From the end of an era at S.F. Symphony to a museum devoted to bubbles and a play about wedding cake drama, you’ve got some cool shows and concerts to catch this weekend.
Here’s a partial rundown.
Salonen’s final bows at SFS
In his final concerts as San Francisco Symphony’s Music Director, Esa-Pekka Salonen will conduct some of the music he loves best. His last programs begin with Stravinsky’s “The Firebird” (May 23-25), followed by a concert featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 and the composer’s Violin Concerto, with Hilary Hahn as soloist (May 29-30 and June 1.)
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Also in June, he’ll conduct Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7, two works by Richard Strauss, and the world premiere of Gabriella Smith’s “Rewilding” (June 6-8); he’ll close the season with Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 (June 12-14). These performances will celebrate Salonen’s exceptional tenure in San Francisco, and give Bay Area music lovers a chance to send him off with their final goodbyes, filled with heartfelt love, appreciation, and gratitude.
The Finnish conductor, who emerged as a popular music director in 2020 after succeeding Michael Tilson Thomas, announced last year that he would leave after his current contact expired.
Details: May 23-June 14; Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco; $30-$399; sfsymphony.org.
— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent
Let’s have fun with bubbles
Are bubbles the new fossil-dig kits, the new slime? Paging all parents: Is getting a bubble-blowing machine the thing that’ll make your kid explode with joy in 2025?
An interactive attraction showing in Oakland until Sept. 28 is betting, yes indeed. “Bubble Planet,” located in the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts building by Lake Merritt, runs visitors through a gauntlet of nine rooms themed around bubbles. There’s an LED room where people can “stomp” on ocean creatures to create glowing bubbles. Three different rooms are variations of ball pits, some with balloons and one with plastic spheres that make you seem afloat in a hairless giant’s bathtub.
For adults, the more engaging rooms involve a hall-of-mirrors effect kind of like Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s infinity rooms. There’s also an interesting experience toward the end with VR goggles and rotating chairs that takes you on a journey through a bubblegum-colored universe. At one point, you are eaten by a giant clam and reappear in a champagne glass full of bubbles — what other theme park can offer that weirdness?
Details: Open Wednesday-Monday at 10 10th St., Oakland; general admission starts at $20 for adults and $17 for children, plus fees; children 2 and under free of charge and visitors under 17 must be accompanied by an adult; bubble-planet.com/oakland.
— John Metcalfe, Staff
Stage picks: ‘Cake,’ ‘Curious Incident,’
Here are two productions Bay Area theaters fans should know about.
“The Cake”: Stories centered around a wedding often seem to involve a clash of cultures. And Bekah Brunstetter’s dramedy being presented by City Lights Theater Company in San Jose is no exception. It follows a bakery owner in a conservative Southern town who is asked to make a wedding cake for a young woman she helped raise and loves dearly. The catch is the young bride-to-be is marrying another woman, something not easily accepted by the baker’s husband or others in town. The production stars a real-life married couple, Luisa Sermol and Tom Gough.
Details: Through June 8; City Lights Theater, San Jose; $31-$70; cltc.org.
“Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”: If you have ever wondered how one adapts a novel told from the POV of a boy on the autism spectrum, Simon Stephens achieved the feat with this work adapted from the book of the same name by Mark Haddon. “Curious Incident,” which a Tony and Olivier awards for best play, focuses on a young boy who’s autistic and a math wizard, who sets out to find out who murdered a neighbor’s dog. San Francisco Playhouse is presenting the stage adaptation of the play that has been heralded for its both its engrossing story and equally engrossing storytelling.
Details: Through June 21; San Francisco Playhouse; $35-$135; www.sfplayhouse.org.
— Randy McMullen, Staff
Freebie of the week: Brian Copeland
Bay Area actor, writer and comedian Brian Copeland is known for weaving humorous, if pointed, tales from his life, from being part of a Black family settled in a very White suburban town to the pressure of trying to find the perfect present for someone you love. But one of his most popular and acclaimed shows, returning to Berkeley for a free performance this week, centers on a harrowing time in Copeland’s life. “The Waiting Period” recalls a period when Copeland was drowning in depression and considering taking his own life. The title is a reference for the 10 days that someone who has purchased a gun must wait before obtaining the weapon. As is typical for a Copeland show, “Waiting Period” is a blend of humor, poignancy and compelling storytelling that reveals a lot about life while it hooks your attention and never lets go. Copeland also sees it as a message to those suffering from depression that they are not alone and problems do get better. It’s one reason why he regularly performs the 70-minute show for free, something he is doing at 7 p.m. Friday at the Marsh in Berkeley. He’ll also be performing the show for free at the same venue June 8 and 15; and Copeland’s expecting to perform the piece at The Marsh in San Francisco although the dates have not yet been announced.
Details: More information is at themarsh.org
— Bay City News Foundation
Another freebie
When it comes to piano recitals, sometimes four hands can be more impressive than two, as the pair by the felicitous name of Pianoduo Amabile will strive to demonstrate this Saturday evening as guest artists for the St. Paul’s Concert series in Walnut Creek. Hyekyeong Hanna Cho collaborates with her partner Young Woong Choo in presenting a program of music by Maurice Ravel, Franz Schubert, Felix Mendelssohn and J.S. Bach at 7 p.m. in St. Paul’s Episcopal at 1924 Trinity Ave.
Details: No admission charge is required, but donations are more than welcome to keep this series ongoing for the community. (The average donation is $10-$20.)
— Bay City News Foundation
‘Parade’ marches back
Why is it that when a show is described as “more relevant than ever,” it’s not good news for the world at large? It seems no one ever describes “The Muppet Movie,” or, say, “Bye Bye Birdie” as newly relevant. But “Parade” can definitely be called newly relevant, and not just because a touring production of the show by Alfred Uhry (book) and Jason Robert Brown (music and lyrics) lands this week at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco for a 2½-week run.
The musical centers on real-life events in 1913 in Georgia, when Jewish American businessman Leo Frank was convicted, in a questionable trial, of raping and murdering a 13-year-old girl. He was eventually lynched by a bloodthirsty mob after his death sentence had been commuted by a governor who sensed a miscarriage of justice. The case, which drew intense and sensational press coverage and was credited with whipping up antisemitism and racial tensions in Georgia, certainly speaks to what many decry as a growing wave of anger and racial and religious intolerance in the U.S. today. Regardless, the show has plenty of its own merits. It debuted in 1998 and scored nine Tony nominations (winning for best book and best original score) and a bunch of other awards. A 2023 Broadway revival was also well-received and won a Tony for best revival of a musical.
Details: The touring 2½-hour show plays through June 8 at the Orpheum Theatre, San Francisco; $70-$239; www.broadwaysf.com.
— Bay City News Foundation
Punk pride worth singing about
What the world needs now is more acclaimed men’s choirs singing punk songs. I know we’re just stating the obvious here but the good news is such a concert is in the offing this week. And Peaches Christ will be there, too! The concert in question is by the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, which promises a “raucous, rowdy, no-holds-barred evening of queer punk brilliance” with a concert touching on punk and rock classics from such artists as Green Day, Sex Pistols, the Ramones and more. The setlist, we are told, will also underscore the “queer subcultures” that helped define the early punk movement. Also on hand will be beloved Bay Area performer and personality Peaches Christ as well as conductor Edwin Outwater. Organizers are also promising “moody lighting, loud amps, and ice-cold beer!” In other words, expect lots of good, silly fun along with some truly talented singers.
Details: 8 p.m. May 22 at the Chan National Queer Arts Center, 170 Valencia St., San Francisco; $26-$103; www.sfgmc.org.
— Bay City News Foundation