Armistead Maupin's Blog, page 31
June 2, 2011
Review: A sparkling 'Tales of the City'
By Karen D'Souza
kdsouza@mercurynews.com
Posted: 06/01/2011 10:00:00 PM PDT
The gospel according to Mrs. Madrigal, the bohemian goddess cum landlady in "Tales of the City," has very few commandments. Among the most sacrosanct: Pot brownies are the ideal party favor, the b-word can be the highest of compliments and under no circumstances share a joint.
Just because you're a degenerate, dahling, that doesn't mean you shouldn't act like a lady.
Wryly delivered by the inimitable actress Judy Kaye, Madrigal's sage bits of weed-infused wisdom sparkle like diamonds in the delectable new stage version of Armistead Maupin's love letter to the city by the bay. The iconic tale of '70s San Francisco as an anything-goes Shangri-La of disco balls, bathhouses and polyester-clad divas has been reborn as a yummy musical with a tartly buoyant libretto by Jeff Whitty ("Avenue Q") and an instantly addictive retro-chic score by Jake Shears and John Garden of the glam-pop band Scissor Sisters.
While the show has its flaws, musicals are -- in the end -- a lot like people. If they're charming, it's pretty easy to brush off their weaknesses. Certainly some polishing and tightening is called for before the almost three-hour-long show moves on from its world premiere at the American Conservatory Theater. But there's also no question that this age of Aquarius flashback deserves to be seen on a Broadway stage.
In the parlance of the piece, this "Tale" has more than its share of fantabulous moments. From the jockey-shorts dance contest to the roller-disco pickup scene, rubbing elbows with the denizens of 28 Barbary Lane is far out, man.
Whitty, who came up with the idea for the adaptation, clearly has an affinity for Maupin's universe and its kaleidoscopic sense of character and quirkiness. If the production sometimes feels a tad too faithful to the novel, with the episodic nature of the story gumming up the flow of the evening, this is an all-you-can-quip buffet of period gags and Bay Area nods.
Some of the local punch lines are zingers. When Mary Ann Singleton (Betsy Wolfe), the wide-eyed heroine from Ohio, gets weirded out by all the subversiveness in her midst and she longs for the land of the bland and the bored, one of the let-it-all-hang-out crowd helpfully suggests: "Have you tried Marin?"
Wolfe is an old-fashioned leading lady type who is quite fetching as our girl Mary Ann, but she misses the sass that ought to be hiding behind all that sweetness and light. Of course, it's hard not to upstaged by Mary Birdsong's white-hot turn as the pill-popping hippie chick Mona Ramsey, who is up for trying anyone once.
Birdsong captures the trip-adelic power of pharmaceuticals in "Seeds and Stems." She also gives off palpable heat in the breezy "Everything Good Gets Better" duet with Mona's best pal Mouse (Wesley Taylor), a scruffy cutie in search of true love. Taylor, for his part, delivers the goods dancing his, um, end off at the End Up.
For the record, there is some nudity in this show, which is absolutely necessary to tap into the boogie nights vibe. But, despite the assortment of drag queens and fab jeans, there is little that's super outrageous here, which is sort of too bad. Indeed, if the production turned the decadence up a notch in the early scenes, it might make Mary Ann's primness a tad more compelling as she ricochets from the rich boy cad Beauchamp (Andrew Samonsky) to the furtive Norman (Manoel Felciano).
In general, if the show didn't try so hard to pack everything in, the character revelations would have more raw emotional power. But make no mistake, there is so much to savor here -- Beaver Bauer's funky couture and Larry Keigwin's witty choreography -- that the running time flies by. Quibbles lose their bite in light of the fire burning within Wolfe's rendition of "Paper Faces," the chipper raunch of Mother Mucca's "Ride 'Em Hard" mantra (Diane J. Findlay is pricelessly deadpan as Mucca), the hot-pink flamboyance of "Homosexual Convalescent Center" and the nonstop electricity generated by Jason Moore's staging.
If the creators edit the detours (an Anita Bryant aside is snarky but slows things down) and punch up the finale, the musical's many attributes will be even more alluring.
One caveat: It would be hard to improve upon Kaye's high-wattage performance as the priestess of pot, Mrs. Madrigal, who has quite a secret lurking under those Mrs. Roper ensembles. There's such a hunger to Kaye's voice that she makes even the lesser songs (such as "Atlantis") shine, and when the Tony winner gets her hands on a showstopper ("The Next Time You See Me"), watch out.
Let's put it this way: The brownies aren't the only things that are habit-forming.
http://www.mercurynews.com/theater-dance/ci_18183806
kdsouza@mercurynews.com
Posted: 06/01/2011 10:00:00 PM PDT
The gospel according to Mrs. Madrigal, the bohemian goddess cum landlady in "Tales of the City," has very few commandments. Among the most sacrosanct: Pot brownies are the ideal party favor, the b-word can be the highest of compliments and under no circumstances share a joint.
Just because you're a degenerate, dahling, that doesn't mean you shouldn't act like a lady.
Wryly delivered by the inimitable actress Judy Kaye, Madrigal's sage bits of weed-infused wisdom sparkle like diamonds in the delectable new stage version of Armistead Maupin's love letter to the city by the bay. The iconic tale of '70s San Francisco as an anything-goes Shangri-La of disco balls, bathhouses and polyester-clad divas has been reborn as a yummy musical with a tartly buoyant libretto by Jeff Whitty ("Avenue Q") and an instantly addictive retro-chic score by Jake Shears and John Garden of the glam-pop band Scissor Sisters.
While the show has its flaws, musicals are -- in the end -- a lot like people. If they're charming, it's pretty easy to brush off their weaknesses. Certainly some polishing and tightening is called for before the almost three-hour-long show moves on from its world premiere at the American Conservatory Theater. But there's also no question that this age of Aquarius flashback deserves to be seen on a Broadway stage.
