Live Action "The Rocky Horror Show" @ San Jose Stage Company

Let's Do the Time Warp Again!

The iconic red lips painted outside of The San Jose Stage
Photograph taken and courtesy by John Huan Vu

It was July 28, 2010. Under the beautiful stars surrounding Downtown San Jose, my friends and I sat in a parking lot to see a projected movie hosted by the San Jose Downtown Association Starlight Cinemas. The movie: The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I'm still in shock over the show's risqué nature along with its audience of hecklers and volunteer actors. I didn't realize that 9+ years later, I would be seeing the live action performance just steps away at the San Jose Stage Company! Truly, let's do the time warp again!

Arriving on the opening night, the big luscious and iconic red lips were painted on the wall outside the San Jose Stage. Being in line, you can definitely tell who loved the show including the cult following in full gear such as tall men in stilettos!

As I waited outside before the show started, the Phantoms, played by Brian Conway, Monica Moe, and Tracy Shaw, greeted audience members, especially those who have never seen the show before. Although their roles may be discreet, the Phantoms were adorably funny and creative. Pay attention to the scene where they use their bodies as a vehicle with windshield wipers and headlights.

Program of the Rocky Horror Show
Photograph taken and courtesy by John Huân Vu.

Keith Pinto

The program cover of the show features Keith Pinto who plays the scandalous Dr. Frank-N-Furter. I have seen Keith Pinto in multiple productions at the San Jose Stage and recently had the opportunity to interview him before opening night. The reason why Keith enjoys his time with the San Jose Stage is due to the great team he gets to work with and for being part of productions that are gritty and will take a chance in putting their own stamp on the way the company views the material. For the show itself, Keith had so much fun studying and playing the iconic character as a "sexy mad scientist." His biggest challenge was not only to deliver a strong performance to audience in drag, but also being able to dance (and not trip) with his platform heels. On opening night, I was convinced that Keith was truly Dr. Frank-N-Furter who gave the powerful justice to fans who have come to love The Rocky Horror Show.

Magenta (Allison F. Rich), Brad (Parker Harris),
Janet (Ashley Garlick), and Riff Raff (Sean Okuniewicz)
Photograph courtesy by Dave Lepori

A direction that I enjoyed in the production were the two strong couples who were counterpoints throughout the show. At one end, we journey along with the beautifully naive and bubbly couple, Janet and Brad, who are played by Ashley Garlick and Parker Harris. The other end, we witness the the sexually naughty and conniving couple, Magenta and Riff Raff, played by director Allison F. Rich and Sean Okuniewicz. My highlight was to see the beautiful Ashley Garlick and the dashingly handsome Parker Harris deliver some numbers with some great singing.

Of course, Rocky himself, played by Matthew Kropschot, will not disappoint you, being a hunk to some and a twink to others. Do note that his ugly headshot in the program does little justice to his pretty looks. As a recent college graduate, Matthew was not only able to dance in his ripped six-pack body with swim briefs, he was also able to sing!

Rocky and Dr. Frank-N-Furter
Photograph courtesy by Dave Lepori

Now, a couple words of caution: this show may not be appropriate for everyone and discretion is strongly advised due to the show's language, sexual nature, and taboo humor.

Will hecklers and callbacks from audience be allowed? Most definitely. During rehearsals, Keith Pinto shared that the cast and company would need to be ready to read the audience's response. For example, the Narrator, played by Edward Hightower, got us to giggle because there were moments in which he couldn't keep a straight face. The whole audience was caught up in howls of laughter when, as the answer to the question "Where are we?" as characters Janet and Brad entered the castle, someone yelled out "Mar-a-Lago"! Of course, if you are not used to hecklers and callbacks from the audience, you are strongly advised to watch the movie beforehand. And if you decide to participate, audience members are politely asked to not throw anything to the cast or on to the stage.

You can catch a performance playing from Wednesdays to Sundays now until November 3, 2019. You can purchase tickets online at the San Jose Stage website at www.thestage.org or at their box office at 490 South First Street, San Jose, CA 95113, (408) 283-7141. Discount tickets are available for students and seniors.

Written by John Huân Vu.

