The Show Me State

It’s Friday night in San Francisco, the biblical rains have concluded and I’m randomly listening to showtimes. Life is good.

I find that many shows are tied to a memory. It’s fun to play a show after so much time and see what comes up. Can I remember that scene? Is there something about the production that pops up?

When I play the revival of Falsettos, it always takes me back to the drizzly walk to the Other Palace in London. We were awning-hopping to the theatre in the drizzle. I remember the tears emerging from my cheeks after two numbers, one that closes the first act and one that closes the show. Yes, it was raining in the theatre. And, while this wasn’t the Broadway cast, the West End cast was top-notch. They were making me feel it.

Upon playing Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet, I remember it being one of the best musicals in San Francisco. The creative and fun production made use of much of the theatre space as they could. The show explodes from all corners of the house. Good musicals can take you on a trip to another place for a couple of hours; when it doesn’t work, you can feel completely detached. Comet grabs you early on. The first song gives you the leading players and the lyrics encourage you to keep up, “It’s a Russian novel after all, every character has several names (like George Santos).”

On the show front, we have jumped on a subscription for NCTSF. Their 23 season includes Jonathan Larson’s Tick Tick Boom. I’m happy to support that. Also (from the makers of the Great Comet) Hadestown will be here for a short two-week run. We are all over that. The show must go on.