In the parlance of the piece, this "Tale" has more than its share of fantabulous moments. From the jockey-shorts dance contest to the roller-disco pickup scene, rubbing elbows with the denizens of 28 Barbary Lane is far out, man.
Whitty, who came up with the idea for the adaptation, clearly has an affinity for Maupin's universe and its kaleidoscopic sense of character and quirkiness. If the production sometimes feels a tad too faithful to the novel, with the episodic nature of the story gumming up the flow of the evening, this is an all-you-can-quip buffet of period gags and Bay Area nods.
Some of the local punch lines are zingers. When Mary Ann Singleton (Betsy Wolfe), the wide-eyed heroine from Ohio, gets weirded out by all the subversiveness in her midst and she longs for the land of the bland and the bored, one of the let-it-all-hang-out crowd helpfully suggests: "Have you tried Marin?"
Wolfe is an old-fashioned leading lady type who is quite fetching as our girl Mary Ann, but she misses the sass that ought to be hiding behind all that sweetness and light. Of course, it's hard not to upstaged by Mary Birdsong's white-hot turn as the pill-popping hippie chick Mona Ramsey, who is up for trying anyone once.
Birdsong captures the trip-adelic power of pharmaceuticals in "Seeds and Stems." She also gives off palpable heat in the breezy "Everything Good Gets Better" duet with Mona's best pal Mouse (Wesley Taylor), a scruffy cutie in search of true love. Taylor, for his part, delivers the goods dancing his, um, end off at the End Up.
For the record, there is some nudity in this show, which is absolutely necessary to tap into the boogie nights vibe. But, despite the assortment of drag queens and fab jeans, there is little that's super outrageous here, which is sort of too bad. Indeed, if the production turned the decadence up a notch in the early scenes, it might make Mary Ann's primness a tad more compelling as she ricochets from the rich boy cad Beauchamp (Andrew Samonsky) to the furtive Norman (Manoel Felciano).
In general, if the show didn't try so hard to pack everything in, the character revelations would have more raw emotional power. But make no mistake, there is so much to savor here -- Beaver Bauer's funky couture and Larry Keigwin's witty choreography -- that the running time flies by. Quibbles lose their bite in light of the fire burning within Wolfe's rendition of "Paper Faces," the chipper raunch of Mother Mucca's "Ride 'Em Hard" mantra (Diane J. Findlay is pricelessly deadpan as Mucca), the hot-pink flamboyance of "Homosexual Convalescent Center" and the nonstop electricity generated by Jason Moore's staging.
If the creators edit the detours (an Anita Bryant aside is snarky but slows things down) and punch up the finale, the musical's many attributes will be even more alluring.
One caveat: It would be hard to improve upon Kaye's high-wattage performance as the priestess of pot, Mrs. Madrigal, who has quite a secret lurking under those Mrs. Roper ensembles. There's such a hunger to Kaye's voice that she makes even the lesser songs (such as "Atlantis") shine, and when the Tony winner gets her hands on a showstopper ("The Next Time You See Me"), watch out.
Let's put it this way: The brownies aren't the only things that are habit-forming.
http://www.mercurynews.com/theater-dance/ci_18183806
Tales of the City
By Dennis Harvey
An American Conservatory Theater presentation of a musical in two acts with libretto by Jeff Whitty and music and lyrics by Jake Shears and John Garden. Directed by Jason Moore. Choreography, Larry Keigwin.
Mona Ramsey - Mary Birdsong
Jon Fielding - Josh Breckenridge
Norman Neal Williams - Manoel Felciano
Mother Mucca - Diane J. Findlay
Anna Madrigal - Judy Kaye
DeDe Halcyon-Day - Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone
Edgar Halcyon - Richard Poe
Connie Bradshaw - Julie Reiber
Brian Hawkins - Patrick Lane
Beauchamp Day - Andrew Samonsky
Michael "Mouse" Tolliver - Wesley Taylor
Mary Ann Singleton - Betsy Wolfe
ACT's track record with musicals has been sparse and uninspired. So it's a particular pleasure to see "Tales of the City" -- an extremely rare venture into a full-blown, potentially Broadway-bound, world-premiere musical -- turn out very nicely indeed. Lesser results would probably still have given the company a home-turf hit given lingering affection for local scribe Armistead Maupin's beloved San Francisco-set books. But as is, prospects for a commercial future are promising, especially if the ingratiating show finds a way to maintain buoyancy through a second act that lays on melodrama and sentimentality a bit thick.
The "Tales of the City" books (the first two tapped here) didn't necessarily seem a natural fit for this form. Originally serialized in local newspapers, they put a witty contemporary spin on cliffhanger soap operatics with a combination of light satirical wit and constant narrative twists that might well have defied musicalization.
But Jeff Whitty's book and the score by clever alt-rock act Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears and John Garden mostly translate the books' playful yet heartfelt flavor with aplomb.
It's the Bicentennial in 1976, and after five days' vacation in S.F., corn-fed Midwesterner Mary Ann Singleton (Betsy Wolfe) calls her parents in Ohio to say she's not coming back. Her wide-eyed enchantment with the City by the Bay at its height of Me Decade hedonism -- though the latter takes some getting used to -- is abetted when she's taken into the home of landlady Anna Madrigal (Judy Kaye), a pot-growing Earth Mother who clucks over her tenants like a hen over chicks.
Mona gets Mary Ann a job at her firm as secretary to cantankerous CEO Edgar Halcyon (Richard Poe), whose family is "like the Kennedys of S.F., except without all that basic common decency stuff."
