but the ever-youthful, trailblazing actor/writer/comedian Marga Gomez is now well into the fourth decade of her remarkable career. Known for her funny and touching solo theater pieces as well as her uproarious standup comedy, Gomez recently revived her hit play Not Getting Any ...

Hershey Felder of HERSHEY FELDER AS CLAUDE DEBUSSY IN A PARIS LOVE STORY Transports Us to That Romantic City in the 19th Century
by Jim Munson - November 10, 2020, San Francisco

Virtuoso pianist Hershey Felder has just the thing for our travel-starved souls. On Sunday, November 22nd, he will livestream a performance of Hershey Felder as Claude Debussy in A PARIS LOVE STORY, transporting audiences to Paris without needing to leave home. This musical tour de force take us to ...

Ariel Craft of UTOPIA at Cutting Ball Theater Helms a Wildly Inventive World Premiere by Charles L. Mee
by Jim Munson - October 29, 2020, San Francisco

The name Ariel Craft evokes an improbable combination of magic and skill, whimsy and rigor. If that weren't already her real name, I honestly don't think you could invent a more apt moniker for the director of Charles L. Mee's Utopia now enjoying a virtual world premiere from San Francisco's Cutting...

Charles L. Mee of UTOPIA at Cutting Ball Theater Creates a World We Would All Love to Live In
by Jim Munson - October 15, 2020, San Francisco

San Francisco’s Cutting Ball Theatre has scored quite a coup in presenting the world premiere of Utopia, the latest work from Obie-winning playwright Charles L. Mee, available for streaming from October 16th through November 15th. Directed by Ariel craft, who is also Cutting Ball’s Artistic Director...

Tim Bond of VOICES OF DEMOCRACY at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Harnesses the Power of Theater to Bring Us All Together
by Jim Munson - October 13, 2020, San Francisco

Under Artistic Director Tim Bonda??s leadership, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has just launched an ambitious new online initiative entitled Voices of Democracy, with the intention of encouraging audiences to get out the vote and stand up for racial justice. Leading up to the 2020 election, Voices of ...

Stephanie Weisman & Maggie Wilson of MARSHSTREAM INTERNATIONAL SOLO FEST at The Marsh Bring a World of Solo Performances to Your Home Screen
by Jim Munson - October 06, 2020, San Francisco

On October 7-11, an astounding array of 56 performers from Scotland, Canada, Russia, and across the United States are (virtually) coming together to take part in The Marsha??s MarshStream International Solo Fest. Acclaimed as the San Francisco Bay Areaa??s a?oebreeding ground for new performance,a??...