Beach Blanket Babylon closes on New Year's Eve, after 45 years in San Francisco. Our third episode brings back the old Question Man format from the San Francisco Chronicle, now called "The Question," asking passersby on a North Beach street corner whether they've heard of Beach Blanket Babylon. From there, Chronicle theater critic Lily Janiak leads a discussion about the future of live theater in S.F. Co-produced by Peter Hartlaub, Lily Janiak and Annie Vainshtein. Music courtesy Beach...

Beach Blanket Babylon closes on New Year's Eve, after 45 years in San Francisco. In the second episode of our Babylon Gone series, we find the longest-tenured employees at Babylon and hear their best stories, including "The show must go on" moments, celebrity guests (Sidney Poitier FTW) and the emotions in the building as the show comes to an end. Co-produced by Peter Hartlaub, Lily Janiak and Annie Vainshtein. Music courtesy Beach Blanket Babylon, plus "Shades of Spring" by Kevin MacLeod...

Beach Blanket Babylon closes on New Year's Eve, after 45 years in San Francisco. The first episode of our Babylon Gone series profiles Tim Santry, the show's longtime wigmaster. Santry grew up the son of farmers and, like many in Babylon, found a home in the quirky San Francisco musical review. Co-produced by Peter Hartlaub, Lily Janiak and Annie Vainshtein. Music courtesy Beach Blanket Babylon, "Shades of Spring" by Kevin MacLeod (Incompetech.com. Licensed under Creative Commons), "Searching...

The Datebook podcast returns for Season 2 with Babylon Gone, a three-part series looking into the end of Beach Blanket Babylon and the future of live theater in San Francisco. Produced by Peter Hartlaub, Annie Vainshtein and Lily Janiak. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 70 of the Datebook Podcast is Movies with Mick LaSalle, breaking down new films 'The Irishman," 'Ford v Ferrari,' 'The Report' and more. San Francisco Chronicle movie critic LaSalle applauds co-host Leba Hertz for being able to figure out twists in movies with the barest information. (Even as she sort-of spoils "The Good Liar." And the critics get a visit from superfan Juzo Greenwood. Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is 'Midnight Special' by E's Jammy Jams. Learn more about your ad...

Theater critic Lily Janiak talks with Daniel Rudman, who was an up-and-coming local playwright in the 1980s  until a construction accident left him bedridden for the next three decades. Now, thanks to a medical miracle, he’s semi-mobile again — and he’s back into playwriting. Produced by Lily Janiak. Music by Stephen Boyle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest Movies with Mick LaSalle, Chronicle movie critic LaSalle and ex-editor Leba Hertz talk about Eddie Murphy, "Dolemite is My Name," "Roy Cohn," "Jojo Rabbit" and other new movies. Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "Midnight Special" by E's Jammy Jams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 67 of Datebook podcast is a conversation between Arts and Entertainment columnist Tony Bravo and filmmaker Marc Huestis. The director of "Whatever Happened to Susan Jane," known for his raucous live shows at Castro Theatre, earlier this year published "The Impresario of Castro Street: An Intimate Showbiz Memoir." Bravo and Huestis talk about some career highlights, dish on a few stars and share other memories. Music is "Midnight Special" by E's Jammy Jams Learn more about your ad...

Episode 66 of Datebook podcast is an interview with Robert Pattinson. Chronicle A&E reporter Tony Bravo spoke with Pattinson at the Mill Valley Film Festival. They talk about his role in the new movie "The Lighthouse," his 2007 "Twilight" publicity appearance at a Stonestown Hot Topic, which was swarmed by fans (including one with a broken nose) and thoughts on taking over as the new Batman. Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "Midnight Special" by E's Jammy Jams. Learn more about your...

In the latest Movies with Mick LaSalle, the Chronicle's movie critic Mick LaSalle is back with a report from the Venice Film Festival and joined by Leba Hertz.. They talk about highlights from Venice, Renee Zellweger's performance in "Judy," the highs and lows of "Joker" and some early thoughts about the 2019 Academy Awards race.Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "Midnight Special" by E's Jammy Jams.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the new Judy Garland biopic "Judy" in theaters, The Chronicle arts and culture writer Tony Bravo gathers two of his favorite Garland experts to talk about the legacy of the actress and Renee Zellweger's portrayal in the movie. Guests are Connie Champagne, a Bay Area actress and singer who has performed as Garland on stage; and Lara Gabrielle Fowler, a film writer and historian who has written about Garland on www.backlots.net Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "Midnight Special" by E's...

Episode 63 of Datebook podcast is an interview with Nato Green, a union organizer and comedian who helped lead the fight to save the Punch Line comedy club, a historic space that was threatened with closure earlier this year. Green also talks about getting his start in comedy, and why he's a political comic. And host Peter Hartlaub confronts Green on their "feud" — which started in 2015 when the comedian wrote a San Francisco Examiner article titled "Peter Hartlaub is a Chump."Produced by...

