I love gift-giving. I’ve made up holidays just as an excuse to buy and give people things. I better not ever win the lottery,  or you are all getting the most random, unneccessary gifts you never needed, seriously. This has always been one of the love hate problems I’ve had with the Silicon Valley. Being in the middle of gadetland, it’s easy to get your hands on the hottest technology and geek chic gadgets before you ever knew you couldn’t live your life properly without it! Great for fun, not so much always for the wallet. And, sometimes the temptation to jump the gun and be first overpowers the logical, wait 2 weeks and someone will have a better version with more bells and whistles for half the price. It certainly would be handy to have my own personal tech guru’s tell me what’s in and out and what I should get all my tech savvy compadres for the impending holiday season! OH WAIT! I CAN! Becuase the Commonwealth Club is totally looking out for me.  You can get all the latest nerd news to appease your inner wonk by attending the Tech Toys for the Holiday Panel and discussion.  I’m making my list and checking it twice! Happy Geeking!

FROM THE AWESOME INVENTIONS..

TO THE TECH FUN THAT AWAITS THE DJ IN YOU!

I have just 2 words for you this week. ROB. ZOMBIE. It’s Hallowee for goodness sake. The man’s name is ZOMBIE! Okay, that was more than 2 words. But please, if you are EVER going to see Mr. Zombie, jus after Halloween is almost as as good as seeing him ON Halloween. The man can rock. He, being a film maker too, is all about putting on a good show. So treat yourself to a great experience at the San Jose Civic, intimate yet able to handle the Metal!

A tragedy without tears
West Bay Opera’s ‘La boheme’ is exceptional but fails to deliver ‘a good cry’
by Kevin Kirby – Palo Alto Weekly

On opening nights at West Bay Opera, it is customary for José Luis Moscovich, the company’s general director, to address the house prior to the overture. A dapper man with a dry sense of humor and a soft yet crisp speaking voice, Moscovich has a nice touch with a curtain speech, making the audience feel like integral collaborators in the preservation of a precious cultural heritage.

Last Friday, at the opening of Puccini’s “La bohème,” the first show in WBO’s 54th season, Moscovich riffed on the recent health care debate, wryly suggesting that the government should support opera as a form of therapy and suggesting that this show was just what the doctor ordered for those in need of “a good cry.”

Certainly Puccini’s tale of young love cut down in its prime is designed to be a tear-jerker. When the chronically ill seamstress, Mimi, appears in the rundown garret that the poet Rodolfo shares with three other starving artists, asking him to relight her candle because she has no matches in her own quarters, no one with any knowledge of operatic tropes could expect their sudden romance to have a happy ending. By the opera’s final scene, when a severely weakened Mimi is carried into the garret once more, unable to climb the stairs on her own, it’s hanky time.

Or at least it should be. It is perhaps an overstatement — and an overly glib one at that — to say that there was not a wet eye in the house at the close of Friday’s performance, nor was the Lucie Stern Theatre filled with the sniffling noises of an emotionally devastated crowd. In short, the production simply lacks the visceral punch that one would hope for.

It’s an unfortunate critique to have to make, since WBO’s latest staging of this perennial favorite gets so many things right. The orchestra, singers and visual design are all quite strong.

Conductor Bryan Nies has assembled a fine group of musicians. Apart from some minor difficulty in a tricky pizzicato passage in Act III, the orchestra was effectively flawless. Nies has superb control of the players, and his sensitivity to the ebb and flow of the score is exemplary. During Rodolfo and Mimi’s crucial arias — especially Act I’s “Che gelida manina” and “Si, mi chiamano Mimi” — Nies never takes his eyes off the singers, matching their phrasing breath for breath.

Pedro Betancourt (Rodolfo) and Carrie Hennessey (Mimi) are equally adept at capturing the lyricality of Puccini’s melody lines. Their duet, “O soave fanciulla,” is a lovely close to the first act, even if the characters’ proclamation of love seems a bit premature for two people who met 10 minutes earlier.

David Hodgson is immensely likable as Marcello, the painter, and his unselfconsciously warm baritone serves the music well. Ani Maldjian gives a vocally accomplished performance as Marcello’s on-again, off-again lover, Musetta, even if she doesn’t quite capture the infamous siren’s larger-than-life persona.

John Bischoff and Teagan Moore lend great energy and humor to the garret scenes as Colline and Schaunard, respectively. Both men have rich voices, even if Moore seems to be scraping the bottom of his vocal range in a few passages. Moore is very funny in Schaunard’s dance solo at the top of Act IV, and Bischoff delivers the aria “Vecchia zimarra” (in which Colline explains to his faithful overcoat that he must pawn it to buy medicine for Mimi) with perfect simplicity. Eric Coyne is adequate as the landlord Benoit — balancing on one foot on a raked tabletop while bragging about his extramarital conquests — but his exaggerated makeup actually distracts from his performances.

Jean-François Revon’s set designs are simultaneously simple and ornate. They are a marvelous recreation of the Art Nouveau style… and an appropriate one, as WBO has set the story at the turn of the 20th century. There is hardly a straight line or square corner to be seen. Instead, the garret and the Café Momus are defined by enormous curvilinear window frames: sinuous, calligraphic and botanical, and the sky in Act III is framed by ominous tentacles of cloud or vegetation.

