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.
Review: ‘The Music Man’ at Broadway by the Bay
Just as we watch politicians in Iowa fall over themselves on issues of moral certitude, The Music Man makes us realize that what passes for Iowan family values has been a joke at least since 1957 when it first opened on Broadway.
Stanford Summer Theatre presents a new take on Old Times
Complexities like this lead folks to think that seeing Pinter is something they ought to do, rather like eating their peas
Review: ‘Seussical the Musical’ opens at Berkeley Playhouse
William Hodgson is a superb Cat-in-the-Hat. His lithe nimble moves leave no doubt that he’s the true authority on stage. Substituting the trademark hat for more sophisticated headwear, he’s a very adult Cat who marks new turf in this role.
Book Review: Giving peace a chance
Noel speaks with an odd mix of voices, speaking variously as a historian, anthropologist, political analyst and policy wonk, as well as mediator. He writes broadly – which is one of his major strengths – as well as one of his biggest weaknesses.
San Francisco Opera Ring 2011: Summing Up
The long black storm-trooper coats, barbed wire and images of Auschwitz-like guard towers took discussions of the n-word to a new level.
Review: ‘Götterdämmerung’ brings the Ring to a Triumphant End
Physically, both men were perfectly cast, with just enough girth in all the right places to give the naïve Siegfried a dollup of baby fat pudge.
Review: The Ring of the Nibelung Part III – ‘Siegfried’
Jim Morrison's "Five to one, baby. One in five…." resonates. However, for a moment the price of that act is withheld, allowing Seigfried and Brünnhilde – and the audience – a much deserved moment of triumph.
Review: Pink Martini with the SF Symphony
I’d even wager that Pink Martini could have Bill Ayers and John Boehner doing a cheek-to-jowl conga out the door.
Die Walküre: The plot thickens in San Francisco
This scene is informed by understatement, both in the orchestra pit and on stage. The slightest hesitation of a hand on the door and the hint of drawn out strings convey more meaning than much of the bombast found in later sections.
The Magic Begins Again: Das Rheingold at San Francisco Opera
We take our Wagner seriously in this town. Despite the 135 years since this was first performed as a cycle in Bayreuth Germany in 1876, the Ring is always new, always worth plumbing – and accordingly, we treat it with a combination of gravitas and hype not seen elsewhere.
