Freebie of the week: Two organizations dedicated to preserving history and cultural traditions are joining forces on Thursday for a special night of Latina poetry reading and storytelling, “Legacy.Legado.” Presented in honor of Women’s History Month by the San Jose Museum of Art and the La Raza Historical Society of Santa Clara County, it features poetry and stories by a dozen Bay Area women writers. While there are no assigned themes, organizers say the readings likely will gravitate toward Latina history and culture and the special brand of resilience women need to preserve their heritage and strive for a better future. Among the writers appearing are: Rosanna Alvarez, co-founder of Eastside Magazine and author of “Braided (Un)Be-Longing”; Arlene Biala, a San Francisco author, performer and former poet laureate of Santa Clara County; Elodia Esperanza Benitez, a Gilroy poet known for incorporating family members and issues in her works; Rita Duarte Herrera, a dancer, teacher and storyteller who grew up in Santa Clara’s Valley of Hearts Delights; and others. The readings run from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the San Jose Museum of Art, 110 South Market St., San Jose. Admission is free. More information is at sjmusart.org.
Mousetrap, she wrote: Agatha Christie’s works go back to an innocent time when not a drop of blood needed to be spilled in a thoroughly engaging murder mystery. Today, there’s a reason why folks flock to the Christie-like “Knives Out” movies: A good mystery peppered with a dash of humor makes for a lovely time at the theater, in the cineplex or from one’s couch. In addition to her 66 novels and 14 short story collections, Christie penned 33 plays, spurred in part by her dissatisfaction with how others adapted her works for the stage. Her runaway stage blockbuster “The Mousetrap” debuted in London in 1952 and, aside from COVID cancellations, has remained onstage there since. This is despite the fact that it does not include her two most revered detectives, Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple. What it does have, however, is one of the theater world’s all-time great twist endings. It’s so legendary that each production of the play includes a plea to audience members to not give anything away to future viewers. That tradition is being upheld in San Jose, where City Lights Theater Company presents the iconic whodunit. Directed by Doll Piccotto, the production has been extended through April 12. Tickets are $38-$63; go to cltc.org.
Soaring with swans: “Swan Lake” remains one of the most storied and performed works in ballet history, one that began as an 18th-century composition by Tchaikovsky that was an unmitigated flop. It fared better after choreography was added a year later that established the story fashioned from European folk tales about a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorceress. The music and choreography have been tweaked and adapted countless times over the years, with many versions drawing from the 1895 version created in St. Petersburg by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov. While the dance and score are justifiably seen as a Russian creation, the piece has a significant Bay Area history as well. The San Francisco Ballet staged the first full production of the work in the U.S. as something of a gift to the city’s sizable Russian population. Company founder and director William Christensen was chief choreographer, and his brother Lew danced the lead male role of Prince Siegfried. Now Walnut Creek’s Diablo Ballet is marking its own history with the ballet, dedicating its 31st anniversary program to “Swan Lake Suite,” an abridged, one-hour, 15-minute production that incorporates highlights from Acts 2, 3 and 4, including the black/white swan pas de deux, a flurry of swans and the finale. Additional choreography is by Christopher Lam and Sean Kelly. Performances are 6 p.m. Friday and 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek. Following the Friday performance is Diablo Ballet’s annual gala; following Saturday’s matinee is a free reception with a chance to meet the cast and choreographers. Tickets for the main performances are $30-$58; go to www.diabloballet.org.
Cue the movie music: Symphony San Jose has an engaging theme going for this weekend’s concerts at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose. “Hollywood Spectacular,” subtitled “And the Oscar goes to …” includes scores from seven films whose composers each captured the Academy of Motion Picture Arts top prize in that category (which has been presented since 1939). So in addition to hearing Erich Korngold’s stirring accompaniment to the 1938 swashbuckler “The Adventures of Robin Hood,” starring Errol Flynn, audiences will be treated to the full symphonic renditions of Malcolm Arnold’s score for “The Bridge on the River Kwai,” starring Alec Guinness (957), Henry Mancini’s score to “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” starring Audrey Hepburn (1961), Maurice Jarre’s “Lawrence of Arabia,” starring Peter O’Toole (1962), John Barry’s “Dances with Wolves,” starring Kevin Costner (1990), John Williams’ “Schindler’s List,” starring Liam Neeson (1993) and James Horner’s “Titanic,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio (1997). Peter Jaffe conducts the programs at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Find tickets, $35 to $121.50, at symphonysanjose.org.
Alert, all lute lovers: We’re not sure the rock star himself has heard of it and approved, but Thomas Dunford has been dubbed “the Eric Clapton of the lute” by BBC Magazine. The young French musician does dabble a bit in genres beyond his instrument’s traditional deployment, and for his Bay Area recital debut, co-sponsored by the Omni Foundation and San Francisco Performances, he’s playing a program that spans the Baroque to the 20th century. Appearing on stage at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, the lutenist will play works by Dowland, Satie, Marais, Bach, Kapsberger and Dalza. Tickets are $65, available at sfperformances.org and omniconcerts.com. Watch him play a Bach work in Bruge here.
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