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Avi Salem on November 28, 2018
While the #MeToo movement has brought stories of sexual harassment, abuses of power and gender politics into the political and cultural mainstream, Basab Pradhan’s Greater Than has propelled similar narratives into the consciousness of theatergoers with a new play about sexual harassment happening right here in Silicon Valley. Centered around the story of startup founder Jennifer Johnson and her abuse allegations against venture capitalist Ash Williams, Pradhan’s latest work tackles bro culture and toxic masculinity from an insider’s perspective while asking important questions about who holds power in a male-dominated tech industry. Runs through Dec. 8. Continue reading »
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Avi Salem on November 28, 2018
Who is Evan Tyrone Martin, and why is he playing Nat King Cole? It’s a valid question for theater buffs in the Bay Area, but for those active in Chicago’s musical scene, Martin is a well-known name. A leading actor in productions as varied as Jesus Christ Superstar, Dreamgirls, Oklahoma and The Color Purple, Martin’s latest role is his transformation into the jazz legend and famed pianist. This holiday-themed special is a joyful tribute to Cole’s classic hits and includes covers of songs like “Mona Lisa,” “The Christmas Song” and “All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth.” Runs through Dec. 3. Continue reading »
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Avi Salem on November 28, 2018
Carnegie Hall’s resident ensemble of musicians are not only passionate advocates for classical music. They are also deeply dedicated to creating performances and programs with social impact and purpose. The dynamic group called Decoda—comprising of 32 entrepreneurs, activists and acclaimed musicians, such as St. Lawrence String Quartet violinist Owen Dalby—brings artistry and engagement to Stanford University for an intimate evening of performance and an audience discussion. Taking place in Bing’s intimate 160-seat cabaret studio, the up-close-and-personal program includes works by composers like Prokofiev and Schubert. Continue reading »
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Avi Salem on November 28, 2018
This 1940s-era revival of song and dance brings classic big band and swing music to the Tabard Theatre. Inspired by the sounds of Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, Uptown Holiday Swing features jazzy renditions of Christmas carols—backed by three different local big bands—and all of the swing era’s most iconic dance moves. Expect performers to lindy hop to wartime-era tunes like “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “Winter Wonderland” and more. Best of all, the show begins with a free swing dance lesson 20 minutes before each performance to prepare even the most ill-coordinated for the night’s festivities. Continue reading »
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Avi Salem on November 28, 2018
For more than 20 years, the small but mighty Los Altos Stage Company has produced more than 100 plays and musicals centered on bringing quintessential American theater to the small suburb of Los Altos. Their family-friendly rendition of the Tony Award-winning musical Into the Woods is a holiday classic, playing off of the plotlines of fairy tales like Jack and the Beanstalk and Cinderella. An amalgamation of Brothers Grimm and Charles Perrault classics, the musical begs the question: What happens after happily ever after? The show runs through Dec. 23. Continue reading »
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Avi Salem on November 28, 2018
Based on the bestselling children’s novel by Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting makes its regional premiere at Palo Alto’s TheatreWorks just in time for the holiday season. Set in the late 19th century, the story chronicles the life of young Winnie Foster, whose adventures lead her to stumble upon the Tuck family and their secret to immortality. Directed by TheatreWorks founder and artistic director Robert Kelley, it is brought to life with a score and lyrics by Chris Miller and Nathan Tysen; the pair originally wrote the songs for Tuck while in residence at the TheatreWorks Writers’ Retreat in 2010. Runs through Dec. 30. Continue reading »
To my able-bodied co-workers who elect to use the handicap button to open the door to the cafeteria, please stop. That button is not for your use. You hold up the line of people behind you and by going through the automatic door on the left, you also hinder the people trying to leave the cafeteria. I understand your fear of germs, but maybe washing your hands before you eat is a better practice than attempting to go through life without using your hands at all. And no, pressing the button repeatedly does not open the door faster. What it does do is stress the electrical system that operates the door, increasing the probability that it will break and be rendered useless when a person who does have a disability attempts to use the button. Did you know most doors can be pushed open with a forearm, elbow, shoulder or even a kick? Rarely does our day at the office require us to do anything resembling manual labor, so maybe when the very simple task of opening a door presents itself, you can exert yourself a little and hopefully delay the inevitable atrophying of your obsolete arm muscles.
I Saw You is an anonymous “man on the street” column. Email your rants and raves about co-workers or any badly behaving citizens to [email protected], or send to 380 S. First St, San Jose, 95113. Submissions should stick to about 100 words.
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Gary Singh on November 28, 2018
In 1983, deep in the suburban hinterland of Campbell, the punk rock photographer Murray Bowles attended a backyard party and shot several pictures of The Faction, San Jose’s legendary skate punk band. A software engineer by day, Bowles was just starting a decades-long side job of capturing Bay Area punk.
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Avi Salem on November 21, 2018
Before every live performance, Sam Harnett and Chris Hoff make an unusual request. Upon sitting down, audiences are asked to turn off their phones, put them away and to cover their eyes with masks. Continue reading »
Talk about your contrarian takes: Stanford poli-sci professor Rob Reich boldly looks the gift horse right in the mouth at the launch of his new book Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy and How It Can Do Better. He makes the argument that the philanthropy of big-name kajillionaires and world-dominating Silicon Valley companies is often merely the exercise of corporate power, and for whatever genuine good it does, it can undermine democratic values and worsen economic inequality. Reich—the faculty co-director of the Stanford Center and Civil Society—will be on hand for an on-stage interview, followed by a Q&A session and book signing. Continue reading »
