With vacation leisure in full swing there are loads of nice exhibits and concert events to catch this weekend within the Bay Space. Here’s a partial rundown.
Vacation ‘Cinderella’ is again
The centuries-old Cinderella story of an neglected and demeaned lady getting the final snort (and the good-looking prince) when she is given the possibility to shine has numerous totally different variations with totally different origins that date again centuries and could be discovered across the globe. The variations mostly seen in American standard tradition mirror the story’s European Seventeenth-century beginnings and most of the time a largely White solid. And there may be hardly ever a vacation connection, besides, after all, for the 2019 teen rom-com “Cinderella Story: A Christmas Wish (which currently boasts a 40 percent audience approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes). But San Francisco’s African-American Shakespeare Company counters both of these trends with its adaptation of “Cinderella.” The manufacturing, directed by Tavia Percia and starring Jasmine Williams within the titular position, has turn out to be A-A Shakes’ standard vacation staple, which regularly sells out. Though the story line follows the standard story to some extent, it additionally celebrates African American tradition and serves up a female-empowerment narrative.
Particulars: Performances are 7 p.m. Dec. 20, 2 and seven p.m. Dec. 21 and a couple of p.m. Dec. 22; Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Ave; $45, $18 for these 21 and underneath; www.african-americanshakes.org.
In the meantime, listed below are three different vacation stage exhibits to see this weekend.
“The Jewelry Box”: Brian Copeland is a gifted performer and author and this humorous and heartwarming story about how, as a 6-year-old lad, he tried to search out and procure an ideal Christmas present for his mom stays one in all his best-loved works. He’s reviving the present for the vacation season.
Particulars: 5 p.m. Dec. 21; The Marsh, 1062 Valencia St., San Francisco; $25-$100; themarsh.org.
“Truce: A Christmas Wish from the Great War”: It was a decade in the past that Metropolis Lights Theater Firm in San Jose introduced the world premiere of the heartfelt play drawn from World Conflict I, when in 1914 the warring factions agreed to put down their arms in observance of Christmas. Now the hit play is again as Metropolis Lights’ vacation manufacturing.
Particulars: By means of Dec. 22; Metropolis Lights Theater, 529 S. Second St., San Jose; $31-$70; cltc.org.
“Sisters Christmas Catechism”: This installment within the “Catechism” solo stage collection created by Maripat Donovan is described as a mix of comedy, thriller and a sure-to-be offbeat Nativity story. The touring present performs one evening solely in Livermore.
Particulars: 7:30 pm Dec. 19; Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore; $55-$66; livermorearts.org.
— Workers and Bay Metropolis Information Basis reviews
East Bay ‘Nutcracker’ returns
The “Nutcracker” vacation ballet has a reasonably unimaginable historical past within the Bay Space. There’s the San Francisco Ballet, after all, which introduced the primary full-length U.S. manufacturing of the traditional in 1944. The San Jose Dance Theatre’s annual model is a few 60 years outdated. And a grand East Bay “Nutcracker” custom returns this weekend to the Oakland venue the place it has been carried out for some 15 years. Oakland Ballet’s “Nutcracker” was created by firm creative director Graham Lustig, whose model, set in Edwardian period Vienna, follows the unique model of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s story and incorporates parts of an oft-discarded act that encompasses a fantastical dance within the lands of sweets. Oakland Ballet’s manufacturing additionally encompasses a beautiful artwork nouveau set and good worn by a solid of some 40 dancers. Lustig’s “Nutcracker” premiered in New Jersey in 1999, however it’s the delight of Oakland now. The manufacturing options the Oakland Symphony and Piedmont East Bay Youngsters’s Choir.
Particulars: 1 p.m. Dec. 21-22; Paramount Theatre, 2525 Broadway, Oakland; post-performance “Sweet Dreams” reception lets guests meet with performers; $34-$154; oaklandballet.org.
There are ‘Nutcracker’ and vacation dance productions everywhere in the Bay Space, listed below are a number of choices.
S.F. Ballet: By means of Dec. 29; Conflict Memorial Opera Home, San Francisco; $19-$465; www.sfballet.org.
