TV's “Supernanny” may correct bad behavior, but only a nanny adds magical powers and flying with an umbrella to her repertoire.

The musical “Mary Poppins” opened yesterday at the Detroit Opera House and promises to delight children and adults alike through January 2nd.

Directed by producer Cameron Mackintosh, the Disney musical is based on the fantasy book series by PL Travers and the 1964 film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.

The popular childhood story follows a magical nanny who works for the hapless family of a cold banker and features popular songs such as “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “Step in Time” and “Supercalifraglisticexpialidocious.”

New songs by Olivier Award winners George Stiles and Anthony Drewe also grace the stage production.

The show premiered in London's West End in 2004, with a Broadway counterpart premiering two years later.

It received seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical and Best Set Design.

A national tour began in Chicago in March 2009.

Nicolas Dromard takes on the role of chimney sweep Bert after spending the last 1 1/2 years as Fiyero in the San Francisco production of “Wicked.”

His enthusiasm for the plum part was evident during a recent telephone interview at a tour stop in Des Moines, Iowa.

“It’s such an incredible show,” Dromard said. “Of all the shows I have done, this is my favorite. I love performing it every night.”

He believes the timeless message speaks to everyone and still resonates today.

“Kids connect with the Disney magic and adults connect because they remember the movie,” he said.

“The story about the father trying to reconnect with his children and the mother feeling like she's lost her purpose – that's very timely, even though it's set in the early 20th century.”

The national tour is not Dromard's first foray into the role.

He was part of the original Broadway cast and understudy Bert before taking over the role of Gavin Lee.

While he realizes his performance will inevitably draw comparisons to Van Dyke's iconic performance, he's not worried about whether he can keep up.

“How great to have such a role model,” he said of the star. “I don’t try to copy anything he does, but rather put my own spin on it while staying true to the character.”

Born in Ottawa, Dromard began dancing at the age of six after being inspired by a film starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

He studied music at De La Salle High School, a performing arts school in Ottawa, and participated in community theater and dance competitions in Canada and the United States.

After high school, he planned to study music in college, but while in New York City to compete in a dance competition finals, he auditioned for and booked “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular” in Branson, Missouri.

From there, his theater opportunities grew – “West Side Story” at the Stratford Festival in Canada, the North American premiere of “Mamma Mia,” “Oklahoma!” and “The Boy From Oz” on Broadway, “Hairspray” in Toronto, the first national Tour of “Wicked” and “Mary Poppins” on Broadway.

Dromard puts his talents to work in the role of the lovable Cockney Bert, taking the lead role in several songs, acting as narrator and dancing up a storm in the peppy number “Step in Time.”

“That’s my favorite number,” he said. “I get to knock upside down – how could you not like that?”

According to Dromard, new melodies, including Mary's introductory piece “Practically Perfect”, fit perfectly with the original numbers and flesh out the stories of the main characters.

“It's a perfect mix of favorite songs from the film and Travers' book and new songs that fit together so perfectly you'd think the entire score was written at the same time,” he said.

Bob Crowley's bizarre stage design provides a much-vaunted backdrop for the stage action.

“The tour set is incredible,” Dromard said. “We have a house that is more like a dollhouse or a pop-up book.

“It starts closed, then at the end of the show I come out and do a little intro and it comes to life.

“It is visually beautiful and amazes the mind.”

The magical world of “Mary Poppins” unfolds at the Detroit Opera House through January 2nd.

Tickets, starting at $25, are available at the Fisher Box Office, Ticketmaster locations, www.broadwayindetroit.com and by calling 1-800-982-2787.

The post Basic musical “Mary Poppins” drops into Detroit Opera Home – The Information Herald appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Nicolas Dromard has some high-flying fun as Bert the chimney sweep in “Mary Poppins” the musical on stage through Jan. 2 at the Detroit Opera House. Photo by Joan Marcus

TV’s “Supernanny” may reform bad behavior, but only one nanny adds magical powers and flying via umbrella to her repertoire.

“Mary Poppins” the musical descended yesterday at the Detroit Opera House and promises to thrill children and adults alike through Jan. 2.

The Disney musical helmed by producer Cameron Mackintosh is based on P.L. Travers’s fantasy book series and the 1964 film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke.

