Are you an a Christmas “orphan,” or do you know someone who takes them in? Every year, there are people who can’t get out of town during the holidays to visit distant family. It’s a longstanding tradition that some generous folk will host some of these “orphans,” who have no close friends or family nearby to visit (or entertain) on Christmas Day. For a feature story this year, we’re looking for both hosts and guests who can tell us about… Read More »
Now that Thanksgiving is here, we’re free to go ahead and talk about Christmas. Every year, there are people who can’t get out of town during the holidays to visit distant family. It’s a longstanding tradition that some generous folk will host some of these “orphans,” who have no close friends or family nearby to visit (or entertain) on Christmas Day. For a feature story this year, we’re looking for both hosts and guests who can tell us about Christmas… Read More »
A one-man show is normally a fairly straight-forward production,without a lot of complex personnel issues, but when that one man can’t go on, there’s a problem. Actor John Rowan opened in the new Pegasus Theater production of John Sedaris’ “Santaland Diaries” as planned, on Dec. 5, but illness has forced him to drop out. However, in true traditional show biz fashion, the show will run through Dec. 20 as originally scheduled. Mark Gregory will step into the role of cynical… Read More »
The evidence is in. Audiences are looking for laughs this Christmas season. “Ham for the Holidays,” the new farce by Santa Rosa’s Shad Willingham, just premiered Dec. 4 in the Studio Theatre at the 6th Street Playhouse, and ticket sales have been good enough to warrant adding three additional performances: 8 p.m. Dec. 17 and 20, and 2 p.m. Dec. 19. Willingham (left, above) wrote, directed and co-stars in the show, set on Christmas Eve, 1939, at a smalltown Georgia … Read More »
There is no shortage of actors shouting “Humbug!” onstage this year, but here’s one more sample: Scrooge is coming back to Cloverdale, in a return engagement of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” which played to near-capacity audiences last year. Steven David Martin (above) stars as the old miser, who has trouble getting a decent night’s sleep, what with all the spirits coming and going. The production, directed by Jim de Priest, plays the Grange Hall Theatre, 201 Commercial St., for… Read More »
When Antoinette Kuhry founded the Sonoma City Opera 25 years ago, one of her goals was to bring fine singing to a broader audience, especially young people. With that in mind, Sonoma City Opera will present “Joy to the World,” a family Christmas concert, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20, in the First Congregational Church of Sonoma Sanctuary, 252 West Spain St., Sonoma. The lineup are professional Bay Area artists performing includes: * Pianist and conductor, Mary Chun. (Pictured above.)… Read More »
