The Rhino presented five shows in four different venues. The shows included a holiday classic, everyone’s favorite New Year’s stand-up, a hit musical, a big benefit bash and host of new queer work - all of it for our usual low-low subscription price.
You joined us for a season on the road.
Queer Theater for the
Queer in Everyone
Earlier in The Season
A Christmas Memory
Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory
December 14, 2009 7:00 pm One Show Only!
At Theatre Artaud (450 Florida, between 17th and Mariposa) Map It!
For reservations for "A Christmas Memory" only, please call 415.626.0453.
Theatre Rhinoceros sells "A Christmas Memory" tickets only as a part of our 2009-10 Subscription.
Collaboration with Word-for-Word
Truman Capote’s humorous and heart-breaking tale of growing up in the rural south and his great Christmas adventure with his good friend Sook. A Rhino holiday tradition brought back to life in this Word-for-Word production. Directed by Joanne Winter.
Marga Gomez Returns
The Marga Gomez New Year's Eve Spectacular
December 31, 2009 Two Shows Only!
7:00 and 9:00 pm
Please click on an image for a full-size image suitable for print media
Photos of Marga Gomez by Kent Taylor
Click on an image to download a larger image
David Hawkins
Natasha Muse
Ben Lerman
Snag a Marga Poster — Click for a BIG One
Meet the Comics — Marga
Meet the Comics — Ben
Hot Summer Night
Hot Summer Night
A Staged Reading Presented by Theatre Rhinoceros and
Grooviness Productions In association with Theatre Q
At the Eureka Theatre (215 Jackson Street, between Front and Battery) Map It!
One Night: Monday, February 22 at 7:00 pm
Theatre Rhinoceros and Grooviness Productions invite you to attend a reading of Hot Summer Night, Jerry Metzker’s impertinent and queerified adaptation of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a gleeful salute to Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Into the Woods and a brazen nod to the Brothers Grimm, DC Comics, The Wizard of Oz, Homer, Christianity, cross-dressing, leather dykes and gender-blind casting.
A Musical by Jonathan Larson (creator of Rent)
At the Eureka Theatre (215 Jackson Street, between Front and Battery) Map It!
February 9 – 28, 2010 Show Added! Saturday, February 27th at 3 pm
The San Francisco professional premiere of the rock musical about facing crossroads in life and holding onto your dreams. This musical brought Larson the attention and recognition that led to Rent when it was performed first by Larson himself, then in a workshop production.
The Bay Times Raves!
"tick, tick... BOOM! Goes off with a Bang!"
“tick, tick… BOOM! must close February 28, and then, BOOM, it’s over. Hurry! The clock is ticking! …It’s really up to the book, the music, and the actors to make it work. And it does.
[tick, tick…] is no bomb. [Scott] Gessford is the affable but anxiety-ridden Jonathan. [The actress who plays Susan] really shines. But the real scene stealer is Brian Yates Sharber as Michael, best friend of Jonathan since they were eight.
Oh, Michael is also gay; and I mean reeeaaally GAY.
The songs are all quite catchy, thanks to the band of Musical Director Dave Dobrusky (keyboards), Hiroshi Hara (electric guitar), and Alexander Szotak (percussion).
And all three actors have fine singing voices.
You will like tick, tick… BOOM!
It’s a great opportunity to get inside a composer’s head and see how it ticks.
Unfortunately this musical has a time clock, because it must close February 28, and then, BOOM, it’s over. Hurry! The clock is ticking!”
"Great night. A damn good production of "tick, tick..BOOM!" at the Eureka.
Scott Gessford terrific in the role of Jonathan... not only in singing but acting. Very charismatic.
[The actress who played Susan] and Brian Yates Sharber were great. Great 90 minutes."
— Richard Connema (Talkinbroadway)
More Applause!
"A worthy precursor to 'Rent'"
— Greg Arch, SF Examiner
The SF Chronicle has this to say about tick, tick... BOOM!
Shines with its musically clever homage to Larson's mentor Stephen Sondheim...
[Scott] Gessford is an appealing Jonathan with a strong, flexible voice...
[The actress who plays Susan] brings a tuneful, upbeat sexiness to the role of Susan... She's a singing-dancing delight....
Brian Yates Sharber excels as [the] successful ad-man best friend Michael... Sharber delivers a dynamic 'No More,' belting the tune and executing Linda Wang's eccentric, athletic choreography with conviction. He also brings down the house on a calypsonian 'Boho Days.'
Director Christopher Herold's [staging] is handsomely spare.
Here's the auto-biographical story about how a great musical came into existence. The character Jonathan has a big challenge to face: should he compromise? Michael, a gay man in 1990, faces his own challenges. And Susan needs to move on, hopefully with both of them.
A heart breaking and hilarious journey through the dilemmas of real life and the limitations and rewards of dreaming.
Directed by Chris Herold, starring Scott Gessford, [the actress who plays Susan], and Brian Yates Sharber*.
*Member Actors Equity
Tickets available now at .
Special Ticket Offer: "Sweet Sixteen." Each night of the show from 7:00 to 7:30 we will sell sixteen tickets at a special $10 ticket price. These tickets will go on sale at 7 and we will stop selling them at 7:30. There is a limit of one per customer. They are available only at the Eureka Theatre Box Office and only between 7 and 7:30 the night of the show. They are only sold nightly for that evening's performance. First come, first served. Show up early and save! ("Sweet Sixteen" tickets are not offered at Sunday matinees or at the Sunday evening show 2/14/10.)
Scenes from Theatre Rhinoceros' production of Jonathan (Rent) Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
SFFist raves...