The beloved childhood tale follows a magical nanny who comes to work for a cold banker’s unhappy family and features beloved songs including, “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “Step in Time” and “Supercalifraglisticexpialidocious.”

New songs from Olivier Award winners George Stiles and Anthony Drewe also grace the stage production.

The show opened in London’s West End in 2004, with a Broadway counterpart debuting two years later.

It received seven Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, winning for Best Scenic Design.

A national tour launched in Chicago in March 2009.

Nicolas Dromard takes on the toe-tapping role of Bert, the chimney sweep, after spending the last 1 1/2 years as Fiyero in the San Francisco production of “Wicked.”

His excitement about the plum part was evident during a recent phone interview from a tour stop in Des Moines, Iowa.

“It’s such an incredible show,” Dromard said. “Of all the shows I’ve done, this is my favorite. I adore performing it every night.”

The timeless message appeals to everyone, he believes, and resonates even today.

“Kids connect with the Disney magic and adults because they remember the movie,” he said.

“The story about the father trying to reconnect with his children and the mother feeling she’s lost her purpose – that’s very current even though it’s set in the early 1900s.”

The national tour isn’t Dromard’s first foray into the role.

He was part of the original Broadway ensemble cast and understudied Bert before taking over for Gavin Lee.

While he realizes his performance inevitably draws comparisons to Van Dyke’s iconic turn, he isn’t worried about measuring up.

“How great to have a role model like that,” he said of the star. “I don’t try to copy anything he does, but put my little spin on it while being true to the character.”

Born in Ottawa, Dromard began dancing at age 6 after being inspired by a Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers movie.

He studied music at De La Salle High School, a performing arts school in Ottawa, and did community theater as well as dance competitions across Canada and the United States.

After high school, he planned to study music in college, but while in New York City for a dance competition final, auditioned and booked “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular” in Branson, Mo.

His theater opportunities grew from there – “West Side Story” at the Stratford Festival in Canada, the North American premiere cast of “Mamma Mia,” “Oklahoma!” and “The Boy From Oz” on Broadway, “Hairspray” in Toronto, the first national tour of “Wicked,” and “Mary Poppins” on Broadway.

Dromard puts his talents to good use as the lovable cockney Bert, taking lead on several songs, acting as narrator and dancing up a storm in the tap-heavy number, “Step in Time.”

“That’s my favorite number,” he said. “I get to tap upside down – how could you not love that?”

New tunes, including Mary’s introduction piece, “Practically Perfect,” fit in flawlessly with the original numbers, according to Dromard, and flesh out the main characters’ stories.

“It’s a perfect blend of favorite songs from the movie and Travers’s book and new songs that fit in so perfectly you’d think the whole score was written at the same time,” he said.

Bob Crowley’s whimsical set provides a much-ballyhooed backdrop for the onstage action.

“The tour set is incredible,” Dromard said. “We have a house that’s more like a dollhouse or a pop-up book.

“It starts off closed, then at the top of the show, I come out and do a little intro and it pops into life.

“It’s visually beautiful and boggles the mind.”

The magical world of “Mary Poppins” unfolds at the Detroit Opera House through Jan. 2.

Tickets starting at $25 are on sale at the Fisher box office, Ticketmaster locations, www.broadwayindetroit.com and by phone at 1-800-982-2787.

The post Basic musical “Mary Poppins” drops into Detroit Opera Home – The Information Herald appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Credit: Seth Taube

San Francisco is well known for its eclectic culture and vibrant artistic spirit. Not only did the city inspire iconic songs like “The Dock of the Bay” and “Lights,” it also catapulted the careers of legends like Carlos Santana, Grateful Dead, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. However, the city’s music scene has inspired people to seek success beyond music, including financial legend Seth Taube.

At the North American level, Seth Taube is best known for his work as a philanthropist, entrepreneur, investor, and finance professional. However, those familiar with the San Francisco music scene may know him better for his musical talent and passion. Having started playing the violin 44 years ago, Taube has honed his skills throughout his life and developed a deep appreciation for music. This was one of his reasons for becoming a resident of the San Francisco area.

