November 20-26, 2014 • BAY AREA REPORTER • 25
Spectacular wonder
Serving the Castro since 1981
T
288 Noe Street, SF (415) 431-7210 lamednoe.com
<<
La Boheme
From page 24
seemed to fully inhabit the character. We could feel for him as he let the lovely coquette get his mind in a whirl, while still enjoying the fine and powerful strength of his voice. In supporting roles the cast could hardly have been bettered. This was a Boheme where everyone seemed age-appropriate, and the attractive and able singers added immeasurably to the pleasures of Caird’s unfussy but detailed direction. Ian Robertson’s SFO Chorus made the most of their contribution in the lively second act, and the youngsters among them got an early curtain call, allowing them their own age-appropriate departure time. As the other inhabitants of the garret apartment, SFO Adler Fellow Hadleigh Adams got a chance to show his genial side as Schaunard, the musician of the group. Tall and handsome with a lighter but always audible
La Mediterranee Noe @LaMedNoe
16TH ST
CASTRO ST
he latest spectacular from Cirque du Soleil reaches into the upper limits of its majestic tent, which is no less than what we expect in a Cirque du Soleil spectacular. But the production is often unexpectedly content to keep its feet on the ground. This is a Cirque show with a yo-yo act (known simply as Black), which is not about rising and falling aerialists on wires but a guy with feet planted firmly on stage working yo-yos. Expertly working them, yes, but they’re still yo-yos. Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities definitely has a different vibe from previous Cirque shows that have set up in the Grand Chapiteau near AT&T Park. There is less of a mystical haze engulfing the new production, which takes its look from the mechanical revolutions of the early 20th century. One character has the belly of a bathysphere (in which a little person resides), another is dressed like a Slinky, and there is a figure whose torso and limbs are akin to an accordion. Mainly they just hang around, watching the succession of circus acts and helping provide a recurring sense of context. If you hadn’t gleaned the information before heading into the tent, you’d probably be hard-pressed to realize that there is a story at hand, one about a “seeker” whose explorations unleash an alternate universe of wonders. The basic purpose of all Cirque plots is to creatively string together a series of acrobatic acts, but Kurios writer-director Michel Laprise doesn’t seem too interested in forcing the issue. The acts do flow smoothly together without much making believe they mean something beyond the individual crafts on display. Certainly these crafts can be aweinspiring. You won’t soon forget the dinner party that is mirrored high above in an upside-down version, as chair balancer Andrii Bondarenko tries to connect the two worlds. An act entitled Acro Net uses a variation on a trampoline, with added bounce powered by acrobats at the edges that sends its stars to dizzying heights. There are other impressive if familiar stunts, such as the Rola Bola act, jugglers, a troupe of contortionists, and a pair of twin bare-chested hunks (Roman and Vitali Tomanovwho) who swing together and apart on aerial straps. Back on the ground, Kurios dares to go small with a hand act (Nicolas Baixas) that requires largescreen projection to display how a few fingers can turn into anything from a break dancer to a couple in love. Also on the ground, in an act that could easily be jettisoned, DavidAlexandre Despres plays the ringmaster of an “invisible circus” that
15TH ST
ST
Cafe | Restaurant | Catering
NOE ST
by Richard Dodds
M AR KE T
t
Theatre>>
17TH ST
Michael Morgan, Guest Conductor Tickets & Info: http://BARS-SF.ORG
November 22, 2014 8pm Calvary Presbyterian Church 2515 Fillmore (at Jackson)
Mahler - Kindertotenlieder Zachary Gordin, baritone Conrad Susa The Blue Hour Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 2
Martin Girard/shootstudio.ca
Chair balancer Andrii Bondarenko tries to reach an upside-down dinner party in the sky in a scene from Cirque du Soleil’s Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities.
is cute but wouldn’t even make the first cut on auditions for The Ed Sullivan Show. But Despres redeems himself as the house clown in a sketch with a woman plucked from the audience as he portrays both her awkward suitor and a wonderfully accurate impression of a pesky housecat bothering the guest. Kurios is a quick-moving show, with no time given over to ethereal meanderings, but it is a Cirque show more likely to leave you impressed by individual talents than swept up into a dream world that can only be contained under several acres of blue-and-yellow canvas.t Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities will run through Jan. 18 in the Grand Chapiteau adjacent to AT&T Park. Tickets are $53-$135. Call (800) 450-1480 or go to cirquedusoleil. com/kurios.
baritone, he was especially appealing in his moments of horseplay with the roomies. American bass-baritone Christian Van Horn, like Hadleigh Adams, will be playing his part for the entire run. He is getting a lot of exposure this season, making another impressive appearance at the War Memorial concurrently as Alcindoro in La Cenerentola. As the philosopher Colline, Van Horn is again a strong presence onstage. His aria bidding farewell to the overcoat he intends to sell to buy medicine is sung with touching emotion. Conductor Giuseppe Finzi sets the seal on a near-ideal re-acquaintance with one of the world’s favorite operas. It is certainly a favorite in these parts, having been the Company’s most frequently mounted work (233 mainstage performances prior to the current run). We never fail to marvel at the theatrical and musical worth of Puccini’s rightfully popular score, and the SFO is ending the season with a near-perfect showcase.t
The Bay Area Rainbow Symphony (BARS) is an orchestra that provides a safe and supportive environment for musicians of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and gender expressions. A 501(c)3 org, BARS makes cultural, social, and educational contributions to the San Francisco Bay Area by performing ambitious repertoire to a high standard.