"The untold true story of the witches of Oz." Went to see the opening performance of Wicked on the…read moreopening night of the 2019-2020 Broadway San Jose live performance season at the San Jose Center for Performing Arts. Season ticket holders for the past 4 years, we got $82 tickets for the Wednesday evening show in the very best seats for our section 2, with everyone toward the center and in front of us having the $112 section 1 seats. The well heeled ticket holders in the Presidential box, paying upwards of $162. Bleacher seats and side view seats in section 3 for $62 We are there 45 minutes before the 730 curtain time. The mass shootings in the news have lead the theater to have body searches with a metal detector wand, and all bags opened and searched by hand. Of course every lady is going to be carrying a purse. With a full house of 2677 patrons and if only 10 seconds per patron, it would take over 8 hours to screen everyone. Huge line close to the opening act. Kiosks selling memorabilia and souvenirs of Wicked, with the wife and I taking pictures in front of the Wicked signs. Inside the theater itself we can see the changes, with a map of the Emerald Kingdom as a curtain, and a dragon replica hanging over the top of the stage, just like in New York's Broadway. The curtain rises, and the play starts, with stragglers coming in the first 15 minutes, trying to ease their way to their seats in the 1972 Frank Lloyd Wright designed theater with no center aisles. Highlights: Onlookers aghast as the birth of the green baby Elphaba, Ugly Elphaba rooms with gorgeous blond Glinda in school, Doctor Dillamond the goat teaching class in school, Glinda catching the rich and handsome Fiyero, Magnificent backdrops from the Emerald City, Elphaba's father The Wizard of Oz and his gigantic mechanical machine, The Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz, Elphaba's wheel chair bound sister wicked witch of the East meeting her untimely demise Elphaba in an all black costume becomes the wicked witch of the West, Glinda becoming the good witch, Elphaba taking Fiyero from Glinda, as her own. Elphaba escaping the palace guards by defying gravity in her flight , Elphaba reunion with Fiyero as the scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz Elphaba seemingly fizzling to dust after someone put out a fire on her with a cup of water. Fiyero and Elphaba reemerging from the cellar and escaping together. Wicked has decent acting, and some singing, such as "Defying Gravity" and "As Long as Your Mine", and minimal dancing, but excels in costumes design, story adoptation, screen scenery, and special effects, just like I saw in New York's Broadway two years ago, but at half the price. Just be aware of the lengthy security and bag search lines - a sign of the ominous times we live in.

Cool look at the silent film industry! You can tell there was a lot of significant history in this…read morebuilding and they did amazing work to preserve it. Some original pieces were shown, such as the original bench from the Edison Theater. It's the only remaining original seats from there! Many types of cameras, equipment, and items. Several nods to Charlie Chaplin - his background, movie posters, cardboard cutout, mural, and merch. They have knowledgeable and friendly staff that give guided tours. They are huge fans, so excited to describe everything and share stories. Admission is free, but donations are welcome. On the right side, there's a gift shop of museum souvenirs as well as shelves of silent films you can buy to watch at home. They also have silent film showings with piano accompaniment on Saturday evenings. You can buy popcorn, candy, and drinks. There's a small theater at the back past the center aisle. It would be a fun date night or family activity!

From the moment I walked in, I was greeted by a friendly volunteer docent. The exhibit itself is…read morethree rooms of photos and artifacts from the Essanay Studio, active in Niles from 1912-1916 and most famous for Broncho Billy (old time spelling) and some of Chaplin's films, including The Tramp. The museum is free (donations appreciated) and you can ask a docent for a tour. I had a wonderful tour from Michael! If you have a tour, be sure to ask about seeing the preserved projection room upstairs in the theater. There's also a small exhibit in the back of the theater. The gift shop has an extensive collection of rare DVDs, CDs, postcards, and some fun merch. If you're in town on a Saturday night get a ticket online for their 7:30 silent film showing! Concessions, a live piano accompaniment, and a really great show. This place is amazing.

I was able to see Fiddler On the Roof at The Center for Performing Arts in SJ. It's really good…read more First time seeing the show & was really impressed. Got good seats - Orchestra, Row 14, Seats 13 & 15. Almost center & even got short people in front of us so we could see. John Preece as Tevye is really good. He's been doing the role over 3,000 times. Awesome. Songs I like: Matchmaker, Matchmaker If I Were A Rich Man Sunrise, Sunset Show started about 7:35pm. Intermission was at 9:15pm for 15 min. Show ended about 10:30pm. Go see it!

I got a chance, at almost the last minute, last night to see Fiddler and jumped at it - this is one…read moreof my favourite shows. Happily this production did not disappoint! I spent my time lost in the show, singing along in my head with songs that have long been favourites. The cast, especially John Preece as Tevye, were wonderful - very expressive and (for the most part) good singers. I especially liked Preece's little chats with God, which were wonderfully in capturing the tones of voice and body language that we all get in our heads when questioning the universe about the path life is taking. The sets were interesting and well constructed (although I will say the lines hanging the "skyline" of the village were distracting against the sky), and the costumes comfortable looking (that is, I didn't find the costumes so cheap or "costume" looking that they distracted from the show). I am coveting Golde's ankle-length coat from the final scenes though! And the dance scenes were fabulous - well choreographed, well performed, and definitely making me want to go up and dance too - especially the dances at the wedding! Hurray the bottle dance! :) If I had the money, I'd definitely go see this one again before it leaves town!

