It’s too long.  Act One drags, yet life altering events fly by in a flash and without prologue.  The drama is clunky and inexplicable at times, but that’s French opera for you.  Situations are too reminiscent of La Traviata (though Manon’s source material is earlier).  Finally, the austere set is comprised of a bleak, white tapered wall. The verdict?

Though flawed, and what isn’t, Manon is a masterpiece.  Along with Werther, it deservedly remains one of the composer’s two most popular operas.  Massenet mastered melody, so the music enchants throughout, and the characters captivate.  What’s more, the San Francisco Opera production is a delight.  And in this realization, the lead couple own their roles.  They both spark and sparkle with uncommon chemistry, perhaps because they’re married in real life and get to have extra rehearsal time together in their lodgings!

While Massenet and his librettists may have faltered in their dramatic thrust, they have produced one of opera’s great femme fatale lead characters with multiple dimensions, or at least evolution.  The young Manon, who was to be sent to a convent because of her reckless behavior as an adolescent, shows impulsiveness as she quickly accedes to Chevalier des Grieux’s hasty marriage proposal and runs off with him.  She admits to her envy of rich young women adorned in jewelry, evidenced by a bright, delightful acapella mezzo trio.  But her quest for riches is not likely to be fulfilled in her arrangement with des Grieux.

Buffeted by conflicting desires, she allows her betrothed to be abducted in return for the promise of marriage into great wealth.  But in another about-face, she ultimately returns to des Grieux driven by what would appear to be a genuine reflection of love, and she seeks redemption.

Former Adler Fellow at San Francisco Opera, Amina Edris returns as one of the great contemporary interpreters of this role, which she has performed around the world.  In voice and action, she captures every aspect of Manon with precision from the flighty ingenue looking to escape a doleful future to the tragic lover.

Her voice possesses a warm timbre and vibrato throughout her range, navigating the coloratura elements with relish, especially when she trumpets her new-found high-society notoriety in the famed “Je marche sur tous les chemins” (“I walk all the streets”) and the following gavotte “Obéissons quand leur voix appelle” (“Obey when their voices call”) in Act 3.  The role demands lyric lushness which Edris provides, but not the power that a dramatic soprano role would.  Indeed, in her duets she doesn’t quite maintain the desired volume balance with the tenor.

Like his wife, Pene Pati was also a well-loved Adler Fellow who has taken on many title roles especially in some of Europe’s top houses.  A tenor of the highest order, his voice excels in its strength, enthusiasm, and clarity, without the strained or pinched sound of many others in this voice range.  His acting meets opera’s highest demands, with his passionate best directed at Manon, from gambling party scenes to unrestrained love to near violent rejection and ultimate tragedy.  The composer also endows this role with a number of melodious arias, the most memorable being the lament he conquers when entering the religious world and leaving his love behind, “Ah fuyez douce image” (“Oh vanish sweet memory”). 

Massenet offers more than just show-stopping arias for the lovers.  A strong chorus and ensemble pieces, including a foreboding quartet and duets for the lovers, play a large role.  Secondary characters are significant, all of which are male.  Most notable is the Comte des Grieux, the Chevalier’s inconsolable and interfering father, akin to Traviata’s Giorgio Germont.   Portrayed by James Cresswell, the compelling bass displays particular ease and volume consistency throughout his range while maintaining model diction.

Back to the staging which can make a significant difference in the vibrancy and appeal of an opera.  Like Maya Lin’s gash, as the Viet Nam War Memorial was often derisively called, it may take a while for the viewer to respect Director Vincent Boussard and Set Designer Vincent Lemaire’s minimalistic set.

But in the end, it works brilliantly as a versatile canvas.  Variously imbued with light, shadow, reflection, and projection, and while occasionally set off by symbolic props and rich splashes of color, the formerly empty space fills the eye with everything from balloons to crucifixion symbols.  A parapet running the length of the wall at one time displays a cityscape of Paris and acts as a linear platform for crowds.  And when the gargantuan chorus floods the stage, it is not lost in the scenery but looks and acts as an organic whole. A final mention goes again to Boussard, who is also responsible for the sumptuous costume design which adds another stunning visual element.

Manon, composed by Jules Massenet with libretto by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, is produced by San Francisco Opera and plays at War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco, CA through November 1, 2026.

Alchemists change something ordinary into something extraordinary. That can be said of Alkemē Restaurant’s chef-owner Hue-Chan Karels and executive chef and general manager Erica Tai. They have created a menu of healthy, nurturing Vietnamese-centric food in Santa Fe, New Mexico that combines Michelin quality and taste with peasant history and tradition. So, if you’re expecting and wanting normal inexpensive American/Vietnamese fare, you’ll be disappointed.

