New Sunnyvale Documentary

Our good friend David Manzo (San Jose 2030) has just completed a documentary on our neighbor, Sunnyvale. It is premiering tomorrow, Nov 26, at the Sunnyvale Heritage Museum. Additional showings are also being planned, as well as a DVD release. To watch a 3 minute trailer, just click here. Looks like a great documentary and I hope David does one for San Jose too =).

UPDATE: You can now watch the trailer below as well!

Reckless is Coming to the San Jose Stage Theater

San Jose, CA (November 14, 2012) – San Jose Stage Company continues its 30th season by presenting Reckless by Craig Lucas. Just in time for the holidays, this surreal comedy begins with a Christmas Eve event that propels the characters on a wild journey of revelation and surprise.

 

The Stage offers a twist on traditional holiday fare. Reckless, from gifted playwright Craig Lucas (The Light in the Piazza, Prelude to a Kiss), is a comic fable of a modern-day Alice in a perilous winter wonderland. This surreal comedy follows the fate of Rachel, whose blissful life gets turned upside down after one fateful Christmas Eve, when her husband reveals (spoiler alert!) he has taken a contract out on her life. She flees her home and embarks on a series of misadventures that challenges her preconceptions concerning family, love and the wonders of life. Reckless is a timeless story of whirlwind lunacy, triumph and transformation – perfect for the holidays. Reckless opens November 28.

 

Author, director and actor Craig Lucas received a Drama Desk nomination Outstanding New Play for Reckless. Lucas has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play for Prelude to a Kiss, and he has also received a Tony Award Nomination for The Light in the Piazza (Best Book of a Musical). He has won two OBIE Awards for Best New American Play (Small Tragedy and Prelude to a Kiss). His diverse body of work has been seen on Broadway three times. His many plays include The Dying Gaul, Prayer for My Enemy, The Singing Forest, Blue Window and God’s Heart. He has written the screenplays Longtime Companion, Prelude to a Kiss, Reckless and The Secret Lives of Dentists.

 

“Craig Lucas has a very decided and personal kinship with lost souls adrift in the world and in Reckless, we collide with them at every turn,” explains Kenneth Kelleher, director of Reckless. “And as we meet them, eccentric and fragile, we begin, with Rachel’s help, to understand the innocence in all of us.”

 

Kenneth Kelleher returns to direct Reckless for The Stage, where he has helmed over twenty productions, including Buried Child, On The Waterfront, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Wit, Biedermann and the Firebugs, Bariona, The Living and Six Characters in Search of an Author.

 

Kelleher invites everyone to “take a drive with Rachel through the snowy Christmases of her imagination and perhaps her salvation. And to all a good night!”

 

Performances are on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm and Sundays at 2:00 pm. Reckless runs through December 16.

 

Tickets range from $20 - $45 and are available at www.thestage.org or by calling the box office at 408.283.7142. Visa and MasterCard are accepted, and discounts are available for groups, students and seniors. The theatre is handicapped accessible.

 

The Stage is located at 490 South First Street at William Street in downtown San Jose’s South First (SoFA) area.

# # # 

 

The Cast of Reckless: 

 

Halsey Varady* (Rachel Fitzsimmons) returns to San Jose Stage Company, where she played Rachel Jackson in the Regional Premiere of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, Kate Monster in Avenue Q and Steph in the Regional Premiere of Reasons To Be Pretty. She has also appeared locally at Bus Barn Stage Company, The Spare Stage Company, Shady Shakespeare Theatre Company, City Lights Theater Company, Palo Alto Players, Foothill College Saratoga Drama Group. In Washington D.C., she appeared at Ford’s Theatre and Spooky Action Theater. She is an Associate Artist at The Stage.

 

Will Springhorn Jr.* (Tom Fitzsimmons) returns to The Stage, where he was last seen in the Regional Premiere of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Every Christmas Story Ever Told, Cabaret and the Regional Premiere of Reasons To Be Pretty. He is a Bay Area actor, teacher and designer and has appeared with TheatreWorks, The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Magic Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, SF Playhouse and Theatre Rhinoceros

 

Michael Navarra* (Lloyd Bophtelophti) returns to The Stage, where he appeared in Buried Child. He has played leading roles with TheatreWorks, B Street Theatre, Traveling Jewish Theatre, Word for Word, The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, Pacific Repertory Theatre, Sierra Repertory Theatre and Central Works.

 

Dena Martinez* (Doctors) returns to The Stage, where she was last seen in the California Premiere of Octavio Solis’ Gibraltar, a co-production with Thick Description. She has also appeared at American Conservatory Theater, Shotgun Players, San Jose Repertory Theatre, Marin Theatre Company, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Magic Theatre, TheatreWorks and Campo Santo. She is currently the Casting Director at Bay Area Playwrights Foundation.

 

Judith Miller (Trish Hammers) returns to San Jose Stage Company, where she was last seen in Buried Child, Cabaret, Dirty Blonde and reprising the title role in Always…Patsy Cline. She has also performed numerous roles with San Jose Repertory Theatre, Woodminster Theatre, Marin Theatre Company and California Actors Theatre.