The only odd scenic choice is the apparent decision to strip the garret of all props and other set dressing during Act IV — “apparent” because it almost seemed as though the stage crew had simply failed to preset the stove, the easel and a handful of smaller items before the lights came up, leaving Marcello and Rodolfo to sing about “this pen” and “this brush” with not a single prop in sight.

The period costumes by Yuri Cataldo are effective, as is Steven Mannshardt’s lighting design. Another odd choice, however, is the decision to play all of Act III behind a dark scrim. Granted, this tactic creates a murky pre-dawn feel that suits the scene, but it also robs the actors of their facial expressions.

Jimmy Smith’s staging is very good in the garret scenes; less so elsewhere. In particular, the Latin Quarter market scene that opens Act II feels more cramped than vibrant. Also, more rehearsal time should have been devoted to the children’s chorus; the kids are enthusiastic but unpolished.

Ultimately, though, none of the production’s relatively minor flaws would matter if this “Bohème” could deliver on Moscovich’s promise of a good, cathartic cry. But the saddest thing about this tragedy is that the alchemy doesn’t quite work. Perhaps the sting of Mimi’s fate is blunted by the fact that Hennessey never exhibits a full measure of youthful gaiety in the first place, choosing to play Mimi as rather staid and pragmatic throughout. Perhaps the fault lies with the somewhat lackadaisical reactions of her friends when she returns to the garret in Act IV, as though they all realize they’ve come to the final, preordained scene.

Whatever the reason, it might be wise of Moscovich to change the thrust of his preshow remarks. Both musically and visually, this is an exceptional production. If it were pitched as a timely social commentary on the cruelty of a healthcare system that neglects the poor, rather than as a tear-jerker, it might just succeed on all fronts.

What: “La bohème,” presented by West Bay Opera
Where: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
When: Remaining performances are Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. and Oct. 25 at 2 p.m.
Cost: $30-$55 (group discounts available)
Info: Call the box office at 650-424-9999. For more information, go to www.WBOpera.org.

‘Spring’ In Fall
Broadway San Jose presents the Tony-winning ‘Spring Awakening’
By Emily Grube – Metro

IN 1917, the play Spring Awakening, by German writer Frank Wedekind, played in New York City, only to be censored and banned over the next 89 years. The rock musical that opened off-Broadway in 2006 and was loosely adapted from the play received a much better reception. Spring Awakening was the winner of eight Tony Awards, including best musical, in 2007. The Broadway run ended in January 2008, and the national tour is set to hit the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on Oct. 28 for a five-day run.

Spring Awakening tells the story of several students coming of age in a sexually repressed, 1891 Germany. The parents and teachers refuse to enlighten the children about their changing bodies and urges. That leaves the students confused and angry, grasping with both hands in the dark only to find a microphone. “Rock music expresses anguish and longing, passion and joys,” says Steven Sater the Tony Award–winning writer of the musical’s book and lyrics. “[Having rock music] altered the whole feeling of the play.” The characters burst into songs such as “The Bitch of Living” and “Touch Me” to show “the internal world of the teens.” As a unique touch, the actors are given microphones to hold onstage as they sing. This was done to remind the audience of when they stood in their bedroom and held a hairbrush as they sang. “Everyone has been a rock star in their own bedroom,” notes Sater.

The touring cast of mostly recent high school graduates, college students and new college graduates “gives the show a fresh, new energy. They believe in the show because it’s what they are going through.” Two of the Broadway cast members who believed in the show reached worldwide fame: John Gallagher Jr. won a Tony Award for his performance, and Lea Michele went on to star in FOX’s hit new series Glee. “These young people just stand out there and give you their hearts,” says Sater.

The musical touches on “the hope and the strength, the darkness and the light” in self-discovery. In fact, the importance of the subject matter led Planned Parenthood to invite Sater to become a member of their organization. “This play opens up real dialogue between generations because, whatever your age, you watch from the perspective of the young. And [the play] touches the heart so profoundly to remember that time of naughty pleasure.”

SPRING AWAKENING, presented by Broadway San Jose, plays Oct. 28 at 7:30pm, Oct. 29 at 2 and 7:30pm, Oct. 30 at 8pm, Oct. 31 at 2 and 8pm and Nov. 1 at 1 and 6pm at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd., San Jose. Tickets are $20–$75. (408.792.4111)

Transporting!

Sometimes pictures speak louder than words. This is the case for this weeks Princess Pick. Tomorrow Star Trek – The Exhibition opens at the Tech Musuem and myself along with Michael Pease and Dexter Santos from our office got to explore it in a special preview night. I myself am not a huge Trekie, but that being said, this was a ton of fun. i’m even thinking about changing my title from Princess to Captain. Maybe I’ll just change my middle name to Tiberius. No Picard sightings but George Takei was there to pose for photos.  There was even a simulator ride. A real treat indeed!