She's promptly hit on by the boss's son-in-law Beauchamp (Andrew Samonsky), a seduction chronicled in the sharp "Bolero." But that proves only her first disillusionment.
Ninety-minute first act takes a little while to find its feet on Douglas W. Schmidt's set of snaking S.F.-walkup back staircases.
But Whitty's sharp book and the pleasantly diverse if infrequently memorable songs (referencing '70s disco, Top 40 soft rock and "Hair"-like Broadway "rock" as well as mainstream show-tunery) admirably thread a crowded narrative agenda in terms both spoken and sung. Helmer Jason Moore keeps things brisk, fluid and frequently funny, if not particularly stylish (apart from Beaver Bauer's flashback costumes). Larry Keigwin's choreography, not always distinctive enough, excels in celebration of upmarket gay snobbery "Homosexual Convalescent Center."
After intermission, however, progress bogs down a tad as a pileup of less humorous crises (mostly from Maupin's first sequel tome, "More Tales of the City") trigger several more conventional, heavy-handed scenes and songs. It all ends in multiple reunions and hugs, reminding us that a chorus of hugs is never a good way to end a musical.
Nonetheless, "Tales of the City" is always diverting and never worse than merely imperfect. In its casting, ACT reached well beyond its usual bounds toward experienced Broadway (or at least Broadway-aspirant) personnel, with winning results. Wolfe's Mary Ann, especially, is a naif with a heart, a brain and a big voice. A seven-piece pit band sounds larger than life, and amplification for the singers was terrific on press night.
Set, Douglas W. Schmidt; costumes, Beaver Bauer; lighting, Robert Wierzel; sound, John Shivers; orchestrations, Bruce Coughlin; music supervisor, Carmel Dean; arrangements, Stephen Oremus, Dean; music director-conductor, Cian McCarthy; dramaturg, Michael Paller; casting, David Capartelliotis; assistant director, Travis Greisler. Opened, reviewed May 31, 2011. Running time: 2 HOURS, 55 MIN.
With: Keith A. Bearden, Jessica Coker, Kristoffer Cusick, Kimberly Jensen, Alex Hsu, Stuart Marland, Jeff McLean, Pamela Myers, Josh Walden.
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117945368
An American Conservatory Theater presentation of a musical in two acts with libretto by Jeff Whitty and music and lyrics by Jake Shears and John Garden. Directed by Jason Moore. Choreography, Larry Keigwin.
Mona Ramsey - Mary Birdsong
Jon Fielding - Josh Breckenridge
Norman Neal Williams - Manoel Felciano
Mother Mucca - Diane J. Findlay
Anna Madrigal - Judy Kaye
DeDe Halcyon-Day - Kathleen Elizabeth Monteleone
Edgar Halcyon - Richard Poe
Connie Bradshaw - Julie Reiber
Brian Hawkins - Patrick Lane
Beauchamp Day - Andrew Samonsky
Michael "Mouse" Tolliver - Wesley Taylor
Mary Ann Singleton - Betsy Wolfe
ACT's track record with musicals has been sparse and uninspired. So it's a particular pleasure to see "Tales of the City" -- an extremely rare venture into a full-blown, potentially Broadway-bound, world-premiere musical -- turn out very nicely indeed. Lesser results would probably still have given the company a home-turf hit given lingering affection for local scribe Armistead Maupin's beloved San Francisco-set books. But as is, prospects for a commercial future are promising, especially if the ingratiating show finds a way to maintain buoyancy through a second act that lays on melodrama and sentimentality a bit thick.
The "Tales of the City" books (the first two tapped here) didn't necessarily seem a natural fit for this form. Originally serialized in local newspapers, they put a witty contemporary spin on cliffhanger soap operatics with a combination of light satirical wit and constant narrative twists that might well have defied musicalization.
But Jeff Whitty's book and the score by clever alt-rock act Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears and John Garden mostly translate the books' playful yet heartfelt flavor with aplomb.
It's the Bicentennial in 1976, and after five days' vacation in S.F., corn-fed Midwesterner Mary Ann Singleton (Betsy Wolfe) calls her parents in Ohio to say she's not coming back. Her wide-eyed enchantment with the City by the Bay at its height of Me Decade hedonism -- though the latter takes some getting used to -- is abetted when she's taken into the home of landlady Anna Madrigal (Judy Kaye), a pot-growing Earth Mother who clucks over her tenants like a hen over chicks.
Mona gets Mary Ann a job at her firm as secretary to cantankerous CEO Edgar Halcyon (Richard Poe), whose family is "like the Kennedys of S.F., except without all that basic common decency stuff."
She's promptly hit on by the boss's son-in-law Beauchamp (Andrew Samonsky), a seduction chronicled in the sharp "Bolero." But that proves only her first disillusionment.
Ninety-minute first act takes a little while to find its feet on Douglas W. Schmidt's set of snaking S.F.-walkup back staircases.
But Whitty's sharp book and the pleasantly diverse if infrequently memorable songs (referencing '70s disco, Top 40 soft rock and "Hair"-like Broadway "rock" as well as mainstream show-tunery) admirably thread a crowded narrative agenda in terms both spoken and sung. Helmer Jason Moore keeps things brisk, fluid and frequently funny, if not particularly stylish (apart from Beaver Bauer's flashback costumes). Larry Keigwin's choreography, not always distinctive enough, excels in celebration of upmarket gay snobbery "Homosexual Convalescent Center."
After intermission, however, progress bogs down a tad as a pileup of less humorous crises (mostly from Maupin's first sequel tome, "More Tales of the City") trigger several more conventional, heavy-handed scenes and songs. It all ends in multiple reunions and hugs, reminding us that a chorus of hugs is never a good way to end a musical.
