With so many theater companies streaming, they and their audiences have learned how important a solid Internet connection can be, not to mention good sound quality. Daren A.C. Carollo and Daniel Thomas at San Francisco’s 42nd Street Moon have dealt with the technical difficulties of streaming and the lack of control with their Tuesday Talks Over the Moon, Full Moon Fridays and other online offerings. When planning the rest of their 2020 programming, however, they decided it was time for a change.
“Whether national, regional or community theater, we all have Zoom problems. Some things translate really well, like cabaret performances. But a play is a different beast,” said Carollo. “We’re getting some really wonderful things from Cal Shakes right now. They’re doing some really wonderful deep dives into how we can improve theater, but we all have the same problems with Zoom, including getting ‘Zoom neck.’ ”
To that end, 42nd Street Moon has created a paid virtual subscription series entitled “Moonbeams.” The shows, with the exception of one, have been especially created and recorded for the series that begins Oct. 1.
“We are very fortunate to have some very talented friends who came to us and said they didn’t feel they had any real control over their performances with Zoom. They couldn’t control the sound or other production values,” Carollo said. “So we turned our Gateway Theater into a virtual recording studio. We’re making things as good as we can until we all feel safe enough to enter a theater again and enjoy a show with others.”
It all begins with “From Broadway to Hollywood” (Oct. 1-15) featuring award-winning pianist and master storyteller Richard Glazier on a musical tour of Broadway and Hollywood. Glazier combines music from George Gershwin to Marvin Hamlisch with stories and anecdotes to create, along with musical guests, a wonderfully nostalgic evening.
“We’re so lucky to have Glazier, an Emmy Award winner, to be a part of this series. He records mostly from his home, where he has collected a great amount of memorabilia,” Carollo said.
Next up is “Broadway Flipped!” (Oct. 15-25) a new version of the company’s wildly popular cabaret, where some of the best Bay Area performers sing songs from roles they would otherwise never perform. The production will be recorded on the Gateway stage with the grand piano stage left and the performers at stage right.
“Everyone will stay 6 feet distant from each other, and being in the Gateway allows us to use our stage lighting,” said Carollo. “Although we’ll also leave the theater and record some of the songs from rooftops around the city — anywhere we can get an iPhone to make a recording!”
The one show not recorded especially for the series is “The Oldest Living Cater Waiter” (Oct. 29 through Nov. 8). Michael Patrick Gaffney’s award-winning one-man show gives a glimpse at the performer’s complicated yet hilarious careers as a professional actor and a high-end waiter to the stars.
“We just happen to have a really good, high-quality video from when he performed the show at 42nd Street Moon,” Carollo said.
In November, it’s “A Distant Dinner Party with Jess and Jaron” (Nov. 12-22). Quarantine has made Jessica Coker and Jaron Vesely desperate for their friends and some great music, so they host their first virtual dinner party. They invite such talented guests as Angel Adedokun, Danny and Marisa Cozart, Anthone Jackson and Leslie Ivy Louthaman.
“Here we have real-life couple Danny and Marisa Cozart bickering at a dinner party — how authentic to let them write it. Imagine two people getting into a fight at a Zoom party and taking their respective computers into different rooms — some really good gut-wrenching laughs,” said Carollo.
The series ends with “Home (Literally) for the Holidays” (Nov. 26 through Dec.6) done in the style of such great holiday variety show hosts as Perry Como, Andy Williams, John Denver, Cher and more. Patrons can buy individual show tickets or a subscription series. Choose a date during the “run” and then receive a link giving a 48-hour window to watch the show. For more information, go to 42ndstmoon.org/moonbeams.
Joketoberfest: Plethos Productions has also been busy adapting its 2020 season. Joketoberfest is now online with a new spin — bottles! The company has partnered with Bare Bottle Brewing, which will deliver an exclusive variety pack of local craft beers to your door in time to hop on Zoom for a live beer tasting and interactive stand-up comedy show. Host Tammy TeaLove will keep the action happening with such guests as “Conan” writer Laurie Kilmartin; the World Series of Comedy’s youngest winner, Ryan Goodcase; SF Sketchfest’s Clara Bijl; and SF Punchline regular Drew Harmon. Go to plethos.org for more information.
World premiere: Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre adds a new work for October — the world premiere of audio drama “The Flats.” Written by Bay Area playwrights Lauren Gunderson, Cleavon Smith and Jonathan Spector, the show features Lauren English, Anthony Fusco and Khary L. Moye. Josh Costello directs this show about residents of a Berkeley triplex thrown together by a shelter-in-place order due to a mysterious threat. For more information, go to auroratheatre.org.
Sally Hogarty can be reached at sallyhogarty@gmail.com. Read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.
