theater

North by Northwest at Toni Rembe Theater

Sunday, October 11, 2026california, drama, sf bay, theater

A.C.T.’s North by Northwest (playing at Toni Rembe Theater, San Francisco) feels like a production whose theatrical ingenuity outpaces its storytelling: an accomplished cast, inventive stagecraft, and considerable comic energy, but an uneven relationship with Hitchcock’s suspense. Whether that sounds entertaining or frustrating depends on how much you enjoy seeing a familiar thriller turned into playful physical theater. . . Plot and ending spoilers follow.…

Aerial Arts / New Site Work at Fort Mason

Saturday, August 8, 2026california, sf bay, theater

Inna and I purchased tickets to the New Site Work show, scheduled for 17:00, at Fort Mason, as part of the Aerial Arts festival. . The show was initially recommended to me by ChatGPT but turned out to be highly disappointing. I found the stunts a bit amateurish. . . . . What “New Site Work” actually was . The 5 PM program consisted of…

“Our Class” Play at Z Space

Saturday, March 28, 2026california, sf bay, theater

On Saturday, March 28, 2026, Inna and I drove to San Francisco to see the play "Our Class" at Z Space (in the Mission District). . Before seeing the play, we decided to park at Crissy Field and stroll along the waterfront. Hungry, we stopped for lunch at Cracked & Battered (one of our favorite local eateries). We were finally able to get a table…

The Devil Wears Prada at Dominion Theater

Monday, March 23, 2026england, musical, theater, west end

After our amazing dinner at Tattu, we rode the elevator downstairs and walked across the street to the Dominion Theater, where our musical, The Devil Wears Prada, was playing. I had purchased tickets for the 19:30 showing. . . . . . . . Outside, there were lots of girls all dressed up in expensive outfits, queuing up to enter the theater. . . .…

My Neighbour Totoro at Gillian Lynne Theatre

Sunday, March 22, 2026england, musical, theater, west end

One of the main reasons that I like seeing musicals in London is that they can be quite unique (with British sensibilities) and often do not travel across the pond to New York (and are therefore never seen in the United States). . When selecting My Neighbour Totoro, I found a unique, charming musical that would be unlikely to be staged in the United States.…

Oliver! at Gielgud Theatre

Saturday, March 21, 2026england, musical, theater, west end

Based on Charles Dickens ' famous novel, Oliver Twist, Oliver! is a musical that was highly regarded (and I wanted to see it when visiting London). I purchased the best seats I could find (O16, O17) for Saturday evening's (March 21, 2026) performance at the Gielgud Theater. . . Oliver! was very well staged and acted, with excellent special effects and choreography. However, sometimes it…

Primary Trust by at Lucie Stern Theatre

Saturday, March 7, 2026california, drama, sf bay, theater

A Mai Tai and a Leap of Faith: Why You Can’t Miss 'Primary Trust' at TheatreWorks . If you’ve ever felt like the world was moving just a little too fast for you to keep up, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley’s latest production will feel like a warm hug. . . . Coming to the Lucie Stern Theatre this March is "Primary Trust," the 2024 Pulitzer Prize…

Spamalot at Golden Gate Theater

Thursday, March 5, 2026california, musical, sf bay, theater

I was lucky to purchase 2 tickets (via Todaytix) for Spamalot at the Golden Gate Theater on March 5 at 19:00. . . Before the show, Inna and I met up at the Georgian Cheese Boat for a quick dinner. She was visiting the Bouquets to Art show at the Legion of Honor Museum (and took many photos there). We ordered the following items for…

Book of Mormon at the Orpheum

Sunday, January 25, 2026california, musical, sf bay, theater

Today, we saw a performance of "The Book of Mormon" at the Orpheum Theater in San Francisco. We had seen it many years ago (and had forgotten a lot of the songs). This performance seemed fresh (and a bit different from the one we had seen last time). . . . . We really enjoyed the performance a lot (despite having off-center seats) - a…

AURA at Grace Cathedral

Saturday, January 17, 2026california, sf bay, theater

Inna heard about the AURA show in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, and we decided to purchase tickets and see it for ourselves. . . Before the show, we stopped by for dinner at Dacha Kitchen & Bar (an Eastern European restaurant 15-minutes away), where we ordered the following: . . Boris: Chicken Skewers. Inna: Pojarskaya Cutlet. Alex: Seasoned Salmon. My Chicken Skewers were alright, but…