Review: ‘The Chosen’ at TheatreWorks in Mountain View
By Karen D’Souza – The San Jose Mercury

A word is worth one coin but silence is worth two, the Talmud teaches us.

That bit of wisdom from the Jewish holy book reverberates throughout “The Chosen.” Based on Chaim Potok’s beloved 1967 novel, this poignant tale of boyhood friendship in 1940s Brooklyn is filled with tiny silences that echo in the ear like bells. Sensitively directed by Aaron Davidman, the gentle-hearted revival runs through Nov. 1 at TheatreWorks in Mountain View.

Aaron Posner, the playwright who collaborated with Potok on this adaptation, clearly has an affinity for the author’s richly lyrical sense of language and culture. A keen reverence for the Torah and the deep-rooted connection between heritage and ambition permeates every aspect of this universe. Here the truth comes from a quiet place, from long walks through the borough and hours peering over ancient texts.

Warm reminiscence drives the play, which is narrated by a man of learning named Reuven Malter (Michael Navarra) looking back on his childhood during World War II. Chad Bonaker’s delicate projections of archival photographs capture the romance of the past.

Back in the day, little Reuven (Jonathan Bock) and Danny Saunders (Thomas Gorrebeeck) shared the same sandlots and street corners, but their worlds rarely collided. Danny’s family are Hasidic fundamentalists. He wears the yarmulke and earlocks (payos) and he’s thoroughly surprised to find that he has anything in common with baseball-obsessed Reuven. His father David (Rolf Saxon) is a hard-driving Jewish writer and scholar who is not afraid to question orthodoxy.

Danny’s father, the Rebbe, believes in the time-honored practice of religious disputation, arguing with God one on one, when it comes to the synagogue. However, he’s not so charitably disposed to differences of opinion at home.

Corey Fischer, best known as one of the founders of the Traveling Jewish Theatre, makes a rare appearance outside that troupe as the formidable Rebbe Saunders. A tower of gravitas with a white beard and a steely gaze, the Rebbe is so strict in his observance of tradition that he “excommunicates” anyone who doesn’t toe the line.

Gorrebeeck, a regular on the City Lights stage in San Jose, shines here as Danny, nimbly conveying the smug hubris of a boy genius. Bock, for his part, nails the awkwardness of adolescence, and the anxiety of a son wracked with worry for a father all too likely to work himself to death. The tenderness of the bond between the two boys stands in stark contrast to the rigidity of Rebbe Saunders.

It’s not that he’s a hard man, but he’s led a hard life, from the pogroms in Europe that cost him his family to the dawning realization of Hitler’s evils.

One of the most visceral moments in the show is when the boys learn of the horrors of the Holocaust. First, one million lost. It’s a shock. Three million. It’s staggering. Six million perish. It’s almost inconceivable. A whole people slaughtered almost to the point of extinction. Navarra’s face registers the sorrow of grieving a loss that is beyond comprehension.

Surviving tragedy is perhaps the most potent test of faith in a chaotic world. It’s a turning point for the Jewish community but also for Danny and Reuven, who chart their course in life fueled by a sense of life’s fragility.

“The Chosen”
The upshot: A heartwarming revival of the classic tale of faith and friendship tested by the vagaries of history
Where: TheatreWorks, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View
Through: Nov. 1
Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes (one intermission)
Tickets: $24-$62; 650-463-1906 or www.theatreworks.org.

Taut and volatile, ‘Groundswell’ explodes at San Jose Repertory

There are a vast number of films made every year that less than 2,000 people will ever see, and I’m not talking about your home movies. Among those films are some of the most educational, moving, and globally significant films ever made.  Now in it’s 12th year, the United NationsAssociation Film Festival (UNAFF)  makes it a priority to share important and skillfully made films with you. These are some of the most interesting and unique perspectives represented in film, and even a single night of screenings could in fact change your life and how you look at the world. As we are all about changing the world at Artsopolis, it’s a perfect fit for this week’s Princess Pick. Now playing for one week only. Do yourself a favor and go apprecaite the daring and wonderful  film making as well as the compelling stories themselves.

http://www.unaff.org/

One of the best memories I have growing up was drawing with chalk on the sidewalk outside my house. This was almost an early way of addressing the inner rebel while appeasing the inner artist as well. It feels like you are being truly outrageous drawing on public property, and while my cahlk endeavours were never masterpieces, Summer was full of colorful driveways, and the occasional “Arrow to Lemon-aid Stand” I see in pink and blue sidewalk chalk always brings a familiar smile to my face. For the artists in us all, and the kids in us all, this weeks Princess Pick is a salute these early creative sidewalk adventures.

See some of the masters create and have a little fun yourself at the Luna Park 2009 Chalk Festivalthis weekend.  There will even be an Aztec Dance performance! Celebrating the Northside’s Italian heritage, this event is intended to foster community pride and creative expression in the spirit of the Mexican and Chicano mural movements. In its second year, this is a great way to spend one of the last weekends of superior California weather, and to hold on to those last precious memories of summer!

Silhouettes dance amid the gloom in “The Ghosts of the River.”

Karen D’Souza – Mercury