I was a taxi driver here in San Jose for many years and that is how I met my husband Ken. He is a very busy taxi driver.

Between his job and his love for playing pool he wouldn’t have the time for another wife… But, then there is a taxi driver named John who is married to two wives!

Read all about it: RUN FOR YOUR WIFE

John, a taxi driver, is married to two wives who live in different parts of London. Things go well until he rescues an elderly woman from three muggers and winds up in the hospital. The ensuing treatment throws his carefully constructed life off kilter. John’s dilemma is not helped when an upstairs neighbor tries to help and only makes things worse. Add two police detectives, one sexually charged wife, one play-by-the-rules wife and a gay dressmaker and you have the elements of chaos and continuous laughter.

Cast:
Mary Smith……………….Lucy Littlewood
Barbara Smith……………Cynthia Branch Lagodzinski
John Smith………………..Jim Woodbury
Det. Sgt. Troughton……Joel Butler
Stanley Gerdner…………C. Conrad Cady
Det. Sgt Porterhouse….Spencer Stevenson
Bobby Franklyn…………Jimmy James Allan

Directed by John Baldwin
Assistat Director Gary Laidlaw

Broadway West Theatre Company
4000 B Bay Street, Fremont, CA

Call for info and tickets ~ 1 (510) 683-9218
Tickets are going fast! Final weekend, last three performances.

facebook: Broadway West Theatre Company

Ken with his other "wife"

Are you all ready for the second half of theater/music/opera season?  Well the season is ready for you, and it’s time to start marking the calendars.  These are the shows Metblogs is hoping to attend and review for you:

Double Indemnity

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DOUBLE INDEMNITY
January 12 – February 5, 2012
San Jose Repertory Company

THERE ARE THREE ELEMENTS ESSENTIAL TO A SUCCESSFUL MURDER

From the dark and dingy streets of LA comes a treacherous tale of love and murder. The beautiful and seductive Phyllis Nirlinger unveils a cold-blooded scheme to murder her husband, but not before first taking out an insurance policy on his life—one which pays double if her husband dies in a fall from a moving train. Smart-talking insurance agent Walter Huff falls victim to the persuasive femme fatale. Caught in a web of greed and lust, the adulterous couple commits the almost perfect crime leading to guilt, suspicion and betrayal.

Did we hear murder, greed and lust?  We’re so there.

West Side Story

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WEST SIDE STORY
January 17 – 22
Broadway San Jose
Center for the Performing Arts

More than fifty years ago one musical changed theater forever. Now it’s back, and mesmerizing audiences once again. From the first note to the final breath, West Side Story soars as the greatest love story of all time. Tony Award-winning librettist Arthur Laurents’ Broadway direction is recreated for the tour by David Saint, the Associate Director on Broadway. West Side Story remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever.

One of my favorite musicals of all time! Metblogs has not yet received an invitation for review, but you should put this on your calendars regardless.  It’s a sure winner!

Social Security

SOCIAL SECURITY
January 26 – February 12
Hillbarn Theater

By Andrew Bergman
Director: Hunt Burdick

I am looking forward to this year’s musical holiday concert presented by the Silicon Valley Gay Men’s Chorus (SVGMC).

I have been told “Songs for a Winter’s Night” will include the songs of Kwanza, Hanukkah, and Christmas.

Also, there are always some cheerful comic moments!

When: December 16th & 17th at 8 PM also the 18th at 3 PM.

Where: Christ The Good Shepherd Church at 1550 Meridian Ave., San Jose 95125

Tickets: Purchase

SVGMC is partnering with Family Giving Tree.

Bring a new unwrapped gift or toy to the “Songs for a Winter’s Night” concert to help the children of a family in need feel the love of the season.

Note: Each donor will receive a ticket for a special drawing.

Island Summer Jam – a benefit event for the Lucille Packard Children’s Hospital. 100% of the ticket sales will benefit LPCH.

This is an “ALCOHOL FREE” event.

Saturday, August 20th, 2011
10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Akiyama Wellness Center
110 Jackson Street, between 3rd and 4th
San Jose, CA

Event Information: Hawaiian Island Entertainment

Tickets available at these fine locations:

$20. – Adults
$15. Kids & Seniors

***Island Sol Company, 225 Jackson Street
San Jose, CA 408.998.8600

***Phil’s Treasure Pot, 625 Oak Grove Ave #B
Menlo Park, CA 650.561.4296

***Aloha Kitchen Hawaiian BBQ, 1041 E. Capitol Expwy, Ste.30
San Jose, CA 408.360.8899

***L&L Hawaiian BBQ, 1380 W. Campbell Ave
Campbell, CA 408.866.0982

***L&L Hawaiian BBQ, 273 W. Calaveras Blvd
Milpitas, CA 408.262.5880

***L&L Hawaiian BBQ, 1 Curtner Ave
San Jose, CA 408.288.9839

***L&L Hawaiian BBQ, 27328 Hesperian Blvd.,
Hayward CA 510.782.0880

***L&L Hawaiian BBQ, 3580 Homestead Rd.,
Santa Clara, CA 408.246.0896

Island Summer Jam ~ facebook

February will be a tough month to beat, quality-wise, but March definitely wins the quantity category – mainly due to Cinequest.  Will the show quality be just as good next month?  I’m betting YES.  Here are the shows that Metblogs is planning to review for you in March – get your tickets now!!

