Follies roll into foggy city.
By Noelle J. Garcia, San Mateo County Times

Imagine watching 300 years of history wrapped into one madcap evening of hippies, flappers, earthquakes, and naked gold miners. That's the kind of evening that Foster City writer and producer John Bisceglie has in store with "SF Follies," a satirical spectacular that premieres in Fog City this weekend.
"The concept is unlike any show that's ever been in the city," Bisceglie said. "It's a 90-minute show — only one scene, 15 performers, and 120 costumes. Each person plays about eight to 12 people. Everything's bright (and) covered with feathers and sequins."

Bisceglie, 38, spent a decade creating "San Jose Follies" and "San Jose Follies Strikes Back." Both of his San Jose follies skewered the Silicon Valley's reputation as a sprawling suburbia.
Now, after years of making fun of San Jose, Bisceglie has created what he calls a more brash production that satirizes San Francisco. He has been working on "SF Follies" for more than a year.

Bisceglie, a San Jose native, got into acting by accident during high school. He originally tried to study agriculture but mistakenly signed up for acting classes instead.
"I was really what you would call a director's nightmare," Bisceglie said of his first year as a high school thespian.
At the end of his freshman year he found his hidden talent, which after high school helped him land a job at the American Music Theatre of San Jose.

"Suddenly, this light was shined on me," Bisceglie said. "I was funny and noticed."

While acting for the American Music Theatre, Bisceglie also worked at a San Jose children's recreational center. He never considered going to college because of his dyslexia, which caused him to struggle in school.
Instead, he harnessed his goofy personality and he uses it to spark his comedy writing for theater.
He opened up an Italian eatery in 1995 where he produced both San Jose follies shows over a period of several years, but quit the restaurant business a few years ago for a day job that pays the bills and allows him time for his creative work.

After a year-and-a-half of planning and $80,000 from his own pocket, Bisceglie is optimistic about "SF Follies."
"I'm pretty confident we'll see the same reaction we did in San Jose," Bisceglie said, "There's no place like San Francisco. I think (the follies) are perfect for San Francisco."