Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2014: The Cocoanuts

Brent Hinkley, John Tufts, and Mark Bedard (top to bottom). Photo courtesy Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

When Mark Bedard was performing the role of Groucho Marx in OSF’s 2012 rendition of Animal Crackers, he was also busy writing his own adaptation of the first Marx Brothers movie, The Cocoanuts. This year, the adaptation has been brought to the Ashland stage. Though it features the Marx Brothers zaniness one would hope for, it’s different enough from its OSF predecessor that it’s definitely worth attending.

At its heart, The Cocoanuts is about two things: The Marx Brothers being funny and elaborate musical numbers. The former of these did not disappoint. Brent Hinkley and John Tufts reprised their roles as Harpo and Chico Marx, respectively; these roles, requiring spectacular choreography and the ability to work as a single comedic unit, were executed as effortlessly as the original Marx Brothers. Special note must go to Hinkley’s facial expressions–he manages to convey subtlety even in Harpo’s constant manic grin.

The musical segments are as lavish and funny as they were in Animal Crackers, but are more tied into the plot of the musical instead of appearing as vaudevillian interludes. Key to these is Eduardo Placer as the hapless Zeppo (the only Marx Brother role to be played by a different actor); his nervous energy and impeccable choreography brings the songs together. The musical definitely feels like it was written by a playwright with modern sensibilities–Bedard moves away from the Marx Brothers’ vaudeville roots, turning the play from a variety show into a farce.

Rounding out the play is the hilarious ensemble cast. K. T. Vogt’s Mrs. Jamison was my personal favorite–Vogt is a very good character actor (catch her in Two Gentlemen of Verona as well!) and plays a role as the stuck-up rich lady common to the subversive wackiness of the Marx Brothers. A stone-faced David Kelley plays the unfortunate Detective Hennessey (who gets probably the best song in the show), and Robert Vincent Frank and Kate Mulligan play a pair of devious thieves.

If you are seeking exactly the kind of comedy you got with Animal Crackers, you will get mostly what you want. Though the structure of the plot is different, and even the gags have changed a little, for the most part The Cocoanuts is the wacky Marx Brothers antics you have come to expect.

Back-A-Yard

Location: San Jose and Menlo Park (Note: I have only gone to the San Jose location; this recommendation is about that location.)

Food: Jamaican/Pan-Caribbean

Close to: City Lights Theatre Company, Tabard Theatre, Santa Clara University, San Jose State

There are many things to say about Back-A-Yard, all of them glowing. The atmosphere is warm, friendly, and interesting; the restaurant is located directly across the street from a validated parking garage; several San Jose theaters and entertainment spots are located within walking distance. However, most importantly, Back-A-Yard features a selection of incomparable Jamaican barbecue dishes and sides, making it one of the best restaurants in San Jose.

The menu has a decent selection, most of the entrees falling into one of several large categories. The first is various protein selections (including tofu for vegetarians) covered in Back-A-Yard’s signature jerk sauce. The sauce is spicy, but not so hot that it drowns out the complexities of the flavor. The jerk chicken ($9.75 with rice, salad, and fried plantains, or $7.95 a la carte with bread) is the more traditional option, and certainly worth ordering. There are also several meat options that use a thick, sweet house barbecue sauce, including fall-off-the-bone spareribs ($12.45 for five pieces). Additionally, there are sandwiches, a selection of fried fish, and a rotating menu of more obscure Jamaican dishes like curried goat and beef oxtails ($13.25 to $16.25, check website for availability).

It is important not to ignore Back-A-Yard’s selection of sides. If you are ordering one of the jerk dishes, it comes with some fried plantains; if not, I highly recommend ordering them separately ($2.75). The plantains are firm, rich, and slightly sweet, and once you start eating them it’s hard to go back to the rest of your meal. Also worth considering is the delicious rice and beans ($2.75), dashed with coconut milk to give it a pleasant aroma and mouthwatering sweetness. Some of my fellow diners at Back-A-Yard have made entire meals out of side dishes. Save room for dessert, too, especially the incredibly satisfying sweet potato pudding ($3.45).

Back-A-Yard is the personal project of Robert Simpson, a formally educated chef who previously worked in executive positions in hotels across the world. By establishing his own restaurant, Simpson was able to bring the flavors of his native Jamaica to several locations in California. After eating at Back-A-Yard, you will find yourself thankful that he made this decision.

Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2014: Into The Woods

Miles Fletcher (left) and Robin Goodrin Nordli (right). Photo courtesy Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Much has been written about Into The Woods, considered alongside such work as Company and Sweeney Todd as one of Steven Sondheim’s greatest musicals. Despite subverting the popular endings to the fairy tales much of us heard as children, Sondheim and James Lapine managed to maintain the fantastical tone of the stories. We can still distinguish the original fairy tales, but the parts add up to a greater whole. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s outdoor production captures this spirit, with quality actors, direction that is faithful but not adherent, and outstanding technical design.