 

Katie O’Bryon (Pooty) is making her debut at The Stage. She was recently seen as Varya in The Cherry Orchard at The Pear Avenue Theatre and as Smitty in How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at Foothill Music Theatre. She is the School of Performing Arts Director and Resident Choreographer at Peninsula Youth Theatre.

 

Jay Steele (Roy/Tim Timko) is making his San Jose Stage Company debut. His local credits include City Lights Theater Company, South Bay Musical Theatre Lyric Theatre of San Jose. He’s also performed with the Lamplighters and West Valley Light Opera. He is chairperson of the board at South Bay Musical Theatre, where he regularly produces and performs.

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association

 

Kenneth Kelleher (Director) has directed over twenty performances for The Stage, including Buried Child, On The Waterfront and Rock ‘n’ Roll. He is currently the Artistic Director of Pacific Repertory Theatre and Resident Director of The San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. He has also directed for San Jose Repertory Theatre, TheatreWorks, California Shakespeare Festival, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Sacramento Theatre Company and B Street Theatre.

 

The other members of the show’s creative team include designers Richard C. Ortenblad (set), Jean Cardinale (costumes), Michael Palumbo(lighting) and John Koss (sound).

 

Attn: Media and Calendar Editors:  San Jose Stage Company holds the press opening on Saturday, December 1 at 8:00 PM, with previews beginning Wednesday and Thursday, November 28 and 29 at 7:30 PM and Friday, November 30 at 8:00 PM.

Production photos are available upon request. Visit www.thestage.org

   # # # 

 

About San Jose Stage Company:

 

Now in its 30th season, San Jose Stage Company is recognized as The Bay Area's Premiere Off-Broadway Theatre. The Stage is known for its devotion to new and cutting-edge work and for its commitment to showcasing high-quality local talent.

 

Ranked 3rd largest theatre and 9th largest performance arts organization in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal (May 2012), San Jose Stage Company is a vital force in the community. The Stage has earned a reputation for artistic excellence by providing high-quality, edgy theatrical experiences that engage, educate and provoke audiences. The Stage has produced 143 productions, 44 new works and 11 world premieres.

 

The Stage also offers five core educational and outreach programs, including National High School Top Honors Awards, and has housed over 200 independent performance groups in its theatre. The Stage is located at 490 South First Street, San Jose, CA 95113. For more information:www.thestage.org   Box Office: 408.283.7142

FOR CALENDAR EDITORS

 

San Jose Stage Company presents Reckless. Reckless, from gifted playwright Craig Lucas (The Light in the Piazza, Prelude to a Kiss), is a comic tale of a modern-day Alice in a perilous winter wonderland. This surreal comedy follows the fate of Rachel, whose blissful life gets turned upside down after one fateful Christmas Eve, when her husband reveals he has taken a contract out on her life. She flees her home and embarks on a series of misadventures that challenges her preconceptions concerning family, love and the wonders of life.

 

Reckless is a timeless story of whirlwind lunacy, triumph and transformation – perfect for the holidays!

 

Run Dates:     November 28– December 16, 2012

Previews:       November 28 – 30, 2012

Opening:        December 1, 2012

Shows:            Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 pm

Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm

Sunday at 2:00 pm

Location:         The Stage, 490 South First Street, San Jose, CA

Tickets:           $20 - $45 with discounts for seniors, students and groups

Box Office:      408.283.7142 or www.thestage.org

 

Author:           Craig Lucas

Director:         Kenneth Kelleher

Featuring:      Halsey Varady*, Will Springhorn Jr.*, Michael Navarra*, Dena Martinez*,

Judith Miler, Katie O’Bryon and Jay Steele

Saturday Stats: Partners in Silicon Valley Law Firms Claim Top Pay

The San Jose metro can add another "top salary" stat to it's belt, and you may want to take a deep breath for this one.

Partners at our law firms are raking in an average annual compensation of $1.2 million, and yes, those are American dollars. This again is the compensation for partners only, so entry-level attorneys are not factored in.

In second place was New York with an average compensation of $1 million, and San Francisco came in seventh place with $723k. If you're considering a career change in San Jose, this may not be a bad option =).

Source: SFBJ

Shop San Jose This Black Friday

This Black Friday, support San Jose by shopping local. Not only will you be contributing sales taxes to pay for our parks, libraries, and essential services, but you will help those San Jose businesses and jobs alive.

You can also double down on San Jose by not only purchasing within the city limits, but also choosing brands that are headquartered in San Jose. Below is a list of San Jose companies that sell consumer products. You can view this as a filterable Google doc with website links by clicking here.

I have not updated this list in a while, so if you have more companies that I should add just let me know in the comments. Thanks!

Black Friday @ The Usuals

The Usual Black Friday Extravaganza
Friday, November 23, 2012

Secret Sale
10:00a – 12:00p (noon)
Discounts are a SECRET, but the secret is oh so good…
First THREE customers in the shop, as always, get 50% off of lowest marked price on everything (yes, EVERYTHING)!

