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Our Little Comedy Club287 Ellis btwn Mason/Taylor SF
Our Little Theater is a new venue for up-and-coming amateur stand-up comics. Come see some of the best, funniest and hottest comedians in the Bay Area at the uncut, uncensored and unabashed Wednesday night stand-up comedy showcase. Starring: Sia Amma, Vladimir Khlyain, Kevin Shea, Jim Short and many more!
SF Playhouse Stage 2533 Sutter @ Powell, Second Floor SF
San Francisco's favorite comedy host Tony Sparks brings you a showcase of the Bay's stand-up comedy, music and variety arts. Each week four to five comics perform, including Kaseem Bentley, Jabari Davis, Nic Leonard, Lynn Ruth Miller, Joe King, Sketch Group 5 by 5, Kurt Weitzmann, Howard Stone, Fred Anderson and special surprises.
Phoenix Theatre414 Mason St @ Geary 6th Floor
Set in Andalusia, Spain, where the restless ghost of the Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca still wanders through the streets and converses with the living, this play by Pulitzer Prize-winner Nilo Cruz. is about a young American girl who travels to Spain to meet her estranged father and becomes romantically involved with his Moroccan companion.
Shelton Theatre533 Sutter @ Powell SF
Big City Improv has been making things up for four years. With a cast of 10, the troupe performs to audiences all over the Bay Area including Comedy on the Square in San Francisco. Big City Improv shows are unscripted, unedited and created on the spot, using audience suggestions, participation and their dark and sordid lies. In 2002, Big City Improv was voted "Best of The Bay" for improv comedy by the SF Guardian. **Ages 16 & Up**
Brava Theatre Center2781 24th St. @ York
The Bright River is a hip-hop retelling of Dante's Inferno by a traditional storyteller, Tim Barsky, with a live soundtrack performed by some of the best hip-hop and klezmer musicians in the Bay Area. The show sends audiences on a mass-transit tour of an urban landscape in the afterlife, guided by a fixer named Quick. It's a deep-rooted love story, a profound meditation on mass transit, and a passionate commentary on the current war in Iraq.
Rrazz Room @ Hotel Nikko222 Mason btw O'Farrell & Ellis SF
The Rrazz Room is proud to present a man who's graced stages worldwide for over 30 years. The themes from the movies. The songs from the Broadway shows. The hit records he's written for Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, Tony Orlando, Robert Goulet. Let's bring him on right now. The King of Swing. The Father of Folk. The Daddy of Disco. The man who put the Boss in the Bossa Nova. Ladies and Gentlemen, he's not having a perfect hair day, he's having a perfect hair decade. Would you welcome to the stage the world's greatest entertainer and San Francisco's own .... The Fabulous Bud E. Luv!
The Junius Courtney Big Band delivers the power and subtlety of authentic swing. Led by drummer Nat Courtney, son of the late bandleader and trumpet player Junius Courtney, and under the musical direction of George "Jazzbeaux" Spencer, the Junius Courtney Big Band thrives via a combination of exciting jazz charts and impressive jazz chops. With internationally acclaimed recording artist Denise Perrier out front on vocals, the Junius Courtney Big Band redefines the classics and presents originals as new as tomorrow morning. Its twenty-piece strength and forty-plus-years lifetime bring high-definition to the bandstand. As audiences have found, the Junius Courtney Big Band lifts off in live performance to delirious realms of swing.
New Conservatory Theatre Center25 Van Ness Ave, Lower Lobby
Sister Aloysius, principal of a Catholic school in the Bronx in 1964, takes matters into her own hands when she suspects the young Father Flynn of improper relations with one of the male students.
Off-Market Theater965 Mission Street, SF, CA 94103
Jewish princess seeks Indian guru for one-life stand in Alicia Dattner's Eat, Pray, Laugh! Stand-up comic and solo artist Alicia Dattner, winner of SF Fringe's 2008 "Best Female Solo Act," returns to the Bay Area after a world tour with stops in London and Mumbai, with her award-winning solo show Eat, Pray, Laugh! Alicia chronicles her three-month solo trip across India and everything from seductive French yoga teachers to scary Indian toilets, the Italian fashion exporter with a Krishna fetish and mosquitoes the size of small ponies, to Chabad Jews on the Ganges and, ultimately, the true meaning of mustaches and masala chai.
