“Tattoos in Japanese Prints” on Exhibit at Asian Art Museum
May 31 through August 18, 2019

About 45 million Americans have at least one tattoo, although it may seem like even more if you live in the Bay Area. A comparable craze for full-body tattoos swept Japan’s 19th century cities, nowhere more than in trendsetting Edo (modern Tokyo). The “Tattoos in Japanese Prints” exhibition recounts how large-scale, intricately-inked pictorial tattoos — what we now recognize as a distinctly Japanese style — emerged in 19th-century Japan in tandem with woodblock prints depicting tattooed heroes of history and myth. With more than 60 superb works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston collection, “Tattoos in Japanese Prints” uncovers the complex interplay between ink on paper and ink on skin, revealing the origin of some of the world’s most enduring and popular tattoo motifs. Don’t miss the related events such as: the Panel Discussion on Japanese Tattoos – The Visual Splendor of the Floating World; Ukiyo-e Printing Workshop; At the Table – “Knives and Needles”; At the Table – Talk and Tea with Monica Lo and Felicity Chen; Live Tattooing at the Asian Art Museum; At the Table – Talk with Ichi Sushi Executive Chef Tim Archuleta. Definitely a not-to-be-missed exhibit and a number of fun activities.

Tickets and Information
415-581-3500
Asianart.org
Asian Art Museum
200 Larkin Street in San Francisco

Photos courtesy of the Asian Art Museum

Archduke is on its Way to Silicon Valley
June 5 through June 30, 2019

Can one moment derail a century? Find out by visiting the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts as the TheatreWorks company is staging Archduke, written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph who explores the cataclysmic 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Sarajevo which ignited World War 1. On a darkly comic quest for immortality, three hapless insurgents prove that little has changed from then to now. “Humor with a global conscience”- Los Angeles Times. Intriguing and mentally stimulating, this New Works Festival sensation is from the author of Broadway’s “Bengal Tiger” and the “Baghdad Zoo”.

Tickets and Information
Price ranges from $40 to $100
650-463-1960
Theatreworks.org
Mountain Center for the Performing Arts
500 Castro Street in Mountain View

Photo courtesy of TheatreWorks

Rusalka at the War Memorial Opera in San Francisco
June 16 through June 28

San Francisco Opera presents Dvořák’s Rusalka, the Czech fairy tale opera and David McVicar’s “thoughtfully conceived and brilliantly executed” (Chicago Tribune) production. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid and the novella Undine by Friedrich de la Motte Fouqué, Rusalka follows the tragic heroine of the title, a water nymph who makes a grave sacrifice to win the love of a human prince. Known in the world’s concert halls for his brilliant symphonies and chamber music, Dvořák dedicated himself to opera late in life and created a masterpiece in Rusalka, which had its 1901 premiere in Prague. Filled with references to Czech folk music and the composer’s stirring, orchestral textures, the opera features many memorable moments, including the title heroine’s Act I soliloquy, “Měsíčku na nebi hlubokém,” or the “Song to the Moon.” I am looking forward to seeing and hearing one of my favorite operas and so should you. It is true magic on stage. Each presentation of Rusalka at the War Memorial Opera House features a 25-minute Pre-Opera Talk by music historian Derek Katz.

Tickets and Information
Prices range from $26 to $398
415-864-3330
sfopera.com
War Memorial Opera House
301 Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco

Photo courtesy of SF Opera

Boris Eifman Premiers the Pygmalion Effect
June 1 and June 2

The award-winning Russia ballet choreographer Boris Eifman is famed for his dramatic and sensationally staged dramas, from adaptations of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina to Chekhov’s The Seagull. In his new adaptation, Eifman revives the theme of sculpture in Pygmalion Effect. Set to lyrical music by composer Johann Strauss Jr, Pygmalion reimagines the mythical sculptor who falls in love with his beautiful creation as a ballroom dancer. What will happen? Anything can happen and the rest is a mystery for you to see and discover on the stage of Zellerbach Hall in Berkeley.

Tickets and Information
Prices range from $36 to $135
510-642-9988
calperformances.org
Cal Performances at Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley

Photo courtesy of Eifman Ballet

Lina Broydo immigrated from Russia, then the Soviet Union, to Israel where she was educated and got married. After working at the University in Birmingham, England, she and her husband immigrated to the United States. She lives in Los Altos Hills, CA and writes about travel, art, style, entertainment, and sports. She hardly cooks or bakes, with no borsch or piroshky on her home cooking menu. Therefore, she makes reservations and enjoys dining out, mostly sushi.