Fab time for hobby's birthday. Magic keeps you entertained with a different types of shows…read more Something for everyone. Service was amazing. Had to get a refund for a member of our part who came down with Covid and it was handled perfectly.

DEAL: Join their mailing list to book a deal directly on their website. When you arrive they might…read moreoffer you VIP seating with a shot glass gift if you didn't already purchase it beforehand. They didn't volunteer the information about how many rows there are so be sure to ask how many rows there are because we were about to pay extra, but there were only going to be maybe 6-7 rows so we didn't mind not sitting up front. Maybe if it was 20 rows then I would have upgraded and paid extra. It also depends on which room they use so sometimes they don't know yet how many rows they will have. Even if you don't sit up front you still might be picked to partake in the show, but no guarantees. OVERALL: I recommend this dinner and magic show as a different activity from a boring night at a restaurant and the movies. The dinner reminded me of a full course Chinese dinner like what you would order banquet style. I thought the food was tasty and enough portions to where there were very little leftover. They played music during dinner which made it nice. I thought we would be eating dinner and watching a magic show at the same time, but you eat dinner first then go to a different room to watch the show. DETAILS: they do magic at the table as you're waiting for dinner. Check in is in the back private rooms. I think it's worth arriving on time to see the table magic. Dan had his son there who was a cute kid and talented. He did magic too. I didn't mind it being like a family affair it made it more sincere and genuine. Dan and his son even sat at our table and ate dinner. You are sitting with people you don't know who bought tickets for the show. Dress isn't formal I'd say semi formal is good or even business casual you would fit in just fine. There was a couple here that had attended the dinner and show 3 times. Dan asked them which show they saw so he could try to make sure he did magic they hadn't seen before. I thought that was considerate of him and probably why they keep coming back. LOCATION: they have the Cupertino location in Vallco mall or the Oakland location in downtown Chinatown area. We went to the Cupertino one. PARK: Outside parking in the parking structure behind what used to be TGI Fridays, but is now some kind of sports grill lounge bar. Then you walk toward the main street past the back of the restaurant under the overpass to get to the entrance of the restaurant. Kind of smells because of the dumper trash area though.

What a fun way to spend an evening. It's improv so you never know if it's going to be the best show…read moreof your life or the worst. Depends on the day. Located in format mason across from the german restaurant. It's up the elevator on floor 3. I've been exploring my neighborhood and working through the artist way and thought why not go for an artist date at BATS improv. It's cute it's homey. The first popcorn was free. They have drinks for sale alcoholic and non alcoholic. Then you can walk into the theatre and find a spot to sit. Closer to the front and your shout outa might have an easier time of being chosen. I came for the improve battle of newbies mixed with veterans. It was fun to guess who was who. They did different games and totaled points with elimination rounds. So of course there was a range in experience and expertise. Regardless I was thoroughly entertained laughed, cringed, felt surprised, and elated. Honestly a much better way to spend an evening compared to a movie. In person human connection. That's what we need as a collective whole these days.

Just an incredible experience absolutely hysterical. Able to make you laugh without being over the…read moretop, risqué or bad language. I attended last weekend with my parents and I felt like I was in San Francisco for pre Covid days. It was a good feeling. Keep up the good work!

So I went to see this on Sat. and was blown away. I was really exhausted so I spent the…read moreintermissions napping but during the performances I was wide awake trying to make sure I saw all the wonderful movements. This show is all kinds of fineness, fine people, fine dancing, fine venue. We were up in the balcony but I had the privilege of borrowing Stormi's binoculars and I tell you what, those dancers are cut, both men and women. They were graceful, strong, and beautiful. This review has been done by a real person who really watched the show. For more info, check out http://www.alvinailey.org Mad Respect to Pookie who organized this. Almost a minus for Berkeley having this event almost at the same time as the basketball game. Parking = :( :(

First time going to the Alvin Ailey dance. The space was very nice. The venue was very spacious and…read moreclean. The performance was spectacular. I would recommend everyone visit at least once.!