“Choosing San Francisco was a conscious decision to immerse yourself in a community that inspires passion, fosters growth and sets the stage for exceptional achievement,” said Taube. “The local music scene embodies a perfect blend of innovation, diversity and artistic energy that I just can’t get enough of.”

Anyone who knows Taube will immediately understand his fascination with San Francisco, as he often speaks about how music and technological innovation can help deal with some of the pressing existential threats humanity faces. By forming several multi-million dollar companies and providing capital to over 500 other companies, San Francisco’s tech scene also happened to align with Taube’s vision of a better future.

“San Francisco has always been a place where innovation and collaboration are at the heart of every endeavor, be it artistic or entrepreneurial, making it the perfect playground for someone like me,” Taube explains. “Moving here not only allowed me to meet and play with some of the most talented musicians I’ve ever met, but also the opportunity to mentor entrepreneurs who could change the world in the near future.”

Taube regularly collaborates with several chamber music and bluegrass groups, two genres he always admired as a child because they were compatible with his favorite instrument, the violin. As part of the local music community, Taube has also focused many of his philanthropic efforts on helping young musicians develop their talent.

Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane once said, “San Francisco is 49 square miles and surrounded by reality,” describing it as an oasis for those who seek to transcend the constraints of everyday life. Now, as uncertainty mounts by the hour, visionaries like Taube see it as a glimmer of hope and a catalyst for positive change.

“I firmly believe in the transformative power of music. Not only is it closer than ever to a universal language, but it also has the ability to touch hearts, evoke emotion and bring people together,” Taube concludes. “Music is about taking something relatively simple and making something incredible out of it, and that’s what philanthropy, entrepreneurship and life should be about. The people here understand that.”

The post Seth Taube’s San Francisco Story: Music, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation | Musical Devices appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

———- Forwarded message ———
From: NewMusicals Inc
Date: Wed, Jan 26, 2022 at 9:12 PM
Subject: a new musical webseries honoring ordinary local heroes – starting with North Hollywood!
To:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Scott Guy, Executive Director
New Musicals Inc.
818-506-8500
admin@nmi.org

LOCAL NORTH HOLLYWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD HANDYMAN HONORED IN A NEW MUSICAL

(Los Angeles, January 26, 2022)

Geoff Davis never thought he would be the subject of a musical. He’s a revered handyman in North Hollywood, California, and adored by everyone on the block.

New Musicals Inc. just created a digital musical about Geoff, as part of a new musical web series honoring “ordinary neighborhood heroes” whose perspective on life is interesting and enlightening.

Sponsored in part by a grant from the North Hollywood North East Neighborhood Council, this episode is part of NMI’s newly launched Neighborhood Heroes Project.

“The Neighborhood Heroes Project puts focus on the ordinary person to show us how much we can learn from each other,” said NMI Executive Director and series producer, Scott Guy. “In these extraordinary times, many of our neighbors have shown astonishing resilience, tenacity, and determination to stay true to their personal pathways.”

When NMI was awarded the grant in early 2020, and began looking for the right subject for the first episode in the series, they realized the perfect subject was working to replace some old lighting ballasts in their own building. “Geoff started telling us how many folks were depending on him, at the height of the pandemic,” says Elise Dewsberry, NMI’s Artistic Director. “He told me he scrounged up so much handyman work that he was employing several OTHER handymen as well. I was so impressed and moved, I began asking him whether we could honor him with a musical.”

The resulting musical, “What Gets Thrown At Us”, tells the true story of Davis’ difficult turbulent past, how he mended his family, built his own business, and is still giving back to his community. It has book by Douglas Haverty (Artistic Director of North Hollywood’s own Group Rep Theatre); music and lyrics by James A Goins; it is directed by John Mitchell, and features performer Jimmer Bolden. The episode can be viewed for free here: https://nmi.org/neighborhood-heroes/

Additional episodes in the project will begin by identifying an “ordinary hero” in a particular neighborhood, and then pair them with a creative team to dramatize and musicalize some aspect of their life, with the final result of a 7-12 minute musical film.

“I loved meeting and experiencing Geoff,” says bookwriter Douglas Haverty. “I am honored to help in the telling of this tale and the helping to illustrate the wonder of this man.”