Nonetheless, "Tales of the City" is always diverting and never worse than merely imperfect. In its casting, ACT reached well beyond its usual bounds toward experienced Broadway (or at least Broadway-aspirant) personnel, with winning results. Wolfe's Mary Ann, especially, is a naif with a heart, a brain and a big voice. A seven-piece pit band sounds larger than life, and amplification for the singers was terrific on press night.
Set, Douglas W. Schmidt; costumes, Beaver Bauer; lighting, Robert Wierzel; sound, John Shivers; orchestrations, Bruce Coughlin; music supervisor, Carmel Dean; arrangements, Stephen Oremus, Dean; music director-conductor, Cian McCarthy; dramaturg, Michael Paller; casting, David Capartelliotis; assistant director, Travis Greisler. Opened, reviewed May 31, 2011. Running time: 2 HOURS, 55 MIN.
With: Keith A. Bearden, Jessica Coker, Kristoffer Cusick, Kimberly Jensen, Alex Hsu, Stuart Marland, Jeff McLean, Pamela Myers, Josh Walden.
http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117945368
June 1, 2011
"Tales of the City" Opens at ACT; Interviews With Armistead Maupin, Jeff Whitty, Carey Perloff
June 1, 2011, 12:03 pm • Posted by Jon Brooks
Mary Ann Singleton, Anna Madrigal, and the rest of the inhabitants of 28 Barbary Lane leap off the page and onto the stage tonight when Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City opens at ACT as a big-budget musical. (Check out a .pdf of the program here.)
The series of books by Maupin, the first few of which were serialized in the San Francisco Chronicle, follows the goings-on of a motley group of San Franciscans in the mid-1970s. The stories hooked many more fans with a 1993 television adaptation.
KQED's Cy Musiker interviewed librettist Jeff Whitty, composer Jake Shears, and Armistead Maupin about the book series and the theatrical production. Listen to that below:
Cy Musiker interviews Jake Shears, Armistead Maupin, Jeff Whitty
http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2011/06/01/tales-of-the-city-opens-at-act-interviews-with-armistead-maupin-jeff-whitty-carey-perloff/
Mary Ann Singleton, Anna Madrigal, and the rest of the inhabitants of 28 Barbary Lane leap off the page and onto the stage tonight when Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City opens at ACT as a big-budget musical. (Check out a .pdf of the program here.)
The series of books by Maupin, the first few of which were serialized in the San Francisco Chronicle, follows the goings-on of a motley group of San Franciscans in the mid-1970s. The stories hooked many more fans with a 1993 television adaptation.
KQED's Cy Musiker interviewed librettist Jeff Whitty, composer Jake Shears, and Armistead Maupin about the book series and the theatrical production. Listen to that below:
Cy Musiker interviews Jake Shears, Armistead Maupin, Jeff Whitty
http://blogs.kqed.org/newsfix/2011/06/01/tales-of-the-city-opens-at-act-interviews-with-armistead-maupin-jeff-whitty-carey-perloff/
WATCH: Armistead Maupin and Jake Shears Queen Out Over Tales of the City Musical
Oscar Raymundo
Jun 1, 2011
Armistead Maupin and Jake Shears sat down with Queerty to talk about why gays love musical theatre, which song from the new Tales of the City musical made Armistead tear up, and what it takes to make Jake's heart race.
Plus, we got our hands on exclusive footage from the musical, premiering tonight and running until July 10 in San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre.
http://www.queerty.com/watch-armistead-maupin-and-jake-shears-queen-out-over-tales-of-the-city-musical-20110601/?utm_source=wordtwit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wordtwit
Jun 1, 2011
Armistead Maupin and Jake Shears sat down with Queerty to talk about why gays love musical theatre, which song from the new Tales of the City musical made Armistead tear up, and what it takes to make Jake's heart race.
Plus, we got our hands on exclusive footage from the musical, premiering tonight and running until July 10 in San Francisco's American Conservatory Theatre.
http://www.queerty.com/watch-armistead-maupin-and-jake-shears-queen-out-over-tales-of-the-city-musical-20110601/?utm_source=wordtwit&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=wordtwit
"Tales of the City" ebook
"Tales of the City" is scheduled to be released in ebook format on June 7, 2011. You can pre-order on apple iBook , Amazon Kindle, or the Nook.
Get your copy now!
Get your copy now!
Enjoy a Lavish "Tales of the City" Experience at The Fairmont San Francisco
Publish Date: 26/05/2011The Fairmont San Francisco is proud to serve as the official hotel sponsor of the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T) world premiere musical production of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City, offering unprecedented opportunities for fans to create memorable tales of their own through special package options and exclusive access to show tickets.
Three decades ago, Armistead Maupin first captivated millions of readers with Tales of the City, his iconic San Francisco saga that began with a wide-eyed Midwestern girl moving to a new city and forming a new kind of family with the characters at 28 Barbary Lane. Beginning May 18, Tales of the City will come to life in the form of a musical adaptation from the Tony Award–winning creators of Avenue Q and the musical minds behind the glam-rock phenomenon Scissor Sisters.
The Fairmont San Francisco has partnered with A.C.T. to offer two exciting package choices for guests attending Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City.
TALES OF THE CITY PACKAGE
Guests can enjoy an unforgettable stay at The Fairmont San Francisco and watch as the lives of Mary Ann, Mouse, Mona, Brian, and their mysterious landlady Mrs. Madrigal unfold onstage amid disco music and 1970s flair in Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City.
Starting at $299 (price does not include tickets) and available May 18, 2011 through the run of the production and subject to availability:
• One night's luxurious accommodations at The Fairmont San Francisco
• Breakfast for two in the Laurel Court Restaurant & Bar
• Overnight valet parking for one vehicle
28 BARBARY LANE TALES OF THE CITY
SUITE PACKAGE
The 28 Barbary Lane Tales of the City Suite Package is a dream-come-true for fans of the beloved Armistead Maupin series looking to reminisce about the San Francisco of another era, while enjoying the best of the city's current offerings at its most renowned hotel.
