From a star-studded Modern Christian pop present at Oakland Enviornment to the return of two large vacation reveals and an all-world ukulele performer, there’s a lot to see and do within the Bay Space this weekend and past.
Here’s a partial roundup.
A trio of CC stars
Three of the highest names in modern Christian music are combining forces for one large Bay Space present. TobyMac, MercyMe and Zach Williams — a trio of chart-topping, platinum-selling live performance headliners — will share the invoice on Saturday at Oakland Enviornment.
As one of many style’s premier artists for the reason that late ’80s — first as a member of the groundbreaking hip-hop group DC Discuss and later as a solo act — TobyMac deserves the highest billing on the marquee. The Grammy-winning vocalist’s best-known numbers embrace “Gone,” “Made to Love” and “Lose My Soul.”
Then there’s MercyMe, the Oklahoma outfit that touched tens of millions of lives with the landmark single, “I Can Only Imagine.” Launched in 2001, “I Can Only Imagine” now stands because the best-selling Christian music of all time.
The music reached new audiences — and new generations — when it was featured within the extremely fashionable 2018 biopic movie of the identical identify, which was based mostly on MercyMe singer Bart Millard’s life and centered largely on the story behind the music.
Rounding out the invoice is Williams, who has put collectively a formidable string of singles lately. His high choices embrace “Chain Breaker,” “Old Church Choir,” “Less Like Me” and the strikingly stunning duet with Dolly Parton, “There Was Jesus.”
Particulars: Showtime is 7 p.m.; tickets begin at $31; awakeningevents.com.
— Jim Harrington, Employees
Go to Ye Olde London for the vacations
“Please sir, I want some more” overnight-oats porridge with almond milk? OK, so it won’t have the ring of the unique “Oliver Twist,” however you may anticipate issues to be slightly extra upscale on the “Great Dickens Christmas Fair” on the Cow Palace.
Celebrating its fortieth yr, the honest is complete immersion into the Dickensian universe of Victorian London with dozens of costumed characters from the famed books and in addition historical past. Father Christmas? He’ll be there. Ebenezer Scrooge, Mrs. Fezziwig and the Ghost of Christmas Current? Them, too. Guests can discover 4 acres of Victorian-style theaters, pubs, dance halls with dwell music and – most significantly for vacation buyers – loads of lamp-lit retailers promoting handmade presents.
For adults, this yr there are particular add-on occasions like a port-and-chocolate tasting, a Jekyll & Hyde pub crawl the place you resolve a thriller and a racy-sounding “Dark Garden Corset Experience” the place you’re personally fitted by a world-renowned corsetiere. After which there’s a miniature steam prepare for all the true Tiny Tims (and Tinas) on the market.
Particulars: Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays (plus the Friday after Thanksgiving); Nov. 23-Dec. 22 ; the Cow Palace, 2600 Geneva Ave., Daly Metropolis; $18-$45; dickensfair.com.
— John Metcalfe, Employees
Smuin’s luxurious Xmas present is again
One of many Bay Space’s most beloved vacation traditions returns this weekend, one that’s value taking in even for those who’ve seen it a number of occasions. That’s as a result of Smuin Modern Ballet’s annual Christmas Ballet program adjustments yearly but by no means fails to ship all kinds of sparkly, sassy and breathtaking nuggets to cherish. The multi-dance manufacturing embraces classical and modern ballet, jazz, swing and extra kinds in numbers that vary from sassy to heartfelt.
The Christmas Ballet debuted in 1995 and every year displays the occasion’s historical past with the revival of a number of firm favorites, together with some created by the corporate’s late founder Michael Smuin. This yr’s program options Smuin’s tropical-themed “Christmas Island” and, after all, the beloved “Santa Baby,” which boasts the “world’s longest feather boa.”
There may even be new works from firm inventive director Amy Seiwert, firm artist Brennan Wall, and Smuin alum Rex Wheeler. As at all times, the manufacturing is damaged into two acts, dubbed “Classic Christmas” and “Cool Christmas.” Performances are 2 and seven:30 p.m. Saturday and a couple of p.m. Sunday on the Lesher Middle for the Arts in Walnut Creek; Dec. 5-8 on the Mountain View Middle for the Performing Arts; and Dec. 13-24 on the Yerba Buena Middle for the Arts in San Francisco. On Dec. 20 – LGBTQ night time – the corporate will welcome visitor star Girl Camden, of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” with proceeds going to varied nonprofits.
Particulars: Tickets are $25-$119; www.smuinballet.org
— Bay Space Information Basis
A uke champ and an alt rocker
Listed below are two Bay Space live shows that ought to be in your radar.
Jake Shimabukuro: you’re doing one thing proper if you end up a musician and folks routinely examine you to one of many best artists of all time. So, yeah, we’d undoubtedly say that Jake Shimabukuro — broadly often called “the Jimi Hendrix of the ukulele” — is unquestionably value testing when he performs Nov. 21-24 on the SFJAZZ Middle in San Francisco.
Particulars: Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21-23 and three p.m. Nov. 24; tickets begin at $35; sfjazz.org.
Tracy Bonham: The Grammy-nominated indie music act has one thing cool happening on the Catherine Clark Gallery in San Francisco. The “Mother Mother” singer — who is ready to launch a brand new album in 2025 — will likely be performing an hour-long set on the intimate venue with bassist Rene Hart, violinist Ani Bukujian and cellist Saul Richmond-Rakerd in addition to collaborating in a dialog with acclaimed artist Julie Heffernan, who at the moment is the main focus of a portray exhibition on the gallery.
Particulars: Showtime is 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $100, cclarkgallery.com.