Composer James Goins says “It has been a high privilege and an honor working on the Neighborhood Heroes Project … to create this musical work about the remarkable, touching, and true life of Mr. Geoff Davis.”

“While we may not all have personal experience, most of us know someone who has been a victim of addiction, seen a close friend or family take a very wrong turn in their lives or been in a situation where hope seemed to be a distant memory says director John Mitchell. “The spirit of this gentleman, the loving nature of who he becomes, is contagious and offers us hope in what has been a very bad few years for most of us. The twist ending took my breath away, and made me wonder how it will all turn out.”

“Geoff Davis’s story really resonated with me because I am drawn to the stories of redemption of everyday people”, says performer Jimmer Bolden. “He could have easily given up on himself and simply faded away, but instead he faced his fears and his past and became a marvelous example for those in despair and a great contributor to his community.”

Ironically and tragically, as this musical was being created and filmed, Geoff Davis was diagnosed with cancer, and doesn’t know how much time he has left. Davis himself, in this episode, says, “Yes, does life continue to overload me with situations to test my ability to survive and endure. Yes, daily. The good thing is I no longer run or nor I will run. I stand up every morning with a face of gratitude and a humble heart and I go and provide a service to strangers to make their life simpler and problem-free.”

The North Hollywood Northeast Neighborhood Council serves one of Los Angeles’ most diverse areas, and is committed to working with families, businesses, organizations to help build a more engaged and exciting community in The Valley. https://www.nhnenc.org/

Their NPGs, or Neighborhood Purpose Grants, are a way for neighborhood councils to partner with and support non-profit organizations and public schools on projects that provide a public benefit to the community. NPG activities build community, enhance the neighborhood, and are open, accessible, and free to the general public.
New Musicals Inc. develops and produces musicals for both live and digital stage. They have a similar web series, “So Proudly We Hailed”, which focuses on the life stories of veterans. There are currently seven episodes available for viewing, with three more to be released over the next three months, and plans for another round by the end of 2022. https://nmi.org/veterans/

“Our little musical films celebrate the life choices someone has made, for better or worse,” says NMI Artistic Director, and series dramaturge, Elise Dewsberry, “and perhaps along the way we learn from someone else’s triumphs and/or failures.”

For more information about NMI, visit www.nmi.org/online or email admin@nmi.org

##

New Musicals Inc., 5628 Vineland Avenue, North Hollywood, CA, 91601 818-506-8500 admin@nmi.org www.nmi.org

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The post Native North Hollywood Neighborhood Handyman Honored In A New Musical appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Davis Musical Theater Company’s first show in its 37th season, Disney’s Mary Poppins, opens Friday, September 17th at 8:00 pm

The play will be shown on Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through October 10 at the Jean Henderson Performing Arts Center, 607 Pena Drive # 10, Davis.

The jack-of-all-trades Bert introduces the audience to England in 1910 and the troubled Banks family. The young Jane and Michael have sent quite a few nannies to pack before Mary Poppins is at their door. Mary Poppins is a mixture of unforgettable songs, dances and stage art.

The show features Jori Gonzales as Mary Poppins, Judah Dwight as Bert the Chimney Sweep, Andi Bourquin as Mrs. Banks, Amy Woodman as Mrs. Brill, Tim Blankenship as Robertson Ay, Ruby Schwerin as Jane Banks and Django Nachmanoff as Michael Banks.

General tickets are $ 18. Tickets for students, children, and seniors (55+) are $ 16. For groups of 10 or more, tickets cost 14 USD. To order tickets, go to dmtc.org or call (530) 756-3682.

The post ‘Mary Poppins’ opens Davis Musical Theatre Firm’s thirty seventh season – Each day Democrat appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

ENCORE is a South Bay educational theater group founded by Summer Dey Cacciagioni to pursue her dream at age 15 of building community and transforming the lives of children and adults by creating high quality theater productions through intensive music and theater training produced. I admire her emphasis not only on traditional acting, singing and dancing, and all the technical aspects of live theater (kudos to the group’s great sets, lighting and costumes), but also for making it a priority in developing respectful, thoughtful, reflective, honest and conscious people who feel comfortable helping others as a positive part of the theater community.

