New San Francisco venue hosts Latin percussionist John Santos
The Bay Area has a new arts and entertainment venue in the heart of one of its most historic neighborhoods. The 1939 Presidio Theatre, located in San Francisco’s Presidio, the former military post turned national park, has undergone a $30 million renovation and opened for the first time in more than two decades last month as a 600-seat venue for concerts and dance and theater performances. This weekend features Bay Area Latin percussionist and bandleader John Santos, who performs a night of Puerto Rican music with his sextet, as well as the acclaimed Bay Area Balinese group Gamelan Sekar Jaya. Upcoming events include singer Perla Batalla’s concert tribute to Leonard Cohen (Nov. 7); BATS, the Bay Area improv group, presenting The California Noir-Off (Nov. 8-9); illusionist Andrew Evans (Nov. 15-16); and Panto SF presenting a panto version of “Cinderella” for the holidays (Dec. 6-26). Details: John Santos, 8 p.m. Friday; $35; Gamelan Sekar Jaya, 2 p.m. Sunday; $30-$100; www.presidiotheatre.org.
Classical picks: New era begins at Berkeley Symphony
Here are the high points of this weekend’s classical calendar.
New conductor steps in at Berkeley
Symphony: Conductor Joseph Young, making his first appearance as Berkeley Symphony’s new music director, inaugurates the orchestra’s 2019-20season tonight. He’ll conduct Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Olly Wilson’s “Shango Memory” and Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, with Conrad Tao as soloist. Details: 7tonight; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley; $15-$96; 510-841-2800, www.berkeleysymphony.org.
Karina Canellakis debuts at Davies:
Karina Canellakis, the chief conductor of Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra and principal guest conductor of Berlin’s Rundfunk-Sinfonieorchester, makes her San Francisco Symphony debut, conducting Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1, with Alexander Gavrylyuk as soloist. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7, “Leningrad,” completes the program. Details: 8p.m. today through Saturday; Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco; $20-$125; 415-864-6000, www. sfsymphony.org.
JoAnn Falletta reunites with SSV:
JoAnn Falletta returns to Symphony Silicon Valley to conduct David Amram’s “Partners,” a double concerto featuring concertmaster Robin Mayforth and principal cellist Evan Khan. Also on the program: Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances” and works by Lili Boulanger. Details: 8 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday; California Theatre, San Jose; $50-$98; 408-286-2600, www. symphonysiliconvalley.org.
“La Bayadère” returns: Direct from St. Petersburg, the mighty Mariinsky Ballet and Orchestra are bringing “La Bayadère” back to Berkeley. Created by Marius Petipa for the company more than 140 years ago, the ballet remains one of the company’s masterworks. Company artistic director Valery Gergiev conducts. Details: Wednesday through Nov. 3; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley; $25-$250; 510-642-9988, www. calperformances.org. — Georgia Rowe, Correspondent
‘Priscilla’ rolls into Walnut Creek
At a time when so many new musicals are either adaptations of popular movies or jukebox musicals of pop hits, “Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” demonstrates that you don’t have to choose — a show can be both things at once.
A lot of movies feel like an awkward fit for musicals but are made into them anyway, but the 1994Australian cult classic “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” is a natural, a rollicking road trip of three drag queens through the outback in their titular van.
Opening Contra Costa Musical Theatre’s 59th season at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts, the “Priscilla” musical originated in Sydney in 2006 and went on to success in London’s West End and on Broadway.
With a book by the original screenwriter Stephan Elliott and show originator Allan Scott, the stage musical is packed with classic disco numbers from the movie, although ABBA’s “Mamma Mia!,” prominently featured in the film, is of course already taken by another stage musical, and a few random ’80s hits are added instead.
Details: Through Nov. 9; Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek; $50-$60; 925943-7469, www.ccmt.org.