theater

Had your fill of Nutcrackers? A winsome alternative this holiday is “Christmas at Pemberly” running through December 23 at the Marin Theater Company in Mill Valley. It’s a sequel to “Pride and Prejudice”, Jane Austen’s novel that keeps on giving birth to more novels, musicals and zombie versions. The plot focuses on the romantic travails […]

Bay seniors learned long ago that our country cousins are no longer( if they ever were) hayseeds. At the Napa Valley Opera House they offer a full schedule of film and theater (including a current widely lauded presentation of “Cymbeline) and this summer will be the home of the Blue Note Club offering classic jazz. […]

Bay seniors who have noted with stoic dismay the loss of old movie houses (the Bridge on Geary is now being turned into a baseball academy) might want to celebrate the survival of the Balboa this Sunday. It is the theater’s 90th birthday. At 7pm the party begins with “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp”, a silent from […]

Bay seniors who have OD’d on the Nutcracker in all its classic and wacky local forms might find relief this month at the 30th Annual Christmas Revels held at the Scottish Rite Theater on the shores of Lake Merritt. A “Venetian Masque “ is this year’s theme, a Renaissance fantasy of wildly costumed musicians, dancers, […]

Bay seniors with a love for theaters whose design is as dramatic as anything happening onstage should check out the Empress Theater in downtown Vallejo. Built in 1911 it has been fully restored with red velvet seats, gold leaf clouds on the ceiling and a pipe organ. There is a year round calendar of live […]

Bay seniors curious to check out the renovated splendor of Oakland’s palatial Fox Theater but not enough to purchase tickets for unheard-of bands like The Chainsmokers might consider going to hear one of the greatest voices of our own generation who is still performing. Van Morrison, he of “Brown Eyed Girl”, “Moondance” and “Into the […]

Bay seniors may be forgiven for thinking all the world’s a stage this month. In the foggy,windy castle known as Fort Point under the Golden Gate the We Players are performing “Macbeth” until October 13. It’s a moving experience, following the actors up and down the chilly stone environs, so be advised to dress like an […]

Bay seniors feeling bullied by excessive holiday cheer will enjoy the deliciously bitter tang of the new Tom Waits musical at Berkeley’s Ashby Playhouse. The Geezer doesn’t normally play critic but for “Woyzeck” I have to admit I leapt to my feet like I had been hit by electricity. It’s across the street from Ashby […]