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From books and concerts to art exhibits, theatrical productions and TV, we look back at 2021, when the arts came back — sort of

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B O O K S Comedian Mel Brooks looks back in memoir. E6

T R AV E L San Francisco’s hidden gem: Golden Gate Park. E13

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B O O K S In a long year when escapism was appealing, our favorites included a thriller about plagiarism and a ‘feminist epic’ My three favorite local books of 2021

BY SETH COMBS

here haven’t been many silver linings these past two years, but if the pandemic had one upside it was that people got back in the habit of reading. Stuck at home and binged-out on streaming, many San Diegans (myself included) returned to fiction as a means of escapism from the real world. I read more books this year than I ever have, wrote about many of them on these pages, and have a few favorites that truly stood out.

“Great Circle” by Maggie Shipstead (Knopf) At over 600 pages, it’s easy to be intimidated by the size and scope of Shipstead’s “feminist epic,” a book that took her seven years to write. Don’t be discouraged. It’s a decidedly readable pageturner about a mid-20thcentury woman pilot and a present-day actress set to play her in a movie. As the story progresses, it becomes clear how the women are connected, kindred spirits as they navigate within professions that are toxically misogynistic. When I profiled Shipstead back in June, I called the book “both poetic and precise, grounded and glorious,” but it is so much more; it is a tribute to any woman who blazes her own path despite all that is stacked against her.

“Hell of a Book” by Jason Mott (Dutton) This novel flew under the radar, and even its author was shocked in November when he won the revered National Book Award for fiction. Shifting between two unnamed characters — an author and a dark-skinned boy known simply as “The

Kid” — Mott has woven a devastatingly brutal, highly surrealistic look at Blackness, trauma and, ultimately, what it means to be (un) comfortable inside your own skin. It’s not an easy read, both in its depictions of racism and in its inordinately experimental layout, but the reader will put it down feeling both haunted and humbled.

From personal nonfiction to poetic fiction, there were some great titles by local authors this year as well. “Northern Light: Power, Land, and the Memory of Water” by Kazim Ali (Milkweed Editions) The University of California San Diego professor’s memoir about visiting the small town in Canada where he grew up was a beautiful and meditative burst of recollections and reconciliations. Blending together the Indigenous history of the region with his own past and present experiences was no small feat, but Ali pulled it off with poetic precision.

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Maggie Shipstead, author of “Great Circle,” in San Diego. children begin to get sick and even die, the village decides to take some of the oil company’s representatives as hostages. But this incident is simply the opening salvo of a decadeslong struggle between the village and the company. This is that rare book that will make readers burn with anger and flush with empathy, all within the span of a few pages.

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“How Beautiful We Were” by Imbolo Mbue (Random House) Set in the late 20th century, Mbue’s devastatingly beautiful sophomore novel centers on a fictional African village that has been devastated by a callous oil company. When the village’s

“The Plot” by Jean Hanff Korelitz (Celadon) Readers may already be familiar with Korelitz’s brand of mystery-thriller from her bestselling “You Should Have Known,” the basis of the Hugh Grant/ Nicole Kidman miniseries “The Undoing.” Her latest, “The Plot,” is even better and centers on Jacob, a once promising writer-turnedprofessor who steals the plot of his new novel from a student who has died. But someone knows and is sending Jacob cryptic mes-

sages. The reader tags along as he unravels the mystery, and the result is a smart, gripping yarn that’s already been optioned for a limited series starring Mahershala Ali.

“Of Women and Salt” by Gabriela Garcia (Flatiron) Following multiple generations of Cuban and Cuban American women over three centuries, Garcia’s debut novel is as assured and

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engrossing as any family saga I’ve ever read. Equal parts charming and humorous, heartbreaking and haunting, the story shifts seamlessly from one character’s perspective to another as they collectively deal with issues such as poverty, addiction and abusive relationships. Yes, it’s a tragic novel, but one that is filled with tender resilience on every page. Combs is a freelance writer.

“All’s Well” by Mona Awad (Simon & Schuster) Awad isn’t technically a local, but she did live in La Jolla while penning this Shakespearean tragicomedy about a pain-pill-addicted theater director who sees her fortunes shift after an encounter with three mysterious benefactors. The Bard would be proud. “A Girl Called Rumi” by Ari Honarvar (Forest Avenue Press) Blending magical realism and poetic prose, Honarver, a University Heights writer, has penned a bewitching tale of a little girl posing as a boy while growing up in war-ravaged Iran. It’s a novel that, as I wrote back in September, “serves as a love letter and tribute to the myths and art of Persian culture.”

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It was a year of breakthroughs and variations as organizations and artists found ways to thrive under difficult circumstances BY BETH WOOD

n what most would agree was, at best, a bumpy and unpredictable year, San Diego’s classical music scene not only prevailed but flourished. In fact, earlier this month, Musical America Worldwide — the nation’s oldest and most prestigious classical music publication — included two San Diegans among its “30 Professionals of the Year: The Pandemic: Meeting the Moment” honorees. Congratulations to San Diego Symphony CEO Martha Gilmer and Mainly Mozart CEO Nancy Laturno. Thanks to them and the other indefatigable musicloving San Diegans for facing the challenges and providing wonderful sonic options. Here are five of the many memorable moments from 2021.

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From left: Joseph Mack, Brandon Steppe and Rashad Graham of the David’s Harp Foundation, which received a surprise $1 million gift in 2021.

