San Francisco Improv Festival. Most people shudder when they hear the words "improv comedy" — it's about as popular as a steak in Berkeley. Shaun Landry, the producer of the 2006 San Francisco Improv Festival, obviously doesn't care; she's determined to pull this series of shows off anyway. Last weekend ImprovBoston brought us ÁAy Diego!, featuring Will Lurea and Zabeth Russell. The performers started off as Latin characters Juanita and Diego, then morphed into everything from a psychiatrist who prescribes a "pirate disguise" as a cure for shyness to a professional sock man who tells his customer, "Ma'am, I like you ... and I like your feet." In a few spots their rhythm was slightly off, but Lurea and Russell have an easy chemistry and a seemingly endless supply of funny material. Next on the bill was True Fiction Magazine, a group of five actors who construct noir comedy shows around titles called out by audience members. The rapport between these performers and the subtle keyboardist who accompanied them was impressive as they crafted a story out of the title "My Ass." This year the festival features improvisational talent from all over America: Keep your eyes peeled for Dad's Garage out of Atlanta; New York City's I Eat Pandas, an acclaimed trio that improvises entire musicals; and Los Angeles' The Group, under the guidance of veteran director David Razowsky. These acts give us the experience of watching the creation of something that's never happened before and will never happen again. Through July 29 at the Buriel Clay Theater, 762 Fulton (between Webster and Buchanan), S.F. Tickets are $10-20; call 863-1076 or visit www.sfimprovfestival.com. (Frank Wortham) Reviewed June 21.
Shopping! The Musical. Some theater types want to be Hamlet; others want to be Liza Minnelli. The smiling, hardworking performers in this new musical revue definitely fall into the latter category. Lyricist-composer Morris Bobrow uses his infectious, irreverent humor to great effect as he pays homage to the highs and lows of our compellingly crass commercial culture. He uses the small, cramped theater in a straightforward manner — four center-stage stools and an amusing backdrop provide the set. The accomplished accompanist Ben Keim keeps things lively on one side of the stage behind an upright piano. The actors lead us through songs that bring to mind Jerry Seinfeld's sharp observations on mundane modern life: "Shopping in Style" extols the virtues of Costco, and "Serious Shopping" imagines a man trying to buy lettuce from a riotously over-the-top grocery cult. The musical runs just over an hour, yet it still has a few rough spots. The mid-show sketch "Checking Out" gives us a limp comedic premise that we've seen before on sub-par sitcoms, and the piece "5 & 10" is a mix of awkward nostalgia and pitch problems. Nevertheless, this is a clever collection of tunes performed with an unabashedly cheesy enthusiasm that would make Liza proud. In an open-ended run at the Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter (between Powell and Mason), S.F. Tickets are $25-29; call (800) 838-3006 or visit www.shoppingthemusical.com. (Frank Wortham) Reviewed June 14.
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Farewell to the Tooth Fairy Shotwell Studios, 3252A 19th St. (at Folsom), 289-2000.
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Li'l Abner Eureka Theatre, 215 Jackson (at Front), 788-7469.
Love, Janis Marines Memorial Theater, 609 Sutter (at Mason), 771-6900.
Miss-matches.com Off-Market Theater, 965 Mission (at Fifth St.), 896-6477.
Monday Night Improv Jam Off-Market Theater, 965 Mission (at Fifth St.), 368-9909.
Monday Night Make Em Ups San Francisco Comedy College, 414 Mason, #705 (at Geary), 921-2051.
Monday Night Marsh The Marsh, 1062 Valencia (at 22nd St.), 826-5750.
Mort Sahl's America Empire Plush Room, York Hotel, 940 Sutter (at Hyde), 885-2800.
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Pomp and Circumstance Shelton Theater, 533 Sutter (at Powell), 433-1226.
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San Francisco Theater Festival Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, 701 Mission (at Third St.), 978-2787.
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Zen Magic Theatre, Fort Mason, Bldg. D, Marina & Buchanan, 441-8822.