March 1 – March 13
CINEQUEST
Interactive Schedule
Join Cinequest as they unveil 173 memorable films, soul stirring events and amazing innovations in palatial venues. Cinequest will fuse the community of film lovers with film creators, holding Q&A sessions and forums with the seven hundred (700) plus artists expected in attendance. Experience so much more than a film festival.

As always, Metblogs will be there to cover every aspect of this film festival, and we strongly urge you to follow along and join us.  It’s the most fun we have all year!!

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March 10 – March 27
SEPARATE TABLES
Hillbarn Theatre
Separate Tables is set in a shabby genteel hotel on England’s south coast where the residents, for the most part, dine alone—at separate tables.  The story is about sexual repression, understanding and forgiveness.  Hillbarn’s take on it, although true to the script, pokes a little fun at the repressed mores of the 1950s while at the same time understanding that the glimpse is real.  The original movie contained blockbuster actors Deborah Kerr, Rita Hayworth and David Niven—who won an Oscar for his portrayal.  Our version will make you laugh about some of the outmoded conventions in our past.

Hillbarn has the best track record of great shows so far.  I have no doubt this show will be a must-see!

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March 15 – March 20
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
Broadway San Jose
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, the Tony Award® winning musical that has captured the hearts of people all over the world with its universal appeal, embarks on its North American Tour.
Based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF has been lauded by critics again and again, and won the hearts of people all around the world. Filled with a rousing, heartwarming score, which includes “Tradition,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “If I Were A Rich Man” and “Sunrise, Sunset,” FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is a timeless classic.
No other musical has so magically woven music, dance, poignancy and laughter into such an electrifying and unforgettable experience. Relive a glorious tradition of the musical theatre with FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.

I’ve actually never seen the show or the film before, and I’m looking forward to my Fiddler introduction in March!

March 24 – April 17
LEGACY OF LIGHT
San Jose Repertory
Two brilliant women, centuries apart, push the boundaries of science while grappling with motherhood in this theatrically adventurous comedy.
Physicist Émilie du Châtelet, lover of famous French philosopher Voltaire, and a young poet, worries about her fate after she unexpectedly becomes pregnant. Driven by fear and ambition, she races to publish her theories based on Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion. Linked together by scientific legacy and maternal instincts, accomplished astrophysicist Olivia and her husband, Peter, want to conceive but cannot. Olivia’s attention turns to her new “child,” a planet she’s discovered in the midst of hiring a quirky and free-spirited surrogate. This touching and whimsical tale leaves us asking: Does the birth of a child ultimately mean as much to the world as the birth of an idea?

It’s the West Coast Premiere of the American Theatre Critics Association “Best New Play” 2010, and this show sounds intriguing!

Which shows are on YOUR calendar?

In 2007 The Tech Museum hosted Dr. Gunther von Hagens’ Body Worlds 2 and The Three-Pound Gem. His Science of Plastination* exhibition gave us a comprehensive view of the human body. Where else could one get such a close-up look into the world of bone, muscle, tissue, the heart, blood vessels, tendons, nerves, and the brain?

When I tell people about this exhibit, I am often asked if I find it repulsive. I reply that Body Worlds is, in fact, a beautiful learning experience that invokes a greater appreciation of life.

Anyone contemplating buying a pack of cigarettes needs to see the lung of a smoker placed next to that of a non-smoker.

The next amazing set of Gunther von Hagens’ works, Body Worlds Vital, is now showing at The Tech Museum.

Many cities are considering banning the toy included with high fat fast food meals. Congress, following Mrs. Obamas’ lead, is attempting to legislate what school children will be allowed to consume. From the health concerns of graying baby boomers to the recent emphasis on childhood obesity, Body Worlds Vital could be a valuable starting point helping all ages take control of their own health.

Included with the body specimens are photos from around the world depicting the food consumed by typical families in a week. (I noted that the Indian cuisine looked among the most healthful.)

Body Worlds relies on IfP (the Institute for Plastination), an established body donation program for the authentic human bodies on display. No fees are required for a donation, and the donors will not receive any money. As far as I can tell, the only cost incurred is when the next of kin must pay a transportation fee to have the body sent to the IfP embalming facility.