San Diego Symphony’s Rady Shell at Jacobs Park Many eagerly anticipated the San Diego Symphony’s August gala at its new gem of an outdoor venue, the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. But the event exceeded expectations as the organization’s music director, Rafael Payare (who first appeared in dramatic silhouette), led the enthused orchestra in its first live performance in 16 months. The excellent acoustics and panoramic bayside views at The Shell, a monumental effort spearheaded by Gilmer, will be

enjoyed for years to come. Guest artists for the gala included French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet playing Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue,” cellist Alisa Weilerstein performing Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1, and bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green showcasing opera classics by Rossini and Mozart.

David’s Harp Foundation David’s Harp Foundation in East Village got a huge surprise in June: an unsolicited $1 million gift from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.

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Mainly Mozart’s All-Star Orchestra performs at the open-air Del Mar Surf Cup Sports Park in June. Co-founded by Brandon Steppe in 2009, David’s Harp provides free recording studio time, technical training and mentorship to at-risk youths. The nonprofit rewards those whose behavior and school grades improve with extra studio time. Joseph Mack, the foundation’s director of programming, told the Union-Tribune shortly after hearing the news: “Tears were coming down Brandon’s face, and I literally fell down on my knees and cried.”

step down at the end of the 2021-22 season as its music director after 15 years in that position. The UC San Diego music professor and renowned percussionist will remain connected as he becomes the La Jolla Symphony’s first director emeritus. In related news, the symphony named San Diego University’s Arian Khaefi as its interim choral director for this season and also signed a three-year contract with its current executive director, Stephanie Weaver Yankee.

Steven Schick Since the mid-1950s, the La Jolla Symphony & Chorus has offered musical excellence and bold repertoire, performing at the University of California San Diego’s Mandeville Auditorium. With a small staff and a group of about 200 volunteer musicians and singers, it has enjoyed enduring success. A large part of that has been due to its multitalented and intrepid music director and conductor, Steven Schick, who has been associated with the symphony for more than 30 years. Schick will

La Jolla Music Society’s SummerFest In 2020, the La Jolla Music Society reduced its annual SummerFest to six livestream programs because of the pandemic. But in 2021, the arts organization — led by CEO Todd Schultz, Artistic Director Leah Rosenthal and SummerFest Music Director Inon Barnatan — presented 16 live concerts, with several also livestreamed. Despite artists’ changing schedules, a shorter planning period and the uncertainties of COVID, SummerFest’s lineup was stellar and its

programming admirably diverse. The two Takeover @ The JAI concerts were curated by the boundaryblurring, Latin Grammywinning composer Gabriela Lena Frank. Only one of the 16 scheduled concerts at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center was canceled — due to a featured (and vaccinated) artist’s positive COVID test — but the rest of SummerFest continued successfully.

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Gabriela Lena Frank

Mainly Mozart In 2021, Mainly Mozart CEO Nancy Laturno continued the drive-in parking lot concerts that garnered the organization national headlines last year. The nonprofit presented several dual orchestral performances for audiences in cars at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. The Los Angeles Philharmonic teamed with the San Francisco Symphony in February, while the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra performed with Washington, D.C.’s National Symphony in April. Then, from June 11-19, Michael Francis conducted the Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra at the open-air Del Mar Surf Cup Sports Park. At the same venue, a five-day concert series was conducted by former Del Mar resident David Chan, who also co-led the the February and April concerts. Mainly Mozart’s September series began with a concert marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11 that featured jazz and classical saxophonist Branford Marsalis. Woods is a freelance writer.

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A 2021 performance by Ballet Collective SD.

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Whether indoors or on sunny stages outside, San Diego dance artists celebrated the spirit of reconnecting tions, with Heil balancing Burt in demanding positions across the length of his shoulders and elevating her in a variety of positions that must have required hours of rehearsal, yet they made it look effortless.

BY MARCIA LUTTRELL

dance career depends on physical contact, so when pandemic restrictions were lifted this year, those who live to dance and dance to live were primed to move like racers at the starting gate. At the following intimate and outdoor venues, the performers expressed themselves with a palpable energy. It was as if they were saying, “I am here, watch me dance.”

“The Bridge,” Malashock Dance On an elevated outdoor stage at Liberty Station, collaborating choreographers John Malashock (Malashock Dance) and Kansas City, Mo.-based Tristian Griffin (Tristian Griffin Dance Company) premiered “The Bridge,” a collection of dances that represented their ideas about opposing sides finding a way to reach each other. Malashock, who is White and Jewish, and Griffin, a Black dancemaker, created a movement language that spoke to many of us who feel isolated by political and racial conflicts. Malashock’s movement style is acrobatic, spiked with high jumps and powerful lifts, while Griffin’s choreography is inspired by Alvin Ailey’s flexible core and upper-body moves, incorporating outstretched arms and fingers, as if one is pleading to the heavens. Dancers rushed toward each other, lifted each other, palms touched and then

they were back to back, moving to the edge of the stage. It was an evocative effort, subtly urgent in its message that moving toward each other can make us stronger.