Join the dynamic Miss Faye Carol as she reminds us why we love and honor the cultural contributions of African American performers and composers. With an energy and style like no other, Carol will wring out the blues, deliver love songs with fervor and passion and be bop with the best of them. Whether it is Ella or Louie, Coltrane or Monk, each selection will be stamped with Miss Carol's unique interpretation.
Royce Gallery2901 Mariposa St
Winner of the Dramatists Guild Hull Warriner Award. A critical and popular success, this comedy combines poignancy and laughter as it traces the unlikely romance that begins to develop between two middle-aged "losers. "...Terrence McNally's very sweet, extraordinarily funny, romantic and ribald comedy..." -NY Post "Terrence McNally is one of our most original and audacious dramatists, and one of our funniest..." -The New Yorker (some brief nudity)
Shelton Theater533 Sutter Street
Clifford Odets' Golden Boy was first produced in the 1930's during the Great Depression by the legendary Group Theater which brought method acting to America. The Group's first play, Golden Boy, was later made into a movie and a musical. The play is the story of a young immigrant torn between his love of the violin and the money that can be made becoming a champion boxer. It is an American story about who we are to become in the land of dreams. Our hero, Joe Bonaparte, a gifted violinist growing up on the Lower East Side in Manhattan, who realizes he also has a gift for the boxing ring that comes from his keen mind. To become champ he must give up music and develop an animalistic offensive punch, a decision he will make based on his intense relationship with an older woman hired to seduce him and bring profitability to his entourage of handlers.
Off-Market Theatre965 Mission btwn 5th/6th
Join Jennifer Jajeh on American and Palestinian soil on auditions, bad dates and across military checkpoints as she navigates the thorny terrain around Palestinian identity. Weaving together humor, slides, pop culture references and live theatre, Jajeh explores how she becomes Palestinian-ized, then politicized and eventually radicalized in a fresh, often funny, searingly honest way.
Liz Kennedy is a singer-songwriter from San Francisco. At the piano, her blend of blues, folk rock, R&B and '30s jazz suggests some of her influences (Bonnie Raitt, Randy Newman, Paul Simon and Cole Porter) yet she has her own earthy style. Beautifully crafted melodies and lyrics create a mood of intimacy and intelligence seldom heard in today's contemporary music. She will perform songs from her three CDs with first class studio musicians: Joel Jaffe on a range of guitars (Jaffe is the renowned owner of Studio D in Sausalito and has worked with Huey Lewis and Carlos Santana), Eamonn Flynn on keyboards (The Commitments, Elvin Bishop), Billy Johnson on drums (Santana, Maze) and Jim Rothermel on horns (Boz Skaggs, Van Morrison, John Prine). Background vocalists Keta Bill (Steve Miller, Van Morrison, and Kenny G) and Sakai (Steve Winwood, Aretha Franklin) keep the rhythms and harmonies vibrant.
Love Letters centers on two characters, Melissa Gardner (Eva Marie Saints) and Andrew Makepeace Ladd III (Jeffrey Hayden), as they read the hilarious and poignant letters that have passed between them throughout their lives. The play paints a vivid portrait of two members of the privileged set as their relationship unfolds from what is written — and what is left unsaid — in their letters.
Off-Market Theater965 Mission St. Btwn 5th/6th
This original female-driven variety show, Monday Night ForePlays, is written, directed, produced and starring an all-star cast of ladies. The show includes a titillating collection of comedic sketches touching on performance anxiety, bodily functions, relationships, robots, office politics, writer's block and sex. The show will also feature original dance numbers and a rotating line-up of musical acts, as well as special additions ranging from burlesque acts to comedians.
Magic Theatre/Southside - Sam Shepard TheatreFort Mason, Building D
Do you believe in destiny? With his unique Chicano swagger and sly sense of humor, Luis Alfaro transforms Sophocles' ancient tale into an electrifying and unforgettable myth for the modern age. As Oedipus struggles against fate amidst a chorus of prison inmates, his epic journey takes him down California's dusty Highway 99 from the Golden Gate Bridge to the City of Angels.