Though it could be argued that the baker and his wife are the main characters of the piece, Into The Woods is really an ensemble performance, and each actor stood out in their own way without jostling for attention. My personal favorite performance was Miles Fletcher as Jack: Though he continues to add more emotional guard as his character develops, he doesn't lose the goofiness and naïvete required of his character. Jack is stupid, but all of his actions are justifiable, and in this way he is both understandable and lovable. Other standout performances include Catherine E. Coulson playing three separate onstage roles (Red Riding Hood’s granny, Cinderella’s evil stepmother, and Jack’s prize cow) in what could be called a true feat of theatre, and Kjerstine Rose Anderson’s rendition of Red Riding Hood, which is understated when needed but not afraid to go over-the-top.

That description could easily apply to the direction of the work as a whole. Amanda Dehnert’s treatment of Into The Woods is different from OSF’s other musicals: Whereas previous shows like The Music Man and My Fair Lady attempted to subvert what we knew, Into The Woods instead rephrases it. There is no elaborate forest set or classic fairy-tale costumes. However, through a multimedia circus with rapid costume changes, projections, acrobatics, and even a little stage magic, we find ourselves in the same woods that Lapine imagined in his original production.

Despite the minimal set, the costumes are decadent in a way that only the astoundingly talented can pull off. Many of the costumes (such as the baking couple and Cinderella’s stepsisters) are obvious patchworks, allowing us to recognize the common in an alien form. Many of the others use gradient dyeing, making the costuming impressive on both a conceptual and technical level. For those of you studying costumes for stage or screen, this production of Into The Woods is not to be missed.

Because it is an Elizabethan Theater production, Into The Woods will last only through the end of summer. If you have the time to make it up to Ashland, please try to get a ticket to this show. Even if you think you are familiar with the work, this particular performance is so outstanding that it will ignite the emotions that remind you why you see theatre in the first place.

Vive Sol

Locations: Palo Alto and Mountain View, CA

Food: Mexican/Comida Poblana

Close to: Lucie Stern Theatre (Palo Alto), Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts (Mountain View)

South Bay mainstay Vive Sol has been bringing delicious, authentic Mexican food to California for several decades now. The restaurant departs from the apparent binary of either takeout or experimental nouveau cuisine to serve upscale, old-fashioned meals that delight and satisfy.

Vive Sol’s menu is specifically Comida Poblana, food from a south-central region in Mexico known as Puebla, a stop for traders from both Asia and Europe. This gave the area a fascinating and varied set of traditional dishes. Visitors to Vive Sol will find that many of the items on the menu are substantially different from the Mexican-American blend offered by many other restaurants, offering their own flavor experience.

The restaurant’s specialty is the enchilada, and there is a great variety of enchiladas to choose from. The most popular item is the Enchiladas Al Sol ($13.95), a combination of one enchilada covered in creamy cheese sauce and another in sweet-spicy mole. My personal favorite is the Enchiladas Verdes ($13.95), which employ a tangy green tomatillo sauce. Most of these dishes come with a hearty amount of seasoned rice and beans, and you can choose your own protein, including a vegetarian cheese enchilada.

Vive Sol also offers the “De La Plaza Mayor” plate, a selection of two items from a menu for $13, alongside rice and beans. If you want to try a few items without breaking your stomach or wallet, this is an excellent choice; one of the options is an Enchilada Verde and is highly recommended. The other three depend on your taste: Whether you want a mild quesadilla or a chile relleno is up to you.

There are two locations, “Vive Sol” on El Camino near Mountain View and “Palo Alto Sol” in Palo Alto’s California Avenue shopping district. Each has their benefits and disadvantages: The Mountain View location is harder to access but is beautiful and has lots of seating, while the Palo Alto location is surrounded by parking but may have a large number of small children in the evenings. Which one you choose depends on your circumstances, but both of them offer an unparalleled Comida Poblana dining experience.

Izaka-Ya

Location: San Jose, CA

Food: Japanese

Close to: City Lights Theatre, Tabard Theatre Company, Santa Clara University, San Jose State

California has a happy excess of Japanese restaurants, all of them putting their own unique spins on a diverse and delicious cuisine. Izaka-Ya, located on San Jose’s First Street and sharing a building with a steakhouse and a dim sum restaurant, crafts excellent sushi combinations alongside Japanese street food favorites that are difficult to find in the States.

The menu is large, and it can be slightly intimidating to a newcomer; fortunately, the small portion sizes allow a diner to make a substantial meal out of a few dishes. For appetizers, consider ordering an onigiri, a rice ball with various fillings. My personal favorite is the ume onigiri ($5.75), filled with tart plum jam. It may be hard to find on the lengthy seafood menu, but don’t overlook the takoyaki ($4.75), crisp octopus dumplings covered in flavorful sauce.

As for the entrée, there are a variety of combination bento boxes available, many of them coming with a selection of fresh sushi rolls. For sashimi enthusiasts, the tuna sashimi bento box ($14.75) provides tuna that is perfectly chewy and bursting with flavor. However, the best entrées at Izaka-ya are the okonomiyaki ($10.75-$13.75). This is a savory pancake made with cabbage and covered with sauce, often described as "Japanese pizza." Izaka-Ya's are creamy, flavorful, and incredibly filling, and a variety of add-ons are available, including pork belly, octopus, and okra. There are only a handful of Bay Area restaurants that serve okonomiyaki, so make sure to try it on at least one occasion.