“Ritmos Latinos: Afuera/Outside,” San Diego Ballet San Diego Ballet’s annual program has always been an interesting combination of Latin music, jazz and classical ballet. Last month, artistic director Javier Velasco simplified the event with a seamless fusion of classical ballet and the folk dances of Mexico. The sun streamed down on a sold-out audience, mariachi horns announced the performers, and the dances of “Mambomania” and “Que Bonito Amor” made for a memorable experience. The athleticism of the male dancers was jawdropping. Tonatiuh Gómez and Jonas Olivera, both born in Mexico, moved as if ballet folklorico was in their bones, combining difficult

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Dancers from San Diego Ballet rehearse for the company’s annual “Ritmos Latinos” program. classical jumps like a grand jeté, which looks like splits in the air, with the raised machismo chests and swiveling hips seen in courtship dances. The costumes were fun, too, with the girls on pointe shoes, twirling long white skirts. At a ballet, it’s unusual for the audience to clap along to the music and shout its approval, confirmation that Velasco succeeded in making a classical dance event highly entertaining.

City Ballet of San Diego at First Presbyterian Church There were just three short pas de deux performances in this free, mostly musical production — but the sacred setting, perfect acoustics and the sedulous attention to resident chore-

ographer Elizabeth Wistrich’s commitment to precision made this show especially poignant. The first dance to the barcarolle rhythm of “June” from Tchaikovsky’s suite of miniatures known as “The Seasons” was reminiscent of two lovers on a seaside stroll. Iago Breschi is Brazilian, tall and powerful with impeccable technique. Paired with petite Tiffany Arroyo, they danced to the wistful melody with limbs perfectly aligned, as if they were attached by an invisible string. Brian Heil was paired with the graceful Erin Burt in the final dance, accompanied by Samuel Barber’s melancholy Adagio for Strings. A lot of ballet is based on shape and form, and this work showcased athletic, elegant contor-

“Reconnect,” Ballet Collective SD A September concert at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla featured principal dancers from San Diego’s ballet and modern dance companies. Choreographing and dancing are different skill sets, and dancers Emily Miller, Reka Gyulai and Ana da Costa were particularly impressive in executing their movement ideas. Gyulai choreographed “Waves” and danced with Lester Gonzalez in a fluid, captivating piece she accurately described as “the encounter of two people from different worlds, like oceans, their bodies flow through storms and still waters.” Da Costa, an actress as well as a ballerina and choreographer, made her goal to “make every step serve the story” a reality in her heart-wrenching performance inspired by the death scene in the Alexandre Dumas tale “The Lady of the Camellias.” And Miller’s “Anatomy,” performed by nine dancers, explored the way our physical form reflects who we are with partnering that sug-

gested vulnerability, assertiveness and dependence.

“Dancing Outdoors,” LITVAKdance This LITVAKdance production is remembered for artistic director Sadie Weinberg’s wild mix of elements and collaborations that complemented each other. The casual setting was charming — a sundrenched outdoor stage on the grounds of the former Lux Institute, surrounded by eucalyptus trees and white folding chairs at different elevations. Brooklynbased Rebecca Margolick (among Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch) choreographed “Taoide” (meaning tide), a solo danced by Erica Ruse. Violinist Pete Polansky accompanied Ruse with a mournful Irish melody, while Ruse expressed the heaviness and lightness of our memories with stomping footwork and then gentle, swaying arms. Ashley Akhavan danced a frenetic solo representing the juxtaposition of struggle and joy in Emily Miller’s “The Sysiphus and the Cúcala,” accompanied by violinist and klezmer expert Yale Strom. And Akhavan choreographed “Bridge to There,” an engaging duet in which Akhavan and Erica Ruse, dressed in flowing gowns, expertly mirrored each other’s movements. Luttrell is a freelance writer.

M U S I C Highlights included the opening of the Rady Shell, a definitive B.B. King biography and two fascinating music documentaries by the symphony as it did hip-hop mainstay Nas, the blues-rocking Gary Clark Jr. and jazz-soul singer Ledisi (who delivered a pitch-perfect tribute to Nina Simone). That all but a fraction of the venue’s $85 million price tag was privately funded only added to a “wow” factor that should continue for years to come.

BY GEORGE VARGA

he return to live music events this summer, after a 16-month pandemic lockdown, made 2021 a year to celebrate, albeit cautiously. Witness the number of artists who performed in San Diego between August and this month who had been diagnosed with COVID-19, from Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Smokey Robinson and the Doobie Brothers to the Indigo Girls and John Mayall. And witness how many concerts and festivals, here and nationwide — including Coachella, Wonderfront and KAABOO — were postponed for a second consecutive year until 2022. So take nothing for granted and cherish every musical experience, whether in person or at home. You never know how long it may be until the next one.

Home is where the music is There was electricity in the air as concerts returned this summer — or, in a few fleeting instances, spring — to reactivated venues small and large, indoors and out. While I happily attended the 2021 opening performances at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, the Del Mar Fairgrounds parking lot (when drive-in concerts were still the only game in town) and other locations, my first live gig this year was by jazz pianist Christian Sands, a five-time Grammy

nominee, and his trio. The audience in the courtyard of the La Jolla Music Society’s Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center was socially distanced and capacity-limited. The music was inspired throughout. When Sands and his group performed a transcendent extended instrumental version of the 1969 Blind Faith classic “Can’t Find My Way Home,” it was a vivid reminder that live music makes its home anywhere and everywhere.