Old First Church1751 Sacramento @ Van Ness Ave. SF
Friday 2/5: Quarteto Vivace Brasil (Edson Lopes, guitar; Roberto Cochiequi, guitar; Tadeu Coelho, flute; Rodrigo Marinonio, percussion) is one of the most exciting new groups on the Latin American musical scene. Four master players bring sizzling energy to Brazilian sambas and chôros, Argentinian tangos, American ragtime and classical pieces from Handel to Bizet's Carmen to Saint-Säens' Carnival of the Animals. The quartet was quickly booked up for a nearly month-long premiere US tour, including appearances in New York City, Boston, Milwaukee, New Orleans, San Francisco and many other cities. Randy Morse, the producer and host of the nationally syndicated radio show The Best of Brazil, calls them "four of Brazil's best musicians, who present their well-chosen repertoire with verve, panache and a sensitivity that radiates the exquisite beauty of this music." Sunday 2/7: Zodiac Trio (Vanessa Mollard, violin; Kliment Krylovskiy, clarinet; Riko Higuma, piano) has been featured in the international London-based Muso magazine as one of the most promising ensembles of its generation. The Zodiac Trio brings together clarinet, violin and piano in an intriguing combination, bringing to light unique repertoire and standing as a strong advocate for contemporary music. Praised for their "musicality of rare intensity" (La Tribune, France), the young ensemble formed in New York and worked closely with the renowned Ysaye Quartet at the Paris Conservatory. Their artistry has been recognized at numerous international competitions and welcomed on stages throughout the US, Europe and Japan. For this concert, the Zodiac Trio turns its attention to American chamber music, celebrating its many roots and inspirations that can be found in jazz, blues, klezmer music, etc. The program features music by legendary living composers such as Philip Glass and Ned Rorem, as well as klezmer-oriented Freylach by Paul Schoenfield, a light-hearted work by the notorious Peter Schickele (aka P.D.Q Bach), in addition to a special performance of a work by Andrew List (faculty at Berklee College of Music in Boston), with whom the trio has been working in an intensive collaboration.
Paula West has been thrilling national and international audiences with her heartfelt renditions of well-known standards and unique interpretations of dynamic jazz songs. With a particular dusky soulfulness, West has captured the hearts of critics and audiences alike from coast to coast - from festivals to concert halls and cabaret clubs - with just the lilt of her voice. The Rrazz Room welcomes Paula home with her brand new show for 2010!
Off-Market Theater965 Mission St. btwn 5th & 6th
San Francisco-based production company PianoFight is proud to kick off the new decade with its first ever full-length dramatic play, The Position, a world premiere written by the most produced local playwright of the current Bay Area season, William Bivins. The Position is directed by Christy Crowley. So exactly what is The Position? It's not just a job; in a world ravaged by 80 percent unemployment and mass social chaos, The Position represents security and fulfillment. The Concern has selected six finalists from more than half-a-million job applicants, flown them to a remote compound and provided them with every luxury and diversion including golf, paragliding and skeet shooting. When they arrive, the six candidates are stripped of their clothing and identities, informed that the laws of The Nation have been suspended and that they will be recorded around the clock while they compete for the one job that they believe can give them hope in a hopeless world.
The Next Stage1620 Gough St. @ Bush, SF
Two thirty-something New Yorkers go to Amsterdam to rekindle their friendship and get away from their lives. Matt is a struggling playwright who is recovering from both a terrible break-up and a serious illness. Davis is an up-and-coming publisher who is planning to help Matt by buying him a beautiful prostitute, Christina, from the Red Light District. So begins this dangerous love triangle whose consequences will follow Matt and Davis back to New York, and alter their lives forever.
When wealthy New York socialite Jacquelyn Blithers' husband leaves her for a younger woman, her Upper East Side life of fabulous fashion and exclusive parties takes a serious nose-dive. Her two body dysmorphic best pals nip the situation in the bud and lift Jac's sagging spirits by sending her to the Svengali of plastic surgery, Dr. Bulgari. Jacqueline loves her new face until the nightmares begin…and when the people in her nightmares begin turning up dead, Jac realizes that something sinister lurks beneath the flawless complexions and tight skin of the social elite - these women are truly dressed to kill. Armed only with her loyal English butler, her feisty Puerto Rican maid and her six -inch Jimmy Choos, Jac must infiltrate a blood-chilling conspiracy bent on global domination, as she sings and dances her way to saving the world from certain doom.