Santa Fe has become a foodie paradise, having probably more restaurants with award recognition per capita than any other American city. Although some Santa Fe restaurants are over 100 years old, there are many and diverse newcomers including Alkemē, James Beard-nominated Best New Restaurant in 2024. Edible Magazine named Alkemē Local Hero Best Restaurant as it celebrated its third anniversary in June, 2026.

The restaurant combines fine dining with family hospitality.  Hostess and servers are friendly and knowledgeable about the food history and recipe ingredients. Wall leaf paintings adorned in colors of green, gold and black, along with Asian lanterns dominate the décor.  Along with the accompaniment of soft jazzy/bluesy music, a very calming ambience results.

A choice of a tasting menus, land or sea ($85) and a vegetarian option ($75), has suggestions for accompanying delectable craft cocktails, wines, and beers, or diners can choose a la carte.  A la carte allows individual entrée choices ranging from $16 to $39. All the food is inventive and complex.

Ingredients often sound simple but the flavors harmonize and honor the Vietnamese tradition, spirit, and journey. Every dish is handmade each day. Many of the ingredients are brought from Vietnam. For example, I enjoyed a sweet/tart “Violet Crown” cocktail comprised of Vietnamese butterfly pea flower infused vodka, fresh lime juice, fresh ginger, house made ginger syrup and egg white. So the cocktails as well as the food have healing nourishing ingredients.

One of the wonderful starters is a Carrot soup designed and developed during Covid for delivery by owner Hue-Chan to nurture, heal, and boost the immune system. The handmade, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free vegetable broth laced with ginger, turmeric, coconut milk, and spiced carrot crisps sounds quite simple yet possesses a rich, complex palate that was perhaps my favorite of the many delicious dishes.  It was named as a favorite by a number of diners I interviewed.

Other mouthwatering appetizers include Turmeric crispy cod with dill aioli, Vietnamese herb oil, fennel-jicama-green apple slaw, and pickled red onions; Citrus-cured yellowfin tuna with tamarind-fish sauce, pickled Asian pear, red chili essence, rau ram, and crisp rice paper; and Rice turmeric crepe with pork belly, vegetables, and herbs. All of these and more choices can be ordered vegan and gluten-free.

Like the appetizers, main course influences come from throughout Vietnam, and many are vegetarian or pescatarian.  Notable meat choices include Hanoi-style grilled pork noodles. The fine cut rice noodles are complemented with picked green papaya and carrot, in a warm lime/fish broth sweetened with palm sugar and an abundance of tender grilled pork patties and slices. Another favorite is the Broken rice with duck fat confit umami chicken leg (yes – that’s one name!) with Red Boat fish sauce and salt-cured, pork-egg terrine. It is worth noting that many dishes include broken rice. This is the rice that the Vietnamese peasants kept for their own nourishment after collecting the whole rice for sale.

Portions are sumptuous, generous, filling, and enough to take home for at least one more meal. If diners can manage more food, they might be tempted to try one of several dessert options ($14) such as Vietnamese Coffee flan with almond meringue or Warm coconut-pandan pudding with bananas, tapioca pearls, sweet potato mochi, and toasted coconut.

Take-away can be ordered, but the experience of becoming one of Alkemē’s family by dining in should not be missed.  Enjoy as a general night out or on a celebratory special occasion with staff singing and perhaps offering some surprise extras. So if Vietnam is too far for a birthday night out, how about Santa Fe, New Mexico?

Alkemē Restaurant – 227 Don Gaspar (at the corner of W. Alameda), Santa Fe, NM. Dinner service Tuesday through Saturday 5pm to 8:45pm. Welcomes children over 5years. Dress: business casual.

Change happens.  So it was in 1956 with the real-world urban development that would reshape San Francisco’s diverse and largely black Fillmore District, displacing over 10,000 people.  The world premiere musical Every Saturday Night….. centers on a broken black family facing the uncertainties of the project.    The proceedings intermittently flash forward to present day when only the now elderly son of the family remains alive.  The musical also reveals the enterprise of the oppressed in dealing with disadvantage and the bonds that people shared in their spare time when they were free to be themselves.

A friendly opening night audience roared with support.  This labor of love possesses numerous strengths, but like many premieres, the work does need some work.

