Jaclyn Backhaus Ridicules Male Heroes—Bring on the Gals! by Lynne Stevens Sarah Bernhardt did it playing Hamlet. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemon did it to infiltrate an all-woman band in Some Like It Hot. Shakespeare’s pals played the roles of women in his plays. It’s called Cross-dressing. It’s also called acting. Playwright Jaclyn Backhaus…
Beth Wilmurt Revives Prophetic Musical Genius by Robert M. Gardner Song stylist and virtuoso keyboard artist Beth Wilmurt inhabits the skin of 60s folk icon Malvina Reynolds. She treats Reynolds with a sense of awe, but also exposes Reynolds’ conflicts. As Reynolds, Wilmurt appears alone in a recording booth struggling with rhythm and tempo. …
Kwei-Armah & Taub Amplify Shakespeare’s Comedy by Patricia L. Morin & Barry David Horwitz In a peaches and cream adaptation of “Twelfth Night,” Shaina Taub’s impressive New Orleans’ Jazz and R&B score spotlights feelings of love and self-realization. Taub’s music makes the heartbeat of the play, speeding story and emotions forward. The music modernizes…
Matthew Ozawa Modernizes Beethoven’s Ode to Justice by Jennifer Ann Charron Beethoven, with help from friends like Matthew Ozawa and the cast, orchestra, and crew of SF Opera gave me two-plus hours of unadulterated joy. Ozawa’s new “Fidelio” updates Beethoven’s opera about triumph over tyranny—delivering a contemporary win over political injustice. Ozawa’s modern detention…