Halloween Haunt 2019

It's that time of year again! Halloween Haunt is going on right now at Great America and they made a few changes this year. One of the more popular haunted mazes, Wax Museum, is now a blackout maze. All the lights are turned off, so you have to go through it with a tiny flashlight. There is a new Dia de los Muertos area with an impressive music and dance show. Lastly, the clowns are back in a new scare zone called Killer Clown Town. As in previous years, they went all out with the decorations throughout the park.

There is so much to do and see, that I would recommend getting a Fright Lane pass to skip all of the lines for Halloween attractions. It's early October, and some of the lines were already up to an hour long. Practically all of the rides are also in operation during the event. I really like Trailblazer, a new single-file roller-coaster with a 90 degree drop. I think it is the first new coaster in the park to top Flight Deck (I'll always remember it as "Top Gun" from my childhood).

For details and links to get to tickets, head over to the full press release below or click here.

HALLOWEEN HAUNT RETURNS TO CALIFORNIA’S GREAT AMERICA SEPTEMBER 27 – NOVEMBER 2 

New Haunted Maze, Scare Zone and Interactive Entertainment Area Provide Fresh Frights in 2019

SANTA CLARA, CA – Halloween Haunt at California’s Great America, the Bay Area’s premier  Halloween event, will begin terrifying guests on Sept. 27. Scares take place on select Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Nov. 2, including Halloween night. Tickets are on sale now at www.cagreatamerica.com/haunt.

Halloween Haunt offers eight haunted mazes, each with its own frightening theme, plus two scare zones, where guests encounter transformed midways, ghoulish monsters and rampant scares. Guests will enjoy several new experiences 2019, including:

• A thrilling interactive entertainment zone, Dia de los Muertos, will offer a lively party in the land of the dead, where free-spirited hosts lead exciting music and dancing on the midway.
• The all-new Killer Clown Town scare zone will bring a twisted carnival world to life with deranged circus acts and disgruntled clowns who want to see guests scream. 
• The lights have been turned out in one of Halloween Haunt’s most popular mazes, Wax Museum Blackout, which will feature a nearly pitch-black experience where guests are only given a flashlight to illuminate the museum’s lifelike wax figures—some of which might even be alive. 

Halloween Haunt’s returning mazes include Backwoods, Chaos House, CornStalkers, Madame Marie’s Massacre Manor, Roadkill Roadhouse, Tooth Fairy and Zombie High. The popular scare zone Ripper’s Revenge will also return in 2019. The popular show Blood Drums, complete with percussion, music, blood, fire and sparks, returns on a brand-new stage.

“Halloween Haunt is not only a guest favorite event, it’s truly the Bay Area’s leading Halloween experience,” said Manny Gonzalez, vice president and general manager of California’s Great America. “This fall, a new maze, new scare zone, and an interactive midway party ensure Halloween Haunt continues to offer intense scares and fun for all who come through the Great America gates.”

For younger kids who want to enjoy Halloween in the park without the scares, The Great Pumpkin Fest takes over Great America during daytime hours on select Saturdays and Sundays, Sept. 28–Nov. 3. Featuring trick-or-treating with Snoopy and the PEANUTS gang, pumpkin decorating, a hay maze and coloring, this event brings Halloween activities to life for the entire family. Great America will also entertain with “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” movie showings and book readings throughout the day.

Tickets for Halloween Haunt and The Great Pumpkin Fest are available online at www.cagreatamerica.com. The best way to enjoy Halloween Haunt and The Great Pumpkin Fest is with a 2020 Gold Season Pass, on sale now. The Gold Season Pass includes unlimited visits to California’s Great America and South Bay Shores waterpark on every public operating day for the rest of 2019 and all of 2020, including Halloween Haunt, The Great Pumpkin Fest and WinterFest, plus passholder-only perks like free parking, special events, early ride times, in-park discounts and more.