New Ballet ‘San Jose Nutcracker’: Introduced in collaboration with Symphony San Jose; via Dec. 23; California Theatre, San Jose; $31.50-$121.50; newballet.com
Mark Foehringer Dance Mission: Presents the one-hour “Mark Foehringer’s Nutcracker Sweets”; via Dec. 22; Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Heart for Arts & Tradition, San Francisco; $23.50-$59.50; nutcrackersweets.org.
Berkeley Metropolis Ballet “Nutcracker 2024”: 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 21; Alan Harvey Theater, Piedmont; $35; berkeleycityballet.org.
Peninsula Ballet Theatre “Nutcracker”: 2 p.m. Dec. 21-22; San Mateo Performing Arts Heart; $35-$70; www.peninsulalivelyarts.org.
“Hip-Hop Nutcracker”: 2 p.m. Dec. 21-22; Fox Theatre, Redwood Metropolis; $35-$70; www.peninsulalivelyarts.org.
Smuin Modern Ballet: Christmas Ballet program options new and traditional works from the favored firm; via Dec. 24; Blue Defend of California Theater at YBCA, San Francisco; $25-$119; www.smuinballet.org.
— Workers and Bay Space Information Basis
Right here comes Muldaur’s ‘Holiday Swing’
Let’s get one factor straight, famed singer Maria Muldaur doesn’t have a factor towards most vacation songs — simply the sappy ones.
She created her “Holiday Swing” live performance to remind us that every one the tasteless, overly sentimental vacation tunes that belong in elevators don’t must outline our vacation music experiences. So she has assembled a set of swinging jazz, blues and roots songs she considers an antidote to the same old fare.
What would possibly these songs be? You’ll have to search out out for your self Sunday when Muldaur performs her “Holiday Swing” live performance on the Backroom in Berkeley, backed by her Jazzabelle Quintet: Danny Caron on guitar, Ruthie Davies on bass, John R. Burr on piano, Kristin Strom on horns, and drummer Mark Lee.
Muldaur, finest recognized for her 1973 hit “Midnight at the Oasis,” has an extended, wealthy historical past that has produced greater than 30 albums and numerous collaborations with artists starting from Jerry Garcia to Geoff Muldaur (her onetime husband) to Linda Ronstadt.
Particulars: 3 p.m. Sunday; 1984 Bonita Ave., Berkeley; $30 (children underneath 12 free); backroommusic.com.
— Randy McMullen, Workers
12 golden voices of Christmas
World-renowned and San Francisco-based Chanticleer, the 12-member a cappella males’s vocal ensemble, has mounted their “A Chanticleer Christmas” program in numerous venues across the Bay since 1978. The standard opening is a gradual, candlelit procession into the church, cathedral or mission whereas the singers carry out some Gregorian chant. This 12 months’s model will embody the motet “Ave Maris Stella” (Hail, Star of the Sea), which could have verses set by a number of totally different composers, and the group will proceed to carry out the early music that’s their trademark for the primary a part of this system. Some extra up to date, rousing and joyous alternatives comply with within the second half, together with excerpts from Benjamin Britten’s famed “A Ceremony of Carols” and a comparatively new piece from Canadian choral composer Sarah Quartet. The touring vacation present runs via this weekend.
Particulars: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 19 at Mt. Tamalpais United Methodist Church in Mill Valley; 4 and 6:30 p.m. Dec. 20 at Mission Santa Clara; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 21 at First Congregational Church in Berkeley; 8 p.m. Dec. 22 at St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco; 6 and eight:30 p.m. Dec. 23 on the Carmel Mission; $45-$91; www.chanticleer.org.
And listed below are two different vacation concert events it is best to learn about.
“Holiday Spectacular!”: Cal Performances presents the San Francisco Homosexual Males’s Refrain and its annual heartfelt, hilarious program of vacation carols, satirical sketches, visitor dancers, and drag artists; 5 p.m. Dec. 21, Zellerbach Corridor, UC Berkeley; $45-$125; calperformances.org.
“Wintersongs”: Introduced by Kitka, the acclaimed nine-woman vocal ensemble devoted to the music of the Balkan, Caucasus and Slavic lands; via Dec. 22 in Oakland and San Francisco (additionally out there for streaming $36-$56; kitka.org.
— Bay Metropolis Information Basis and BANG correspondents
