Columnists

What better time for a grand moment of laughter? Lend Me a Tenor brings us into a wonderful farce that ends all farces. With two “Ortellos” and an abundance of hot ladies ready to make their dreams come true with the greatest tenor in the world who has an over-the-top jealous Italian wife. Laughter starts with the first moments when the really uptight general manager of the Cleveland Opera can’t find his temperamental, lady-chasing tenor for the evening’s performance.

When Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall joined The Roundabout Theatre to recreate the Tony Award-winning Cabaret, they brought in a nastier, gaudier and cruder production than had ever been brought to any stage. If you have seen this play before, you will immediately feel how much further they went to bring the audience to back a time of incomprehensible foreboding.

Pop-up park V2.0 is a smashing success by just about any measure. Sitting at the southwest corner of Second Street and Monterey Road, this new little gem already feels like it was always there.This latest temporary park opened to the huge relief of so many who were asking questions like, “Where do our children play downtown?” and “What happened to that big blue chair?” after the original pop-up park closed due to a change in property ownership.Children are once again playing downtown and a spruced up big blue chair is again ready for those photo opportunities (the wood was literally worn down from use).I have heard many say that the newest pop-up park is better than the original. It has a piano, more chairs, more picnic benches, more incredible trees, and maybe a more desireable location. But to me the original paved the way and will never be forgotten.I’ve mentioned this before but I think it bears repeating: The first pop-up park almost didn’t happen.As usual, the city staff members involved in the project asked downtown businesses about giving up about a half dozen parking spaces in return for a little-understood concept of a temporary park. At first, several of the businesses balked; so more information was delivered and conversations ensued. Eventually most of the businesses were on board. The hesitation was understandable because it was a time when the parking garage construction work was starting and a lane reduction pilot program was underway on Monterey Road.Those times were dynamic and the park had to be a success—or else there would be egg on a few faces.Well the “Bike HUB Park,” as it was called then, was a huge success right from the beginning. The success was not as much of a surprise as the type of users were. It had been expected to appeal mostly to adults, but it quickly proved to be the place where families went. Appealing to families, who were generally felt to be missing from the downtown, had always been a key part of the plan; hence the playful primary colors and children’s foam play blocks. But I don’t think anyone dreamed that it would be as popular with families as it turned out.It would be easy, and safe, to let that old park die a fond memory but people like Dan McCranie, Edith Ramirez, John Lang, Mike Katwan, Dale Dapp and a small army of city staffers once again took on a challenge that could leave egg on their faces.Armed with past experience and fresh ideas, the planners of the new park set out to create a place that would be new and inviting, but also familiar.This new park benefits from many lessons learned from the old park but the biggest lesson for me was this: think big and out of the box and take a chance. The risks can be great but rewards can be so much greater, and even quite different from your expectations.Take that chance.Please enjoy your park.John McKay is Interim President of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association, city planning commissioner and co-founder of the Morgan Hill Tourism Alliance.

The Wild Party, the musical which was once banned in Boston, is based on Joseph Moncure March’s 1928 book-length narrative poem that tells the story about the wild, depraved end of the Roaring ’20s. Andrew Lippa added a book, music and lyrics. “The Wild Party” opened Off-Broadway in February 2000 and has won many awards in its time.

She flies, she sings and she dances—that’s what Heidi Oliphant does in this South Valley Civic Theatre production of Mary Poppins. Along with Zack Goller, who joins her as Bert the Chimney Sweep, and Elizabeth Calisi, who adds to the fun as the long-suffering Mrs. Banks, the three leads keep a lively crew of more than 40 kids aged nine to 70 moving in the right direction.

Think about being almost 80 (if you are not there already). One moment you are 20, and whoosh, you are almost 80. How did you get there, where did the minutes, hours and days go?

Monday started with a roar and ended with a whimper.

Oklahoma! came roaring in with an effervescence that shows running almost 75 years usually run out of after a decade or so.

When Cindy Lauper, (music and lyrics) and Harvey Fierstein (book) started to create Kinky Boots they never imagined that they would walk away with six Tony Awards, making Lauper the first woman to win a solo Tony for best score.Kinky Boots is one of those feel-good shows that keeps you smiling throughout the performance. It sends a well-worn preachy message “to accept everyone for what they are,” and the show makes it a fun lesson because of the music, vigorous cast and wild choreography.The play is based on a true story and movie about a failing men’s shoe factory in a town near London. Charlie (a charming Adam Kaplan) leaves his father’s business to work in London, only to return to sell the business when his father passes away. He finds, of course, that the workers depend on their jobs. He accidently meets Lola (an amazing J. Harrison Ghee), a bright, wild in-control drag queen who needs boots with heels that will support him/her and his cast in his show. The story goes on to acceptance and unacceptance of the situation, of the workers and people in the business.The show moves at a break-neck pace with chorography by director/choreographer Jerry Mitchell and wild, eye-catching costumes by Gregg Barnes. The dexterous number that has everyone leaping from one moving assembly line machine to another was a unique, clever piece of business.Lola’s act at her club consists of six dancing drag queens that make the best looking women on the planet look drab.For an evening of just plain well-done fun, laughs and a life lesson Kinky Boots is   extraordinary.Kinky Boots  Where: Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor Street, San FranciscoRunning Time:  2 hours, 20 minutes with one 15-minute intermissionPerformances Through May 22For tickets and information call 888-746-1799 or visit www.shnsf.com.