Ardella (Cathleen Riddley) managed to buy a house in The Fillmore because of supplementary earnings from operating After Hours, an unlicensed club, at her home every Saturday night, charging for booze and chicken dinners and providing music for guests to dance to.  The animated parties with song and dance create an upbeat vibe and escape for all involved, and the party sequences play a big role in the feel-good aspect of the play. 

The music throughout is catchy and does help the story along.  Though not a fault as such, what does surprise a bit is the conventional sound of the tunes, like a typical stage musical.  Particularly in the 1950s, The Fillmore was a center for jazz and blues, but those influences on the music in the play are minimal, with the exception of one song with scat riffs and the occasional bluesy chord in a couple of others.

Despite many light touches, the story bulges with social issues.  One particularly incisive and reflective one revolves around Christine (the acting highlight of the show – a delightful, flamboyant Velina Brown), who is with the neighborhood heritage society in the contemporary period of the play.  As well intended as she and her group are, they are intervening in the real estate market to try to ensure that the “right kind of people” settle in the neighborhood, which in large measure repeats the motivation of the earlier urban renewal project, but with social class rather than racial implications.

Another issue concerns Ardella’s adolescent son Donte (Jacob Henrie-Naffaa), who has hidden from her the fact that he is acting in a play as Peter Pan.  The circumstances that surround the issue deal with parent-child communication and extend to homosexuality, which is implied but not expressed.

Use of the same space to tell two different stories in alternating fashion with only one overlapping character is clever.  A particularly effective design orchestrated by Director AeJay Antonis Marquis is sequences when both the characters from the ‘50s and from today are on the stage together and their dialogues interspersed.  The execution didn’t live up to its potential at opening, but hopefully it will improve.

Most of the performers seem to be primarily actors, and the singing is uneven, with only Imri M. Tate as Doris displaying a strong voice.  A couple of numbers seem that they would benefit singers by being sung in a different key, and one of young Donte’s that requires the performer to shift registers does no one any favors.

The appealing production, directed and choreographed by AeJay Antonis Marquis, features handsome staging led by Sarah Phykitt’s single set that serves as the venue for all of the action.  Notably, Marquis provides extensive and energetic dance and Amber Julian the considerable hair, wig, and makeup demands.

Although the story of a whole black community being dispossessed by a disastrous urban renewal program resonates, it fails to explain the magnitude of what actually happened; why Ardella’s home was spared; the fictionalized effect on other characters; or the recent disgrace of Justin Herman who was a major architect and executor of the program.  This is despite the significance of the falling out between Ardella and her tenant Doris in the play over whether to protest the project.  A brief narrative in the latter time frame from Older Donte (Darryl V. Jones) to the prospective home buyers would be appropriate.

The storyline will interest Bay Area aficionados and those concerned with how minority groups have been maltreated in so many ways.  For the musical to have legs, the question is whether the universality of the minority plight can overcome the narrow geographical focus of the issue.

Every Saturday Night: A Harlem of the West Musical with music and lyrics by Danny Duncan and book by Michael Gene Sullivan and Danny Duncan is produced by San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company and appears at Strand Theater, 1127 Market Street, San Francisco, CA through November 1, 2026.

Other than Idomeneo, Abduction from the Seraglio (Die Entführung aus dem Serail) is Mozart’s earliest composed “opera” that remains in the repertoire.  However, it is really a classic singspiel with a considerable amount of dialog.  A vital role, the Pasha Selim, is even a completely spoken role, though performed by the accomplished bass Kirk Eichelberger.  As many deficiencies as bedevil this piece, it works on its own terms, as an engaging narrative with beautiful and challenging music.  West Bay Opera has produced a captivating version of the work.

The opera largely concerns the clash of European and Middle Eastern values.  Three Europeans who were captured by pirates have been sold to the Turkish Pasha Selim, whose factotum Osmin, actually the chaperone of the Pasha’s harem, often acts as his gatekeeper.  Belmonte, the Spanish fiancé of Konstanze, one of the captives, arrives in search of her.  Belmonte engages with the ill-tempered Osmin, who provides resistance rather than assistance.

Osmin is stereotyped as a Muslim who holds Europeans in low opinion and treats them accordingly. Conversely, the libretto depicts the Pasha kindly, as he refrains from forcing himself on Konstanze, even though he is greatly attracted to her and could simply command that she accept his advances.  The action of course centers on the efforts to free the prisoners from the grasp of Pasha, and ends with some interesting, if improbable, twists.  Note that the composer and librettist’s (Gottlieb Stephanie) deference to the Pasha flies in the face of Austrian antipathy toward Turks as the Ottomans had twice sieged Vienna, most recently a century before the opera.