About California’s Great America and Cedar Fair Entertainment Company
California’s Great America is a 100-acre theme and waterpark located in Santa Clara, Calif. As Northern California’s premier amusement park, featuring thrill rides, live entertainment, and the South Bay Shores waterpark, California’s Great America is the top destination for thrill-seekers and families alike. California’s Great America is owned and operated by Cedar Fair Entertainment Company (NYSE: FUN), one of the largest regional amusement-resort operators in the world. Focused on its mission to make people happy by providing fun, immersive and memorable experiences, the Company owns and operates 11 amusement parks, four outdoor water parks, an indoor water park and resort accommodations totaling more than 2,300 rooms and more than 600 luxury RV sites. For more information, visit www.cedarfair.com.

Vince and Barry's Bootcamp are now open in Santana Row

Vince is a luxury clothing and accessory store located in a 2,378 SQFT space next to the newly-expanded lululemon. They are known for a modern, timeless aesthetic. This is one of only three Vince locations within 100 miles, the other two are in Palo Alto and San Francisco.

On the other side of the Row we have Barry's Bootcamp in a 4,500 SQFT space below Splunk. The gym features intense cardio and strength training interval workouts. Members burn up to 1,000 calories per class. You'll find 21 treadmills, full-service locker rooms with private shower, and premium snacks. This is the fourth Barry's Bootcamp in the Bay Area.

Both are now open, with Meso Modern Mediterranean and Blue Bottle Coffee opening next.

You Are Collective is launching their first annual women's conference

The San Jose-based You Are Collective is a gathering of women that aim to connect and create a space of belonging and awareness. They are hosting their first annual women's conference called "Speak Life" from 12pm-6pm on October 5th at the Santa Clara Convention Center.

The event will feature panel speakers, creative and wellness workshops, professional resources geared towards mental health awareness, art installations and interactive walls that encourage positive affirmations through creativity.

For more information and for tickets, head over here.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youarecollectve/
Instagram: @youarecollectve

About You Are Collective (The Story)

Founded in 2019 You Are Collective started as a passion project called, 13 You Are created by Co-Founder Cherelle Posadas. Inspiration drew from the Netflix Show “13 Reasons Why” storyline which sparked a challenge in Cherelle to use her newfound hand lettering skills to create beautiful cards that inspired hope. She started to give these cards that reflected “13 reasons why they mattered” to her friends, family, and strangers. In 2019, Cherelle wanted to be more bold with her projects. She reached out to close friends and family casting the same vision of 13 Your Are, but with more impact. This grand vision would give You Are a broader reach in our community and bring a creative outlook to mental health awareness around the world. As the vision manifested into plans, she revisited a partnership to create a passion project with Syzette, our other Co-Founder, an original 13 You Are supporter, a leader and good friend. What once was a one person project, became a team of four; where we rebranded 13 You Are to You Are Collective. For more please visit our website at youarecollective.com

Google's vision for Diridon takes shape

We are getting closer and closer to the most significant mixed use project in Downtown San Jose history. Last month, the Station Area Advisory Group (SAAG) provided the first public viewing for the initial Diridon Station plan. The key principles for the project are locating jobs and housing near transit, connecting people to nature, creating partnerships, and making sure the San Jose brand is represented.

The numbers being thrown around for this project are surreal. 5.5 million SQFT of new office space followed by another million SQFT on the San Jose Water building site, 3,000-5,000 new housing units, 500,000 SQFT of retail/arts/hotel space, and 15 acres of green spaces.

It will take many years if not decades for this to all come together, but the direction is both promising and exciting.

Source: SJ Economy Blog

SJC is getting a new international flight in 2020

New gates, passenger records, and now we are getting our international flight roster back on track. San Jose International is on a roll!

Air Canada is adding SJC's 10th international route on May 4th, 2020. Nonstop service to Toronto will be provided in an Airbus A220-300 with 137 seats. 12 of those are business class and the rest are economy in a comfortable 3+2 seat layout (fewer middle seats!).

Each day the flight will leave Toronto at 8:55am and arrive in San Jose at 11:28am. The return flight leaves SJC at 12:15pm and arrives in Toronto at 8:10pm.

Below is our full list of international flights. Unfortunately the Shanghai and Frankfurt routes have been cancelled. Toronto is likely to be a successful route given it was the 12th most requested by business travelers.