If you find yourself with room for dessert, the best choice is the rich banana tempura ($3.75), though those seeking lighter fare my be interested in ice cream or even a fresh orange to close out their experience. Izaka-ya also has a decent selection of beer, schochu, and plum wine, as could be expected from a restaurant modeled on urban Japanese drinking establishments.

Izaka-Ya is one of the best Japanese restaurants in the South Bay, with good prices, great menu variety, and a warm and friendly atmosphere. It's also close to the convention center and several theatres

Psycho Donuts

Location: Campbell and San Jose, CA

Food: Donuts

Close To: City Lights, Tabard Theatre, ComedySportz, Camera 3 Cinemas (San Jose)

Veteran donut eaters may find that the selection in chain bakeries tends towards standard, even boring at times. And while those who tend towards chocolate or plain jelly donuts will find satisfcation at traditional establishment, crazier donut aficionados desire a little more excitement in their pastry. For those people, Psycho Donuts–featuring a wacky B-movie theme both in its atmosphere and in its donut selection–is there to fit the bill.

Both Psycho Donuts locations feature a wide array of donuts, ranging in size, shape, and oddity. I have sampled a number of them over the two-and-a-half years I have been going to the San Jose Psycho, and here are some of the highlights:

• Key Lime: The first donut I had here, the vegan Key Lime, combines a tangy flavor with a satisfying solidity. It is so dense and chewy, it’s almost a scone.


• Strawberry Fields: A square donut topped with strawbery icing, freeze-dried strawberries, and with a single stick of strawberry Pocky laid across the hole.


• Cereal Killer: Marshmallow frosting (not “marshmallow-flavored” frosting–actual marshmallow frosting) covered with Cap’n Crunch. Extremely sweet, but the range of textures stops the flavor from being overpowering.


• This One/That One: Named after the chef’s frustration at customers not ordering donuts by name, these simple old-fashioned vanilla and chocolate donuts, respectively, are some of the best in the store, showing that Psycho Donuts knows how to do the basics as much as it knows how to show off.

Psycho Donuts also does dozens of seasonal promotions, with some donuts only available for a few days. My personal favorite is only available in the San Jose store on Memorial Day Weekend as part of a cross-promotion with local anime convention FanimeCon: The Psycho Takoyaki is eight ginger-flavored donut holes topped with caramel, lemongrass bavarian, coconut, and toasted pistachio.

Psycho Donuts’ unique selection and rotating menu makes it a great place to go to again and again. Donuts are baked in batches of four to six flavors at a time, meaning that what you want may not always be available in the case, but there is usually enough of a selection to make you indecisive. The San Jose venue also contains a movie theater and the popular improv team ComedySportz–why not make it an evening?

Cliff House Bistro

Location: San Francisco, California

Food: American/Seafood

Situated next to the Sutro Baths in one of the most beautiful parts of San Francisco, a Cliff House has been in operation since the middle of the 19^th century. The Cliff House has gone through several architectural (and presumably menu) changes over the years, and it currently lives as an art deco mid-century throwback featuring the signature foods of San Francisco. There are two restaurants in the Cliff House – the sophisticated Sutro’s and the casual Bistro. This recommendation is for the Bistro.

There are no reservations at the Bistro, and the wait may take twenty to forty minutes, but fortunately there is plenty of bar seating where one can order a drink alongside a delicious appetizer. The dungeness crab cocktail ($15.95), artfully served in a martini glass, is sweet, flavorful, and satisfying enough for an entrée, and the prawn-pork potstickers ($13.50) are a beautiful blend of spicy and crunchy – using their accompanying dipping sauce is recommended. The French onion soup ($8.75), warm, soothing, and sweet, is another great choice. Once at the table, fresh sourdough bread is provided – so good my party usually ends up eating two or three baskets worth.

There are also a number of solid choices among the entrees. The fish and chips ($18.50), made with the Bay Area’s famous Anchor Steam beer, is a classic Bistro dish and not to be overlooked. The spinach ricotta pine nut ravioli ($19.95), served in a tomato-pesto sauce with mushrooms, changes flavors – sweet, rich, tangy, and savory – with every bite, creating a sophisticated taste adventure that’s perfect for pasta lovers. For meat enthusiasts, the braised lamb shank ($29.00) is cooked tenderly on the bone and served with a fitting side of Israeli couscous. Vegan dishes are also available on request.

Make sure to save room for dessert! The five desserts offered on the menu (all $7.25)  are an excellent way to round out your meal. The sour cream fudge cake is rich but not overpowering, and the créme brulee is served flat and wide, creating the ideal ratio of crunchy crust to sweet interior.

For visitors looking to capture the feeling of the historic San Francisco, the Cliff House Bistro is the perfect dining spot. The Art Deco architecture and signed photos of old movie stars catapult one back to the city of yesteryear. Try to get there in the evening – a delicious meal while watching the sun set over the Pacific coast is an unforgettable experience.