ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

FEATURE REVIEW - June, 2014

Performances at the Curran Theatre

"Once” is a modern day love story with a twist. It’s a melancholy tale of hope that shows there isn’t always a happy ending. Accompanied by a flurry of exhilarating songs, Once tells the story of “Guy” trying to make it in the music business, sharing a story of love, excitement, and music that leaves the audience wanting more. The play depicts five passing days where Guy meets Girl. Both characters are trying to recover from tussles with fleeting love. Music brings them together, and fate pulls them apart. Actress Dani de Waal plays the main female role, “Girl,” aptly titled from the typical “guy meets girl” scenario. “Girl” is a young Czech woman living in Dublin, Ireland, where the musical is set. Waal shares the lead role with Stuart Ward, who plays the main male role, “Guy.” When we talked to the cast, they all emphasized the universal, relatable nature of the plot.

FastForward interviews jazz harmonica master Frederic Yonnet

A&E FEATURE - January 2014

By Lauren Anderson, Avani Bahl, Sophie Barron, Joe Blair, Lizzie Chadbourne, Erin Fernwood, Alexandra Kitze, Julia Kudler and Maddy O’Hara; from The Bay School, Branson, Marin Academy, Marin School of the Arts and University High Schools

Born in Normandy, France, Yonnet grew up Paris, which he considers to be the crossroad of different cultures. His grandfather, who was a musician, also inspired him. But he didn’t begin his musical career with the instrument that eventually made him famous.

Yonnet started out as a drummer, but the bands he played with told him to stop trying to play the melody. They wanted him to stay in the backbeat where the drums belonged. This didn’t appeal to Yonnet, and he eventually became drawn to the small and portable harmonica. What he said about this encounter was simply, “I got lucky. My life got better when I played the harmonica.”

Peter Morrison shares his love for magic with FastForward reporters

A&E INTERVIEW - December 2013

By Kayla Augustine, Avani Bahl, Matt Geffen, Victoria Gioia, Michaela Hebert, Jeremy Ivory-Chambers, Carissa Lee, Morgan Lorenz, Ethan McKeague, Sam Newsome, Olivia Malek, Rachel Metzger, Ethan McKeague, Talia Rizzo, Christa Schmitt, Nicole Schmitt, Ethan Singleton, Lacey Slattery, Arthur Weschler, Mary Winnick and Burke Wynne; from The Bay School, Bayview of San Rafael, Branson, Davidson Middle, Marin Academy, Marin Catholic, Marin Horizon, Redwood High, San Domenico, Sir Francis Drake, Saint Rita, White Hill Middle and Saint Ignatius College Preparatory Schools

We arrived at the Marrakech Magic Theater in beautiful San Francisco, where we descended down a long staircase lined with electric candles before landing in a large room. A golden ceiling arched above us and a golden star adorned the floor below. We landed in a Moroccan-themed and decorated eating and sitting area, where Peter Morrison the magician appeared in the room dressed in a suit and classic- styled black and white shoes a nd slicked back hair.