Bay Space arts: 8 exhibits and live shows to catch this weekend

From piano dazzler Juja Wang’s return to Davies Corridor for the S.F. Symphony season opener to a revival of “Dead Man Walking” to Smuin Ballet’s new program, there’s a lot to see and do within the Bay Space this weekend and past.

Right here’s a partial rundown.

Classical picks: SF Symphony opener, Flower Piano, extra

Listed below are three occasions, together with San Francisco Symphony’s season-opening live performance, that classical music followers ought to learn about.

“Opening Night” on the Symphony: It’s at all times a celebration when Yuja Wang is on the San Francisco Symphony, and this week the sensible pianist returns to assist launch the orchestra’s 2025-26 season. “Opening Night with Yuja Wang,” led by conductor Jaap Van Zweden, has Wang scheduled to play Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1; this system additionally consists of John Adams’ high-octane “Short Ride in a Fast Machine,” and Respighi’s “Pines of Rome.” Pre-and Publish occasions spherical out the night.

Particulars: 7 p.m. Friday; Davies Symphony Corridor; $209-$499; sfsymphony.org.

Flower Piano celebrates a decade: Pianists Sarah Cahill and Regina Myers be part of forces to mark Flower Piano’s tenth anniversary season. Offered by Sundown Piano and Gardens of Golden Gate Park, the outside live performance options music by Eleanor Alberga, Amy Seaside, Terry Riley and others.

Particulars: 11 a.m. Sept. 13; San Francisco Botanical Gardens of the Nice Meadow of Golden Gate Park; free with park basic admission, however superior tickets advisable; gggp.org/flowerpiano.org.

Berkeley Symphony opener: Launching its fall season, Berkeley Symphony welcomes Quebec-based conductor Dina Gilbert main a program that includes Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica.” Additionally featured are cellist Gabriel Cabezas, serving as soloist for Alyssa Weinberg’s “Caligo,” and Tchaikovsky’s “Pezzo Capriccioso.” Samy Moussa’s “Elysium” completes this system.

Particulars: 4 p.m. Sunday; First Congregational Church of Berkeley; tickets $15-up; berkeleysymphony.org.

— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent

Lifeless Man Strolling marks huge revival

 Impressed by the 1993 bestselling memoir by Sister Helen Prejean about her time ministering to a killer awaiting his execution (and made right into a film starring Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn), the opera, with a libretto by the famend playwright Terrence McNally, returns to the Conflict Memorial stage at 2 p.m. Sunday for a six-performance run, in a manufacturing directed by Leonard Foglia and performed by the returning Patrick Summers, a veteran from the world premiere. American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton stars as Sister Helen, a job created by Susan Graham; bass-baritone Ryan McKinny assumes the position of death-row inmate Joseph De Rocher; and Graham, the primary Sister Helen, returns because the tortured mom of the doomed man, Mrs. Patrick De Rocher, the position first made well-known right here by the legendary Frederica von Stade.

Particulars: The manufacturing runs by Sept. 28; discover tickets, $29-$447, at sfopera.com.

Historic re-enactments come to Mare Island

There’s in all probability just one place within the Bay Space that performed essential roles in each World Wars, ran a secret nuclear-sub operation towards the Russkis and now could be a incredible place to wine and dine. That might be Mare Island, a decommissioned Navy shipbuilding base in Vallejo, which this month is inviting guests to have a good time its tales with strolling excursions of “living history.”

On Sunday, the island will host a number of dwell re-enactments to commemorate the eightieth anniversary of the top of WWII. Placed on by the Mare Island Historic Park Basis, the occasion will give guests a style of shipyard operations through the conflict, delivered by costumed reenactors well-versed in naval affairs.

The three-hour guided tour introduces Wendy the Welders — like Rosie the Riveters, however for welding — in addition to shipbuilders who hammered collectively conflict machines and even a sailor who survived the USS Indianapolis, sunk on the final day of the conflict. And afterward, attendees are welcome to seize food and drinks at Mare Island Brewing Co. or Redwood Empire Whiskey’s new tasting room.

Particulars: Occasion takes place 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday; 1065 Walnut Ave., Vallejo; $12-$35; reservations required; mihpf.org/occasions

— John Metcalfe, Workers

Smuin launches new season

Below the creative path of choreographer Amy Seiwert, Smuin Ballet seems headed into an exhilarating new period as the corporate’s Season 32 kicks off with three Bay Space premieres.

Key amongst them is “Partita,” by triple-Tony-Award-winner Justin Peck and set to Caroline Shaw’s Pulitzer Prize-winning rating for eight voices. The work is making its first look exterior of New York Metropolis Ballet. This system additionally consists of Alejandro Cerrudo’s “Extremely Close” and Seiwert’s “A Long Night,” which is about to a medley of songs by Patsy Cline, Pink Martini, and Tom Waits.

The season kicks off with a three-day stand on the Mountain View Middle for the Performing Arts, working Sept. 12-13. This system strikes to the Lesher Middle for the Arts in Walnut Creek for performances Sept. 19-20; then settles into Yerba Buena Middle for the Arts in San Francisco for eight performances Sept. 26 by Oct. 5.

Particulars: For tickets ($25-$95) and extra data, go to smuinballet.org.

— Andrew Gilbert, Correspondent

Tuneful freebie of the week

Again within the day, fairly just a few pop acts have been making hay off the tune “I Think We’re Alone Now,” a romantic nugget credited to songwriters Ritchie Cordell (music) and Bo Gentry (lyrics), who later famous that he had penned his portion of the hit for his girlfriend. Tommy James recorded essentially the most well-known model, which was credited with serving to create the “bubblegum” music style. The tune was additionally lined in 1987 by mall-pop crooner Tiffany, who went on to such profession highlights as showing within the movies “Mega Piranha” and its sequel “Mega Python vs. Gatoroid,” in addition to a visitor look on “Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling.” The tune was additionally lined in 1978 by new wave singer Lene Lovich, in addition to in 2007 by pop vocal group Ladies Aloud. However our favourite model of the tune was recorded in 1977 by East Bay power-pop band The Rubinoos, which reportedly fashioned in 1970 to play a highschool dance. The band additionally scored successful in 1979 with “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” (which led to a quick authorized tussle with Avril Lavigne) and 1984 with the theme tune to “Revenge of the Nerds.” After a prolonged hiatus starting within the ‘80s, the Rubinoos reformed in 2006 and are nonetheless at it as we speak. You possibly can catch them (and perhaps hear and or all three of the above-mentioned pop classics) when the band performs as a part of the free Level Richmond Music live performance collection on Sept. 12.

Particulars: Rubinoos carry out at 5:30 p.m., adopted by The Lemonhammer at 6:45 p.m.; Park Place and Washington Avenue in downtown Level Richmond; free; pointrichmondmusic.org.

Floyd guitarist drops tour album, movie

David Gilmour’s 2024 Luck and Unusual Live shows tour was positively one of the crucial memorable traditional rock treks of current years, showcasing one of many best guitarists of all time acting from each the Pink Floyd songbook and his personal mighty solo catalog.

Sadly, the tour’s solely U.S. stops have been within the Los Angeles space (for 4 exhibits) and New York Metropolis (for 5 gigs). (Yeah, we have been personally hoping for a 19-night stand in The Bay Space, however — alas — it didn’t come to cross.)

The primary happens when the live performance movie “Live at the Circus Maximus, Rome” is launched to huge screens — together with these epic IMAX numbers — on Sept. 17. The movie captures Gilmour and his terrific backing band in live performance at Rome’s historic Circus Maximus close to the beginning of the Luck and Unusual tour. The movie will solely be in theaters for a restricted time. For tickets and different particulars (equivalent to an inventory of collaborating theaters), go to www.davidgilmour.movie.

Should you miss it within the theaters, or just need your personal copy to look at over and over, “Live at the Circus Maximus” might be launched each on Blu-ray and DVD on Oct. 17.

Additionally, Gilmour followers will certainly wish to try “The Luck and Strange Concerts” audio launch, which presents up 23 tracks (through 4 LPS or two CDs) recorded at choose exhibits on the tour. We enormously anticipate dropping the needle on the vinyl set — and, particularly, listening to this tour’s superb rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Fat Old Sun” — when it’s launched on Oct. 17.

Particulars: For extra particulars, go to davidgilmour.com.

— Jim Harrington, Workers