Mike Ward is a San Francisco cabaret columnist, arts feature writer &acclaimed theatrical director. Along with Tony-winner George Furth and
Grammy-winning composer/arranger Doug Katsaros, Mike co-created and
staged The End - a musical revue. He was Nominated for the prestigious
Ockrent Fellowship for Broadway Theatre, SF Bay Area Theatre Critics
Circle (SFBATCC) Best Director award, and was awarded the SFBATCC Gene
Price Award for embodying superlative professionalism and passion for
Bay Area theatre with work noteworthy of recognition. Mike has
collaborated on projects with Elaine May & Marlo Thomas, Edward Albee
& Glyn O’Malley, Stephen & Scott Schwartz and over 30 Bay Area
playwrights. Companies he has worked with include TheatreWorks (12
productions), Magic Theatre (Associate Artist for 3 years),
Sacramento’s Music Circus, Old Globe Theatre, American Conservatory
Theater, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Palo Alto Players, SF Fringe
Festival, first national sit-down company of Broadway’s The 25th
Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and more. Alumnus of Lincoln Center
Theater Directors Lab and the West Coast/Pasadena Playhouse Directors
Lab. Mike made his NYC cabaret directorial debut February, 2011 with
Carly Ozard’s Somebody to Love – My Tribute to Freddie Mercury.
BWW Reviews: TALES OF THE CITY Delights; Tinkering Needed to Tune Up for Broadway
June 9, 2011
June 9, 2011
Capturing the charm of the original source material, TALES OF THE CITY benefits from a strong cast fully committed to the work. Yet if Broadway is the goal, quite a bit of retooling, balancing and focusing remains, all within the grasp of this talented team.
RICKIE LEE JONES AT SFJAZZ Sings in Great Voice But Poor Form in Davies Symphony Gig 5/27
June 5, 2011
June 5, 2011
A great premise for an evening of music from an iconic singer, RICKIE LEE JONES AT SFJAZZ brought great vocal chops but undermined her gains with a lack of organizational skills as well as taking out her frustrations on the band in front of the audience. Dressed in attire you might roll out of bed in on your way to making coffee for an early morning lounge-about with the crossword puzzle, the evening became an unintentional pastiche of past history with present disorganization. What could have been a 'win-win' became a 'why-what' for all.
BWW Interviews: Diminutive Diva Zadora Returns to the Stage in PIA ZADORA: BACK AGAIN AND STANDING TALL
June 6, 2011
June 6, 2011
Diminutive 5' Pia Zadora makes a come back with new act. 'I'm nowhere in my career right now...' Zadora shares, '...except singing.' Zadora combined forces with three-time Emmy-winning director/choreographer Walter Painter and Emmy-nominated writer Jon Macks to create this seamless, steamlined 75-minute act, receiving an exclusive booking at the Rrazz Room in the Hotel Nikko, San Francisco.
INTERVIEW: Kim Nalley Conjures a Charm of Music in SHE PUT A SPELL ON ME – KIM NALLEY SINGS NINA SIMONE June 14-July 17 at RRazz Room
June 3, 2011
June 3, 2011
Renowned jazz vocalist Kim Nalley --along with stellar jazz pianist Tammy Hall-- conjures the essence of Nina Simone in this 4-week run at the Rrazz Room. Each week the program will slightly alter, bringing in more of Simone's work.
BWW Reviews: VERONICA KLAUS SINGS THE PEGGY LEE SONGBOOK Returns to the Rrazz Room
May 31, 2011
May 31, 2011
Glamour. Style. Poise. Presence. Voice. These are the first five things that are abundantly apparent in the opening moments of VERONICA KLAUS SINGS THE PEGGY LEE SONGBOOK. Tammy Hall Trio provides accompaniment, with the ever-magnificent Hall's multi-dynamic piano mastery, Daniel Fabricant's bass providing swinging jazz to Latin licks & Kent Bryson's tuneful timely drums & percussion.
![BWW Reviews: BLUE MAN GROUP Bangs All-Out Party in Golden Gate; High-Energy [Dis]Connection a Winner](https://cloudimages.broadwayworld.com/columnpic3/200241825Screenshot2011-05-31at2.jpg)
BWW Reviews: BLUE MAN GROUP Bangs All-Out Party in Golden Gate; High-Energy [Dis]Connection a Winner
May 31, 2011
May 31, 2011
An insightful, dynamic look at our [dis]connect through technology with high-octane rock 'n roll banged out on instruments as unconventional as the players; you'll never look at PVC piping the same way again. Fresh, powerful, slammin' rock with a decidedly Blue Man Group groove.
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