Especially for Rent-fanatics, this production is worth seeing.
It's a curiosity and a charmingly melancholy piece set in 1990.
The three-person cast is headed by the likable and talented Scott Gessford who plays Jonathan, a clearly autobiographical foil for Larson himself. With the help of castmates [the actress who plays Susan] and Brian Yates Sharber, Gessford brings a lot of sincerity and humor to the show.
The three-member accompanying band is as strong and competent as the cast.
The show plays through the 28th at the Eureka Theater and note that for the February 25th performance, the role of Michael will be played by local mini-lebrity, Tom Orr.
New mid-run photos by Kent Taylor
Click on an image for a full-size version
Left to Right: Scott Gessford and Susan as Jonathan in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Left to Right: Scott Gessford as Jonathan and Susan in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Left to Right: Scott Gessford as Jonathan and Susan in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Left to Right: Scott Gessford as Jonathan and Susan in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Left to Right: Scott Gessford as Jonathan and Susan in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Photos by Kent Taylor
Left to Right: Scott Gessford as Jonathan and Susan in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Left to Right: Scott Gessford as Jonathan and Susan in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Left to Right: Scott Gessford as Jonathan and Susan in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Left to Right: Scott Gessford as Jonathan and Susan in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Left to Right: Scott Gessford as Jonathan and Brian Yates Sharber as Michael in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Left to Right: Scott Gessford as Jonathan, Susan, and Brian Yates Sharber as Michael in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Left to Right: Scott Gessford as Jonathan, Susan, and Brian Yates Sharber as Michael in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Left to Right: Scott Gessford as Jonathan, Susan, and Brian Yates Sharber as Michael in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Left to Right: Brian Yates Sharber as Michael, Scott Gessford as Jonathan, and Susan in Jonathan Larson's tick, tick... BOOM!
Photo by Kent Taylor, Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros
Scott Gessford as Jonathan
Susan
(click on this photograph for a full-size version)
Celebrity Guest Star Tom Orr
played the role of "Michael" on February 25th!
José Sarria and John Fisher
From José 's special appearance April 28th.
Written and Directed by John Fisher
Mama Calizo's Voice Factory
1519 Mission St., Between 11th and Lafayette Map It!
April 14 - May 2
The thrilling musical celebration of America’s first queer activist. José Sarria started as a drag performer at SF’s famous Black Cat Café in the earlty-1950s and rose to fame and popularity as the city’s first openly gay public figures. He ran for supervisor in 1961 and went on to form the Imperial Court System as Her Royal Majesty, Empress of San Francisco, José I, The Widow Norton.
Featuring Donald Currie,Tom Orr, and Mike Vega
SexRev is the centerpiece of The Rhino’s residency at Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory, an incubator for exciting new queer performance.
SexRev utilizes a non-linear approach to the presentation of Sarria’s life, drawing on camp, sketch comedy, opera parody and queer confrontation to tell the story of Sarria’s enormous impact on gay entertainment and LGBT politics.
Click on a photograph for a PDF poster. Graphics by Dave Wilson
Click on a photograph for a large-format version for media. Photos by Kent Taylor
Pictured left to right: Donald Currie, Michael Vega, Tom Orr and Jean Franco in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Pictured left to right: Donald Currie, Michael Vega, Tom Orr and Jean Franco in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Pictured: Tom Orr in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Tom Orr and Jean Franco in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Pictured left to right: Tom Orr and Michael Vega in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Pictured left to right: Jean Franco and Michael Vega in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Pictured left to right: Tom Orr, Jean Franco and Michael Vega in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Pictured left to right: Jean Franco, Tom Orr, Michael Vega and Donald Currie in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Tom Orr in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Michael Vega in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Michael Vega in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Michael Vega in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Michael Vega in "SexRev: The Jose Sarria Experience" Written and Directed by John Fisher. Produced by Theatre Rhinoceros at Mama Calizo's Voice Factory. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Click on a production photograph for a large-format version for media. Photos by Kent Taylor.
Queerification
Mama Rhino New Works Fest continues with...
Queerification
Playlets and musings in progress
by Mercilee Jenkins & Jerry Metzker
Mama Calizo's Voice Factory
1519 Mission St., Between 11th and Lafayette Map It!
One Presentation Only!
Sunday, May 2 at 3:00 PM
Theatre Rhinoceros and Grooviness Productions invite you to attend a collection of comedy sketches and personal musings from a decidedly queer perspective.
Solo performer Mercilee Jenkins will perform “The Sign” and “Cleaning the Refrigerator” from her solo show, Menopause and Desire, as well as “Seven Meditations on a Question,” a new solo piece in development on electing not to have children.
Playwright Jerry Metzker will present several sketches and short pieces in development with a wicked look at the state of contemporary queerdom. Playlets include “Military Readiness” and sections from “Alone” and “Homosexuality 101.”
At the Eureka Theatre (215 Jackson Street, between Front and Battery) Map It!
May 25, 2010 at 8 pm
Our annual benefit boasts the best in queer talent plus free drinks, free food, and a big old Rhino celebration.
Join us for this special event and support this glorious theatre in one of its new digs: The Eureka Theatre. The ticket price ($20) includes drinks, food, and the big party before, afterwards and during!
Starring : Leanne Borghesi, Laurie Bushman, Connie Champagne, Dave Dobrusky, Jennifer Ekman, Mike Finn, David Goodwin, Sara Hauter, Kim Larsen, Matthew Martin, Jim McCunn, Sara Moore, Tom Orr, Deborah Russo, Brain Yates Sharber, Dan Strauss, Jef Valentine and Enrique Vallejo.