Abduction opens with a lively and familiar overture that foretells some of the themes that follow.  In addition to traditional Baroque music, Mozart also introduces some Turkish musical idioms that enrich the score.

The young composer did present challenges for lead principals, which each surmounts.  Michelle Allie Drever is a wonderful Konstanze.  Drever displays a penetrating and mellifluous voice.  Her Act 1 reflective aria “Ach ich liebte, war so glüchlich!” (“Ah, I was in love, I was so happy”) is the apotheosis of virtuosity – full of sparkling coloratura riffs, leaps, and roller-coaster arpeggios.

Yet, her Act 2 aria “Marten aller Arten” (“Tortures of every kind”), in expectation of the degradation she faces, is considered even more difficult.  Why?  Not only is the aria itself a demanding eight-minute ordeal, but it comes on the heels of a lead-in eight-minute aria, testing the endurance of the soprano singing the role.  Drever nails it as well.  Mozart would never again demand 16 minutes of solo singing by a single artist with only a minor break.

Osmin, acts as the antagonist, and Casey Germain is a fine exemplar.  The bass voice must be able to sing tunefully with rich darkness in the mid and upper ranges but must also be able to plumb the depths.  Osmin’s role demands the full gamut of the bass’s voice, and Germain responds.  His memorable Act 3 aria when he ponders besting his enemies “Oh, wie will ich triumphieren” (“How triumphant I shall be”) descends to the basso profundo range to a low D.  Like most basses, Germain loses amplitude at that level, but he is impressively true and clear.

Our hero Belmonte comes to free Konstanze along with two servants.  Hak Soo Kim portrays Belmonte and delivers a warm, seemingly relaxed tenor voice.  He holds the long notes with glee and excels in all of his arias, the most notable being the beautiful ode to lovers’ reunion “Wenn der Freude Tränen fliessen” (“When tears of joy flow”). 

The principal cast is limited to five singing parts.  The remaining two are servants Blonde (soprano Lora Bashmakian) and Pedrillo (tenor Caleb Alexander), both of whom shine in their solos.  In addition to fine arias, the composer has crafted wonderful (almost obligatory at that time) act-ending ensembles with a fine trio ending Act 1 and a quartet of two loving couples ending Act 2.

While the opera and this particular production are delightful, the work is not without weaknesses, starting with its reliance on the spoken word which disrupts the flow of the piece. Another is repetition in both music and lyrics.  For those familiar with the movie Amadeus, you’ll recall that Emperor Joseph II questioned Mozart whether there weren’t too many notes in this opera, to which Mozart replied that each one is needed.  I would agree with the emperor.

Much of the singing takes place in the stand-and-deliver style that doesn’t integrate well with the action.  Nonetheless, in Abduction we hear music that anticipates the mature Mozart in his most polished later works that would make him one of the greatest opera composers of all time.

Finally, this production is visually appealing with striking costumery (Callie Floor) and set design (Peter Crompton) heavily aided by projections.  As always, Maestro José Luis Moscovich conducts the orchestra with great panache.

The Abduction from the Seraglio, composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with libretto by Gottlieb Stephanie, is produced by West Bay Opera and is performed at Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA through October 18, 2026.

‘Tis the season of ghosts and ghouls and witches and such with the celebrations of Halloween and Dias de los Muertos upon us.  So the interest in supernatural lore on stage is no surprise, which includes at least three plays about Dracula currently haunting Bay Area theaters.  TheatreWorks Silicon Valley offers its take on Steven Dietz’s adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula with a stunning visual and aural presentation directed by Giovanna Sardelli that will put a fright into some.

What is it about the human condition that draws us to horrible events?  Why the fascination with the likes of every possible violent trauma from train wrecks to axe murders?  Some evidence suggests that times of uncertainty and angst, like now, promote interest in horror and the occult.  Perhaps the attraction to blood-sucking human vampires is the idea that it is spine-tingling scary, but it couldn’t really happen.  It couldn’t – right?

Most theater goers will already be familiar with the basic premise of the play.  The scene is turn-of-the-(20^th)-century England.  Apparently, Transylvanian blood has lost its appeal, and Count Dracula seeks new pastures.  Dracula himself is a relatively lesser character in the narrative, as it’s important first to establish his victims as people we care about before he sucks their blood and transforms them into the undead…

The most important production decision for a play of this sort is the tone to be set.  Many viewers will expect campiness emphasized by Count Dracula’s inauthentic, but oft-repeated signature line “I vant…to suck…your blood.”  Let it be noted that blood sucking does occur but without quite that fanfare.  Scott Coopwood’s Dracula is much more reserved with the effort to create more drama and horror than laughter, but with the result of a less dynamic character.   Notwithstanding, his garish costumery and penchant for gobbling the necks of the unsuspecting does set him apart from your typical Victorian gentleman…..

