Articles by Susan Rife

About Susan Rife
Lover of arts & books; ukulele learner; therapeutic knitter; long-distance runner. Former Arts and Books Editor at Herald-Tribune.

Two winter tales

Two holiday offerings at theaters in Gilroy and Morgan Hill provide fitting bookends to the idea that individuals can have unimaginable and unpredictable influence in others’ lives. That holiday chestnut, Frank Capra’s classic film “It’s a Wonderful Life” adapted for [...]

Family relationships

“Don’t mess with success” may be director Carol Harris’s motto for South Valley Civic Theatre’s holiday production of “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a stage version of the hugely successful and well known 1946 Frank Capra film—the one starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna [...]

Little magic lamp

There’s nothing like magic to appeal to kids, which may account for the 72 young people between 2nd and 8th grade who auditioned for the South Valley Civic Theatre production of Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.” Director Carol Harris cast 49 young actors for the musical, which [...]

A half-century on stage

It’s anyone’s guess which is more numerous along the crowded sidewalks of Manhattan, actor/performers or tourists. But earlier this summer, one group arrived in New York City checking both boxes. They numbered about 30, all from Gilroy, Morgan Hill or the surrounding area [...]

Awaiting the reviews

Kevin Heath, co-founder of Limelight Actors Theater in Gilroy, had an interesting experience when he requested scripts of Terrence McNally’s “It’s Only a Play” from publisher Samuel French. There are two versions of the play, McNally’s original 1982 script and an [...]

Taken by surprise

One of the classics of the Broadway stage, Guys and Dolls, with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser, is a can’t-lose gamble for theater producers and audiences alike. South Valley Civic Theatre’s current production, which marks the end of the community theater’s 49th season, [...]

Luck be a lady tonight

South Valley Civic Theatre wraps up its 49th season with a return to the first musical it presented in 1970 (as Gilroy Community Theatre): Frank Loesser’s hit musical “Guys and Dolls.” “This is probably the quintessential American musical,” said producer Adrianne [...]

Mambo Italiano with Rosemary

Many people today may know Rosemary Clooney as much for her famous actor nephew, George Clooney, as for her career as a singer and actress who was contemporaries with Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Her pop success with such tunes as “Come On-a My House,” [...]

On easy street

The musical Annie, based on the Little Orphan Annie comic strip of Depression-era fame, has been inspiring little girls to audition for the title role for more than 40 years, since it won the Tony Award for best musical in 1977. A shortened youth version, Annie Jr., likewise [...]

A hard knock life

The musical “Annie,” based on the Little Orphan Annie comic strip of Depression-era fame, has been inspiring little girls to audition for the title role for more than 40 years, since it won the Tony Award for best musical in 1977. A shortened youth version, “Annie Jr.,” [...]
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