The 28 Barbary Lane Tales of the City Suite, a 10th floor, corner Tower suite with stunning panoramic views of the bay and city has been specially customized to capture an authentic Tales of the City ambience, with décor that includes A.C.T. production memorabilia plus an in-room 1970s music soundtrack and complimentary take-home copies of Tales of the City and official behind-the-scenes of the production booklet.
Book this unforgettable, one-of-a-kind package and create your own special tale in this marvelous city!
This package is available at $869 (price does not include tickets) from June 1, 2011 through the run of the production and subject to availability:
• One night's lavish accommodations in the 28 Barbary Lane Tales of the City Suite
• A Chef's special amenity
• Breakfast for two in the Laurel Court Restaurant
• Overnight valet parking for one vehicle
To book the Tales of the City Package or the 28 Barbary Lane Tales of the City Suite Package and to purchase tickets that have been reserved exclusively for guests of The Fairmont San Francisco, please visit: http://www.fairmont.com/sanfrancisco/HotelPackages/
Located atop exclusive Nob Hill, The Fairmont San Francisco offers 591 newly renovated guest rooms and suites, two distinctive restaurants and a new European-style café, a health club and easy access to the city's most popular attractions. For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com.
FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS
A leader in the global hospitality industry, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is a celebrated collection of 59 distinctive hotels, which includes iconic landmarks like The Fairmont San Francisco, Fairmont The Norfolk, Nairobi and Canada's Fairmont Banff Springs. Fairmont hotels are one-of-a-kind properties where sophisticated travelers can discover culturally rich experiences that are authentic to the destination. Situated in some of the most exclusive and pristine areas in the world, Fairmont is committed to responsible tourism and is an industry leader in sustainable hotel management with its award-winning Green Partnership program.
Fairmont is owned by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, a leading global hotel company with 94 hotels worldwide under the Raffles, Fairmont and Swissôtel brands. The company also manages Fairmont and Raffles branded Residences, Estates and luxury private residence club properties. For more information or reservations, please call 1-800-441-1414 or visit www.fairmont.com.
http://www.fairmont.com/sanfrancisco/Articles/ReferenceMaterial/TalesoftheCity.htm?DisplayType=print
Tales of the . . . Cast! Meet Diane J. Findlay
Meet Diane J. Findlay, who plays Mother Mucca. Click here to read her official bio.NAME Diane J. Findlay.
CHARACTER Mother Mucca.
HOMETOWN Suffern, New York. It's about 25 miles north of New York City, up the Hudson River.
FIRST THEATER EXPERIENCE Hello, Dolly! on Broadway.
FAVORITE THEATER EXPERIENCE That's a hard one. There's been soooooo many. You see, I love what I do and each project brings along something exciting and interesting and new; something to take home with me and remember, hopefully with laughter.
FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH TALES My first audition for Tales of the City was a wonder. At first I thought perhaps I shouldn't go to the audition because I felt our director Jason Moore would never buy me as Mother Mucca, and I knew I'd be disappointed, but my agent talked me into it. So I decided to go for broke and have myself a ball, which I did, and look what happened! The entire creative team was wonderful and they made me feel as if couldn't fail. I felt safe, and that's rare at an audition. My second audition was even better, because by then I really knew "Ride 'em Hard," the dirtiest song in show business, and I couldn't wait to dazzle them with my take on the song. And apparently I did. Lucky me!
HOW ARE YOU LIKE MOTHER MUCCA? Well, Mother Mucca runs a whorehouse, sooo how much am I like my character??? I'm afraid to think. However, and this is true, my apartment in New York, on the Upper West Side, was once a whorehouse for the 79th Street Boat Basin. Isn't that funny!
FAVORITE MUSICAL A Little Night Music, Mame, The Spitfire Grill, Dear World. I could go on and on and on.
FAVORITE SONG TO SING "If He Walked into My Life."
EDUCATION High school and then right into the business. I couldn't wait to step foot on a stage. I'm HOPELESS but HAPPY.
PERFORMANCE RITUAL I start to settle down around 4:00 in the afternoon. Have a bite to eat around 5:00, take a little snooze, exercise, vocalize, and get to the theater an hour before curtain. This has been my routine from day one, and it has always worked for me.
FAVORITE '70s WARDROBE ITEM Who can remember?!!! I pass on that one.
http://blog.act-sf.org/2011/05/tales-of-cast-meet-diane-j-findlay.html
Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney Chair Gala For TALES OF THE CITY 6/1
Photo Credit: Walter McBride/WM PhotosWednesday, June 1, 2011; Posted: 12:06 AM - by BWW News DeskAmerican Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.)'s Opening Night Gala celebrating the world premiere of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City will take place today, June 1, 2011.
The black-tie event begins with a cocktail reception and gala dinner in a tented Union Square, followed by the performance at the theater and a dance party with the cast and special guests at Ruby Skye nightclub after the show.
The gala is the culmination of A.C.T.'s two-year effort to bring Armistead Maupin's famous San Francisco stories to the stage as a new musical. The Opening Night Gala is chaired by A.C.T. Trustee Marilee K. Gardner and Barbary Lane Committee Chairs JaMel Perkins and Roselyne C. Swig.
Honorary chairs include Olympia Dukakis and Laura Linney, who both starred in the television miniseries adaptation of Tales of the City on PBS, and author Armistead Maupin. For more information and to purchase tables or tickets, please visit act-sf.org/gala or call A.C.T. Manager of Special Events Luz Perez at 415.439.2470.