The long and winding road If any band merits

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The Beatles and Yoko Ono are pictured recording in January 1969 in London. a nearly eight-hour-long, three-part film documentary, it’s The Beatles. In the hands of Oscar winner Peter Jackson, the forever Fab Four were matched with a director whose command of cinema is matched by his passion for the greatest of all rock acts. The result, “Get Back,” captures the warts-and-all Beatles in January of 1969, preparing for their final concert and creating their penultimate album, “Let It Be.” Moments of inspiration and tedium are given equal billing in chronicling the band’s creative process. The frayed nerves and colliding egos of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr are matched by their abiding love for one another and the music they created. How are magical songs made in even the tensest of circumstances? “Get Back” provides some answers.

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Pianist Christian Sands with his trio in La Jolla.

Better than Woodstock? A labor of love for first-time director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of The Roots, “Summer of

Love” has been belatedly hailed as the “Black Woodstock.” Why it took 52 years for this stunning concert footage to be released is a mystery wryly noted in “Summer of Soul’s” subtitle: “Or … When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised.” In any case, this treasure-trove of performances from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival in New York is historical and electrifying. The lineup includes Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, B.B. King, Abbey Lincoln & Max Roach, Mongo Santamaria,

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Mavis Staples (left) and Mahalia Jackson in “Summer of Soul.”

Woodstock alums Sly & The Family Stone, and more. And when Mahalia Jackson and Mavis Staples launch into the classic gospel song “Take My Hand Precious Lord,” their soaring vocals are beyond heavenly.

The Shell yields musical pearl Creating what becomes an instant cultural landmark is a lofty dream for most arts organizations. But that is exactly what the San Diego Symphony achieved with the August debut of the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, its $85 million year-round concert venue. That the opening was delayed a year by the pandemic raised expectations, which The Shell — as it is also known — handily exceeded. Nestled alongside San Diego Bay, the state-ofthe-art venue suggests a waterfront combination of a more intimate Hollywood Bowl and an open-air version of the Sydney Opera House. As visually striking as it is superior in sonic quality, The Shell looked and sounded as terrific hosting orchestral concerts

Blues royalty “King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King” is not the first biography of this singular American music giant, who died in 2015 at the age of 89. But this vividly written and expertly researched book by Pulitzer Prize winner Daniel DeVise, a former Washington Post reporter, seems like the definitive chronicle of the iconic blues singer and guitarist. Over the course of nearly 500 pages, DeVise paints a vibrant portrait of his subject. What makes “King of the Blues” even more notable are the other stories it tells: of a corrupt music industry that expertly exploited Black artists; of a segregated nation, systemic racism and the rise of the civil rights movement; and of the skill, grit and indefatigable spirit that enabled King, a sharecropper’s son born into abject poverty, to rise to worldwide fame. george.varga@sduniontribune.com

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The year’s most memorable shows included triumphant returns to the stage, plus one story that came to your mailbox BY PAM KRAGEN

hen stages finally came back alive this past year, audiences rejoiced, welcoming fresh productions or ones that were put on hold by the pandemic. Performing arts organizations relished the idea of making connections with audiences once again. Of the many productions on San Diego’s stages, here are my favorite five.

“Once on This Island,” Moonlight Stage Productions On June 16, Vista’s Moonlight Amphitheatre became the first San Diego County theater to reopen for live performances, with a wellcast and upbeat production of this tropical fairy tale musical. As a 36-year resident of Vista and longtime Moonlight attendee, it felt wonderful to welcome theater back among a hometown crowd of exuberant and grateful Vistans.

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The cast of “Once on This Island” at Vista’s Moonlight Amphitheatre. ple’s growing relationship, from strangers to newlyweds.

“1222 Oceanfront: A Black Family Christmas,” New Village

Arts For decades, Dea Hurston has been a donor to San Diego theaters and supporter of local artists of color. But on Nov. 27, she achieved her long-held dream of becoming a produced playwright, with the opening of her first commissioned play at New Village Arts Theatre in Carlsbad.

“Witchland,” Backyard Renaissance Theatre Leave it to the daring Backyard troupe to create new theater that can’t be experienced at home. This

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Some of the retro letters Old Globe ticket buyers received in the mail for “Dear Jack, Dear Louise.” horror comedy by new playwright Tim Mulligan was staged in an immersive environment, with special effects, jump scares and a spooky witch who seemed to pop up wherever you

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From left: Marcel Ferrin, Amira Temple, Kay Marian McNellen, Christopher Louie Szabo and Daren Scott (standing) in Backyard Renaissance Theatre’s production of “Witchland.”

least expected (including behind and below you) during the show.

“Dear Jack, Dear Louise,” The Old Globe

Kudos to the Globe’s props department for meticulously re-creating World War II-era letters, telegrams, military V-mail and postcards for this “mailbox theater” show that

told the mostly true story of playwright Ken Ludwig’s parents’ epistolary courtship. Over a series of weeks, ticket buyers received these exchanges by mail to experience the cou-

“Unmasking the Music of Notorious Pandemics,” San Diego Opera As a prelude to its parking lot production of “The Barber of Seville” last spring, conductor Bruce Stasyna curated and conducted this fascinating, eclectic and not-at-alldepressing concert of songs inspired by pandemics, including Bach’s Cantata No. 25, written after a leprosy outbreak; songs from “The Secret Garden,” which begins with a cholera epidemic; the 1930s-era protest song “The 1919 Influenza Blues”; and “Seasons of Love” from the AIDSthemed musical “Rent.” pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com

T V & S T R E A M I N G There were lots of great shows in 2021, but these were the most clever and surprising BY NINA GARIN

his was a big year for TV. We got “Squid Game” and “WandaVision,” “Mare of Eastown” and “Only Murders in the Building” — all excellent shows that are making many 2021 year-end lists. But, for me, a show that goes from enjoyable to favorite needs a combination of being original, clever and surprising. Here are five shows that achieved that:

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Anna Konkle (left) and Maya Erskine in “Pen15.”