Those guys are great! You laugh out loud the whole show. The shows are the in a small theater for…read moreless than 50 people. Go check them out. In 2010 Circus Finelli will have shows every other week. http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-01-07/entertainment/17470385_1_clowns-michael-gene-sullivan-san-francisco-mime-troupe

Saw this at Stage Werx near Union Square tonight - what a hoot! On the performance bill was:…read more -Theremin + Accordion at the Same time -Singing Folksy Duo -Contortionist Tara Quinn -Bruce and Tyler of Pi the Physical Comedy Troupe -Funnyman/juggler Jan Damm of Circus Bella -Ghosts -The Bride of Frankenstein -Frankenstein Hilarious & such a great time! Thank you, I needed this tonight!

SFCMT is exactly what my child needed to overcome her shyness! My daughter joined SFCMT when she…read morewas 10, turning 11. She was an outgoing, happy baby and toddler. As she grew older ... 6, 7, 8 ... she became more and more outwardly shy. Thank goodness we found SFCMT. I knew she loved music and singing ... pretty much performing. SFCMT was the perfect platform for her to do just that ... without judgement. I want to clarify though ... that SFCMT is not a 'class' where a child can improve their technical singing skills or dance abilities. It DOES, however, provide opportunities for children of ALL skill levels (no judgement) a chance to perform at venues like the Great American Music Hall, Herbst Theater, and even Davies Symphony Hall! They also give children the opportunity to experience how movies get made! Filming in front of green screens SFCMT has produced 2 summer movie projects already since my daughter joined. It really brings movie 'magic' to reality. I have to say ... the experiences over the past year has been amazing! My daughter loves performing on stage even more and her confidence level has soared. She actively participates in her school choir, school plays, etc. The change I've observed in her is nothing short of awesome. Thank YOU, @John Bisceglie, @Naomi Berman, @Emily Fernandez, @Debbie Dolph, @Evan Crone, @152 West Productions, the behind the scenes SFCMT Team, and all the parents who volunteer ... you are the heart of the SFCMT community! Keep up the great work! Who knows? Maybe there's a celeb in SFCMT's future! =)

My review is based a parent of a participant. My child loved participating in the show but my…read morechild loves anything with singing and dancing. Now... to participate in the show it's costly. Rounding it off about $1000 for a 10 week session. They practice once a week for about 1.5-2 hours. At the "audition" there's really no audition. Prior to the first session you get an email with some songs to sing. All of the kids sing bits of a song and they all get accepted. They divide kids by ages so there's 3 groups. I was not happy with the fact that every participant has to sell $20 tickets to the show. Everyone has to sell 20 tickets and they must be paid in advanced. Now if money is not an issue for your family then the cost will not bother you. The show itself it's nice. What I didn't like is that they select the "returning participant" for solos more than the new participants that have better voices. It seems to me if you continue to participate in the shows long enough you will get a solo whether you can sing or not. Costumes are rented. At the end of the show everyone goes their separate ways. Not a thank you. You did great or group photos. 3 stars because the children seem to enjoy participating. We will not be returning.

The SF improv festival came back from a long hiatus with the worst ADA-inaccessible website I've…read more"seen" in this century. I have been trying to get tickets to my friends' show for WEEKS and have given up every single time because my eyes hurt after a few minutes. Purple on black is simply an abomination. This astounding lack of consideration (or competence?) is in direct contradiction with the festival's anti-harassment policy. It is also incompatible with the organization's nonprofit status, because of disability discrimination. There are dozens ADA/WCAG website checkers out there. A 5-minute compliance check flagged most of the text on these pages, including the festival title. The SFIF should spend less time developing pages and pages of policies and do basic due diligence instead.

