Simple Gifts at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

Photos: Inside Look at TheatreWorks' Production of RAGTIME

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley continues its 51st season with the hit musical Ragtime. This sweeping and stirring musical masterpiece paints a portrait of America at the dawn of the twentieth century, interweaving the lives of three families—an African American family, a Jewish Immigrant family, and a wealthy white family—finding their places and pursuing the American Dream in a rapidly changing world. Featuring a Tony Award-winning book by Pulitzer Prize finalist Terrence McNally (Master Class, Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Rink) and a Tony Award-winning score by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Once on This Island, Anastasia, Seussical The Musical), this musical is based on E. L. Doctorow’s best-selling novel of the same name. Ragtime will be presented June 1-26, 2022 (press opening: June 4) at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. For tickets (starting at $30) and more information the public may visit TheatreWorks.org or call (877)-662-8978.

Christine Dwyer to Star as Mother in RAGTIME at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley

This sweeping and stirring musical masterpiece paints a portrait of America at the dawn of the twentieth century, interweaving the lives of three families—an African American family, a Jewish Immigrant family, and a wealthy white family—finding their places and pursuing the American Dream in a rapidly changing world.

BWW Interview: Tim Bond of SIMPLE GIFTS at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley Celebrates Our Common Humanity

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 together. The latest case-in-point is Simple Gifts, the brand-new holiday show he has crafted to ring in the season. Simple Gifts is a joyful, multicultural celebration of beloved holiday songs and traditions from many diverse backgrounds. Conceived and directed by Bond, the show features a cast of Bay Area theater veterans who share beautiful music, meaningful memories, and take audiences on a journey through a variety of winter celebrations, including Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Bodhi Day, Noche Buena, Diwali, Las Posadas, Winter Solstice, as well as exploring Christmas traditions from around the world. Presented as part of TheatreWorks from Home, Simple Gifts will be streamed at set times through December 27, 2020, with on-demand streaming available December 28, 2020 - January 1, 2021. Live post-show conversations with members of the cast will follow every performance. For additional information, and to gain streaming access to Simple Gifts, visit TheatreWorks.org. BroadwayWorld spoke with Bond about how he came up with the idea for the show and went about putting it all together in the time of Covid. We also talked about what the winter holidays mean to him and his own traditions and memories. He is effortlessly engaging and very easy to talk to, sort of like that interesting person you happen to meet at a party and suddenly find yourself chatting away with about any number of things. And it seems that any conversation with Bond ultimately comes around to his passion for using the arts to bring people together.

TheatreWorks Streams Multicultural Holiday Celebration SIMPLE GIFTS

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will ring in the holiday season with Simple Gifts, a joyful, multicultural celebration of beloved holiday songs and traditions from many diverse backgrounds. TheatreWorks Artistic Director Tim Bond directs his first virtual production with this World Premiere work, crafted by Bond and a cast featuring a bounty of Bay Area theatre veterans.

BWW Review: THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE at Lucie Stern Theatre - A Stunning Production Of Julia Cho's Award-Winning, Quirky Tale Of Love And Miscommunications

BWW Review: THE LANGUAGE ARCHIVE at Lucie Stern Theatre is a stunning production of Julia Cho's award-winning, quirky tale of love and miscommunications.