Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
255
Music in Parks Series
All
ages.
The San Francisco Parks Trust is a nonprofit group
that provides support for parks, open space, and city r ecreation centers. They hold free
events at parks around the city to encourage r esidents to get out of the house. Concer ts
featuring local musicians ar e held S aturday afternoons thr oughout the summer and on
Friday nights in S eptember and O ctober. All ev ents are free.
&
415/750-5110.
www.sfpt.
org.
The Nutcracker
Ages 5 and up.
There's no shor tage of S ugar Plum Fairies during
Christmas, but the San Francisco Ballet's version of this classic is clearly the best-kno wn
and most-beloved in town. The company debuted the piece in 1944 and has been danc-
ing it annually since 1949. I t usually r uns for about 2 to 3 w eeks in D ecember. O n
selected dates there's a party afterward with appearances by cast members.
War Memorial
Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave. (at Grove St.).
&
415/865-2000.
www.sfballet.org. Tickets $18-
$188.
The Nutcracker by the City Ballet School
Ages 5 and up.
In case the San Fran-
cisco Ballet's Nutcracker doesn't fit into y our calendar or y our budget, a mor e modest,
but delightful, alternative is the City Ballet School's version. The cast is composed almost
entirely of students of the ballet school, many of whom ar e quite good.
Cowell Theatre,
Fort Mason (Marina Blvd. at Buchanan St.), Middle Pier.
&
415/626-8878.
www.cityballetschool.
org. Tickets $24.
Peter and the Wolf
Ages 3 to 11.
The San Francisco Youth Symphony Orchestra's
annual holiday r endition of P rokofiev's famous piece featur es celebrity narrators who
have included R obin Williams, Bobb y M cFerrin, and Rita M oreno. The D ecember
concert features Christmas carols and a sing-along to end the show.
Davies Symphony Hall,
201 Van Ness Ave. (at Grove St.).
&
415/864-6000.
www.sfsymphony.org. Tickets $15-$40.
Stern Grove Festival
All ages.
On summer Sundays, families laden with the news-
paper, coolers, blankets, and lo w-rise lawn chairs shuffle into S tern Grove for fr ee con-
certs in the par k. The music begins at 2pm, but savvy locals kno w to show up early to
claim the best spots on the lawn. I t's a relaxing and carefree way to spend an afternoon.
The lineup usually includes the S an Francisco Symphony, San Francisco Ballet, jazz art-
ists, and students from the San Francisco Opera's Merola Program.
Stern Grove, Sloat Blvd.
(at 19th Ave.).
&
415/252-6252.
www.sterngrove.org.
The Velveteen Rabbit
Ages 5 and up.
Margery Williams's tale of a stuffed bunny
that longs to be real is beautifully staged in this modern dance adaptation b y
ODC/San
Francisco
with music b y Benjamin Britten and recorded narration by the actor/clown/
comedian Geoff Hoyle. Young audience members have been known to bring along their
own well-worn stuffies. Tickets are available through the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
box office. Performances take place in the Yerba Buena Center for the Ar ts Theater.
700
Howard St. (btw. 3rd and 4th sts.).
&
415/978-2787.
www.odcdance.org. Tickets $15-$45.
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WEEKEND SHOWS
California Palace of the Legion of Honor
Ages 8 and up.
This museum offers
weekly organ concerts Saturdays and Sundays at 4pm. Professional organists talk to audi-
ence members about their music and about the museum 's 1924 S kinner pipe organ,
made with 4,500 hidden pipes. Listeners ar e invited to walk ar ound the elegant marble
space to hear how the organ sounds differ ently depending on where one stands.
Lincoln