These ambitions are reflected in ENCORE’s production of Disney’s MARY POPPINS, Director: Ms. Cacciagioni, with choreography by Jorie Janeway, vocal direction by Daniel Nakawatase and a wonderfully talented orchestra under the direction of Matthew David Viskwith, with Flying By Foy and special effects by Stage Monkey. Every single one on the stage, from the youngest to the oldest in a cast of over 70 actors who obviously took care of each other and entertained the grateful audience with joy from start to finish.

Based on the books by PL Travers and the classic Disney movie, MARY POPPINS delighted audiences of all ages, even if the 3-hour running time may be a bit too short Challenge for very young children. It tells the story of everyone’s favorite nanny who arrives on the doorstep of the Banks House on London’s Cherry Tree Lane and takes Jane, Michael, and their entire family on a magical, musical adventure that will ultimately reveal the value of family and all that experience can happen if you allow it. The musical contains popular songs from the classic film, including “Step in Time”, a “Spoonful of Sugar”, “Feed the Birds”, “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” and the ever-popular “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” which got the audience clapping along and sing along to the incredible production number.

Many of the roles are double cast, and I’m sure whichever actors you see will be just as remarkable as the ones I mention in this review. The most important role on the show, of course, is that of Mary Poppins, the lovable and wise nanny who was perfectly played for the third time in her career by Leah Morales. Morales obviously knows this woman from the depths of her soul, and even the slight tilt of her head or the flipping of her apron says so much more than what her words express. Your working-class compatriot, Bert the Chimney Sweep, is played for the second time by the energetic Jed Sura, whose wife and daughter also appear in the cast. Surah is fun to watch as he not only walked the chimney sweeps through their production number, but also a large group of very young penguins who were perhaps the most adorable group of kids on the production line!

Members of the Banks family, who the story revolves around as they learn to accept the wisdom of Mary Poppins and the importance of family rather than money, include Rich D’Anna as Patriarch George, Jennifer Werfelmann as his wife, and Winnifred their outspoken children Jane (Grace Liakos) and Michael (Henry Deane), who are thoroughly entertaining as the often quarreling siblings. Kudos also go to other outstanding actors including Lizzy Sheck as “Feed the Birds” woman, Renee Sura at the bank’s housekeeper, Mrs. Brill, the intoxicating and colorful “Supercali …” ensemble number, led by Danielle Jordan as Mrs. Corrie and Tara Fermanian as her daughter Fanny Corrie, Chantelle Jordan as the nightmarish substitute nanny Ms. Andrew, Nathan Byrnes as bank president Mr. Dawes, Brian Werfelmann as a bank loan customer Mr. Northbrook, Alan Sanborn, whose park ranger takes great pleasure in flying kites, and the lithe dancing park statues of Gabriella Gordon, Ashley Lopresto, Amelia Paulson and Cameron Taylor.

Enjoy an irresistible story, unforgettable songs, breathtaking dance numbers and spectacular flying experiences in the family-friendly ENCORE production by MARY POPPINS at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd. on January 6th and 12th at 7.30pm and January 6th, 7th and 13th at 2pm. Reserved seat tickets range from $ 44 to $ 60. Use discount code PRESS17 to get $ 10 off each ticket when you purchase 2 or more tickets. For tickets and more information, call (310) 376-3500 or visit www.EncoreSouthBay.org/tickets. And if you miss this one, you should definitely experience your next musical spectacle. THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME from June 29th to July 8th 2018.

Photo credit: Myles Regan

The post ENCORE Entertains Audiences with Enjoyable-Stuffed MARY POPPINS Musical appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

He’s back! James Corden took his popular LATE LATE SHOW feature “Crosswalk the Musical” across the pond this week, where his show will be aired from London, England. Appropriately enough, the theater company produced a production of MARY POPPINS and recruited the acting talents of Sir Ben Kingsley in the role of Bert the chimney sweep. Corden himself donned the legendary nanny costume to take on the title role. The clip will air on the LATE LATE SHOW on CBS tonight (12:37 PM – 1:37 PM, ET / PT). BWW will bring you a video as soon as it becomes available. For now, however, take a look at these first pictures from the filming!