"A.C.T. has brought us amazing stories for more than 40 years, and I can think of no better place to stage this musical production of Tales of the City," says celebrated author Armistead Maupin. Longtime A.C.T. supporter Marilee K. Gardner adds: "Tales of the City is the quintessential San Francisco story, and we want to celebrate this production with a classic San Francisco party. Attendees will experience this once-in-a-lifetime event beginning with dining in a tented Union Square, then attending the amazing production, and finally celebrating our success into the night. All proceeds go to support American Conservatory Theater-the quintessential San Francisco theater company."
In addition to those who purchase tables and tickets to the gala, members of The Tales of the City Circle, an exclusive group of theater lovers who have already contributed more than $1 million to bring this momentous new musical home to San Francisco, will be A.C.T.'s special guests at the gala celebration. Chaired by Ambassador James C. Hormel, A.C.T. Board Chair Nancy Livingston, and trustee Lorenzo Thione, the Tales Circle has provided vital support for the development of the production and the world premiere of the musical based on Armistead Maupin's celebrated books. A.C.T. Artistic Director Carey Perloff speaks to the resources needed to bring an ambitious project like Tales of the City to life: "This new musical is going to be an extraordinary valentine to our entire community, and it will take the support of the entire community to make it happen. A.C.T. is a nonprofit organization, and we are shouldering a considerable financial risk by taking on this enormous and truly thrilling new production. But we believe that Tales will be a major addition to the American musical theater canon, as well as the theatrical event of the season in the Bay Area. Supporters will get a wonderful inside look at the unique and complex process of bringing a new musical to life, as well as the opportunity to celebrate our city by giving Armistead Maupin's moving and hilarious stories new life for new generations. We hope you will all join us on this adventure!"
With their tax-deductible contributions, Tales Circle members will get a chance to revel in the spark of the creative process, going behind the scenes to witness the creation of an epic theatrical event. Exclusive benefits include invitations to attend rehearsals-all leading up to a thrilling walk down the red carpet as A.C.T.'s honored guest at the opening night gala celebration. Those who give $1,200 or more will be recognized in the performance program and enjoy numerous other benefits, including a ticket to the opening night gala. The Tales Circle gives A.C.T. supporters a unique chance to get inside access to the creative process of a production truly conceived in celebration of San Francisco, where, as Maupin reminds us, "everyone-gay, straight, and traveling-has learned to recognize . . . the infinite possibilities of humanity." For more information and to join The Tales of the City Circle, visit act-sf.org/TalesCircle
The world premiere musical production of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City features a book by Tony Award-winning writer Jeff Whitty (Avenue Q) and music and lyrics by Jake Shears and John Garden of the glam-rock band Scissor Sisters; is directed by Tony Award winner Jason Moore (Avenue Q and Shrek: The Musical); and is choreographed by Larry Keigwin. The world premiere production takes over the American Conservatory Theater May 19-July 3, 2011. The press and subscriber opening for Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City will take place Tuesday, May 31, 2011, at 8 p.m.
A.C.T.'s production of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City is sponsored by American Airlines, The Fairmont San Francisco, Foggy Bridge, the Koret Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation. Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City is also made possible by commissioning sponsors Priscilla and Keith Geeslin, Ambassador James C. Hormel and Mr. Michael P. Nguyen, Nancy Livingston and Fred Levin, The Shenson Foundation, Kathleen Scutchfield, and Jeff and Laurie Ubben; production sponsors Ray and Dagmar Dolby, Burt and Deedee McMurtry, and Susan A. Van Wagner; music sponsors Lesley Clement, Lorenzo Thione and David Palmer, Jack and Susy Wadsworth, and Carlie Wilmans; choreography sponsors Stephen Belford and Bobby Minkler, Marilee K. Gardner, Jo S. Hurley, Byron R. Meyer, Mr. Milton J. Mosk and Mr. Thomas E. Foutch, David and Carla Riemer, Laila Tarraf, Larry and Robyn Varellas, and Nola Yee; and casting sponsors Lucia Brandon, Carlotta and Robert Dathe, Jerome L. and Thao N. Dodson, Drs. Caroline Emmett and Russell Rydel, Mr. and Mrs. Kirke Hasson, Toby and Sally Rosenblatt, Frank Stein and Paul May, Bert Steinberg, Jack Weeden and David Davies, and Beverly and Loring Wyllie. A.C.T. would also like to acknowledge its 2010-11 season company sponsors: Ray and Dagmar Dolby, Priscilla and Keith Geeslin, Ambassador James C. Hormel and Mr. Michael P. Nguyen, Nancy Livingston and Fred Levin, The Shenson Foundation, Burt and Deedee McMurtry, Patti and Rusty Rueff, Kathleen Scutchfield, Mary and Steven Swig, Jeff and Laurie Ubben, and Susan A. Van Wagner. Development of Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City was supported by the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center during a residency at the National Music Theater Conference of 2009.
http://sanfrancisco.broadwayworld.com/article/Olympia-Dukakis-and-Laura-Linney-Chair-Gala-For-TALES-OF-THE-CITY-61-20110531
May 31, 2011
Tales of the City "Bites Into That Lotus" As New Musical Opens in San Francisco May 31
By Adam Hetrick
31 May 2011
Judy Kaye
Photo by Kevin BerneA Midwestern transplant named Maryann Singleton answers an ad to rent a secluded one-bedroom apartment on Russian Hill and is handed the keys to a new life at the mythical address of 28 Barbary Lane. So begins Armistead Maupin's San Francisco-set work Tales of the City, which takes on a new life of its own as a world-premiere musical opening May 31 at the American Conservatory Theatre.
Tony Award-winning Avenue Q book writer Jeff Whitty adapted the stage production, based on the first two novels in Maupin's series, which trace the intertwining lives of colorful San Francisco residents in the 1970's. Jake Shears and John "JJ" Garden, of the glam-pop band the Scissor Sisters, authored the score for Tales of the City.