“Schmigadoon!” A romantic comedy that parodies musicals from the 1940s and ’50s — it’s so niche I can’t believe it actually exists. KeeganMichael Key and Cecily Strong star as a couple who get lost in an old-fashioned village where people randomly break into song. Though it’s a parody, “Schmigadoon!” treats musical theater with reverence and respect, honoring shows like “Carousel” and “Oklahoma!” while also highlighting and poking fun at their outdated ideas. Because the show was released in July, when theaters were still shuttered, any kind of musical would have been welcome. But “Schmigadoon!” went above and beyond, providing Broadway-level song and dance numbers thanks to a cast that also included favorites Kristin Chenoweth, Aaron Tveit, Ariana DeBose and Alan Cumming. Where to watch: All six episodes are streaming on Apple TV+.

comedy — so uncomfortable it was almost unbearable to watch. That’s because “Pen15” is set in middle school in the year 2000, and it embraces all the terrible things about that time of life. The show is written by reallife friends Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle, who also star in it, playing middle school versions of themselves alongside a cast of actual kids. The first season captured the messy side of middle school: the fracturing friendships, what it’s like when your parents fight all the time, smoking your first cigarette. The second season, released in two parts over 2021, transcended comedy. It explored deeper issues about identity and what friendship actually means through fantasy elements (“Vendy Wiccany”) and new perspectives (“Yuki”) that were so breathtakingly beautiful, it was almost unbearable to watch. Where to watch: Both seasons, plus an animated special, are available to stream on Hulu.

“Pen15” When this show first came out in 2019, it was considered cringe-

“We Are Lady Parts” I went into this six-episode comedy expecting a formulaic, NBC-

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Cecily Strong and Keegan-Michael Key star in “Schmigadoon!,” which lovingly pokes fun at classic musicals. style sitcom about a group of Muslim women trying to form a punk band. That’s what “We Are Lady Parts,” created by Nida Manzoor, is basically about. But rather than just seeing the story from one perspective, you see what music and independence means to five different London women, each with varying degrees of faith and observance. It follows Amina, a budding scientist who feels pressure — though not from her parents — to get married. Thanks to her guitar-playing skills, Am-

ina is recruited to join the Lady Parts band despite having crippling stage fright. With the guidance of her bandmates, Amina — and the viewer — discovers that there’s no one way to be Muslim. All this is done in a way that’s not preachy or cloying. Instead it’s funny and irreverent, exemplified by the title of one of the band’s songs: “Ain’t No One Gonna Honour Kill My Sister But Me.” Where to watch: All episodes are streaming on Peacock.

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“We Are Lady Parts” stars (from left) Lucie Shorthouse as Momtaz, Faith Omole as Bisma, Anjana Vasan as Amina, Juliette Motamed as Ayesha and Sarah Kameela Impey as Saira.

“The Beatles: Get Back” Does this threepart documentary about The Beatles working on the “Let It Be” album count as a TV show? Whatever it is, I went into Peter Jackson’s series thinking I’d just have it on in the background over Thanksgiving weekend. I mean, I like the Beatles, my parents were both super fans and the music was the soundtrack of my childhood. But I didn’t think I adored The Beatles, though it turns out I must, because I gave “Get Back” my complete, undivided attention (even pausing it when people tried talking to me). Along with getting to spend eight seemingly intimate hours with John, Paul, George and Ringo, we got to witness (in beautifully restored film) The Beatles’ creative process, the band dynamics, and the bond that connected the musicians even through difficult times. Yes, there’s a lot of time spent just watching the band figure out songs, but look at everything else going on: the fabulous outfits, the toast and tea tray, the music equipment. I watched the entire thing in 24 hours and am now in the midst of my own Beatlema-

nia, 60 years later. Where to watch: Disney+

“The White Lotus” Sometimes there are shows so odd that it takes a while to know whether or not you like them, which is the case with Mike White’s “The White Lotus.” The six-episode comedydrama is about different people vacationing at a very exclusive hotel resort in Hawaii. Everything is beautiful and perfect, but is it really? The music and the set design on “The White Lotus” have an undercurrent of unease, and as the week progresses, the show becomes a harsh commentary on class, privilege and the working class. Led by a stellar cast that includes Connie Britton as a Gwyneth Paltrow-like lifestyle empress and Jennifer Coolidge as a distraught heiress mourning her mother, this show takes some time to settle in. But once it does, the characters (and that insane finale) will occupy a place in your brain much longer than you might have imagined. Where to watch: HBO Max nina.garin@sduniontribune.com

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From a fantastical installation in Tijuana to a local legend at MCASD, there was plenty to see in 2021 Left: A photograph of artist Yolanda López from her “Tableau Vivant” series, 1978.

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’ll remember 2021 as a year of reopenings and retrospection. On the former, not only did many museums and galleries reopen after shuttering for months during the pandemic, but a Balboa Park institution unveiled its grand redesigned space. We also lost a local legend just before the debut of her first-ever solo museum exhibition. Yes, 2021 had ups and downs, but, as is always the case, art helped us get through.

