Stage Fog: Last Call
Save some room on your social calendar, because, like 2005, these cool shows are expiring around January 1. Besides, if you’re feeling a little Grinch-like, there’s nothing like a holiday show to get you in a festive mood.
The Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey, and Dean at Post Street Theatre
The Tribute has been rockin' audiences on Post Street since July, but, like all good ongoing shows, it's developed a holiday theme--meaning, it's stuck in a few holiday songs and merriment. The revue re-creates a 1960s night at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, where the Rat Pack performed at night after spending the day filming Ocean's Eleven, and features such classics as "Come Fly with Me," "That's Amore" and "Mr. Bojangles," all backed by a live, 10-piece orchestra. Apparently, the show is so realistic that it also retained some of those politically incorrect jokes of the time. We're just warning you. But in all, The Tribute is a freewheeling and hip holiday show.
Holiday show playing through January 8
Irving Berlin's White Christmas at the Orpheum Theatre
Depending on your age, Irving Berlin's White Christmas is either going to remind you of Norman Rockwell or an Old Navy commercial. But as long as you know that going in, you can relax and succumb to all the cheesy goodness. Mostly set just after World War II, the musical follows a retired general whose Vermont inn faces financial straits and a lack of snow. Some of his former privates, who are now song-and-dance men, come to the rescue and devise a show that's sure to bring the inn's guests and money back. Of course, there's an intertwined good old-fashioned love story, along with energetic choreography and feel-good songs by the musical master himself. And somehow, all this optimism inspires a snowfall. If you’re looking for the quintessential holiday show--or something to take your parents to--Irving Berlin's White Christmas is one of your best bets.
Playing through December 31.
High Water Radio at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
While musicals are always a holiday staple, circus is fast becoming a popular holiday alternative. Why not? It's different, and it appeals to both young and old. We've already mentioned Cirque du Soleil and Aga-Boom, but San Francisco's Pickle Circus gets our vote as the circus to see, partly because it's homegrown, but also because of its funky concepts. This year, everyone from cowboys to soothsayers to toe hangers and clowns transform a dusty 1920s town into their own radio studio. Well, we're just dying to know how circus on the radio works. Joan Mankin, veteran clown and one of the best comic actresses in the Bay Area, joins the show, and the amazing Nanjing Acrobatic Troupe returns after a stellar performance in last year's Birdhouse Factory. And the Tin Hat Trio provides live music. High Water Radio may not look like a holiday show, but it could be one of the best shows you'll see this holiday season.
Playing through January 1.
Cinderella at Zeum
Disney purists, beware. The rest of us, give thanks for this sugar-free, hip version of the classic fairy tale by African-American Shakespeare Company. Featuring muscular men as the evil stepsisters and an attitude-imbued, in-your-face fairy godmother, this Cinderella is back again this year after delighting audiences last year. It all proves once again, no show (especially one that Disney burned into our minds) is sacred, and that's a good thing.
Playing through December 31
Photo: (clockwise) Jonathan Poretz (Frank), Johnny Edwards (Dean) Doug Starks (Sammy) and Sandy Hackett (Joey), in The Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey, and Dean. Photo by David Allen.
For more stage options, check out the listings at the Guardian, the Express, the SF Weekly, and the calendar on Theatre Bay Area's Web site.