Secret Improv Society is a creative organization dedicated to creating exciting, innovative and fully improvised work in a wide variety of media. Secret Improv Society is best known for its popular theatrical shows that blend improvised theatre, comedy and music to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. The raucous, irreverent atmosphere created at their live shows has become the trademark of the Secret Improv Society experience.
A hilarious new musical revue about everyone's second-favorite (in some cases, favorite) activity - shopping! - by award-winning writer Morris Bobrow. Songs and sketches about subjects from how men and women shop to big box stores and sappy street fairs. The San Francisco Chronicle calls it "a cartful of laughs."
Pier 29The Embarcadero @ Battery SF
Teatro ZinZanni presents Hearts on Fire featuring disco diva and Grammy Award winner, Thelma Houston as Madame ZinZanni, owner of the jewel box theater. The show also features the outrageous Christine Deaver and the incomparable, "rock your mundo, baby!," El Vez. A joyful love affair of the spirits conjured up by Madame ZinZanni, Hearts on Fire will put a spell on you and take you on a magical ride with soulful music, romance, dance, and comedy. It is truly an extraordinary ensemble, of a caliber unlikely seen anywhere else in the world. We know you will enjoy the distinctive magic that is created by these incredible talents with fine cuisine and lively music presented in our intimate "jewel box" venue. This show is not to be missed!
Eureka Theatre215 Jackson St. btwn Front/Battery
From Rent creator Jonathan Larson comes the San Francisco professional premiere of the rock musical about facing crossroads in life and holding onto your dreams. "tick, tick...BOOM!" is a heart-breaking and hilarious journey through the dilemmas of real life and the rewards of dreaming.
Off Market Theatres965 Mission btwn 5th & 6th
One of San Francisco's most critically-acclaimed groups of improvisors, the Un-Scripted Theater Company has been pushing the improv envelope for seven years. From improvised musicals to improvised Shakespeare, Un-Scripted has proven that theater without a script can be compelling as well as comedic. Kicking off their eighth season is the return of Un-Scripted: unscripted! It's a two-hour night of surprising and mischievous improvised theater; filled with songs, stories, and scenes, it's sure to be a rich and fun-filled evening. The show never stops when you let improv out of the box . . .
Marines Memorial Theatre609 Sutter St. @ Mason
Tracing a 30-year history from acclaimed soul stylist to in-demand pop and R&B songwriter, Bobby Caldwell is one of the most revered vocalists and songwriters in contemporary music today. As a singer, he has a successful career with numerous solo releases, which have earned accolades far and wide. His songwriting skills have earned hits not only for himself, but also for well-known artists like Chicago, Boz Scaggs, Peter Cetera and Amy Grant, Neil Diamond and Al Jarreau. Bobby's timeless classic, "What You Won't Do For Love" (1978) has recorded and sampled by more than 100 artists. In addtition to his extremely strong body of recording work, Bobby has gained a worldwide reputation of being a truly electrifying live performer.
Our Little Theatre287 Ellis btw Mason & Taylor SF
Hairy palms, blindness, trips to hell: Adults will tell children any number of messed-up lies to keep them in line, especially when it comes to sex. Liberian comedian Sia Amma's new play What Mama Said About "Down There" investigates the largely misguided tales mothers share with daughters. The one-woman show's many characters reveal that it's difficult for moms to talk to their girls about the facts of life no matter who (or where) they are. As much as daughters must think their mothers have trouble loosening up and telling the truth because they're African, British, Jewish, Latina, Asian, or of any other culture (Amma includes "Lesbian" and "Valley Girl" on the list), it turns out that everyone's doing it, as the kids say.
Fresh from the triumph of his acclaimed 2007 one- man Off Broadway show, "The All American Sport of Bipartisan Bashing," political comedian Will Durst is back with his quiver chock full of fresh topical barbs. "The Lieutenant Governor from the State of Confusion" is a hilarious voyage into the human condition investigating the foibles and insecurities of man. Nah, it just pretty much makes fun of politics and politicians. But while he mocks and scoffs and taunts, he does do it with taste. It's political comedy for people who don't like politics. And while a new administration may mean a new direction for the country, its also fresh ammunition for Durst in his first show since turning "The All American Sport of Bipartisan Bashing" into a book by the same name (now available in paperback from Ulysses Press).
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