A Midsummer Night Mare; Film Noir - 1948 Was a Great Year for Movies
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
May. 09‚ 2008
MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM: IT’S GLOBAL, IT’S PHYSICAL AND MOSTLY IN THE INDIAN LANGUAGE
This North American Premier of Shakespeare’s singsong recitation comedy coupled with a foreign language makes it even daffier and confusing than the original. The Dash Arts production assumes that everyone knows the story. As I looked around – I saw a lot of young people who were probably seeing this play for the first time. And you know what, the look on their face said: “What the hell is going on?”
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Figaro – the Best Theatre Company in the World; Curse of the Starving Class – Thought Provoking
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
May. 02‚ 2008
AT THE BERKELEY RODA THEATRE
Positively, absolutely the best Theatre Company in the World has to be Theatre De La Jeune. Fussy theatergoers are always looking for the next edgy production, the next genius sly interpretation of a classic, and actors that they can gush over. Well, I’m here to tell you that you need look no further than the Berkeley Rep's Roda Theater for that elusive thrill. Your prayers have been answered.
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Subtle and Sensual Theater Surrounds You: an Ultimate Guide; Save Money on Movies: the Buzz 5-Second Reviews.
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Apr. 25‚ 2008
Legs Kicking, a Drowsy Person … An Opera House Reborn, and a King and a Queen -- plus a Prince in the East Bay. Not to Mention Sex, Cheeky Performances, Something Buggie, Live Orchestras, Siegfried & Roy and a Magical Voice. This, and Placido Domingo … and A Midsummer Night's Dream is Just a Taste of Some of the Ultimate Seductions and Murder Out There Waiting For You in the Dark ...
It's action-packed comedy that is a throwback to the classic ‘whodunit’ murder mystery that takes place in a posh Russian River resort. This place I have to see! But, this sounds like so much campy fun. And they say it will keep you guessing until the last body falls.
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"High School Musical" – A Fun Frappe
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Apr. 18‚ 2008
They are in High School, but look like they should have graduated.
He’s handsome and the captain of the Basketball Team. His dad, also a hunk, is the Coach. The basketball hero meets a new girl at the High School. She is cute and belongs to the “Brainiac” bunch at school. Can a brainy cute girl and a basketball hero become an Item? Well yes. In this musical, if you sing – it’s a cinch to get together.
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Thrill Me at NCTC – Brilliant! “The Green Witch is back”; Gossip Boy; ‘Airwaves Exchange’
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Apr. 11‚ 2008
THRILL ME – RICH KIDS KILL FOR THE THRILL
“You don’t have to deny love
Hold me, thrill me,
Kiss me, kill me…
- Lyrics from U2 –
It was the crime that shook the mid 20’s. Two rich kids, Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold were smart. They were going to be Lawyers when they got out of college and then they became killers. So much, for the Lawyer plan. They now needed a Lawyer.
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Fantastic Connie Champagne; Jeff Ma in Person at Balboa; MicroMovies -- Backseat: Exhilarating; Billy Connolly Needs Super-Titles; Saucy Noel Coward Play
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Apr. 04‚ 2008
CONNIE CHAMPAGNE AS JUDY GARLAND
Champagne is just a wonder. No one does Judy Garland better than she does. She has a knack for not taking it too far with the voice. It really sounds like Judy. Most shows about the famous singer are too overwrought and turn Judy into some kind of a caricature.
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Coronado – A Total Knockout; Inspector General – Insanely Funny; Airwaves Exchange
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Mar. 28‚ 2008
CORONADO WILL GRAB YOU BY THE BALLS
Take Ida Lupino from the Film Noir movie Road House, Barbra Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray From ‘Double Indemnity’, Lana Turner from ‘The Postman always Rings twice’, and Kathleen Turner from ‘Body Heat’ and put them all on the SF Playhouse stage and what you get is a sex-charged jolt that will sizzle your pants and tingle your jollies.
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Tragedy – Berkeley Rep; Opera at the Castro: Sensational
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Mar. 21‚ 2008
TRAGEDY: a tragedy at Berkeley Repertory Theatre
“TRAGEDY: a tragedy” is a comedy by Will Eno (The Pillowman). As Jerry Seinfeld said of his show, “it’s a show about nothing.” And that is exactly what you get in this play. Nothing much.
It starts out funny as hell on a Television Broadcasting set. There is the Older Anchor Man who could be Walter Cronkite and the out of the studio reporters who report from various parts of the city. And what they report about is basically about nothing. They are out there like all reporters are, trying to make a story out of nothing. That is hard to do when basically nothing is happening.
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This ‘Monster’ Will Scare You; What Did Comic Judy Gold Say?; Opera Goes Digital With “La Rondine”; Ebersole and Stritch - Magnificent
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Mar. 14‚ 2008
MONSTER IN THE DARK
Beyond 1984 is where the Fools Fury Theatre Company takes us. This play, written by Doug Dorst and directed by Ben Yalom is what I would call an immersion play. Nothing is static. The actors move all over the place. In front of the audience and on the walls (remember “Hair”?) They even perform behind the audience, so that you have to turn around to see what they’re doing.
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Orlando: Audacious!; Tir Na Nog (Land of Youth): The Nuns are a “Habit”; BuzzinBlast: Noel Coward’s ‘Lost’ Play’; Christine Ebersole/Billy Stritch
by Buzzin' Lee Hartgrave‚
Mar. 07‚ 2008
May 10, 2008
