Blog-erviews!

Thank You Patron Manager, Kama Belloni

By |2026-05-27T09:56:07-07:00May 27th, 2026|Awards, Blog-erviews!, Opinion|

After six years as SBMT’s extraordinary Patron Manager, Kama Belloni retired from the position after we opened In The Heights. Fortunately for all of us, she still plans to remain involved as an SBMT volunteer as her time permits. SBMT Patron Manager Kama Belloni played Gooch in Mame, sang in the quintet of A Little Night Music, and starred as the Abbess in The Sound of Music. Over the years, Kama has built lasting relationships with countless patrons and donors, becoming one of the warm, welcoming faces audiences have come to associate with SBMT. Whether serving in the [...]

The Arts Are Essential Infrastructure

By |2026-05-19T15:43:43-07:00May 19th, 2026|Blog-erviews!, Fundraising, Opinion|

Funding The State’s Creative Economy Strategic Plan Last Thursday, I drove up to Sacramento to represent SBMT at the presentation of the 2026 Creative Economy Strategic Plan with Senators Ben Allen and Susan Rubio. The California Joint Committee of the Arts is requesting $50 million for the California Arts Council to expand local assistance grants that empower communities through the arts and $40 million for the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund (PAEPF) to ensure fair pay across the creative workforce. California’s economy is increasingly powered by innovation and creativity. Yet the artists, educators, performers, and nonprofit organizations that fuel that [...]

Behind the Curtain with Allison Taylor

By |2026-05-09T10:06:37-07:00May 9th, 2026|2025-2026 Season, Behind The Scenes, Blog-erviews!, Opinion, Video Link|

The following is a transcript of our four-minute “Behind the Curtain” interview with Allison Taylor, who plays Vanessa in our upcoming production of In The Heights. I hope people find something that goes beyond a sense of community. I hope it it creates understanding. Hello, my name is Allison, or Ali for short. I am playing the part of Vanessa in In the Heights. Vanessa is a go-getter. She is strong but fierce and stunningly beautiful. I really admire Vanessa. She comes from a background where her family isn't as supportive as they need to be. It's a really demanding [...]

The Heartbeat of Community: Why “In the Heights” Matters

By |2026-04-29T12:37:11-07:00April 29th, 2026|2026-2027 Season, Blog-erviews!, Opinion|

What is the sound of an urban neighborhood? Walk down a busy block and you feel the tempo of daily life, the negotiations, the humor, the hustle. Music spills from open windows. Multiple languages overlap on the corner. People move with focus, chasing something just out of reach. In the Heights draws directly from that environment. It centers a neighborhood where ambition and obligation coexist, where pride meets pressure, and where the choice to stay or leave is never simple. That friction gives the piece its energy. Created by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes, In the Heights marked a [...]

Full Speed Ahead

By |2026-04-29T12:38:01-07:00April 24th, 2026|2026-2027 Season, Blog-erviews!, Fundraising, Opinion|

At last weekend’s On the 20th Century fundraising concert, in a theater filled with glorious music, tap dancing, and riotous laughter, we asked a simple question: Where do you want to go with us? You answered clearly: full speed ahead! Thanks to a $6,000 matching fund from Friends of SBMT, your generosity didn’t just meet the moment; it pushed us beyond our goal. Together, you gave over $7,000, unlocking the full match and bringing the total raised to over $13,000. That support helps fund our live orchestra, set construction, artist stipends, and much more. We are deeply grateful to everyone [...]

The Cost of Live Theatre: Part 2

By |2026-04-10T11:38:49-07:00April 10th, 2026|2026-2027 Season, Announcements, Blog-erviews!, Fundraising, Opinion|

by Michael Paul Hirsch, Executive Director Summary: Ticket prices are going up starting next fall, and we want you to understand why: It's to better align us with reality and the actual cost of producing live musical theatre in today's world. (Note: Season subscriptions save you up to 25% if you are budget conscious).  Back in November, we answered one of the questions from our community about what it costs to run a theatre company. We outlined a high-level breakdown of SBMT’s revenue and expenses. We received several follow-up questions asking if we could continue the series and provide more [...]

Patron Survey Insights

By |2026-03-27T09:12:50-07:00March 27th, 2026|2025-2026 Season, Blog-erviews!, Opinion|

by Michael Paul Hirsch, Executive Director Over the past year, hundreds of SBMT patrons shared what they value most, and their responses are directly shaping our upcoming seasons and audience experience. I thought I would share a few interesting insights. Our core audience continues to be local, long-time supporters, while our fastest-growing segment is a younger, more diverse community. This is why we are expanding outreach to schools, senior communities, and local service organizations, to ensure SBMT remains welcoming, relevant, and reflective of the South Bay. The vast majority of you come to see all of the main stage productions [...]

Meet the main characters of On The 20th Century

By |2026-03-17T11:47:53-07:00March 17th, 2026|2025-2026 Season, Blog-erviews!, Meet The Cast, Opinion|

by Doug Hughes, Director of Marketing Are you unfamiliar with the classic comedy On The 20th Century, which SBMT will be presenting in concert format April 18 and 19? Allow us to introduce you to a half dozen of the main characters. Oscar Jaffe (Walter M. Mayes) is an egomaniacal Broadway Director, scrambling to save his reputation from ruin and collapse by getting the great movie star and his former protégé and paramour, Lily Garland, to star in a play that he doesn’t even have a script for yet. The thought of getting Lily back, both as star and lover, fills [...]

All Aboard for a Rare Ride

By |2026-03-03T13:02:57-08:00March 3rd, 2026|2025-2026 Season, Behind The Scenes, Blog-erviews!, Fundraising, Opinion|

Why We’re Bringing On the Twentieth Century to Life in Concert by Walter M. Mayes, Artistic Director Every season, I ask myself a simple question: What is the kind of musical experience our community deserves—but rarely gets? Sometimes the answer is a beloved classic. And sometimes it’s a glittering, madcap jewel that almost never sees the light of day. This year, that answer is On the Twentieth Century—a musical as bold, theatrical, and extravagantly funny as the train on which it is set South Bay Musical Theatre is presenting On the Twentieth Century as our annual fundraiser concert because it [...]

WVLO: An Extraordinary Legacy

By |2026-02-26T12:42:55-08:00February 26th, 2026|2018-19 Season, Blog-erviews!, Opinion|

by Michael Paul Hirsch, Executive Director This past weekend, West Valley Light Opera Musical Theatre Company (WVLO) announced that their 60th Diamond Celebration, produced last November, would be their final production, bringing an extraordinary 60-year legacy to a close. For 60 years, WVLO and SBMT have produced hundreds of performances side by side at the Saratoga Civic Theater, enriching and connecting the community through the shared experience of storytelling. Though each of our companies operated independently, we have a long history of cooperation, collaboration, and a bit of healthy rivalry. Together, we have served as stewards of the Saratoga Civic [...]

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