Cirque du Soleil – Echo

Sunday, December 28, 2025california, sf bay, theater

. A few months back, Inna purchased two tickets to the new Cirque du Soleil Echo show in San Francisco (during a Black Friday sale). We have always enjoyed watching Cirque du Soleil's many shows, including the following: . . 2001 - "O" (Bellagio, Las Vegas). 2007 - Kooza (San Francisco). 2011 - "O" (Bellagio, Las Vegas). 2011 - The Beatles Love (Mirage, Las Vegas).…

Some Like It Hot! in San Jose

Saturday, October 25, 2025california, musical, restaurant, sf bay, theater

My wife purchased tickets to the Some Like It Hot! musical playing at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday, October 25, 2025. . Before attending the performance, we decided to stop by Scott's Seafood in downtown San Jose for dinner. While traffic was light, we had difficulty finding inexpensive parking. The outdoor parking lot near the San Jose Center for the…

Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, Scotland (August 4)

Monday, August 4, 2025scotland, theater

Monday, August 4, 2025. . Starting: #165, Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland Ending: #165, Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland. Highlights: Holyrood Palace, Afternoon Tea at Palm Court, Ten Thousand Hours Show . . . . . . . After a restful sleep, we woke at around 07:30, showered, and dressed. We decided to try a different breakfast eatery (as we were not impressed…

Water of Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland (August 3)

Sunday, August 3, 2025scotland, theater

Sunday, August 4, 2025 . . Starting: #165, Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland Ending: #165, Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland. Highlights: Royal Botanic Garden, Water of Leith Walk, National Galleries of Scotland, La Clique Show, Dinner at The Ivy . . . . . . . . After waking up at 07:30, I showered, shaved, and dressed. When Inna was ready, we decided…

Fringe Festival at Edinburgh, Scotland (August 2)

Saturday, August 2, 2025scotland, theater

Saturday, August 2, 2025. Starting: Room #411, Hotel Island, Reykjavik, Iceland. Ending: Room #165, Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel, Edinburgh, Scotland. Highlights: Oldtown Edinburgh, Festival Theater: Make It Happen . . . . . Because of the early flight out of the Keflavik Airport (KEF), I set the alarm for 05:00. We quickly woke up, dressed, and rushed downstairs, where our taxi was already waiting (we…

The Illusionist at Palace Theater

Friday, June 27, 2025california, sf bay, theater

Inna found an exciting and highly regarded magic show in San Francisco and decided to purchase two tickets for Friday, June 27th, at 19:00. . I had never heard about the show, but I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Happily, Kevin Blake exceeded my expectations and had a wide variety of magic tricks to showcase. . . . . . A MODERN MAGIC SHOW.…

Uncle Vanya at Berkeley Rep

Saturday, March 15, 2025california, drama, sf bay, theater

Inna purchased tickets to Berkeley Rep's new production of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya. We were pleasantly surprised and have not been to Berkeley Rep for a long time. Berkeley itself was also cleaner than when I last visited. . We really enjoyed this dramatic performance, and Hugh Bonneville's acting was excellent (as expected). . . . Here are more details about Uncle Vanya (courtesy of Perplexity…

Nobody Loves You at A.C.T.

Saturday, March 8, 2025california, sf bay, theater

For Saturday night, Inna purchased tickets to Nobody Loves You - a musical hosted by ACT in San Francisco. . Before the 20:00 performance, we stopped by the Acropolis Greek Restaurant for dinner. After sitting down, we ordered the following items: . . Appetizers: Tzatziki with Pita, Greek Salad, Parthenon Ceviche. Drinks: Sparkling Water, Golden State Apple Cider. Boris: Lamb Souvlaki. Inna: Moussaka. . We…

Dear San Francisco at Club Fugazi

Sunday, February 16, 2025california, restaurant, sf bay, theater

After my usual Sunday morning tennis (from 9:00 to 10:30 at Almaden Valley Athletic Club, we decided to drive to San Francisco and explore the city. Inna also purchased tickets to the "Dear San Francisco" show at Club Fugazi at 18:00. . . When we arrived in San Francisco at 13:00, we parked at Crissy Field (where I usually wing foil and windsurf). We talked…

The Great Gatsby A New Ballet

Saturday, February 8, 2025california, sf bay, theater

Inna purchased two tickets to The World Ballet Company's The Great Gatsby Ballet at the Heritage Theater in Campbell, CA. . The dancers were excellent, but I am not a big fan of ballet in general. Some dialogue would have helped move the story forward and clarify the relationships among the main characters. The set design was excellent and really helped to showcase the roaring…