Tony Award nominee Jason Moore (Shrek, Avenue Q, Steel Magnolias) directs the production that began previews May 18 and will play an extended run through July 10. Choreography is by Larry Keigwin.
Playbill.com spoke with Shears and Garden on their process for writing Tales of the City. "I think both of us made a conscious decision not to limit ourselves to a kind of '70s pastiche," Shears said. "My view on the books is that they are very timeless and that's why we're making this show now. It's also why people still read them and they're still in print. It's just a timeless story. I wanted the music to feel timeless as well. Our songwriting already leans into that sort of '70s song craft as it is. So, I thought it was really necessary not to overthink that aspect, and to just set out to write songs naturally and that's what we've done."
Tony Award winner Judy Kaye (The Phantom of the Opera, On the Twentieth Century, Souvenir) leads the cast as enigmatic pot-smoking landlady Anna Madrigal, with Betsy Wolfe (Everyday Rapture, 110 in the Shade) as Ohio native Mary Ann Singleton, Mary Birdsong (Martin Short Fame Becomes Me, "Reno 911") as the free-spirited Mona Ramsay and Wesley Taylor (Rock of Ages, The Addams Family) as Michael "Mouse" Tolliver.
Both Wolf and Birdsong have been part of Tales of the City since its early development during the 2009 Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Musical Theater Conference.
Josh Breckenridge and Wesley Taylor
photo by Kevin BerneTales of the City also features Tony Award nominee Manoel Felciano (Sweeney Todd) as Norman Neal Williams, Matthew Saldivar (Grease) as Brian Hawkins, Richard Poe (Cry-Baby) as Edgar Halcyon, Kathleen Monteleone (Legally Blonde) as Dede Halcyon-Day, Andrew Samonsky (South Pacific) as Beauchamp Day, Josh Breckenridge (Scottsboro Boys) as Jon Fielding, Diane J. Findlay as Mother Mucca and Alex Hsu as Lionel.
The ensemble includes Keith Bearden, Kris Cusick, Kimberly Jensen, Stuart Marland, Pamela Myers, Julie Reiber and Josh Walden.
Check out Playbill.com's photo gallery of the colorful denizens of 28 Barbary Lane.
The production has scenic design by Douglas W. Schmidt, costume design by Beaver Bauer, lighting design by Robert Wierzel, sound design by John Shivers, orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin and arrangements by Steven Oremus. Carmel Dean serves as music supervisor, with Cian McCarthy as music director and conductor.
Here's how ACT bills the work: "On the bustling streets of 1970s San Francisco, neon lights pierce through the fog-drenched skies, disco music explodes from crowded nightclubs, and a wide-eyed Midwestern girl finds a new home — and creates a new kind of family — with the characters at 28 Barbary Lane. Three decades after Armistead Maupin mesmerized millions with his daily column in the city's newspapers, detailing the lives and (multiple) loves of Mary Ann, Mouse, Mona, Brian, and their beloved but mysterious landlady Mrs. Madrigal, his iconic San Francisco saga comes home as a momentous new musical."
"Tales of the City" has also been adapted into several television miniseries featuring performances by Olympia Dukakis, Laura Linney, Chloe Webb, Parker Posey, Marcus D'Amico, Donald Moffat, Thomas Gibson, Barbara Garrick, Nina Foch, Paul Gross, Stanley DeSantis and Philip Moon.
The cast of Tales of the City.
photo by Alessandra Mello
For tickets call (415) 749-2228 or visit ACT-SF.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151275-Tales-of-the-City-Bites-Into-That-Lotus-As-New-Musical-Opens-in-San-Francisco-May-31?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4de4fb7cc6cb9ac1%2C0
31 May 2011
Judy KayePhoto by Kevin BerneA Midwestern transplant named Maryann Singleton answers an ad to rent a secluded one-bedroom apartment on Russian Hill and is handed the keys to a new life at the mythical address of 28 Barbary Lane. So begins Armistead Maupin's San Francisco-set work Tales of the City, which takes on a new life of its own as a world-premiere musical opening May 31 at the American Conservatory Theatre.
Tony Award-winning Avenue Q book writer Jeff Whitty adapted the stage production, based on the first two novels in Maupin's series, which trace the intertwining lives of colorful San Francisco residents in the 1970's. Jake Shears and John "JJ" Garden, of the glam-pop band the Scissor Sisters, authored the score for Tales of the City.
Tony Award nominee Jason Moore (Shrek, Avenue Q, Steel Magnolias) directs the production that began previews May 18 and will play an extended run through July 10. Choreography is by Larry Keigwin.
Playbill.com spoke with Shears and Garden on their process for writing Tales of the City. "I think both of us made a conscious decision not to limit ourselves to a kind of '70s pastiche," Shears said. "My view on the books is that they are very timeless and that's why we're making this show now. It's also why people still read them and they're still in print. It's just a timeless story. I wanted the music to feel timeless as well. Our songwriting already leans into that sort of '70s song craft as it is. So, I thought it was really necessary not to overthink that aspect, and to just set out to write songs naturally and that's what we've done."
Tony Award winner Judy Kaye (The Phantom of the Opera, On the Twentieth Century, Souvenir) leads the cast as enigmatic pot-smoking landlady Anna Madrigal, with Betsy Wolfe (Everyday Rapture, 110 in the Shade) as Ohio native Mary Ann Singleton, Mary Birdsong (Martin Short Fame Becomes Me, "Reno 911") as the free-spirited Mona Ramsay and Wesley Taylor (Rock of Ages, The Addams Family) as Michael "Mouse" Tolliver.