Each week, James Corden invites audiences to join in the fun, while Emmy Award-winning THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH James Corden features a mix of celebrity guests, musical performances, games, and sketching. Corden differentiates his show by taking a behind-the-scenes look at the green space, bringing out all of his guests at once, and imparting his musical and acting talents to various sketches.

In addition, band leader Reggie Watts and the house band Corden provide original, improvised music throughout the show. Since Corden took over the helm in March 2015, the show has quickly become known for generating lively viral videos like Carpool Karaoke.

Photo: Craig SugdenCBS

The post Pictures: First Look – James Corden Stops Visitors for ‘Crosswalk the Musical: MARY POPPINS’ appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Sound is the only color in the pitch-dark concert room of the auditorium. Since 1975 this theater on Bush Street in Polk Gulch has been quietly – and sometimes loudly – trying to redefine how San Francisco thinks about music.

The modest performance space looks like a college lecture hall with a modern mid-century hobby room criss-crossed. Speakers are everywhere; The last official count was 176. Speakers of various shapes and sizes dangle from the ceiling like stalactites. They are also hidden under bars in the floor and hidden in the walls. Audium has been using the same chairs, zigzag metal frames with soft red cushions for 46 years. For COVID-19 purposes there are only 11 chairs far apart. I sit down, the lights go dark and then the show starts.

Jazz piano tunes and street shots of San Francisco bounce around the room like ping pong balls from speaker to speaker. The sound of a car engine rumbles under my feet, a recording of a conversation in Union Square whispers off the walls to my left, while xylophone tones swirl overhead. I close my eyes, but the room is so dark that at some point I’ll forget they’re even closed.

Jazz piano tunes and street shots of San Francisco bounce around the room like ping pong balls from speaker to speaker.

Mariah Tiffany / Special for SFGATE

“It’s like a movie for your ears,” says Dave Shaff, who manages the space and produces the latest composition, Audium Sound Hour, which premieres on May 6th.

The concept behind Audium was inspired by the experimental music scene in San Francisco in the 1960s. At the time, Shaff’s father Stan was a professional trumpeter. After performing at the Tape Music Center in San Francisco, he began to work with renowned composers such as John Cage and the dance choreographer Anna Halprin. His work with Halprin inspired him to think about moving the sound of his trumpet the way dancers move their bodies and treating music as if it were a spatial sculpture.

Together with co-founder Doug McEachern, Stan Shaff designed an immersive loudspeaker system with which he can move sounds around the room in real time. Instead of just a wall of stereo sound from left and right, the melodies were now like marionettes on strings that could be inserted into hundreds of places in a room. Shaff and McEachern began performing at the San Francisco Museum of Art (which later became the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) with this philosophy, and then used a National Endowment for the Arts scholarship to convert a former bakery into an audium. Dave’s father Stan is now 92 years old, but still had a prepandemic and is currently working on a new composition.

Since 1975, the Audium Theater, hidden on Bush Street in Polk Gulch, has been quietly – and sometimes loudly – trying to redefine how San Francisco thinks about music.

Mariah Tiffany / Special for SFGATE

Like most San Francisco venues, the Audium has been closed since the first on-site accommodation ordinance was issued in March 2020. Meanwhile, thanks to a small town grant, they’ve been able to upgrade their HVAC system and reopened for private parties on May 6th. Booking an experience for a group of four people costs $ 100, and each additional guest costs $ 25 (maximum 10 people).

Last year Dave Shaff developed an iPad-based digital control system to replace the old analog mixer. However, for now, Audium’s principles and technologies are largely the same as they were in the 1970s. And that is what makes it such a lovely experience.

Jazz piano tunes and street shots of San Francisco bounce around the room like ping pong balls from speaker to speaker.

Mariah Tiffany / Special for SFGATE

Fans of electronic and experimental music, or really anyone who has attended a music festival in the past decade, will be no stranger to installations like Audium. You enter a cave-like room, possibly Van Gogh paintings are projected on the walls. Or sit in the California Academy of Sciences planetarium and stare at a swirl of 3D robotic graphics specially mapped to the contours of the ceiling. A cacophony of synthesized sounds and trippy images. These experiences are always pretty cool, but sometimes just a little too on the nose.