— Jim Harrington, Employees
Classical picks: Mozart, Britten, and Vengerov
The Bay Space’s vacation season will get off to a wonderful begin with three live shows this weekend, that includes music by Mozart, Benjamin Britten and extra.
Labadie conducts Mozart: Acclaimed conductor Bernard Labadie returns to the San Francisco Symphony in an all-Mozart program in Davies Symphony Corridor. Joined by English soprano Lucy Crowe, Labadie will lead quick works within the composer’s Italian and German-language repertoire, together with the primary SF Symphony performances of the aria “Schon lacht der holde Frühling.” This system ends with Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 in E-flat main. 2 p.m. Nov. 21, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22-23, Davies Symphony Corridor, San Francisco; $49-$179; sfsymphony.org.
Britten’s “Ceremony” in Palo Alto: The classical chamber group, Ensemble Continuo, is ushering within the holidays with a efficiency of Benjamin Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols,” composed for three-part refrain, solo voices and harp. Britten wrote the work in 1942 on a sea voyage from the U.S. to England. Works by Bach, Buxtehude and Schütz full this system. 8 p.m. Nov. 22, All Saints Episcopal Church, Palo Alto; $23.18; ensemblecontinuo.com.
Vengerov, plus one: Award-winning violinist Maxim Vengerov returns to Berkeley on Tuesday night, joined by his frequent collaborator, pianist Polina Osetinskaya. Their program contains works by Brahms, Prokofiev and Clara and Robert Schumann. 8 p.m. Nov. 23, Zellerbach Corridor, UC Berkeley; $40-up; calperformances.org.
— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent
Latin music famous person heads to Bay Space
Becky G is coming to your block.
Nicely, perhaps not your block, per se. However the Latin music famous person, who first gained consideration with the one “Becky from the Block,” is heading to the house of the SAP Middle in San Jose.
Bay Space followers can catch the vocalist when her Casa Gomez: Otro Capítulo Tour hits the house of the San Jose Sharks Nov. 21.
The Southern California native, who was born in Los Angeles County and raised in Riverside County, is out on the highway in help of the not too long ago launched “Encuentros.” It’s Becky G’s fourth full-length Spanish language studio album, following final yr’s “Esquinas.”
The singer has skilled a lot success throughout her still-relatively younger recording profession. Notably, her first two full-length studio efforts — 2019’s “Mala Santa” and 2022’s “Esquemas” — proved to be multiplatinum-selling success tales. Her best-known songs embrace “Mayores” (with Dangerous Bunny), “Sin Pijama” (with Natti Natasha) and “Cuando Te Besé” (with Paulo Londra).
Particulars: Showtime is 8 p.m.; tickets begin at $106; ticketmaster.com.
— Jim Harrington, Employees
New have a look at historic artwork
For many of us, papercuts are these little nicks that land in your fingertip within the blink of an eye fixed and grasp round for a number of irritating and painful days. However within the artwork world, papercutting refers to a self-discipline that’s practiced around the globe and dates again for hundreds of years – some say the earliest types of the artwork emerged even earlier than the invention of paper. The artwork type’s lengthy and widespread historical past means an excellent multitude of sorts have emerged over time, however normally the apply is outlined by slicing a top level view or form out of paper or another materials and reworking the ensuing design right into a completed picture with ink, paint or related substance.
Now the Olive Hyde Gallery in Fremont is presenting a brand new exhibit centered on modern and conventional papercutting, in its many incarnations. “Connecting Cuts,” curated by Vietnamese American papercut artist Bianca Levan and gallery curator Leah Andrews, runs via Dec. 14 on the gallery on 123 Washington Blvd. The greater than 20 artists represented right here come from the Bay Space and around the globe, and their works vary from primary designs with easy shading to intricate creations bursting with coloration. Organizers say the gathering additionally goals to attract connections between the totally different approaches to papercutting and the broadly various outcomes.
Particulars: Gallery hours midday to five p.m. Thursday via Sunday; admission is free; www.fremont.gov (search on the house web page for Olive Hyde), or www.biancalevan.com.
— Bay Space Information Basis
Season kickoff for SSYO
The San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra launches its 2024-25 season at 2 p.m. Sunday in Davies Corridor beneath the tutelage of a model new chief. Wattis Basis Music Director Radu Paponiu takes to the rostrum after having served 5 seasons because the affiliate conductor of the Naples Philharmonic in Florida. His inaugural live performance will spotlight Amador Valley Excessive Faculty senior Harry Jo, this yr’s winner of the SFSYO Concerto Competitors. A member of the orchestra’s first violin part, he’s additionally an achieved pianist however on Sunday afternoon will likely be featured in efficiency of Japanese composer Takashi Yoshimatsu’s “Cyber Bird Concerto” taking part in his different instrument, the saxophone! This system will open with Leonard Bernstein’s vigorous Overture to “Candide” and conclude with the Symphony No. 4 by Tchaikovsky.
Particulars: $30-$65; sfsymphony.org.
— Bay Space Information Basis
Gryphon Trio hits Kohl Mansion
A nationwide treasure in Canada and some of the acclaimed piano trios on the earth, the Gryphon Trio – violinist Annalee Patipatanakoon, cellist Roman Borys and pianist Jamie Parker – is within the midst of its thirtieth yr as a performing ensemble. The group involves the Kohl Mansion in Burlingame Sunday night, bringing the viewers the Bay Space premiere of a 2023 Piano Trio by Paul Wiancko, a prolific composer and cellist from California who joined the famend Kronos Quartet final yr. Additionally on this system, which begins at 7 p.m., is the Piano Trio in C Main by Joseph Haydn and the No. 2 in C minor by Felix Mendelssohn The Kohl Mansion is at 2750 Adeline Drive in Burlingame.
Particulars: $30-$60; musicatkohl.org.
— Bay Space Information Basis
