Humperdinck Opera Sparkles, Soothes in Fanciful Creation by Pamela Feinsilber Impeachment hearings, random shootings, widespread fires, long power outages"no wonder we crave a gentle respite…
Benjamin Britten & E.M. Forster Explore Evil vs. Innocence by Pamela Feinsilber Watching the opera "Billy Budd," set on a violent, claustrophobic British man-of-war during the French Rev…
Dvořák's Masterwork Opera Gets a Masterful Production by Pamela Feinsilber A beautiful water nymph yearning for the love of a human; a prince with his own dreams of escape; an enchant…
Handel's Baroque Romance Enlivened by Exciting New Star by Pamela Feinsilber It's good to see "Orlando," one of the most famous of Handel's 40-plus operas, in San Francisco again, especially…
John Neumeier Brings Spectacle, Soul to Grown-Up Fairy Tale by Pamela Feinsilber This month's most theatrical production"the one with the most electrifying performances, eye-opening sets and…
Helgi Tomasson Sets Petipa's Classic with Sumptuous Beauty by Pamela Feinsilber Whether fairy tale, Disney film, or classic ballet, "Sleeping Beauty" is a story of love trumping hate. It sta…
Cathy Marston's Riveting Dance Warms Wharton's Frosty Story by Pamela Feinsilber Two words come to mind after watching "Snowblind," a gripping dance tale inspired by Edith Wharton's 1911 nov…
Tomasson & Possokhov's Crowd-Pleaser an Eye-Popping Pleasure by Pamela Feinsilber San Francisco Ballet kicks off its new season with a whooshing, leaping, swirling, castanet-clicking flo…
Steven Anthony Jones, as August Wilson, Tells Riveting First-Person Tales by Pamela Feinsilber Just before he died, in 2005, August Wilson completed the final play in his remarkable American…
Strauss's Effortlessly Lyrical Music Outweighs Problematic Libretto by Pamela Feinsilber Richard Strauss's 1933 "Arabella" was last seen in San Francisco in 1998. The long delay between perf…
Puccini's Great Opera Has a Dazzling Star, Fresh Sets & Costumes by Pamela Feinsilber Critics attend a popular opera such as "Tosca" many, many times over the years. We saw it here just …
Director Jose Maria Condemi's Chivalrous Rustics & Sad Clowns Come Alive by Pamela Feinsilber It's not often that San Francisco audiences are offered the most popular "double bill" in op…
Tobias Wolff & George Saunders Are Even Better Together by Pamela Feinsilber For 25 years, Word for Word, the inimitable San Francisco theater company that announces its approach to dram…
Young Jean Lee Offers Empathy to the Privileged by Pamela Feinsilber By now, we expect artistic director Jasson Minadakis' Marin Theatre Company to bring us interesting new plays by exciting…
Wagner's Epic Ring Cycle Gets a Glorious Start by Pamela Feinsilber If you were near San Francisco City Hall after dark on June 12, you saw the facade and dome illuminated in vibrant red and…
Jordan Harrison's Poignant Questions Take High-Tech Form by Pamela Feinsilber Jordan Harrison's 2015 Pulitzer-finalist play "Marjorie Prime" opens with a living room conversation between Mar…
Choreographer Neumeier & National Ballet of Canada Celebrate Nijinsky's Triumphs amidst Madness by Pamela Feinsilber As the dancers of San Francisco Ballet prepare to perform 12 (12!) wo…
Helgi Tomasson Sets Petipa's Classic in Sumptuous Beauty by Pamela Feinsilber For a great night of theater, there's nothing like a classic ballet, at least when performed as well and as sump…
Zack Rogow & Lorri Holt Bring Us Colette"Sex & Scandal by Pamela Feinsilber Bay Area audiences have admired Lorri Holt for decades. She was the original Harper Pitt in Tony Kushner's…
Pamela Feinsilber was, for ten years, a senior editor at San Francisco magazine, making sure the cultural coverage was as broad and deep as possible. Today she edits novels and nonfiction fr…