I admit, I'm kind of an improv snob. I've performed and studied it for many years, and as a result,…read morewhen I watch improv, I'm usually do more analyzing than sitting back and enjoying. These players are the creme de la creme of improv in a city that has a lot of it. Lisa Rowland, Regina Saisi, Ben Johnson, Tim Orr, and Rafe Chase are among the most dynamic improv performers in the state (the nation?) let alone our fine city by the bay. If you're looking for gags, watch a Whose Line Is It Anyway rerun. If you're looking to see great acting and watch an amazing narrative unfold in real time, AND have a fantastic time, go to an Improv Playhouse show! You won't be disappointed.

Wow! No, WOW!!! What an incredible show! The talent, chemistry and execution of this troupe of…read moreimprov professionals is unparalleled. I was taken on an incredible journey hitting all the major human emotions including roll over laughter and all done on the fly! Truly amazing to watch the characters unfold and develop in real time and with no script! Each member of this troupe is a true superstar! You do not want to miss this show! Absolutely fantastic!

These ladies and the drummer are fantastic! They performed here at our company for Black History…read moreMonth. Their energy was high and their presentation joyful. What was even more impressive was the information shared about the dances, what area of Africa they came from, and how they were used. It was a treat to see them perform and hopefully they'll be able to share with us again.

Afia's Afro-fusion class at The Beat in Berkley is the best thing to do on a Friday evening!!!The…read moreclass has fun and tight looking afro-fusion choreography set to house music and reggae dancehall. Afia does a great job of breaking down technique but then also allows dancers to just move and dance across the floor. Everyone leaves this class smiling :)

Amazing klezmar / jazz / swing band we hired for our wedding! Ben Brussels, the band leader, was…read moreprofessional and friendly, and helped us greatly to enjoy our reception. The band played a mix of traditional Jewish music, popular hits, jazz and swing. Ben was happy to oblige us with some non-traditional requests, and spent two hours helping us to outline our event and prepare us for the evening. On our wedding day, he took great pains to arrive early, helped non-Jewish guests feel comfortable about participating in the Hora, and responded to the crowd's moods with a variety of music. Thanks Ben!

I truly can not recommend Ben Brussell and Klezmania highly enough. Every single aspect of working…read morewith Ben was easy and actually a joy -communicating and planning my daughter's Bat Mitzvah celebration. The band's music was extraordinary - beautiful and motivating and energizing. Ben and Klezmania understood the mood and energy level and we literally had 100 people (children, teens and adults; Jews and non-Jews; dancers and non-dancers) all holding hands and twirling and swirling together on and on. It was a once in a lifetime experience. (Maybe twice in a lifetime - we will definitely hire them again for our son's Bar Mitzvah!)

Wow...2009 ...some of these guys are going to be wowing the world with their voices and…read morelooks...hey TUBBY...you are soo last year it isn't funny...time for gastric bypass..yeah...i'm talking to you FAT tenor man with the arrogant turd 'tude. Thomas Hampson graduated from this program. I will list the others another day...but hey...when you hear a Master class and see these men and woman...wow...!!! Check some of them out this year...mezzo-soprano is lovely doing Carmen!! Beautiful unamplified voice!!

The Merola Opera program is one of the best kept opera secrets in San Francisco. It is a program…read morefor "young" opera singers who are being developed (and discovered) at the beginning of their careers. I'm not sure when the auditions and training parts of the program occur, but the productions are held in the summer. They are happily presented when the opera itself is dark. My first exposure to the program was when I was attending summer school at Berkeley and we wanted to see a production of The Magic Flute. The Merola Opera was presenting it at a winery in the south bay. A very creditable performance (even without a world-class Queen of the Night) and an unforgettable memory. (My first Magic Flute.) This summer, Merola presented a number of free programs, as well as a Mozart opera (La Finta Gardinera) that was very reasonably priced. I first enjoyed them out on the lawn at the Yerba Buena Center in July. This was a very nice program, as, instead of presenting single arias from various operas, it presented whole snippets of operas. Perhaps one or two scenes from a given opera. The one that stole the show was a production of a little known Faust with the scariest and most convincing Mephistopheles I have ever seen. The performer had a powerful bass voice and a commanding and intimidating stage presence. He received, deservedly, a standing ovation. I was later able to attend the grand finale program in the Opera House. This was an extremely polished production. It was quite amazing what the stage directors were able to achieve with one or two pieces of furniture on the stage, and a couple of well chosen props (a few red flowers, a long trailing stole, etc.). As with the Yerba Buena outdoor production, the singing was uneven, with far too many shrill sopranos. Interestingly, when one of the shrill sopranos stopped trying to over-project her voice and sang a quiet Handel lament, her sound improved immeasurably. The tenors were, however, all outstanding (a number of them were from China). Many of the male singers, my bass who had previously sung Mephistopheles and another bass-baritone were very fine.

I contacted Parangal to perform at the 2008 Miss National Asia. They are absolutely wonderful. I…read morecannot even begin to tell you how blown away I was by their performance. Their performance was cultural, yet intriguing. I was not bored for one second (as sometimes I usually get by watching long cultural performances), they kept the audience entertained. I highly recommend hiring them for any of your events. They are well worth the money!

This is for "The DMV," currently playing at the Marsh in SF. I am so glad I went, and even more…read moreglad that I went this (election) week as I needed something smart, vulnerable and humanizing. Reed weaves together the stories of several different people with the unifying premise of visiting the DMV. It's an excellent set up and the characters are all people you know, but not reduced to caricature. It sounds cliched to say it, but the show has it all -- humor, gravitas, and insight. See it soon as I believe only a few shows are left.

I'm going for my 7th time.... yes boys and girls 7th. However this time, he's in Berkeley…read more Equally funny, more material and now in Bezerkley! http://www.yelp.com/events/berkeley-don-reeds-east-14th---tales-of-a-reluctant-player

This was a fun family-friendly show at the Alameda County Fair. Matt Baker did a variety of stunts,…read morea bit of juggling, chinese yoyo, balancing act with a bowling ball, and a trick with a balloon, vase, and blowdart... all combined with stand-up comedy, in corny fashion, one liners that had me laughing out loud. But I may have been the only one :P None of his bits were mind blowing, and he got lots of kids from the audience involved, which kind of dumbed it down a little. But that's what I'd expect at the county fair. And the performance was still enjoyable for our adult-only party. He also guilted my bf into giving a little girl in the crowd five bucks, lol. It's okay, he gifted us one of his books "C is for Conspiracy". The artwork makes it look like a kids' book, but I'm not sure I wanna give this to my niece or nephew so they can learn about the Illuminati, Elvis faking his death, or governments covering up UFOs. Funny book though.

the balloon dude has done two events for our family, and both were magical! the stilts, jokes and…read moreamazing balloon creations are all brilliant! the kids love the stilts and balloons and the parents love the jokes! jeff the balloon dude is on time, kind, fun, and entertains the crowd! we have booked jeff the balloon dude for our third event in september and look forward to his inspiring balloon creations, engaging personality, and sweet interactions with all ages! oh, and did i share with you he is worth every penny (plus a tip) the best bang for your buck in norcal!