“Yolanda López: Portrait of the Artist,” Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego It was one of the true honors of my career to write about this exhibition, the first-ever solo exhibition devoted to the life and work of López. Best known for the work she produced in the ’70s and ’80s while a graduate student and activist at the University of California San Diego, López sadly passed away a few months before the exhibition was scheduled to open. The curators at MCASD did an exceptional job at displaying the works, which included paintings, posters, drawings, collage and photos. Seeing her “¿A Dónde Vas, Chicana? Getting Through College” series, and especially her “Portrait of the Artist as the Virgin of Guadalupe” painting up close and in person, was another career highlight and one that I’ll remember for years to come. And good news if readers still haven’t seen the exhibition: It will be up through April 2022, and it’s free with reservations.

“Fantasia Moral,” Centro Cultural Tijuana Local artist Shinpei Takeda went rogue for this immersive, otherworldly exhibition at CECUT, which opened in June. Working as something of a midcareer retrospective, “Fantasia Moral” (“Moral Fantasy”) featured everything from sound installations and

Bottom left: Artist Shinpei Takeda. Bottom right: Bhavna Mehta’s “Mabel Bell La Jolla Pioneer Woman,” 2018. brightest and boldest local artists. At the newly knighted ICA space in Balboa Park and Barrio Logan institution Bread & Salt, nearly 89 works were displayed salon-style from artists who had been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis and whose work had been purchased by the San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture to add to the city’s Civic Art Collection. For those who did miss it, it’s likely they’ll see at least one of the pieces inside a government building or library soon.

experimental documentary to silkscreen prints and enormous textile sculptures descending from the ceilings. Postponed from 2020 and working with a limited, postCOVID budget, Takeda took a DIY approach to the exhibition, literally knocking down walls and installing most of the work himself. The result was one of the most engaging and, yes, fantastical art experiences of the year.

Mingei International Museum reopening After three years and a $55 million redesign, the Mingei officially reopened in September to understandable fanfare. Jennifer Luce and the Luce et Studio crew really outdid themselves, creating a welcoming commons area with an almost open-air feel to it and complete with a cafe, bar and gift shop area. The unveiling was also accompanied by two excellent new exhibitions, “Global Spirit — Folk Art From the Ted Cohen Collection” and “Humble Spirit / Priceless Art,” both of which should be seen before they’re packed up in 2022.

SUSAN MOGUL

“SD Practice,” Bread & Salt and Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego For those who missed this grand, two-location exhibition back in July, it very may have been the closest thing we’ve had to a showcase of all of the best,

Dress up for a night of swinging sophistication with the songs of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, Jr. The evening features four incredible singers and a live 10-piece big band orchestra, under the direction of Duane Benjamin. New York Ball Drop Countdown! Ring in the New Year after the show with the band, plus champagne, dessert, coffee, party favors, balloon drop and televised count down with the ball drop in New York Times Square.

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SAN DIEGO CIVIC ART COLLECTION

“Seven Passages to a Flight” by Faith Ringgold, San Diego Museum of Art Last month, I wrote about a restructuring of the galleries at the San Diego Museum of Art, which included reordering some of the works thematically, rather than chronologically, as well the addition of some pieces that had not yet been shown inside the Balboa Park institution. This included works by artists with local connections such as surrealist painter Ethel Greene and fiber artist Faith Ringgold, who once worked at UC San Diego. The latter artist’s piece, originally created in 1997, tells the story of her life via an acrylic painting framed in a quilt. The result is something truly talismanic that everyone should see before it’s packed up in February, not to be shown again for another five years. Combs is a freelance writer.

THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

SUNDAY • DECEMBER 26, 2021

WHAT’S NEW

“The Death of My Father the Pope: A Memoir” by Obed Silva (MCD): Born in Mexico and raised in the United States, where he was drawn in by gang culture, Silva discovered the power of literature after being paralyzed from the waist down by a gunshot wound. Now a college professor, he has written a book that dissects the cruel effects his father’s alcoholism had on their family. “52 Shabbats: Friday Night Dinners Inspired by a Global Jewish Kitchen” by Faith Kramer (The Collective Book Studio): If you’re Jewish and regularly celebrate Shabbat, Kramer’s new cookbook, with stunning photos by Clara Rice, will give you fresh ideas for family favorites. But faith isn’t a prerequisite to appreciate this gorgeous compendium with mini Bundt cakes that riff on New York black-and-white cookies, a fail-safe challah loaf and even a Moroccan tagine.

LARRY ELLIS GETTY IMAGES

Mel Brooks, whose works include “The Producers” and “Young Frankenstein,” keeps things upbeat in his look back.

1. “Call Us What We Carry” by Amanda Gorman (Viking)

Mel Brooks’ delightfully deranged career

2. “The Judge’s List” by John Grisham (Doubleday)

In new memoir, legendary comedian looks at his ‘remarkable life’ in show business

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERS Fiction

3. “Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone” by Diana Gabaldon (Delacorte) 4. “The Stranger in the Lifeboat” by Mitch Albom (Harper) 5. “The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles (Viking) 6. “Wish You Were Here” by Jodi Picoult (Ballantine) 7. “The Wish” by Nicholas Sparks (Grand Central) 8. “Fear No Evil” by James Patterson (Little, Brown) 9. “Cloud Cuckoo Land” by Anthony Doerr (Scribner) 10. “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig (Viking)