• Asia
• Tokyo
• Beijing
• Europe
• London
• North America
• Vancouver
• Toronto
• Guadalajara (served by two different airlines)
• Cabo San Lucas
• Morelia
• Zacatecas
• Leon

As an added bonus, Southwest is doubling their nonstop Hawaii destinations by adding flights to Kauai and the Big Island this January. The Kauai flight will run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays starting January 19th, 2020 while the Kona flight runs Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays starting January 21st 2020.

Sources: SVBJ, SVBJ (2)

SoFA Street Fair this Sunday 2-9pm

You can rock out while lounging on a sofa this weekend at the 10th SoFA Street Fair. We're talking 80 performers across 15 stages spread across three city blocks. Admission is free and the answers to all your questions are below. Help spread the word over here!

*SoFA Street Fair - Fall Edition 2019

*Sunday, 9/29/19, from 2-9pm 

*4 outdoor stages and 11 indoor venues throughout the SoFA District of Downtown San Jose (South First Street between San Carlos St and Reed St). 

Downtown San Jose’s premiere live music showcase - The SoFA Street Fair - returns Sunday, September 29th, with over 80 bands/DJ’s/performers on 15 stages, over 7 hours, within 3 City blocks of San Jose’s arts and entertainment hub known as the SoFA District. 

This 10th edition of the SoFA Street Fair remains free, all ages and introduces some exciting new elements that include: 

- The Dub Rock Records outdoor Reggae Beach stage, featuring some of the best Bay Area Reggae-fusion bands, plus fun “sandy beach” elements ;

- The Women Powered XX Stage tucked inside the comfy, sofa-filled 455 South First Street warehouse space, featuring some of the areas most popular female-fronted bands (such as SOCORRA; SWEET HAYAH; STEELY NASH and CHLOE ZELMA from Zelma Stone Band), plus a special Comedy & Music set by RACHEL WARNER. 

- THE FRANCIS EXPERIENCE music/spoken word collective curated inside at The Haberdasher Speakeasy Stage;

- The Streetlight Records “SoFA Swap” marketplace inside Forager Tasting Room & Eatery - which also doubles as a stage with one of the festival’s most eclectic line ups - ranging from blues/soul; to indie punk and alt rockers, to folk/Americana and French cabaret duos... and culminating in arias and duets by FIRST STREET OPERA. 

Band announcements are being shared daily on social media platforms @sofastreetfair #sofastreetfair and the full downloadable schedule will be linked from this Facebook Event several days before the event: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/2461426314127167/?ti=icl

A few more teasers include  ...

* The Parque de Los Pobladores Main Stage headliner is third wave ska band MONKEY - San Jose natives who have toured internationally and enjoyed success for 24 years and counting.  (@monkeyskaband)

* The Reggae Beach outdoor stage headliner is KRUEL SUMMER, a Reggae/hip hop/indie fusion San Jose band that boasts former members of the Billboard and iTunes chart-topping reggae band The Holdup. (@kruelsummermusic)

* The liveandlocalsj.com outdoor stage continues to rotate different local talent from diverse genres each year, welcoming for the first time.... indie/soul Americana rockers DOGCATCHER; punk/pop power trio PARK MOUR; the R&B/Hip Hop fusion of Dox Black & The Aquanets; the Nu-jazz/hip hop of FRANCIS EXPERIENCE TRIO, Garage style rock’n’rollers CASUAL VIBES; and Old Timey jazz outfit RETRO NOTES.

With over 80 artists, almost any genre of music and entertainment can be enjoyed every half hour - and 10 out of the 15 venues/stages are all ages.

You can also enjoy signature San Jose features such as:  Mighty Mike McGee’s variety show, sofas in the street, live wrestling, arts and crafts vendors, local craft beers and wine, special Sunday hours to nosh at your favorite SoFA District restaurants/cafes - plus a variety of gourmet food trucks.  

Inspirational video for a new San Jose Landmark

Why should the capital of innovation continue to be deprived of a world-class landmark? Urban Confluence is working to fix this problem with a global competition to design a modern version of the San Jose Light Tower next to the SAP Center. The submission deadline has been extended to January 15th, 2020 and you can learn more over here.

In the meantime, Urban Confluence has provide an inspirational video (below). I can't wait to see the winning designs!