Cy Ashley Webb
Cy spent the ‘80’s as a bench scientist, the tech boom doing intellectual property law, and the first decade of the millennium, aspiring to be the world’s oldest grad student at Stanford where she is interested in political martyrdom. Presently, she enjoys writing for Stark Insider and the SF Examiner, hanging out at Palo Alto Children's Theatre, and participating in various political activities. Democracy is not a spectator sport! Cy is a SFBATCC member.
The Jellicle Ball Returns: CATS opens in San Jose (review)
It’s been a couple of years since CATS was performed at the Center of Performing Arts, and Broadway San Jose more than delivered on this gem. With stellar lighting, acting, singing and choreography, the cast and crew created a show that must be experienced to be believed.
Playing with Electric Razors: ‘Every Christmas Story Ever Told’ (review)
With everything from reingoats to Anthony Weiner’s pull toy and a buzzing Norelco razor speeding dementedly across the tiny thrust stage, Kevin Blackton, Martin Rohas Dietrich and Will Springhorn, Jr. delivered a fast-paced script that had the audience in the aisles wiping their eyes as they listened a passel of amphetamine-crazed munchkins screeching in unison.
Touching Benjamin Franklin – San Francisco Symphony’s ‘The Messiah’
One fascinating bit of Messiah trivia is that Benjamin Franklin attended a “Messiah’’ performance in Dublin in 1759.
Review: ‘Bring It On: The Musical’ opens at the Orpheum
However, just as porn flicks persist in having plots, Bring in On labors under its own tortured burden. In both instances, plot is hardly the reason d’etre for the work.
Not always perfect: ‘The Secret Garden’ at TheatreWorks
The strength of the production came from Rachel Sue, who played Mary Lennox. Angry, rude and obstinate, she embodies both the Victorian idea of a child outside of normal conventions – as well one capable of creating herself, free from social expectations.
Rattling Chains: A Christmas Carol opens in San Jose
Part of the reason it plays so strongly to our sense of nostalgia for a life never experienced is that Dickens was writing to revive Christmas traditions that he feared were lost. This ups the ante, with Dickens being Dickensian, before ere the word was coined.
Ives Quartet Salon: Mozart, Haydn and the 1780s
These salons offer the listener an ear up, as it were, on performances that might otherwise sound excellent, but take on a transcendental quality in such close range.
Broadway by the Year wins converts
Christina Bianco’s channeling of everyone from Streisand to Judy Garland, Patti Lupone, Julie Andrews, Bernadette Peters, and Celine Dion to perform “Caberet” was spot on perfect. One suspects that even Patty Lupone would approve.
Order, balance, transformation and beauty: PBO does Italy
If your point of reference to recorder music is the more staid Renaissance music, Verbruggen’s performance will stand such notions on their head. She propelled the Sammartini forward with the vivacity and exuberance that makes this music seem like such a gift.
Theater Review: ‘The Soldier’s Tale’ at Aurora, Berkeley
L. Peter Callender has such compelling physical presence that he could probably make folding the laundry mesmerizing. With a quality of motion comparable to Ben Vareen, he’s fascinating to watch even when he removes himself from the action to linger by the entrance.