The lineup for the Festival changes each week. We just got back from Week 3, which showcased…read more"Messing with Ike" and "Oui Be Negroes". Messing with Ike did a fantastic job, and I would definitely see them again. Oui Be Negroes, on the other hand, was boring 85% of the time. If we weren't trapped in the middle of the row, we would have gotten up and left .

First I must make a confession: I simply cannot sit through any more of the "traditional" holiday…read moreofferings. Nope, can't see "A Christmas Carol". Not able to witness another rendition of "The Velveteen Rabbit". Simply cannot afford multiple tickets to "A Hard Nut". Just goes to show you that when you least expect it, something falls into place...the kids and I piled on to BART and scurried through the bustle of 24th Street on a Saturday afternoon and had a blast at the Brava Theater and Dance Brigade's 20th anniversary showing of "The Revolutionary Nutcracker Sweetie"...the Kidz Version. The theater had been over-sold and there were no seats left, let alone together. The announcer came on and asked everyone who had been saving seats to please give them to the folks standing in the aisles. There were people with bundled up babies walking back and forth, the place was filled with families and children of all sizes and ages. It was loud and pretty chaotic. Then the show began and magic happened! The music is traditional but with some twists and there are lots of up-dated allusions to PC topics and contemporary concerns, as well as some good-natured ribbing of the wealthy who like to "slum" with the "ethnic masses"....nothing heavy-handed, but the point is definitely made. The character of Clara is danced by 3 women, Herr Drosselmeyer is danced by an amazing performer who has pink hair and shocks the family portrayed in the classic story (can't give anything away here, but it's funny).The mice and the Rat King are portrayed by dancers in Zoot suits with ropes for tails, and they perform their numbers with selections from Hip Hop and Salsa sequences. There's a trapeze with wings, a dance number from the Ivory Coast, Taiko drumming....so many sights and sounds that it is hard to capture in print. It is BIG FUN for very little $$. It was $15.00 a ticket and I got them on-line at brownbagtickets.com (it's a great way to get tickets and it's socially responsible by donating funds to great causes). The performance itself warrants 5 stars. The no reserved seating, the over crowded conditions, the hunting down an usher to acquire a program, and finally the numerous screaming babies force me to give 4 stars...still, it was mesmerizing and loads of holiday fun without much in the way of cliches. Well worth investigating if you are not already over-committed. The Kidz Version is only this weekend. I would happily go again to see the regular show. It's supposed to be spicier and probably a bit more pointed in the political references. Oh and I must give credit where credit is due: I have been pre-occupied with kids, holiday business, cards, and all the trimmings and thus "out of touch". 'Twas the ever-alert hubby who heard about this production, and all of us are happier for it. Go check this out!!

I love this show!! Dance Brigade does a wonderful job.read more

Need a good laugh? Feeling guilty that you didn't make it to the gym? Laughing burns off calories,…read moreyou know? I have seen Chicken Scratch, an improv troupe, perform at a few different locations in the city. Every show is unique (hence: improv) and these guys and gals are very creative and so entertaining. They know how to keep everyone in the audience hysterically laughing for almost the entire duration of their show. It's also really fun and cool because they always ask for suggestions from the audience- you know- shout out what [who/a letter/a name/a job] we should do next kind of thing. At the Off-Market location you can have a beer or wine @ 2 for $5. Granted it's not fancy wine, but hey, it's cheap and decent! Check their website for upcoming shows!

I had a lot of friends in college who did improv and I went to almost every one of their shows…read more When I moved back to SF I was desperate for some good improv. I went to BATS twice, which was good, but having been to two Chicken Scratch shows now, I can honestly say that Chicken Scratch is better. There are eight (or so) in the group and they have an extensive repertoire of games to play and really take every audience suggestion and run with them. They generally end their shows with a rapping game that involves rhyming with a single-syllable name. I particularly like when they make rhymes like, "There once was this guy named Mark/He liked working with FARC." They generally play on the first Thursday of the month, but they've been having trouble with venues, so it's best to check their website for further information.