This week on Open Air, host David Latulippe talks with Bay Area actor, playwright and comedian Don Reed, about his autobiographical show ‘The Kipling Hotel’, in which he looks back to his life in Oakland in the 80s.
As the awkward son of a pimp (about which he talks in his earlier show ‘East 14th’), Reed struggled through college, tried being a stripper and a gigolo, but ended up serving breakfast at an unforgettable retirement hotel full of the fascinating elderly, wild drifters, slick actors, and drug addicted dreamers. ‘The Kipling Hotel’ now runs through October 22, at The Marsh in Berkeley.
From the San Francisco Opera, we meet with maestro Nicola Luisotti and tenor Brian Jagde, to discuss the Company’s production of Puccini’s opera ‘Turandot’, which opens this Friday. With Luisotti conducting the opening performance of not only the new opera season, but also of his final one as SFO’s Music Director, tenor Brian Jagde makes his role debut as Calaf, suitor of the beautiful princess Turandot.
And, joining in the studio is Festival Curator Marc Bamuthi Joseph, about the inaugural edition of ‘Transform’, a new performing arts festival at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, to be held every Fall and Spring at YBCA.
The first edition of ‘Transform’ features newly commissioned work by Bay Area artists including dance artist Larry Arrington; Oakland-based musician Sandra Lawson Ndu; Iranian-born conceptual artist Minoosh Zomorodinia; dance theater company Embodiment Project; the drag queen alter ego of Monique Jenkinson, Fauxnique; underground dance theater organization Fogbeast; dance and visual artist Jesse Hewit; contemporary dance company RAWdance; and contemporary ballet company Amy Seiwert Imagery.
Open Air with host David Latulippe; heard live on Thursday, September 7 at 1pm. Listen now or anytime…