Episode 58 of Datebook podcast is a 1984 interview between journalist Alice Kahn and Grateful Dead member Jerry Garcia. Reporter Kevin L. Jones wrote a story about the previously unpublished interview for the Chronicle. Garcia talks about his life in the Bay Area, the popularity of the Grateful Dead and how he wants to be remembered. Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "Midnight Special" by E's Jammy Jams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 61 of Datebook podcast is a look at the Chase Center entertainment schedule, with Chronicle pop music critic Aidin Vaziri, senior digital A&E editor Mariecar Mendoza and host Peter Hartlaub. Vaziri previews the arena-opening Metallica show with the San Francisco Symphony set for Friday and Sunday Sept. 6 and 8, and Mendoza talks about the recent tour she took of Chase Center.Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "Midnight Special" by E's Jammy Jams.Learn more about your ad choices....

Theater critic Lily Janiak talks with local actor Ed Gonzalez Moreno about how he changed his name to “Ed Berkeley” when he moved to the Bay Area, to “neutralize” his race on paper, and why now he’s changed it back again, all in conjunction with his appearance in “Exit Strategy” at the Aurora, running Aug. 30-Sept. 29.Produced by Lily JaniakLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this flashback episode of "Datebook" podcast, Joshua Kosman and Lily Janiak join host Peter Hartlaub to talk about when critics get surprised, and how it fuels their work. Janiak talks about a presentation of "Our Town," Hartlaub recalls a Snoop Dogg concert that went from routine to unforgettable and Joshua Kosman recalls some classical music surprises - and talks about a recent pleasant surprise at the S.F. Symphony.Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "Midnight Special" by E's Jammy...

Retired Bay Area “letter carrier” (postal worker) Linda Lee is a different kind of presence on the Bay Area’s gay nightlife scene. In her seventies, her penchant for festive kitty t-shirts, embellishments on her orthopedic cane and colorful sneakers make her a kind of fun grandmother/auntie character at the many drag events, comedy nights, plays, concerts, bar events and other nightlife events she travels to on BART from her rented apartment in Hayward. Arts & entertainment and fashion...

This bonus episode of Datebook podcast from 2018 is an interview with "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" directors Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman and Bob Persichetti. The filmmakers worked on the animated superhero film for more than three years, operating mostly under the radar, before the film was screened for critics and became a critical hit. The team joined host Peter Hartlaub in the archive podcast studio at the San Francisco Chronicle. "Spider-Verse" opened to wide audiences on Dec....

Robert Mailer Anderson has written, produced and contributed to the soundtrack for “Windows on the World,” a drama about an Mexican citizen who searches for his father, an undocumented immigrant presumed dead in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks. Anderson joins Datebook music critic Aidin Vaziri and pop culture critic Peter Hartlaub to talk about living in S.F., music and the challenges of creating an independent film in the blockbuster era.Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "Midnight...

Today's Movies with Mick LaSalle episode of the Datebook podcast focuses on Quentin Tarantino's new film "Once Upon a Time In Hollywood," a movie LaSalle says is the best of the year so far. Mick LaSalle is joined by senior arts & entertainment editor Rob Morast. They talk about the lesser Tarantino films, and LaSalle talks about meeting the director.Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "Midnight Special" by E's Jammy Jams.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Duffy Jennings worked at the San Francisco Chronicle for just a decade, but it was filled with news; he covered the Milk/Moscone murders, parts of the Zodiac killings and other high-profile drama in the 1970s. His new memoir is "Reporter's Notebook," covering his time at The Chronicle and his childhood growing up in San Francisco, where his mother ran one of San Francisco's first gay bars. Jennings returned to The Chronicle to record a Datebook podcast with reporter Sam Whiting and critic...

During a time when senseless gun violence continues to plague our country, artists are transforming weapons into instruments of hope and symbols of peace. In this sponsored episode of the Datebook podcast, King Kaufman speaks with four key individuals behind the upcoming Art of Peace exhibition at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA). Pati Navalta Poblete, founder of the Robby Poblete Foundation, and Rudy Corpuz from United Playaz discuss their collaborative efforts to decrease gun...

Episode 54 of Datebook podcast is Movies with Mick LaSalle. The Chronicle's movie critic is joined by Leba Hertz and talks about his new column in the Sunday Datebook pink section, an upcoming column on women in film, and new films including "The Art of Self-Defense" and "The Lion King."  Produced by Peter Hartlaub. Music is "Midnight Special" by E's Jammy Jams.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Theater critic Lily Janiak talks with transgender actor Skyler Cooper about playing the title role in “Othello” as a woman and then as a man — from Impact Theatre’s so-called “lesbian” production, in 2005, to Livermore Shakespeare Festival’s production, now running through July 21.Produced by Lily Janiak. Theme music by Steven Boyle.Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices