For Orson Opening Some Wore Chocolate

Having fun on a Monday night—what a genius idea! Who else could have came up with it but the ultimate fun pastry chef and her life partner—Elizabeth Falkner and Sabrina Riddle of Citizen Cake and Citizen Cupcake. Have fun, advised Falkner, while meeting and greeting her guests at the opening of her third restaurant (this time just “Orson,” no citizen, and it’s about time for the two greats to communicate on the first-name basis—if you put it into a historical perspective, so to speak). “I wanted to do a really fun big restaurant,” she said, “not just pastry, we needed to do something like they have in Europe. We went there in summer, that was kind of motivation.” Moving in a whirlwind of a slightly intoxicated and highly excited crowd, Falkner, slim and fit, clad in biker black, with her spiky blond ‘do, looking like one of her hip and chic guests, could see her dream come true in a smartly renovated warehouse, lofty inside, chocolate cake-looking outside. With her impeccable taste, her pastry chef origin, and her sturdy determination applied to any task, large or small, Falkner thought through every detail of her fun party. Sword fighting (Annika Kahn and Falkner herself) and waiters’ fashion show, music and singing by Jason Falkner, DJ Solomon and Sabrina Riddle were added to a lavish food and drink presentation. Celery gimlet, expertly mixed by Bill Londers and other energetic bartenders, was by far the most popular drink, probably because of its emerald color and its guilt-free implication. House cured meats, among them delectable ham, sliced in the kitchen off a whole leg jamon-style by chef de cuisine Ryan Farr, and carried around on clothespins; green garlic and oyster soup in shot glasses; butterfish and caviar little masterpieces, served on spoons; white and green flower-like tidbits on sticks, made of salt and pepper tofu and kim chi, and foie gras chocolate truffles—that’s pretty decadently European, if you ask me. Orson features a 30-seat round bar, social and intimate dining spaces, and is available for private parties. For its creative and inspired cuisine, its stylish and relaxing ambience and guaranteed fun, reserve your seats early at 415-777-1508. Orson is located at 508 Forth Street, SF. For more information, visit http://www.orsonsf.com/ Photo by Emma Krasov. Countesses Chocula or just chocolate maidens with a delighted guest at the Orson opening last Monday.

SFMOMA Welcomes Spring with Refreshing Photography Show ‘Friedlander’

Multiple reflections in store windows, awkward facial expressions of people caught mid-blink or half-smile, desert cacti entangled in dry tree branches, and emaciated models, decorated like cakes (to use Jean Halvorsen’s lucky metaphor) during New York Fashion Week, are just a few of the many themes of Lee Friedlander’s expressive photography. As one of the great cohort of the 20th century, Friedlander keeps his own place among such medium giants as Walker Evans, Diane Arbus, and Garry Winogrand. With his tongue-in-cheek approach to clichés, his appreciation of life’s fleeting moments, his ability to see and convey beauty in dusty back roads and architecturally challenged dwellings of provincial America, and his attention to the unexpected little kinks that surround us on every step, Friedlander delivers a fascinating chronicle of the everyday. “This is one of the most life-affirming bodies of work,” said Sandra Phillips, senior curator of photography at SFMOMA at the show opening. “Lee [Friedlander] makes pictures like an apple tree bears apples.” She also pointed out the diversity of his subject matter, and the “fun and dynamic way” the show is arranged on part white and part painted in brilliant colors walls of the light and airy galleries of the Museum’s fourth floor. The photographs are arranged in groups coherent with multiple topics that stem from the artist’s insatiable curiosity, and even the most historically well represented of them, like the Nudes series bears his unique vision, in this case frank and unapologetic. The show will be on display through May 18. SFMOMA is located at 151 Third Street, San Francisco. 415-357-4000 or visit http://www.sfmoma.org/

Illuminata, a photo group, presents 'Transformation'

Illuminata, a group of four photographers, exhibits photographs that explore the concept of transformation in the Kings Gallery at the SF First UnitarianUniversalist Church, San Francisco, Forgotten objects, loss of childhood, the process of aging, and ephemeral encounters with passersby make up this dynamic photo exhibition that explores the transitory nature of being. The show presents four bodies of work: "In My Backyard" by Adrienne Defendi; "Across the Great Divide" by Charlotte Kay; "Caltrans Graveyard" by Kay Taneyhill; and "Passing Through" by Roxanne Worthington. March 7 – April 28, 1187 Franklin Street at Geary, SanFrancisco. Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Ring for Entry / Sundays: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. ARTIST RECEPTION: Sunday, April 13, 12:30-3:00 p.m. (415) 776-4580; http://www.uusf.org/

Archaic Legend Comes Fresh as Daisy in SF Ballet’s Giselle

This year marks 75th anniversary of San Francisco Ballet, and one of the oldest classic ballets—Giselle, premiered in Paris in 1841, now presented in Helgi Tomasson’s harmonious production —is a perfect celebration in Company’s full-length Program 3, ending this weekend. As Romanticism is the very genre of the most romantic art, an old German legend about love that transcends death comes alive on stage, full of youthful energy and summery colors in Act I, and shrouded in mist and mystery in the dark and somber Act II. A real-time 20-minute intermission transports the whole action from a sunny afternoon of wine harvest festival into the moonlit night of Wilis—mythical maidens, betrayed by their lovers and restless behind the grave. When a fresh-faced Giselle (Yuan Yuan Tan in Feb. 20 performance) dizzyingly in love with handsome Albrecht (Tiit Helimets) dances her little heart away among her carefree friends, Tomasson’s own peasant pas de cinq charms audiences, and every friends’ or peasants’ dance is met with applause for the sheer joy of it. Then the darkness starts to creep in, filling Giselle’s madness scene with gloom, but she is still so touching, so innocent, the crowd around her so sympathetic, it holds hopes against all odds. She dies doll-like, like a broken lily, her lifeless body embraced by her lover, everyone in distress, curtain falls. The viewers come back, and a different story unfolds in the other world. Thorny branches of old trees bar the stage. White smoke crawls across the ground. Snowy-white Wilis fly overhead; distraught rivals-in-love Albrecht and Hilarion (Damian Smith) stumble in the dark, looking for Giselle’s grave. But before she would rise and arrive, the icily perfect Queen of Wilis (Sofiane Sulve) summons her vengeful maidens, and they appear—classic alabaster ballerinas, covered with bridal veils—a dreamlike vision, an ecstatic hallucination, an ultimate ballet experience, which seems to be one of the reasons of the piece’s longevity in the first place. Now is the time for SF Ballet’s famously disciplined, superbly agile, perfectly figure-cut corps de ballet to shine. And they do shine, creating a perfect environment for the outstanding principals and soloists. A celebration of Giselle is generously adorned by scenic, costume and lighting design by Mikael Melbye, and accompanied by SF Ballet Orchestra, with Martin West, conductor, and Paul Ehrlich, viola solo. To purchase tickets, call 415-865-2000, for more information, visit http://www.sfballet.org/ Photo by Erik Tomasson. Yuan Yuan Tan and Tiit Helimets in Tomassons's Giselle.

Carrie Fisher Tells Tales from the Hollywood Edge at Berkeley Rep

Nothing soothing about this storyteller, but you’ll laugh your head off, guaranteed. Dressed like Norma Desmond, kicking her shoes off, stretching in a chair, and feeling totally at home, Princess Leia, now 51 (still gorgeous) is drinking iced coke and chain-smoking, while relating her bitter tale of a celebrityrdom in her own new play “Wishful Drinking,” directed by Tony Taccone. It surely takes a lot of guts to be as brutally honest, direct and unapologetic as Ms. Fisher is in her autobiographical story, especially when both her legendary parents, Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, and her legendary film director, George Lucas, are all present at the show, as it happened during the Berkeley Rep opening last Tuesday. It also takes a lot of inner warmth and wisdom to be as sympathetic, graceful and relevant as she is underneath those sharp shards of her shattered subject matter, called life. From a visual lesson on Hollywood’s incestuous genealogy to a brief mental-health questionnaire, thrown into the audience, the playwright-actress keeps her viewers’ undivided attention with her speedy speech, bubbling over with details. Her prodigious childhood; her marriage to Paul Simon, who loved her “coffee eyes;” her parenting, shared with a husband who forgot to tell her he was gay; her unsettled accounts with Mom and Dad, and those commercial images of Princess Leia--from pez dispensers to sex dolls—everything is included in her story, up to rehab and mental hospital stints. Endlessly entertaining, she brings the value of a self-deprecating laugh to a new height. This MUST SEE show runs through April 12. Added bonus: On Friday, February 22, the Berkeley Rep Book Club meets at 6:30 PM for a lively discussion of Fisher’s first novel, Postcards from the Edge. The group, led by volunteer Mary Ann Peoples, is free – and, while you don’t have to see Wishful Drinking to attend, reading the book will deepen your appreciation of the show. Gourmet tastings take place before select performances on Friday and Saturday evenings. At these events, local artisans provide free samples at 7:00 PM, offering the perfect appetizer for a luxurious evening at the theatre. Charles Chocolates on February 29, Pyramid Brewery on March 1, Maritime East Restaurant on March 15, Raymond Vineyards on March 28, and Fra’Mani Salumi on March 29. Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Roda Stage, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley. Box office: 510-647-2949. berkeleyrep.org.

My One Night Stand at Occidental

Suppose, some special people in your life gave you a gift certificate to the Inn at Occidental, listed in the Select Registry of Distinguished Inns of North America 2008. Suppose, you crossed Occidental Road million times before, going abalone diving, but you’ve never dreamed of venturing into yet another ultimate little town. Running ahead let me tell you: I’m glad we did. Occidental claims to belong to Sonoma Wine Country, but is really pretty far from the motherload. Rewind that: Occidental is really pretty. It is surrounded by redwood and eucalyptus-covered hills, and it has a miniature park with benches and picnic tables. The Inn, family-owned and operated by Jerry and Tina Wolsborn, is located on a woody hill off Bohemian Highway (love the name!) on one end of the town, marked by a church, in a three-minute walk from its other end, also marked by a church. Of course, if you stop at every artist gallery and quaint little shop on your way, the walk can take all of half an hour or so. At the Inn, every room in a historic building has a name and is decorated in accordance with it. We stayed in Sonoma Lodge room, and liked the real birch tree canopy, with some dry leaves still hanging from branches, over the bed. The owners aspire to create a warm and fuzzy atmosphere of a delightful getaway—with original art on the walls, spa tubs in every room, a wine and cheese reception in the afternoon, and a full breakfast, made by the skilled house chef. For dinner, there is no better place than Bistro Des Copains, across the street from the Inn. Michel Augsburger, of Swiss-French descent, who opened the restaurant with a partner only a couple years ago, started with taking his staff on a trip to France to familiarize them with the original food-and-wine-as-a-way-of-life culture. Now, Melissa Gonyea, chef de cuisine, turns up some great dishes, among them duck breast in green peppercorn sauce, prepared the un-Americanized way without that fruit jam sweetness. Our attentive server, Allison Schermerhorn, and other crewmembers have been working for Bistro Des Copains (the buddies bistro) since day one. According to the owner, his goal was to create a cozy neighborhood restaurant, and judging from the amount of locals sipping their wine and chatting there on a Sunday night, he did. Now, about the locals. Some amazing artists live and work, and hold galleries there, or commute from Santa Rosa, Rio Vista, and other picturesque little towns of Northern California. Laurence Glass Work gallery features zoomorphic furniture designs by woodwork sculptor Fabrice Landa, adorned by Laurence’s own fused glass. The Art Collective Gallery of Mary Louise Perkins features rotating exhibits of local artists, and… we just scratched the surface… At the end of our less than 24-hour journey, just to add some icing to the cake, the AMGEN Tour of California was passing through town. Photo by Yuri Krasov. Overlooking the Inn at Occidental courtyard.

Nina Ananiashvili Charms Cal Performances in Her Ballet’s West Coast Debut

The former Bolshoi Ballet prima ballerina and a guest principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre, Nina Ananiashvili made a shooting-star appearance at Cal Performances last weekend. Currently the Artistic Director of the State Ballet of Georgia, Ananiashvili thankfully remains an active ballerina, as weightless and expressive as ever in her tried and true role of Giselle. Uncharacteristically for a classical dancer, she acts not only with her graceful body, but also with her girlishly charming face, which reflects every emotion of her character. She is as highly believable in her falling in love scene—all bubbly and innocent, as she is in her heart-breaking mad scene—with the strands of her hair falling over her face, her hands movements changing from flowing to broken. After the first act, one remains wondering how ghostly can such a lively ballerina become in the second act, when her character is dead. Not surprisingly, she is still perfect—appropriately cold, bitter, aloof, yet assertive in Giselle’s determination to protect her unfaithful lover even from behind the grave. Adolphe Adam’s score was excellently performed by Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, with Robert Cole, conductor.

Gentlemen Rebels Gilbert and George Invade de Young

What looks from afar like cathedral windows, is filled with images of all things sinful: a symbol of faith formed by human excrement, frontal and rear male nudity, enlarged microscope images of spit and spunk, and newspaper clippings warning about a sin of voting. At the de Young opening of "Gilbert and George"-- a Tate Modern London exhibition in association with the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (FAMSF) Diane Wilsey, FAMSF President of the Board of Trustees said, “I know there is a lot of people in this city who wish they were doing it, but we are.” The artists’ subject matter is more or less precisely reflected in the title of one of their largest works from 1994, “Shitty Naked Human World.” Each element of the named world is being studied in relation to the artists themselves, posing as archetypal human beings in the sea of lies surrounding “Death Hope Life Fear” from a 1984 title of theirs. Looking like a pair of perfect English gentlemen in their gray-checkered suits and ties, and conversing in their impeccable British, Gilbert and George make their rebellion against all things oppressive even more striking. Using images of their own bodies (and bodily fluids) in their studio-produced photography, the artists send out a powerful message of inquisitive vulnerability constantly threatened by dogmas, superstitions, prejudices, and intolerance, imposed upon humanity by various religions, censorship, and other prohibitive institutions. Their “Bomb” from a 2006 series of images, which followed the notorious London bombings, is a monument to the victims of religious intolerance. Although Gilbert and George insist that human beings are driven by sex, money, race, and religion, and love has very little to do with real life, one of their most poetic images, “Winter Flowers” from 1982 contradicts this statement, as well as their whole history of living and working together from the moment they first met on the steps of St. Martin’s School of Art in London back in 1967. “George was the only one who could understand my English,” quipped Gilbert (originally from Italy). “He still is the only one who understands me,” he added with a smile worth a thousand words. “This is the largest show of Gilbert and George in 25 years,” said John Buchanan Jr., Director of FAMSF, placing them “among the most influential artists today.” The artists admittedly “blindfolded” themselves against influences and never study the works of others, concentrating primarily on creating their own. "It's not fun making art," said Gilbert. "Nothing is easy." "You just have to do it to say what you must say," added George. “Gilbert and George” is on display through May 18, before traveling to the Milwaukee Art Museum in June and to the Brooklyn Museum of Art in October. The de Young Museum is located in Golden Gate Park, SF. For information, call 415-750-3600, or visit http://www.deyoungmuseum.org/ Photo by Emma Krasov. Gilbert and George at the opening of their show.

Moiseyev Dance Company Triumphant at Cal Performances

As electrifying and refined as ever, the famous Russian Folk Dance Ensemble performed to a constant ovation at Zellerbach Hall last weekend, demonstrating yet again its unbelievable degree of precision and mastery months after its founder’s passing at the age of 101. Igor Moiseyev, a former principal dancer of the Bolshoi Ballet made it a point to hire classically trained dancers to perform folk, elevating the genre itself to a sky-high level. While dozens of performers move on stage at a mind-boggling speed, their exact timing is key to perfection. Skip a step, and the whole structure would collapse. This unimaginable synchronization can only be achievable through the most rigid discipline and years of hard labor, but those were the requirements “to leave a trace in history not to be ashamed of” as Moiseyev himself put it. Even in the rich and diverse program presented by Cal Performances, some pieces stood out as pure magic—Kalmuk Dance, performed by Ramil Mekhdiev, Evgeny Chernyshkov and Yuriy Chernyshkov, and the Suite of Moldavian Dances with a team of outstanding soloists and the company. To learn about Cal Performances programs and order tickets, call 510-642-9988 or visit calperformances.org.

The Custom Made Theatre’s ‘Slavs!’ Compensate in Passion What They Lack in Frills

One of the many “spiritual geniuses of the Slavic people,” noted by the playwright—the ability to put mind over matter—serves the Company’s cast well in Tony Kushner’s “Slavs!” performed now on a small Off Market stage. With very limited means, the San Francisco non-profit, relocated from Boston ten years ago, builds up a good deal of nuance, tension and emotion in passionate acting to illustrate the characters’ “thinking about the longstanding problems of virtue and happiness.” The author’s insightful story about the nation habitually stomping on virtue and eternally deprived of happiness finds its heartfelt presentation in the theatre’s unique, cross-gendered production. Communist apparatchiks circa Perestroika/collapse of the Soviet Union—dying along with their empire, children affected by rampant environmental pollution—dying despite the best efforts of selfless if helpless doctors, jarred brains of dead leaders preserved for scientific research and posterity—all come alive in an endemically tragicomic contemplation on the motherland of absurd, delivered by the talented troupe. Most actors, like Jessica Jade Rudholm, Megan Briggs, Alex Alexander, Brandy Leggett, and Michael Berlin are engaged in two different roles each. In other parts—A.J. Davenport and Richard Wenzel, and underage Lexi Oliva and Hannah Travis, playing the little girl in alternating performances. For an evening of devilishly funny and cathartically sad entertainment, come see The Custom Made Theatre Company's “Slavs!” through Feb. 23. Call for tickets 800-838-3006 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com. The Custom Stage@Off Market is located at 965 Mission St., SF.

Tragically Comic Will Eno Premieres His New Play at Berkeley Rep

Will Eno’s “TRAGEDY: a tragedy” is actually a comedy, if an apocalyptic comedy,” written by an exciting contemporary playwright and directed by Obie Award-winner Les Waters. “I like going to rehearsals. I also like stopping going to rehearsals. I think I can be helpful to the process with a good mix of presence and absence,” said Eno about his hard work preparing for the national premiere. The New York Times called Eno “a Samuel Beckett for the Jon Stewart generation” after a successful two-year run of his off-Broadway hit “Thom Pain (based on nothing).” Presented on the intimate Thrust Stage of Berkeley Rep, TRAGEDY begins perviews on March 14 and closes April 13. For those who like to wallow in TRAGEDY, Berkeley Rep offers 15 special events during the run to enhance their tragicomic experience: Page to Stage on March 7 at 7; Target ® Teen Night March 14 at 6:30; Opening night festivities on March 19; Berkeley Rep’s book club on April 4 at 6:30; Free 30-minute docent presentations about the show on March 18, 20, 25, 27, April 1, 3, 8, and 10 at 7, and Post-play discussions on March 20, 28 and April 1.
Tickets to TRAGEDY: a tragedy start as low as $27. Additional savings for groups, seniors, students, and anyone under 30 years of age – discounted tickets can be obtained for as little as $13.50. This change makes Berkeley Rep more affordable to people who are just starting school, starting careers, and starting families – lower prices are now available for every performance.
Berkeley Rep’s Thrust Stage is located at 2025 Addison Street. For tickets or information, call 510.647.2949, or toll-free at 888-4-BRT-Tix, or visit berkeleyrep.org. Photo courtesy of Berkeley Rep.