Per agreement with Talkin’ Broadway, my complete reviews of South Bay and Peninsula theater for the remainder of the year will appear in full on its site. Please continue at:

San Jose/Silicon Valley – “Dracula” – 10/13/26

Dracula runs through November 1, 2026 at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA. For information and tickets please visit https://theatreworks.org.

For those of you who desperately need to get onto other things (?!), I’ll give my verdict first before discussing the interesting aspects of this opera.  Yes, Suor Angelica is among the greatest one-act operas in the canon, and Livermore Valley Opera has crafted a sterling production that reveals its numerous assets.

Giacomo Puccini hatched the idea of composing three one-act operas to be performed in specified order in one evening.  While the first, the brooding and violent Il Tabarro, was already formed, Puccini enlisted librettist Giovacchino Forzano to write this one, as well as what became the breakout hit, the sparkling comic opera Gianni Schicchi.  However, the three operas lack a common thread or compelling reason to be performed together.  What’s more, they present such divergent casting and staging demands that only the biggest opera companies can do them justice in a single program, and then, with what artistic purpose?  What was Puccini thinking?

Il Trittico (“The Triptych”), as they are known, premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1918.  From the outset, many American critics disparaged Suor Angelica.  Since the three operas demanded commitment to a long evening, many productions soon after dropped this most criticized one, and the stain has somewhat followed this brilliant vignette of life in the convent.

However, these early reviews deserve their own criticism.  Note that predominantly non-Catholic societies, starting with the U.S., may have balked at an opera about nuns.  Also, while this opera has an all-female cast, all critics of the era were male and accustomed to male domination in all contexts.  Perhaps if the critics had set their testosterone and religious beliefs aside, they could have accepted Suor Angelica as a bright beam of devotion, morality, redemption, and tradition, but that notion seemed to be beyond their grasp.

Puccini composed four war-horse operas, among the most performed world-wide, each having successions of one popular set piece after another.  Suor Angelica lacks that level of familiarity, but the music throughout is typical of its composer’s – rich, lush, and melodic.  Moreover, it does have as its touchstone the stunningly beautiful and achingly heart-rending aria “Senza Mamma” (“Without Mother”).  Ann Toomey is Angelica, and the soprano’s “Senza Mamma” exhibits every painful shred of deep emotion, vocal range, and chilling power demanded by this stellar and haunting aria.

The opera’s libretto breaks down into discrete segments, with the music adeptly responding to prevailing topics and emotions, whether prayers, recreation, or discussion of nuptials.  One of the most distinctive is when Angelica is asked by the Badessa (Abbess) and in front of the other nuns to declare what she misses.  She lies and says “nothing.”  This produces a musical chatter of gossip, as the sisters know that she yearns to hear from her guardian who hasn’t communicated in seven years.

Angelica came from a distinguished family and was forced into the convent by her guardian, the Zia Principessa (Princess Aunt), as punishment for having a child out of wedlock.  Of course, this practice seems alien and irrelevant to our society today where nearly half of children are now born outside of marriage.

The central event which is telegraphed by the tragic Angelica’s lie is a visit from the Principessa.  Angelica has long subjugated her wants to those of the convent but is now asked to make another, permanent sacrifice.  The Principessa is an exceptionally well-crafted role that could not be more suited to contralto Sara Couden.  In a few short minutes, Couden captures the imperious, self-serving Principessa, disrupting what little peace Angelica possesses.  Couden’s potent, deep throttle voice resonates to the rafters and drips with authority in a vivid and highly memorable performance.

Stage Director Annalisa Winberg leads the artistic contributions, and though Puccini was noted as providing copious stage directions, Winberg does come up with some interesting interpretations outside of the libretto.  One particular blocking sequence involves the Principessa whose dominance over Angelica is clearly displayed as she backs her niece across the stage.

The action plays out in the convent courtyard, beautifully conceived by Set and Video Designer Jean-François Revon.  A nice touch in the scenic design is above the convent walls where projected ominous clouds move irresistibly and portentously toward the courtyard.

Apart from the central crisis, the composer and librettist also manage to introduce several other nuns from the sisterhood engaging in daily life.  Despite brief exposures and the constancy and shrouding of the habits they wear, they are rendered as having distinct personalities.  The high tessitura from the absence of male voices and the consistency of black-and-white religious garb, with the exception of the Principessa, might seem monotonous, but in this 60 minutes makes it more riveting.