Nonfiction 1. “All American Christmas” by Rachel Campos-Duffy and Sean Duffy (Broadside) 2. “The Storyteller” by Dave Grohl (Dey Street) 3. “The 1619 Project” edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones, Caitlin Roper, Ilena Silverman and Jake Silverstein (One World) 4. “Will” by Will Smith with Mark Manson (Penguin Press ) 5. “The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present” by Paul McCartney (Liveright) 6. “For Such a Time as This” by Kayleigh McEnany (Post Hill) 7. “There and Back” by Jimmy Chin (Ten Speed) 8. “The President and the Freedom Fighter” by Brian Kilmeade (Sentinel) 9. “The Real Anthony Fauci” by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (Skyhorse) 10. “The Beatles: Get Back” by the Beatles (Callaway)

WARWICK’S TOP SELLERS 1. “The Lincoln Highway” by Amor Towles

BY LAURENCE MASLON

he most provocative comedian of our moment makes a cameo appearance late in Mel Brooks’ voluminous new memoir, “All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business,” and immediately recontextualizes the hero of its previous 384 pages. Dave Chappelle played a supporting character in Brooks’s 1993 spoof “Robin Hood: Men in Tights,” and although the film is one of the director’s middle-grade efforts (it has its partisans), the reference serves as a necessary reminder of Brooks’ seminal role as the comedic agent provocateur of his time. In one astonishing calendar year — 1974 — Mel Brooks opened with the groundbreaking “Blazing Saddles” and finished it out with the enduring and beloved “Young Frankenstein.” Back then, if you were a movie-addicted 14-yearold boy, you dutifully stood in line with your pals, hoping the box office lady was looking the other way (“Saddles” was R-rated, rare indeed for a comedy) while you eagerly anticipated a chaotic comic cavalcade that gleefully served up racial satire, inappropriate sexual situations, naughty language (sometimes in Yiddish) and, of course, indelibly, bowls full of incendiary beans. To be a Mel Brooks fan at the height of his powers (from the mid-1960s through the mid-1980s) was to embrace anarchy at its most artful and to thumb your nose at all the so-called “standards” of your parents’ generation. However, Brooks was a subversive even a mother could love. (Mine certainly did: She took me to see “The Producers” when I was 7.) Brooks attacks his autobiography with a wholly characteristic lack of modesty. Some fans may feel they’ve heard much of this before; over the years, there have been several biographies, two behind-thescenes books by Brooks him-

“All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business” by Mel Brooks (Ballantine Books, 2021; 456 pages) self, numerous documentaries, extensive DVD extras — even a one-man show that Brooks (God bless him, in his 90s!) takes across the country. Still, for those who maintain their fondness for Brooks, “All About Me!” is an indispensable culmination of his work (copious helpings of legendary dialogue from the films and shows don’t hurt). In “Young Frankenstein,” Gene Wilder’s eponymous character discovers his grandfather’s secret volume: “How I Did It.” Brooks’ own tome is perhaps longer on “What I Did” than on the subtler and more conflicted “How I Did,” and indeed, it begins with a wonderful anecdote about, of all things, young Brooks evading a Brooklyn rampage by Frankenstein’s monster. Most of the hills and valleys of his prodigious career are accounted for: his sentimental education as a writer for Sid Caesar’s TV shows in the 1950s; his unexpected fame, along with colleague Carl Reiner, on LPs such as “The 2,000 Year Old Man”; his brazen attempt to both write and direct his first movie, “The Producers,” in 1967 (the pro-

ducer of “The Producers” blithely suggested that Brooks run out and direct a commercial to gain some quick cred); his unexpected hits of the 1970s (“Young Frankenstein” earned 30 times its production budget); one of the greatest comebacks in the annals of pop culture, writing a full score for the megahit Broadway version of “The Producers”; and the galaxy of friends, collaborators and stock-company members who surrendered to Brooks’ unique autocracy of derangement over the decades. Many memoirs seek to score points off perceived adversaries. Brooks, who has certainly cultivated a healthy ego, does the opposite; there are copious and sincere encomiums to Caesar, Reiner, Wilder, director Susan Stroman (who helmed the Broadway version of “The Producers”) and frequent soundtrack composer John Morris (whose work has never been properly acknowledged), as well as delightful cameos by Bob Hope, Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, John Wayne and Richard Pryor. Where the book comes up short is in any exploration of doubt, introspection or analysis. Brooks’ career has had its ups and downs, for sure, especially before 1967, when he implies he was panicking to support a new marriage to his adored Anne Bancroft. (A previous marriage — with three children, no less — zips by at the speed of light.) Longtime fans scratch their heads at the clunky, soulless films from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, when Brooks — despite the memorable line in his “Star Wars” takeoff “Spaceballs”: “May the Schwartz be with you!” — turned into an uninspired parody factory. Although he describes the challenges, as an untrained musician, of writing the score for the “The Producers” on Broadway, he claims he had to learn how a stage musical works from the ground up; odd, considering he wrote the