I am sitting in my 46-year-old seat in total darkness and am surrounded by pounding bucket drummers. A skateboarder does a kickflip on my left and a BART train races by on my right. Bass vibrations float through the metal of the chair, giving me a light massage as birds, bells, and timpani drums drip from the stalactites. A free jazz musician finally gets his grand piano when a dissonant piano chord glues all the sounds together.

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Since 1975, the Audium Theater, hidden on Bush Street in Polk Gulch, has been quietly – and sometimes loudly – trying to redefine how San Francisco thinks about music.

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Jazz piano tunes and street shots of San Francisco bounce around the room like ping pong balls from speaker to speaker.

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Since 1975, the Audium Theater, hidden on Bush Street in Polk Gulch, has been quietly – and sometimes loudly – trying to redefine how San Francisco thinks about music.

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Since 1975, the Audium Theater, hidden on Bush Street in Polk Gulch, has been quietly – and sometimes loudly – trying to redefine how San Francisco thinks about music.

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Since 1975, the Audium Theater, hidden on Bush Street in Polk Gulch, has been quietly – and sometimes loudly – trying to redefine how San Francisco thinks about music.

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Dave Shaff, manager of the Audium Theater.

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Since 1975, the Audium Theater, hidden on Bush Street in Polk Gulch, has been quietly – and sometimes loudly – trying to redefine how San Francisco thinks about music.

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The whole composition feels childlike, and the way the sound moves around the room feels more fluid than mechanical, and is moved by a hand rather than a mouse. The ideas and techniques are nothing new, the same composition could have been played on the opening weekend of the audience, but something about it still sounds fresh today. Simply put, the place just has soul.

The music gets quieter and it now sounds like I’m sitting next to a babbling creek, but maybe the creek is flowing down the sidewalk of Bush Street and ambient shots from quieter parts of San Francisco gently fill the room. I’m still in a trance, not exactly sure how long. When I open my eyes, I notice that the lights have already been turned back on.

The post For 46 years, this soulful oddity has been San Francisco’s best-kept musical secret appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Steve Zwetsch combines improbable objects to create folk musical art. Five years ago Zwetsch came across a YouTube video of a guitar made from cigar boxes that was fascinated by the instrument.

As an autodidact, Zwetsch rose to the challenge and began to build the instrument in his cellar. Before the pandemic, he made five cigar box guitars a year, but after his bakery business was impacted by COVID-19, he made 14 guitars in six months.

Plum is able to resume a beloved hobby with the hope of profit.

RELATED: Free Educational Resources for Kids Stuck at Home Amid a COVID-19 Pandemic

“What made me do it was the kind of music the guy was playing,” Zwetsch said. “He played an old blues song from the 1940s and I’m fascinated by that kind of music. Then I made one (cigar box guitar) and I could actually play it, that was exciting.”

THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX: This East Bay man is plucking his way through a pandemic creating guitars with improbable items to create folk art and music. pic.twitter.com/GnUzARu3TD

– ABC7 Melissa Pixcar (@ MelissaABC7) October 3, 2020

Zwetsch was unable to tease a normal size guitar due to a ligament injury on his left wrist. Since cigar box guitars are smaller, he can play the instrument with ease.

“Smaller body guitars are just easier to play, which is why a lot of people start with them,” said Zwetsch. “I can get all grades and don’t have to put as much pressure on my wrist.”

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Despite the coronavirus shutdown, the design of cigar box guitars has given Zwetsch an opportunity to think outside the box.

“I used a lot of different objects to build guitars,” said Zwetsch. “I made one out of a metal biscuit gift box. A pool shelf. I made one out of a bed pan. I used wine boxes. Anything that has a body that resonates with sound.”

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Zwetsch picks for items through flea markets, junkyards and his own garage to build the guitars.

“I like to call that the art of imperfection. It takes things that shouldn’t be together,” said Zwetsch. “A lot of the hardware I use is drawer pulls, knobs, and various things that I can find.”

He enjoys taking things that would otherwise end up in a landfill and “bringing them back to life”.

“These things are fun to do, and I do them more for art value than anything else,” said Zwetsch. “Then the fact that it has created more art with the music you can play with it is just phenomenal.”

Visit the Cigar Box Kitchen website for more information.

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