Went to see "Urinetown" here Thursday night, and had a splendid time. The cast was outstanding, and…read morethe musical was hilarious. Ticket costs $20 per person (for students it was $10), and parking was close and convenient (parked at the parking structure across the street from the Martin Luther King Library, cost was $3). Although the theater is small and a little stuffy AND the bathrooms seemed like a mile away, the musical made it extremely worthwhile. It was nice to be in a relaxed environment to watch such an entertaining and talented ensemble. Bravo to the cast of "Urinetown," and thanks to them I had an outstanding time!

If you are a fan of the book, "The Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini, you will enjoy this adapted…read moreplay in the SJSU Theater. It was my first time in the theater, having graduated from another college, but I was excited to see this show. The play only has 3 more nights--March 3rd, 6th, and 8th, so buy your tickets fast. It only costs $15 per person for this marvelous two hour production. The theater was of moderate size, but it filled up quickly. It was very hot inside and the seats weren't very comfortable. I was glad to be sitting on the aisle at the very top row. The stage was very simple, and so were the music and effects. But this is purposely done as to not take away attention from the story and its message. I thought the actors and stage crew did an amazing job. Although I can't wait for the movie version to come out, this is worth seeing. Minus another star for the poor advertisement...they only advertized in SJ and the local newspaper in the 408 area. Had it not been for a colleague, I woud've missed the show!

This is now known as BAY PHILHARMONIC and new performance venue is Chabot College in HAYWARD! We…read moreare honored and proud they have moved to Hayward and elevate the arts throughout the Bay area. The Broadway Tribute Proformance at their premier opening at Chabot was nothing less than 5 Stars with numerous standing ovations to a near sell out crowd of over 1200 attendees! Tickets cost about 1/2 of what you pay to see this quality of performance in major cities and the staff are warm & welcoming to all. They also provide student discounts. BRAVO to Bay Philharmonic to bringing 5 STAR performances to Hayward!!!! Go to their web site www.bayphil.org and check out future performances.

Fremont Symphony is fully professional orchestra, right here in our town!…read more It is an amazing jewel for the people of the Fremont area. Playing at Logan Performing Arts Center, they present a terrific mix of Pops and Classical music. I've attended their concerts and have never been disappointed!!

A great way to support your local arts and dance programs!…read more Redwood City's own Ballet America (ballet school) puts on this show every year in mid December, and includes ballet students from all ages (4 and up) to participate. Though the cast is primarily students (and even some parents), they do also use instructors and a few professional dancers to fill out the main roles (e.g. sugar plum fairy, snow queen, etc). The result is magical, fun and surprisingly polished for what you'd expect from a local, low-budget production. The performance period is short: only 2 days & nights, which makes sense considering all the young children involved. We attended the final 2009 performance on Dec 11. Though typically held at the Fox theatre downtown (which is in the throes of a foreclosure saga), this year it was held at the Sequoia High School theater (Carrington Hall), a surprisingly nice venue with a colonial Spanish design, built in 1904. As usual, we enjoyed the show and came away feeling like the Holiday season had REALLY begun. Until next year!

The 2010 Nutcracker production from Ballet America was astonishing in the quality of the dancing…read more Every year this production continues to improve in the choreography and the ability of those dancing on stage. This year was no exception. The professionals that accompanied the junior company dancers and those that were our featured dancers were incredibly accomplished and a delight to watch. I heard from folks in the audience that they felt the choreography was more difficult than in the past, and the dancers were excellent! The people I heard this from do not see dance productions that often, but have come to this Nutcracker in the past. The show date tends to fall on the first Friday or Saturday of December. I hope people reading this review will hold that date for the 2011 performance. I overheard another patron say the length of the performance was perfect, and was just as enjoyable as any of the major productions in the area. Redwood City is very lucky to have a production of this quality in their midst.

Described as the only music festival in the U.S. dedicated exclusively to Mozart, this awesome…read moreannual event presents a talented group of musicians and entertainers performing the classical creations of this artistic genius. The 2023 festival schedule includes shows in Saratoga, SF, Berkeley, and Sonoma, with lovely intimate settings in churches and wineries comprised of stunning architecture and decor. I, of course, chose to attend the opener this past Wednesday at one of my favorite venues. The Chateau Deck at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga created the perfect ambience for such an amazing performance. Alluring flagstone pavement, magnificent views in the background, the sun setting in the distance, and plenty of umbrellas for comfort before sundown, it was certainly a very inviting and fitting atmosphere. The two-part performance started about 10 minutes after the listed showtime, and lasted about 1.5 hours thereafter, including a 15-20  minute intermission. The orchestra was the star of the show for the first part, a delightful performance of Symphony No. 33 in B flat major, K. 319 (including 4 movements) on the violin, viola, cello, bass, oboe, bassoon, and horn. The second part of the event featured the same musicians playing alongside several vocal soloists/actors, as part of Mozart's Bastien and Bastienne, K. 50/46b, a German comic opera, which he impressively created at the age of 12. The play was charming and well-performed, with a nice touch of humor to entertain the audience wonderfully (especially Colas, the magician, played by Kirk Eichenberger). Though the dialogue was in English, the musical numbers were sung in German. We were able to follow along with the English translation included in the program pamphlets. Parking was free and easy, built in with the ticket price. Snacks and beverages were available for sale (pre-order, or purchase at the bar next to the stage). We had some wine and cocktails, as well as chocolate chip cookies which were chewy and delicious. In addition, all of the staff were friendly and helpful, and ensured a pleasant time at the event. Definitely a perfect date night experience :)

I've never been to a deaf school before but when I stopped by for their open house, everyone was so…read morefriendly. I just started learning sign language. You can say, 1st Grader Borderline Kindergarten status. Big and clean campus and friendly people!

Celebrating 150 years , the CSDF is a wonderful place to…read morevisit recently saw the Masked Musketeer excellent production