San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Playhouse brings ‘Into the Woods’ to Union Square for the holidays
SAN FRANCISCO – A new production of the Broadway classic “Into the Woods” is bringing a dose of magic — and a reminder about the power of community — to Union Square this holiday season.
San Francisco Playhouse is staging the Stephen Sondheim musical now through mid-January.
What they’re saying:
Co-founder and producing director Susie Damilano said the show’s blend of childhood fairy tales and adult consequences feels especially resonant this year.
“It’s all the fairy tales we grew up with,” Damilano said. “In Act One we see the characters’ wishes come true. In Act Two, we see the consequences. It reminds us to be careful what we wish for.”
At the center of the production is a new story thread involving a baker and his wife longing to have a child.
Damilano said the woods themselves become a metaphor for the characters’ journeys — mystical and inviting in some moments, dark and tangled in others.
“I decided that having magical, mystical woods would be the way to go,” she said. “They represent our collective unconscious… beautiful, but with a lot of tangled things in there, just like our own minds.”
Damilano said she cried the first time she saw the full production come together, moved by the design team’s work and the emotional weight of the story.
“It just takes my breath away,” she said. “This show touches us deep in our soul. It reminds us how important community is.”
Big picture view:
The production arrives at a time when many theaters are still struggling in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Damilano said San Francisco Playhouse feels fortunate and energized by audiences returning to the city’s core.
“We’re filling our houses,” she said. “Union Square is coming back to life. People are out playing chess and ping pong again, the Christmas tree is up, there’s ice skating. It feels good.”
With its familiar characters and themes of family, loss, and longing, “Into the Woods” is designed to be a holiday-friendly experience for all ages.
“Into the Woods” runs through Jan. 17 at San Francisco Playhouse in Union Square. Tickets and show times are available at sfplayhouse.org.
The Source: Original reporting by Allie Rasmus of KTVU
The San Francisco Giants selected Rutgers outfielder Peyton Bonds in the third round (90th overall) of the MLB draft on Saturday.
You might note the name Bonds and the Giants and wonder. You’re mostly right.
Bonds is the son of Bobby Bonds Jr. (11-year minor league veteran, spending four seasons in the Giants’ system), the grandson of Bobby Bonds (14-year big league veteran who played seven years for the Giants and amassed 57.2 career WAR) and the nephew of Barry Bonds (seven-time MVP, all-time home run king, 22-year veteran, with 15 of those campaigns playing for the Giants).
This wasn’t a nepotism or a feel-good pick: Peyton Bonds is a real talent. He ranked 115th in ESPN’s final draft rankings, which included a number of high school players ahead of him who will be going to college instead of turning pro. Based on his talent, selecting Bonds in the third round was appropriate.
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound outfielder played for Campbell in 2024 then at Rutgers in 2025 and 2026, hitting .305 with 16 home runs over three college seasons. He hit .352 with six home runs and 13 stolen bases this past season.
Bonds has plus raw power like many of his family members. He hit a ball 111.2 mph off a wood bat in batting practice at the MLB draft combine and with a maximum exit velocity of 120.7 mph with aluminum in a game this spring.
Bonds also has above-average bat-to-ball ability (.352 batting average this past season), but a poor chase rate (39%, well worse than average). He is a solid average runner, with enough speed to steal a few bases and possibly stick in center field long term.
Four people were arrested and three others were cited following a fight that took place following a San Francisco Giants game at Oracle Park Thursday night.
According to San Francisco police, the fight broke out at 9:46 p.m., after the matchup between the Giants and Colorado Rockies in which San Francisco won 8-2. Officers working at the ballpark responded and detained seven people who were involved.
A preliminary investigation by police determined that the altercation was result of a verbal dispute that turned physical.
Officers said they developed probable cause to place four people under arrest. Police identified those arrested as 29-year-old Major Norton of Suisun City, 21-year-old Jaylynn Del Toro of Fresno, 23-year-old Elijah Ortega- Garcia of Selma in Fresno County and 26-year-old Gisselle Lopez of Vallejo.
All four were booked into San Francisco County Jail on suspicion of disturbing the peace and public intoxication. Norton was also booked on suspicion of assault likely to produce great bodily injury.
Three people were cited for disturbing the peace and released. Police did not provide additional details about the fight.
In a statement to CBS News Bay Area, a Giants spokesperson said the incident “was a horrible and intolerable display of behavior.”
“SFPD made multiple arrests and those involved will be banned from the park,” the team added.
The Giants are in the middle of a four-game series with the Rockies, which concludes on Sunday. Both teams are at the bottom of the National League West standings heading into next week’s All-Star break.
Coffee, croissants and classical music brought office workers, residents and visitors together at One Sansome as the free monthly Baroque & Brew series transformed a weekday morning into a community gathering in downtown San Francisco.
The event, held inside the Conservatory at One Sansome, featured live performances by Philharmonia Baroque and invited attendees to enjoy music in the landmark building’s 8,100-square-foot atrium.
Guests were free to sit or stand while listening, with many nearby office workers stopping in during an early lunch break.
The monthly series is scheduled to return in August and September and aims to bring together downtown workers and neighbors through music and shared public space.
“It’s a beautiful opportunity to have coffee, to be in community, and do what our city is known for—the art, the culture—and to share it with each other,” attendee Roger Joyner said. “It’s a beautiful summertime moment.”
Joyner said events like Baroque & Brew reflect the character of the city.
“I think that’s what San Francisco is meant to be…a city that offers culture and the beauty of art to the world. And we that live here get to enjoy it,” he said.
Organizers said the performances are intended to make live classical music more accessible while contributing to ongoing efforts to revitalize downtown San Francisco.
“It’s just a really nice way for us to get the music out of the concert hall to the people downtown, trying to reactivate Downtown San Francisco and show what a welcoming place we can be as a city,” said Isaac Bunch, general manager of Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Chorale.
For Joyner, the event also offered a chance to pause amid the pace of daily life.
“We get to take a break. We are hustle and bustle, doing what we do to make the city work, and then we get refreshed by it,” he said. “I think it’s great — it brings it right into the middle of our hub.”
The gathering highlighted how music, conversation and public spaces can bring people together as downtown San Francisco continues its recovery.
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