Some of the voices under the nuns’ veils are quite good.  But at this performance, there were multiple instances of faint vocal projection until the visitation, including from Toomey, who perhaps was saving her voice for the later fireworks which she navigated so well.  Music Director Alexander Katsman leads the orchestra, which performs admirably in this one as it should, being one of Katsman’s favorite operas.

I would be remiss not to mention the sad and unexpected passing of Livermore Valley Opera’s longtime Artistic Director Erie Mills.  To add to her notable career as an international opera star, she was instrumental in making LVO into a highly-respected regional opera company.  Erie was responsible for organizing the 2026-7 season’s productions, and her choices to give exposure to two fine but less performed Puccini operas is greatly appreciated – La Fanciulla del West, to be performed in February-March being the other.  Erie will be sadly missed.

Suor Angelica, composed by Giacomo Puccini with libretto by Giovacchino Forzano is produced by Livermore Valley Opera and plays at Bankhead Theater, 2400 First Street, Livermore, CA through October 11, 2026.

Some lucky folks on the dating trail have had the experience of the spontaneous combustion of two sets of hormones leading to hasty retreat to a private place for some personal passion.   But what happens when the spell is broken before the intensity culminates?

In Barcelona, the highly-decorated Bess Wohl’s two-hander, drunk and ditsy Irene chases Manuel out of a bar and they hastily retire to his nearby apartment to satisfy their urges.  The encounter is so chaotic that Irene hasn’t even provided her name, and she often refers to him as Manolo, despite being corrected each time.  In her alcohol-fueled stupor, she also has lost a shoe, not realizing that she had thrown it at Manuel.

We soon learn that Irene is from Denver and attending a bachelorette weekend in Barcelona as a prelude to a wedding back home.  Manuel is proudly from Madrid, and the small apartment in Barcelona is a legacy, which Irene calls “cute” like so many other things.  A charming building, it offers a spectacular view of Gaudi’s distinctive Sagrada Familia church, which looms on the set’s backscreen.  But the apartment is strewn with moving boxes as the building is to be razed the following day to make way for modern progress, a stark contrast to the century-long  gestation period of the nearby basilica.

In this 90-minute talkathon, we find that the characters, now clumsily connected and isolated, are chalk and cheese.  Adria Swan’s “typically American” characterization of Irene depicts her as bubbly, self-referential, superficial, and naïve.  To her counterpart’s disdain, she repeats the story of her ancestor pioneers trekking from the east to Salt Lake as a big part of her personification…..

Per agreement with Talkin’ Broadway, my complete reviews of South Bay and Peninsula theater for the remainder of the year will appear in full on its site. Please continue at:

San Jose/Silicon Valley – “Barcelona” – 9/30/26

Barcelona, written by Bess Wohl, is produced by San Jose Stage and is performed at its playhouse at 490 South First Street, San Jose, CA through October 18, 2026.

Most people who are aware of Mary Queen of Scots (1542-1587) know her for events related to her challenging Queen Elizabeth I for the throne of England.  In that context, Mary was imprisoned for 18 years before being executed under the instructions of Elizabeth for a plot to assassinate the queen.

Fewer people know of how tumultuous her life was before her confrontational period with Elizabeth.  At age 5, her marriage to the 3-year-old King Francis II of France was arranged, with the intent of joining Scotland and France.  The couple married as teens, but Francis died only one year after succeeding the regent who had ruled on his behalf. Having grown up in France, Mary soon after returned to Scotland as its queen, knowing little of its people or politics and became caught in a maelstrom.

Thea Musgrave’s opera Mary, Queen of Scots deals with Mary’s only adult years spent in the country of her birth and heritage, from age 18 to 25, as Queen of Scotland.  The opera is riveting from beginning to end as Mary deals with the nobles who surround her.  Perhaps Mary’s reign seems more ominous because the action is condensed into three hours on stage, but at least four men close to Mary were murdered by others who were close to her, indicative of the hazards of the politics of the time when no one was safe.  Some of those murdered were those she trusted explicitly including both her husband and secretary.

Heidi Stober is Mary.  Though her soprano voice can be warm, she has the power to overcome an orchestra or a chorus of men, as she must in this role, which suits her well.  Much of her singing takes place high in her range, depicting her dominance.  Particularly noteworthy is her signature aria of authority, independence, and loneliness which reveals the caution of relying on anyone “I shall rule.  I must stand alone.”  In a sense, this is a feminist anthem, as she is disrespected by the powerful men who surround her, some of whom wish to take her place.

As conflict arises from the outset, and conflict is the recurring theme, the music is near relentless – largely pounding and dissonant as it rages from one clash to another.  The composer marshals the full resources of the orchestra, and while the harsh music is appropriate to the uncertainty and violence of times, there are other interesting aspects to Musgrave’s score.

She does borrow or imitate from other sources, especially the traditional Scottish air “The Bonnie Earl of Moray” with its dominant crying woodwinds providing a leitmotif to introduce turmoil throughout the opera.  The earl of the song is Mary’s half-brother James Stewart, who begins as a loving ally who may have had incestuous relations with Mary.  However, his quest for power becomes the basis for an unfixable divide.

Other adaptations that provide diversity and escape from the downbeat include Latin and French chants that open the opera, sung by the chorus which creates some of the more interesting sounds in the piece and acts as a prime mover to much of the action.  Something unusual in Musgrave’s scoring is that at times she allows soloists to pursue their own pace and rhythm in a style more consistent with bel canto.

But stranger is that she sometimes allows choristers to set their own individual tempos, resulting in an engagingly undulating and unbalanced sound.  Conductor Clelia Cafiero does a fine job managing the music overall, and specifically the improvisation accorded the singers.  Despite the large number of choristers who represent the masses, the leader often overcomes them with a louder voice and a stronger message, be it Stober as Mary or distinguished tenor Thomas Mole as James.

Rare in opera with the exception of Richard Wagner is the composer who also writes the libretto, which Musgrave has frequently done, including here – the advantage being that the interface of words and music is highly organic and uncompromised.  The complex relationships and gruesome outcomes of the mostly accurate plot are reminiscent of the works of Mary’s younger contemporary, William Shakespeare and his historical and dramatic plays of British and other nobles.

Of modern operas, this one is compelling musically and dramatically.  However, one asset of opera is its multidimensionality which stimulates many receptors, including the visual sensation of elaborate costumes and/or staging.  In fact, one appealing aspect of a production may compensate for the weakness of another.  Although intellectual substance (rather than budget?) drove the decision to put the singers in contemporary dress dominated by drab puffer jackets and ski caps on an equally unappealing stage of a marquee tent and metal fencing, this detracts from the historical significance of the chronicle.  While scenic reinterpretation often works, I found myself wanting and trying to visualize how this opera would look with a more desirable appearance.

One question that is often asked about storytelling performances concerns a piece’s relevance today.  Certainly, Mary, Queen of Scots raises issues of leadership, aspiration, bonding, trust, options, and more.  But lest we overlook it, youth was served as Mary was 18 years old when she returned to Scotland to become its queen, which opens up the whole issue of the responsibility and authority granted young people and their experience and judgment to manage it.  In today’s world, youth rule in a different way, largely through their influence and financial largesse in the high-tech community.  Indeed, they largely hold the keys to artificial intelligence which already offers great benefits but also represents a potentially existential threat.

Mary, Queen of Scots, with music and libretto by Thea Musgrave, is produced by San Francisco Opera and English National Opera and is performed at War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, CA through October 4, 2026.

It’s 1959, and several identically clad advertising exec types gyrate wildly on stage to a flailing choreography drawing from the twist.  Clearly, this is not your mother’s North by Northwest.

Empresaria Emma Rice is the rare producer/director/adaptor who operates a proprietary theater company, creating a flow of ingenious plays largely performed by a cadre of British and British-based artists having a long history with the company.  In this case, Rice has taken an iconic Alfred Hitchcock film, North by Northwest, and adapted it as a farcical comedy, driven by clever modifications and punchy music of the period.  Very important to the tone is the gyrating movement, of the dance variety, of throwing hips, knees, and arms laterally; and of simulated sprinting without moving forward (as opposed to “running in place” which doesn’t convey the same directionality).  The result is a handsome and winsome production that keeps the audience engaged and laughing.

It would be interesting to break out the appraisals of audience members based on whether they have seen the movie or not.  I heard one detractor (my wife!) say that they took a great movie and #!#!#!, notwithstanding that she rated the performances and staging highly.

For those not familiar with the original, the seed of the stylish, thriller storyline is that Roger Thornhill, a Madison Avenue ad man, is mistaken by spies as being George Kaplan, a U.S. government man of interest to a hostile country.  Kidnapped but escaped and trying to locate the real Kaplan, Thornhill sets out to Chicago on a train trip where he meets the alluring Eve Kendall, who will become both a love interest and a mystery.  Before long, they are near the South Dakota Badlands, and the bad guys are on the trail, but you’ll have to find the outcome on your own.