Speed the Plow Closes With a Bang at A.C.T.

David Mamet being the playwright of choice for the San Francisco American Conservatory Theater, (A.C.T.) his “Speed the Plow,” directed by Loretta Greco, has showered audiences with a fun and refreshing run, closing to the full house last weekend. In this sharp, dense, jittery and profoundly psychological satire, with Mamet’s signature un-p.c. language and electrifying dialog, he pits a suppressed desire of an “old whore” of a Hollywood producer to “do good” against an iron will of an aspiring industry worker who presents herself as an ultimate do-gooder. While Charlie Fox (performed by Andrew Polk) is excitedly contemplating his sure-fire multimillion project of a prison buddy movie with his buddy Bobby Gould (Matthew Del Negro) who is also his superior and a major decision-maker on the outcome of movie projects, a mousy temp, named Karen (Jessi Campbell) finds her uncanny shortcut into the world of Hollywood mechanics. Coming to Bobby’s place at night to discuss her own idea of a movie project, Karen knows which buttons to push, and how many layers of cynical rust to remove to expose a trembling soul crying for help inside the hardened Hollywood career builder, who habitually says trust me when he means f..k you. Using her “not a floozy” looks, her newly-found passion for a random book she just read at Bobby’s request, and the all-time favorite references to God, Karen finds this mousy soul of an industry tiger sometime before the other shoe drops, and preaches to it to be good, conscientious, and God-fearing. In all this misty teary b.s.-tting, it almost gets lost on Bobby that the outcome will divert the money flow from his chosen buddy movie project to the one Karen roots for and would profit from. That is, until the light of day brings back Charlie, too rotten an old whore to know a rival when he sees one. The author’s message, flawlessly delivered by the cast: if while building a successful old whore career you are suddenly overwhelmed by a desire to do good, fight it.

SF Ballet's Yuan Yuan Tan in Firebird Sets House on Fire

San Francisco Ballet—the oldest professional ballet company in the nation—celebrates its 75th anniversary, and Helgi Tomasson, Artistic Director and Choreographer, called 2008 a remarkable year. While it would be hard to imagine a higher degree of excellence than the Company already possesses, this season’s program, according to Tomasson, was “designed to be unforgettable.” Program 2, which opened last Thursday, proven to be of that quality, especially its final piece— “Firebird,” composed by Igor Stravinsky for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russe a century ago. This one-act was conceived in time of wild experimentation in classical dance when revolutionary ideas of all sorts filled the air, helping transform the traditional and the rigid into something promisingly modern. An unusually high concentration of multi-disciplinary talent didn’t hurt either. It is quite remarkable that SF Ballet is following suit with what we enjoy today. For those balletomanes that come to envy Nijinsky’s contemporaries, SF Ballet has many gifts for which future generations will envy us, and one of them is a principal dancer Yuan Yuan Tan. In the role of Firebird she is unforgettable, and it’s no wonder, since the dancer is almost inhumanely perfect. She flies across the stage, she wiggles in Prince’s hands, and she trembles with her every fiery feather—deprived of her freedom and abused for her magic—in the cherished traditions of grim Russian folk tales. Pascal Molat in the role of Koschei, Damian Smith and Rachel Viselli as Prince and Princess, and the rest of the ensemble created this absolute stunner of a show, choreographed by Yuri Possokhov, conducted by Martin West, with scenic design by Yuri Zhukov, costume design by Sandra Woodall, and lighting design by David Finn. Program 2 runs through Feb. 10. For farther information visit http://www.sfballet.com/. Photo by Erik Tomasson. Yuan Yuan Tan in Possokhov’s Firebird.