Freebie of the week: This time of year, we all turn into suckers for bright colorful lights, whether they appear on trees, buildings, even basset hounds with those silly antler things on. And the bigger and brighter the display, the better. San Francisco is the place to be this week, with the free Let’s Glow SF holiday light displays back for the fifth straight year. From 5:30 to 10 p.m. nightly through Sunday, the city is lighting up numerous buildings with animated, moving holiday-themed projections representing the work of 19 noted artists from around the globe. DowntownSF reports that the lights are on display at the Ferry Building on the Embarcadero (best viewed from Harry Bridges Plaza); the East Cut Electric building, 424 Folsom St. (best viewed from 420 Folsom St.); 101 California St. (best viewed from 101 California Plaza), Mechanics Monument Plaza at 488 Market St.; Yerba Buena Lane at Market Street; Hobart Building, 828 Market St., (best viewed from 1 Post St.); Transamerica Pyramid Center, 600 Montgomery St. (best viewed from within the Transamerica Redwood Park); Pacific Exchange, 301 Pine St.; and Salesforce Tower, 415 Mission St., pretty much visible from anywhere downtown. More information is at downtownsf.org.
A tool busts a move: Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, the dance world is dominated by one thing: “Nutcracker.” Since the famed ballet has a special San Francisco connection, it’s only fitting that the Bay Area serves up an impressive collection of “Nutcracker” productions. San Francisco Ballet, credited with performing the first full-length production of the ballet in the U.S. in 1944, continues to present former artistic director Helgi Tomasson’s adaptation of the work each year. With live orchestra accompaniment (Tchaikovsky’s iconic score remains one of the big reasons for taking in the show) and lavish production values, it is truly a feast for the senses. Performances run through Dec. 28 at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco; tickets are $39-$598 at www.sfballet.org. Meanwhile, San Jose has a pair of notable Nutcracker productions this week. New Ballet is presenting “The San Jose Nutcracker,” choreographed by Dalia Rawson and featuring Symphony San Jose, which runs through Dec. 23 at the California Theatre in San Jose ($31.50-$126.50; newballet.com). And San Jose Dance Theatre presents the “Original San Jose Nutcracker,” now in its 60th year, on Saturday and Sunday and Dec. 20-21 at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts ($54.02-$119.05; www.sjdt.org). Meanwhile, San Francisco’s Mark Foehringer Dance Project offers a streamlined “Nutcracker Sweets” adaptation that’s a holiday gift to parents with very young children. It runs through Dec. 21 in the Cowell Theater in Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. Tickets are $23.50-$65 at mfdpsf.org.
The joy of Kitka: Those who have not yet encountered the heavenly vocal efforts of Kitka, a 10-member women’s choir based in Oakland, will find the ensemble’s live performance a game-changing experience. The group specializes in traditional songs from Eastern Europe and Eurasia, but that accurate description does not do justice to the swirling, ethereal, transcendent sound the singers create. Their harmonies, dramatic phrasing and pure passion combine to form a unique aural effect. The group is also known to use buildings’ acoustics to heighten its performance. Kitka kicks off its annual Wintersongs concert series on Saturday at Peace United Church in Santa Cruz. Other performances are at St. Bede’s Church in Menlo Park on Sunday, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Oakland on Dec. 18-20 and Old First Church in San Francisco on Dec. 21. Tickets are $27.50-$55. Another way to experience the group is via its new album, “Kolo.” Tickets to the concerts and more information about the album are available at kitka.org.
A culture claimed and defended: As the Russian invasion of Ukraine is winding up its third full year, citizens of that beleaguered country are clinging proudly to their land and their heritage. In recognition of that staunch stance in the face of oppression, University of California, Berkeley professor of music emerita and first-generation Ukrainian-American Marika Kuzma is bringing her Ensemble Cherubim Chamber Chorus, a group she has toured Ukraine with in the past, back to campus with a couple of famous guests also participating. With renowned mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade providing solos and and theater persona L. Peter Callendar supplying narration, the group performs “Carols of Birds, Bells and Peace from Ukraine: A Holiday Celebration” at 2 p.m. Saturday in Zellerbach Hall, presented by Cal Performances. The music and spoken word program, selections from Ukrainian songs and carols from ancient to modern times, will take place while pictures of the Ukrainian countryside will be projected on a screen behind the performers. Kuzma and the ensemble will release a recording of the carols next year. Only orchestral seats remain for the concert, ranging from $42 to $89, at calperformances.org. For a sample, find an excerpt of “Carol of the Bells,” written by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych, performed by the Ensemble here.
A joyful collaboration: For the fourth time, music director and concertmaster Daniel Hope and his New Century Chamber Orchestra will be joining the acclaimed San Francisco Girls Chorus, conducted by Valérie Sainte Agathe, to mark the holiday season with a concert called “In Winter’s Glow” in three Bay Area locations this weekend. NCCO will perform John Rutter’s Suite for Strings, Edward Elgar’s Serenade for Strings and Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto for Four Violins in B minor, while the Girls Chorus will deliver Ola Gjeilo’s “Northern Lights,” William Billings’ “Bethlehem,” Benjamin Britten’s “A Wealden Trio” and some traditional carols. The Chorus and the Orchestra will join forces for David Conte’s “Two Winter Scenes,” selection from Jake Heggie’s “On the Road to Christmas” and Nico Muhly’s “Whispered and Revealed.” Performance times are at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at First Church Berkeley UCC, 7:30 p.m. Friday at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Belvedere-Tiburon and 2 p.m. Saturday at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in San Francisco. Tickets, $35-$80, are available at ncco.org.
The post Best Bets: Let’s Glow SF, ‘Nutcrackers’ galore, Kitka’s ‘Wintersongs,’ Ensemble Cherubim Ukraine carols, New Century’s ‘In Winter’s Glow’ appeared first on Local News Matters.