A Show That Brings Snow White Into The Modern World, Where She Searches For Prince Charming Among Current Pop-Culture Characters
Ever wanted to see Vladimir Putin dancing to “Putin On the Ritz” with a giant Ritz cracker box on top of his head? There's only one place in the world to see something like this: Steve Silver's “Beach Blanket Babylon,” San Francisco's pop culture musical revue at Club Bugazi.
Now on its 42nd year, “Beach Blanket Babylon” brings fairy tale superstar Snow White into the modern world, where she searches for her Prince Charming among a line-up of pop-culture characters, including Donald Trump, Bill Cosby, Kim Kardashian, Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Darth Vader and Oprah.
“This show is like nothing you've ever seen before” even if you have seen it before, said the show's producer Jo Schuman-Silver. “The show changes by the day. If there's something in the news that morning we can get it into the show that night. People can come again and see a whole new show.”
While there are a core group of characters in the show, current events, social media trends and any other phenomena the writers catch wind of are what truly shape the show and cast.
“I'm pretty up to date on everything,” said Schuman-Silver. “The cast members and crew will even text me ideas. Everything in the play is brand new. We have a line we put in last night about Anthony Weiner from the NY Post. We had Trump for the longest time. Right after the Republic Convention we added his kids. It's very, very up to date.”
When the audience sees these politicians and pop culture stars, they light up. They even scream, says Schuman-Silver. In this day and age with 24 hour news coverage and the internet everywhere – no matter their age – everyone is “in the know” and up to date on everything.
This is something that “Beach Blanket Babylon” has always had a leg up on: staying current and up to date. It's the only musical that people can see a dozen times and leave feeling as if they saw something new each time. Schuman-Silver believes this is the reason the musical has been around for over 40 years.
Known for its outrageous humor, fabulous costumes and catchy music numbers, Schuman-Silver's late husband Steve created the show back in 1974 when he saw he had a huge assortment of costumes.
“He had them for a company called A.C.T in San Francisco,” said Schuman-Silver. “At first he was using the costumes for parties. In the 1970s, everybody was street performing in San Francisco. He got his friends together and told them he wanted to sit on the street corner with the costumes on and see how much they could make.”
The eclectic group of costume-clad performers started to make more and more money. They even gained a cult following. It gave Silver the idea to bring a short performance to Saboy Tiboli on North Beach. He pitched the idea of having a show there for just a couple of weeks.
“That was 42 years ago,” said Schuman-Silver. “It just took off.”
Since its humble beginnings on the streets of San Francisco, “Beach Blanket Babylon” has not only received a permanent home at Club Bugazi, but has been seen in Las Vegas, NYC and other large cities around the world.
They even do travel shows and conventions. But San Francisco is “Beach Blanket Babylon's” home and people travel from all over to come see it there.
In fact, there's been 42 years of completely sold out performances “which is pretty extraordinary,” said Schuman-Silver. But what has made “Beach Blanket Babylon” such a success? Schuman-Silver believes it was the artistry of her late husband that set it apart.
“He was an artist. Everything about the show is beautiful and creative,” she said. “The costumes, hats and sets are over the top, extravagant, eye catching and bold. There are wigs and hats over three feet tall, gowns that rival the Queen's ball and fake booty pads that could break the Internet all over again.”
While Club Bugazi is bigger than “Beach Blanket Babylon's” last location, it's still a very intimate setting with only 400 seats, allowing the audience to be up close to the excitement and beauty on stage. “The performers play off the audience,” explains Schuman-Silver. “That's why it's such a great experience for everyone. They'll have the best time of their life. It's that good. It's just fabulous.”
Online reviews have said they'd go back to San Francisco just to see “Beach Blanket Babylon” again. Multiple reviewers called it a hoot, noting the high energy in the atmosphere. One reviewer even called it the most unique experience in San Francisco.
Steve Silver would have loved that.
Olivia Richman
A graduate of East Connecticut State University in Journalism, Olivia has written for Stonebridge Press & Antiques Marketplace among others. She enjoys writing, running and video games.
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