For a list of rules and conditions for donating your body please contact:
Gail Hamburg at (312) 602-5369 or g.hamburg@plastination.com

*Plastination is where all bodily fluids and soluble fat from donated anatomical specimens are extracted to stop decomposition, and replaced through vacuum-forced impregnation with reactive resins and elastomers, such as silicon rubber and epoxy that harden with gas, light, or heat curing, giving the specimens rigidity and permanence. Some bodies are positioned to recreate a moment in time. Other donations may be used as Plastinated slices for research.

brain - dark area indicating a stroke

Body Worlds Vital – check here for Exhibit Hours and Tickets

The Tech Museum

201 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 294-8324

The Human Body in the Hackworth IMAX Theater : The Human Body Trailer

Body Worlds flickr set

Today is the last double-header game of the 2010 season. The Silicon Valley Roller Girls will take on the Choice City Rebels of Northern Colorado and the Sac City Rollers’ Folsom Prison Bruisers.

San Jose Skate – 397 Blossom Hill Rd – San Jose, CA 95123

Saturday, September 11th.

Doors open at 5:30 PM
Games over at 10:00 PM

Tickets:

$13.00 @ Psycho Donuts in Campbell, Streetlight Records, Jack’s Bar & Lounge, and San Jose Skate.

At the door, general admission is $17.00 and kids are $10.00

SVRG  website

SVRG facebook

SVRG blog

I don’t get out to the movies as much as I used to, but “Inception” is one movie that I want to see on the big screen.

Camera 7 has 4K Digital Projection on their big screen. I asked Dominic Espinosa, Camera Cinemas District Manager, what was the advantage of 4K. Dominic explained that the old 2K resolution put out 2,000 pixels and that the 4K projector puts out 4,000 pixels. Double of anything sounds good to me. Camera 7 is also the first movie theater in Silicon Valley to have D-BOX motion effects seats.

Alejandro Adams, Camera 7 General Manager, had invited a select few of us to experience a D-BOX demo. After we got settled in the special bright red extra wide seats, we were given our instructions. A control is mounted on the right side of each seat. The seat motion is synchronized with the action of the film. The Settings: High – Medium – Low – Off.

As we viewed the trailers for “The Expendables”, “Tron: Legacy”, and an action piece from “Fast and Furious”, it was easy to adjust to the amount of seat motion intensity that I was comfortable with. I kept it on the highest setting for most of the time.  The seat motion effects did bring added excitement to the hard hitting scenes. The movement was not over done, distracting or annoying.

Thanks to Alejandro and Dominic I found the perfect theater. By going on the Camera Cinemas website I was able to purchase 2 tickets for “Inception” – $8 was added to the ticket price of each D-BOX seat.

Camera 7
Inception D-BOX – New this Week!
Now offering D-BOX Motion Effects Seating option! An $8 per ticket surcharge applies for this experience!
Daily at 12:15pm, 3:30, 6:40, 9:45

Buy Tickets

Camera Seven on twitter ~ see information about special events and promotions.

D-BOX:
on twitter
on facebook
on YouTube

D-BOX flickr set.

“The Expendables” (plays with sound) and 3D “Tron: Legacy” (plays with sound) will be released with the D-BOX motion code.

Twilight movie fans won’t want to miss this red-carpet event tonight at The Tech.

The festivities begin at 10 PM when the museum’s doors open to welcome fans to a reception:

Moviegoers, some donning costumes, T-shirts, and fan buttons of their favorite character can sip on “blood red” punch, and sink their teeth into wolf paw and fang-marked cupcakes.

Fans can take photos alongside “standees” of Edward, Jacob, Alice and Bella

Then at Midnight:
See the only Bay Area IMAX dome to screen The Twilight Saga: Eclipse!

Tuesday, June 29
WHAT: Fans of the all-the-rage vampire/werewolf saga take to the red carpet under beaming searchlights en route to a reception, complete with music, themed refreshments, and special contests leading up to the premiere of “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”

WHERE: The Tech Museum, 201 S. Market St., San Jose, CA

WHEN: 10 p.m. Reception – Midnight Film Premiere

The Tech on twitter

If tonight is sold out see below for times:

“Eclipse” premieres at the 295-seat The Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater, featuring crystal clear images up to eight stories high and 13,000 watts of wrap-around digital surround sound. June 20 to July 15, 201

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Surprise dad for Father’s Day with a trip to The Tech Museum to see the Genghis Khan Exhibit.
Dads are admitted free to the blockbuster exhibition in celebration of Father’s Day on June 20.
Family members can purchase their tickets here.

The Tech Museum – 201 South Market Street
San Jose, CA 95113-2008
(408) 294-8324

Special Exhibit Hours:
Monday – Wednesday: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Thursday – Sunday: 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Tickets:
Children ages 3 to 17 ~ $15
Adults ~ $25
Special prices for seniors and college students.
Admission includes access to all the regular museum galleries.