Rice’s adaptation holds closely to the original plot but creates comedy in every event, often using exaggerated dance-type movement and obvious lip synching to many period-piece songs as the basis for humor.  While the canned singing sometimes works when the voice is the opposite sex of the on-stage singer and humor is intended, I would have preferred live singing.

Groan inducing verbal gags occur throughout, especially working in the titles of movies (e.g., All About Eve) and Shakespeare quotes (e.g., “What fools these mortals be”) into the dialogue.  Sight gags are endless starting with the loose-limbed, garment fluttering movement and broad facial expressions of the two leads who are stupendous.  One of those would be Thornhill’s portrayer, the talented and energetic Danny Collins, who conveys being a successful businessman, suave ladies’ man, and mama’s boy who is forever calling home, all at the same time.

The other is a bit of a surprise that many theatergoers may miss if they don’t check the program.  The Professor, who acts as the narrator, is a petite “Mini-Me” type (from Mike Myers’s Austin Powers movies) dressed the same as Thornhill, but always wearing a hat.  Despite the gruff voice and maleness of the role, lifting the hat and unfurling the hair would reveal a very female Katy Owen.  She not only acts the part with verve, but she repeatedly and successfully engages directly with the audience to build enthusiasm.

As a road movie with endless venues, depicting them all in three dimensions on a stage is unrealistic.  Rather than backscreen projections for scenic design, Rice has chosen to symbolically use four huge mobile revolving doors, and an otherwise bare front stage having occasional props, most often suitcases with large labels indicating the location.

Cinephiles will know that few movies have two iconic scenes, but NxNW does – the four cornfield crossroads scene in which Thornhill is attacked by a cropduster airplane, and Thornhill’s gripping (literally) effort to save Eve on Mount Rushmore’s face of George Washington.  Although the play resorts to kitschy props to carry out actions like these at times, the conceit of forcing the viewer to use their own imagination to fill in the blanks works well overall.

The entire U.K. creative team directed by Rice herself excels, led by extraordinary movement, unique staging, and sharp lighting.  Sound on opening night did not always come through as intended.  Standing “O”s are not uncommon these days, and the production deserved and received one.  That said, it is targeted more for those who like low-brow humor and perhaps those who value nostalgia for the source material, despite the radical changes.

As a farce based on a thriller, not much deeper meaning is intended in NxNW, though Eve can be looked at as a prototype to 1960s feminism.  Rather disconnected from the main content, the play does close with political commentary including “Never again,” which is the Jewish mantra to protect against another holocaust, and a paean to an unnamed Hillary Clinton. While these comments seem a bit disconnected from the play, and perhaps they are added for ACT’s San Francisco audience, at least they are shared with an overwhelmingly receptive population.

Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest is adapted from the screenplay by Ernest Lehman and plays at American Conservatory Theater’s Toni Rembe Theater, 415 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA through October 18, 2026.

The lure of becoming a titled aristocrat is oh, so enticing, at least to working-class Montague Navarro in the London of 1907.  But is it worth murdering eight previously unknown relatives who stand in line before him to become the Ninth Earl of Highhurst?

Upon his mother’s death, Monty learns of his true lineage, a D’Ysquith of noble heritage, hidden as his mother had been shunned by the family because of her marrying for love.  When he meets with the first such potential heir to the Highhurst earldom, a bumbling vicar who without Monty’s intervention will fall to his death, he realizes the course of action needed.  Perhaps I should mention here that this is, er, a comedy, and also a musical – in fact one that had a two-year Broadway run and won several Tonys and other awards.

The central character and constant throughout is Montague, portrayed by Andrew Cope who possesses not only matinee-idol looks but a booming baritone voice with considerable range.  And despite engendering bloodshed, betrayal, and adultery, his likeable qualities make him a sympathetic character through it all.

A remarkable conceit of this play is that all eight victims are performed by one actor.  In this laugh fest Palo Alto Players production, the formidable Brandon Savage excels at the distinctive comic characterizations, even women, with rapid changes of costume, wig, occasional prosthetic (e.g., protruding buck teeth) and affect…..

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https://talkinbroadway.com/page/regional/sanjose/sj335.html

A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder with book and lyrics by Robert L. Freedman, music and lyrics by Steven Lutvak, and based on the novel Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal by Roy Horniman is produced by Palo Alto Players and performed at Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, CA through September 27, 2026.