Both Wolf and Birdsong have been part of Tales of the City since its early development during the 2009 Eugene O'Neill Theater Center Musical Theater Conference.
Josh Breckenridge and Wesley Taylorphoto by Kevin BerneTales of the City also features Tony Award nominee Manoel Felciano (Sweeney Todd) as Norman Neal Williams, Matthew Saldivar (Grease) as Brian Hawkins, Richard Poe (Cry-Baby) as Edgar Halcyon, Kathleen Monteleone (Legally Blonde) as Dede Halcyon-Day, Andrew Samonsky (South Pacific) as Beauchamp Day, Josh Breckenridge (Scottsboro Boys) as Jon Fielding, Diane J. Findlay as Mother Mucca and Alex Hsu as Lionel.
The ensemble includes Keith Bearden, Kris Cusick, Kimberly Jensen, Stuart Marland, Pamela Myers, Julie Reiber and Josh Walden.
Check out Playbill.com's photo gallery of the colorful denizens of 28 Barbary Lane.
The production has scenic design by Douglas W. Schmidt, costume design by Beaver Bauer, lighting design by Robert Wierzel, sound design by John Shivers, orchestrations by Bruce Coughlin and arrangements by Steven Oremus. Carmel Dean serves as music supervisor, with Cian McCarthy as music director and conductor.
Here's how ACT bills the work: "On the bustling streets of 1970s San Francisco, neon lights pierce through the fog-drenched skies, disco music explodes from crowded nightclubs, and a wide-eyed Midwestern girl finds a new home — and creates a new kind of family — with the characters at 28 Barbary Lane. Three decades after Armistead Maupin mesmerized millions with his daily column in the city's newspapers, detailing the lives and (multiple) loves of Mary Ann, Mouse, Mona, Brian, and their beloved but mysterious landlady Mrs. Madrigal, his iconic San Francisco saga comes home as a momentous new musical."
"Tales of the City" has also been adapted into several television miniseries featuring performances by Olympia Dukakis, Laura Linney, Chloe Webb, Parker Posey, Marcus D'Amico, Donald Moffat, Thomas Gibson, Barbara Garrick, Nina Foch, Paul Gross, Stanley DeSantis and Philip Moon.
The cast of Tales of the City.photo by Alessandra Mello
For tickets call (415) 749-2228 or visit ACT-SF.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/151275-Tales-of-the-City-Bites-Into-That-Lotus-As-New-Musical-Opens-in-San-Francisco-May-31?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4de4fb7cc6cb9ac1%2C0
May 29, 2011
Tales of the . . . Cast! Meet Andrew Samonsky
Meet Andrew Samonsky, who plays Beauchamp Day. Click here to read his official bio.
NAME Andrew Samonsky.
CHARACTER Beauchamp Day.
HOMETOWN Ventura, California.
FIRST THEATER EXPERIENCE My earliest theater memories are when my parents would take me to see musicals at PCPA Theaterfest's outdoor theater in Solvang, California. Great memories.
FAVORITE THEATER EXPERIENCE In Verona, Italy, I got to see Rigoletto in an ancient 35,000-seat coliseum. I can only compare it to a Yankees game. It was the grandest production I've ever witnessed, and the voices were unbelievable. Those Italians love their opera.
FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH TALES Honestly, the first time I heard of Tales of the City was when I got an audition for this production. Now, I constantly see Armistead Maupin's books everywhere!
HOW ARE YOU LIKE BEAUCHAMP? We've both lived in San Francisco. That's all I'll admit to with Beauchamp Day.
FAVORITE MUSICAL Sweeney Todd
FAVORITE SONG TO SING In the car? Anything on the Stranger album by Billy Joel.
EDUCATION B.A. in music from Cal State Northridge. M.F.A. in acting from UC Irvine.
PERFORMANCE RITUAL Pre-: a cup of coffee before the show (lots of cream and sugar). Post-: a big bowl of cereal when I get home (currently Frosted Mini-Wheats).
FAVORITE '70s WARDROBE ITEM Do wide collars count?
http://blog.act-sf.org/2011/05/tales-of-cast-meet-andrew-samonsky.html
NAME Andrew Samonsky.
CHARACTER Beauchamp Day.
HOMETOWN Ventura, California.
FIRST THEATER EXPERIENCE My earliest theater memories are when my parents would take me to see musicals at PCPA Theaterfest's outdoor theater in Solvang, California. Great memories.
FAVORITE THEATER EXPERIENCE In Verona, Italy, I got to see Rigoletto in an ancient 35,000-seat coliseum. I can only compare it to a Yankees game. It was the grandest production I've ever witnessed, and the voices were unbelievable. Those Italians love their opera.
FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH TALES Honestly, the first time I heard of Tales of the City was when I got an audition for this production. Now, I constantly see Armistead Maupin's books everywhere!
HOW ARE YOU LIKE BEAUCHAMP? We've both lived in San Francisco. That's all I'll admit to with Beauchamp Day.
FAVORITE MUSICAL Sweeney Todd
FAVORITE SONG TO SING In the car? Anything on the Stranger album by Billy Joel.
EDUCATION B.A. in music from Cal State Northridge. M.F.A. in acting from UC Irvine.
PERFORMANCE RITUAL Pre-: a cup of coffee before the show (lots of cream and sugar). Post-: a big bowl of cereal when I get home (currently Frosted Mini-Wheats).
FAVORITE '70s WARDROBE ITEM Do wide collars count?
http://blog.act-sf.org/2011/05/tales-of-cast-meet-andrew-samonsky.html
Armistead Maupin's Blog
- Armistead Maupin's profile
- 1953 followers
Armistead Maupin isn't a Goodreads Author
(yet),
but they
do have a blog,
so here are some recent posts imported from
their feed.