Not-So-Secret Sale
12:00p (noon) – 10:00p
Get up to 40% OFF of everything in the shop! EVERYTHING is discounted, so don’t miss. All graphic tees and hoodies (Including I HEART SJ) are Buy One, Get One Half Off.

Santana Row Black Friday Events

Get Ready, Get Set, Let’s Shop!

Black Friday events at Santana Row, Friday, Nov. 23

 

The day-after-Thanksgiving shopping tradition at Santana Row includes discounts, doorbuster morning specials and treats throughout the day. Many stores are offering customers 25 percent to 70 percent off merchandise all weekend with giveaways such as free totes, gift cards with purchase and holiday refreshments throughout the day.

Santana Row hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Black Friday, with many stories extending hours during the Black Friday weekend. For a comprehensive listing of retail and restaurant events and offerings, check SantanaRow.com during Thanksgiving week.

 

A sampling of Black Friday specials at Santana Row:

 

Anne Fontaine - Enjoy sparkling beverages and holiday cookies while shopping. 

Atelier AVEDA - A $10 VIP card with any gift card purchase or retail purchase of $100.  Gift sets excluded.

BCBG - Up to 70 percent off new markdowns and 20 percent off everything in the store from 8 a.m. to noon.

Consuelo’s Mexican Bistro  - Enjoy happy hour all day. 

Eli Thomas – 20 to 40 percent off storewide. Agave jeans, shoes and Eton shirts excluded. 

El Jardin - Enjoy a “special” happy hour all day. 

Furla – 40 off the fall collection plus receive a free Furla necklace with purchases over $500. Champagne served throughout the day. 

H&M – Early 8 a.m. plus holiday deals starting at $5. 

Hot Tamales - Enjoy happy hour all day. 

Icebreaker – 30 percent off everything black. Sip wine and beer from New Zealand. 

Laser Away – 50 percent off all products and most services.

Oakley - Receive one Oakley $10 off coupon for every Oakley in-store purchase of $50. Limit of 20.

Penelope Boutique – 25 percent off all casualwear. 

Subway – Free cookie with any purchase (limit 1 per customer). BOGO on any 6” sandwich before 11 a.m.

Ted Baker – 30 percent off all merchandise. 

The Blues Jean Bar - Sip complimentary wine while enjoying 30 percent off your purchases of $100 or more.

The Container Store - Gift Wrap Wonderland presents gift wrapping & bow demonstrations at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.  Enter to win a $15 Store More card.

Spend $100 in November and get $15 for December.

Urban Outfitters – Doors open at 6 a.m. All sale merchandise is an additional 50 percent off until 10 a.m.

Vera Bradley – Receive a holiday totein new Dogwood pattern with a purchase of $100 or more while supplies last.

W’s Salon – 15 percent off retail and a free haircut or treatment with a clor service with a participating stylist.

 

In the Spirit of Giving: “One Warm Coat” Drop-off at Santana Row begins on Black Friday, Nov. 23

Donate a new or gently used coat and it will be given to a needy family this winter. Drop it off on Black Friday and receive a special gift: a lawn chair with a Santana Row logo! (While supplies last.) The coat drop-off location is in front of Pinkberry. The charity coat drive continues through Dec. 31.

Other drop-off locations include CineArts Theatre, Crate & Barrel, Sur La Table and the Santana Row Concierge.

For more information: call 408.551.4611 or visit www.santanarow.com.

Happy Thanksgiving 2012!

I'm thankful for so many things, not the least of which is living in a city that is friendly, safe, vibrant, and with a bright future to look forward to. Warm wishes to all of you this Thanksgiving Day.


Photo from San Jose day-by-day

November 2012 Downtown Dimension Highlights

Here are my notes from the latest edition of Downtown Dimension:

• Hundreds of new residents are coming to Downtown San Jose courtesy of two new high-rise rental buildings that will break ground early next year: One South Market (285 units) and The Carlyle (347 units).
• The 17th season of Downtown Ice began on Nov 16th and the opening ceremonies featuring Kristi Yamaguchi will be on Nov 23rd at 5:30pm.
• A new, super fast, free WiFi system is has been deployed throughout the Downtown core and is undergoing final testing. It should be ready very soon.
• Japanese retailer Muji has signed a lease for 7,000sqft at the base of the Fairmont Annex.
• The San Pedro Square Market now has 20 businesses, including newcomers:
• Sama Zama - made to order soups, salads, and sandwiches
• CaliDog - Californian cuisine meets Asian fusion
• Phonomenal Noodle House - Pho and rise dishes
• Polkadotz - mini-gourmet cupcakes
• The Civic has completed its $15M renovation, including leather seats and cup holders, new sound/video/lighting systems, and updated bathrooms and concessions.
• Work on San Carlos Street is wrapping up this month and will greatly expand the sidewalk and add a lighted public art display.

To read the full newsletter, click here!