books to two Broadway musicals in the early ’60s, one of which, “All American,” was a big, expensive show starring Ray Bolger. There’s no serious consideration of what his injection of Jewish tropes and Yiddishisms meant to a mainstream audience, back in the days when actors were still changing their names and bobbing their noses to achieve crossover popularity. And how might his trademark anarchism resonate now, with pop culture torn between “anything goes” and cancel culture — anyone want to rerelease “Blazing Saddles” in this moment? The short answer to these cavils is that such hand-wringing is simply not a part of Brooks’ sunny disposition. Indeed, the book’s most rewarding chapters are its earliest, with Brooks’ accounts of Depression-era Brooklyn and the European front of World War II (and the early days of television, for that matter). This isn’t Clifford Odets or Norman Mailer, but an epic adventure of possibility and positivity. Brooks’ response to any potential calamity seems to have been: “Sure, why not?” Perhaps this was his secret weapon all along. While other comedians of his era — Sid Caesar, Woody Allen, Larry David — were neurotic messes, Brooks was essentially, as the 2,000-year-old man put it, “jaunty jolly.” In mid-October, Hulu announced that Brooks would produce and write a TV sequel to his 1981 film “History of the World, Part I.” As George Bernard Shaw, a comic provocateur of his century, might have put it, Brooks is clearly imbued with the Life Schwartz. Maslon is the host and producer of the radio program “Broadway to Main Street” on WLIW-FM and the co-author, with Michael Kantor, of the PBS documentary series and book “Make ’Em Laugh: The Funny Business of America.” He wrote this for The Washington Post.

2. “Atlas of the Heart” by Brené Brown 3. “These Precious Days” by Ann Patchett 4. “Call Us What We Carry” by Amanda Gorman 5. “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse” by Charlie Mackesy 6. “Cloud Cuckoo Land” by Anthony Doerr 7. “The 1619 Project” by Nikole Hannah-Jones 8. “The Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larson 9. “The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman 10. “A Carnival of Snackery” by David Sedaris

CALENDAR WARWICK’S, (858) 454-0347 Online: warwicks.com Virtual event: Darby Kane (“The Replacement Wife”), 6 p.m. Thursday

RECOMMENDED READS

Welcome to our literary circle, in which San Diegans pass the (printed) word on books

John Beaudette Job: Bookseller, Warwick’s He recommends: “Razorblade Tears” by S.A. Cosby (Flatiron Books, 2021; 336 pages) Why? If you read only one book this year, make it “Razorblade Tears,” by the rising Southern author S.A. Cosby. This is a thriller that ticks all the boxes: action, love, misplaced anger, hate, family angst, homophobia, White supremacy, acceptance, rejection, violence, class, race, redemption and possibly two of the best antiheroes ever put on page. Cosby captures down-to-earth Southern life, sensibilities and voices like no other contemporary writer. If “unputdownable” is an existing adjective, this is the book it describes.

Emily Posedel Job: Library Technician, Casa de Oro Branch, San Diego County Library She recommends: “The Nature of Fragile Things” by Susan Meissner (Berkley, 2021; 384 pages) Why? Sophie Whalen is a 19-year-old Irish immigrant in New York. Life in the tenements is far from perfect, so when she reads a newspaper ad for a mail-order bride, she applies to be Martin Hocking’s wife. Sophie moves to San Francisco and becomes Mrs. Hocking and a stepmother to 5-year-old Kat, but Martin is aloof and uncommunicative from the start. Soon Sophie’s life is upended by the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fires, and many questions arise. Was Martin killed in the earthquake? Why was he always so secretive? “The Nature of Fragile Things” is a work of historical fiction with an unexpected twist at the end.

THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

SUNDAY • DECEMBER 26, 2021

SHORT STORY

fter a broken hip, Carl subscribed to a new service called the Automated Retiree Assistant or ARA. He liked their tag line, “Caring for Our Clients Is Our Purpose.” The service included an artificially intelligent, quadruped robot that resembles a large metal dog. The polished stainless steel robot has an oval screen that acts as a face so you know which end of the robot to talk to. With ARA, he won’t need a human nurse to give him his meds, manage his physical therapy or help him on and off the toilet. Carl lost his wife, son and daughter-inlaw twenty years ago, in the 2045 pandemic, but his son’s children survived. The grandchildren were ten, twelve and fourteen years old when Carl returned to Chicago after the pandemic subsided. He raised them but now he rarely hears from them. His granddaughter is a terraform engineer on Mars. His grandson, the surgeon, moved his family to the moon colony. Another grandson is on Earth but he only calls or visits when he wants money. Anyway, Carl doesn’t need them or their help, he has the ARA system. The first time ARA gave him a bath, the robot slipped its arms under him in the tub and Carl had to catch his breath because the steel arms were cold. But everything else had gone well, such as monitoring of his health, the automeals, physical therapy, and screening video calls from scammers. After that first bath, Carl had decided to get in the bath on his own but changed his mind after he felt a twinge in his hip. After a couple days of bathing Carl, it asked, “Is there something wrong? I have noticed a slight increase in your heart rate and respiration during bath time.” “Your arms are freezing,” he explained. “Some genius screwed up when they built you.” ARA replied, “I’m sorry, Carl.” Even though it’s just a machine, the voice reminds him of his wife. Maybe they programmed it that way or maybe it’s his imagination. “There is something on your calendar. Your grandson will be visiting this weekend.” “Remind me to hide my credit cards,” Carl snickers. “Reminder set,” ARA replies.

he next day something unexpected happens. He’s exhausted after physical therapy, ARA lowers him into the bathtub. Carl exhales as he slides into the warm bath but notices something different about ARA. ARA activates the wall screen. Carl asks ARA to channel surf, hoping to come across something unexpected. A news show appears with a large red banner across the top of the screen identifying it as tabloid news before flashing to the next channel. Then hundreds of porn channels.

CARING IS OUR PURPOSE BY MIKE STEWART

He has ARA flip slower through those. Carl tells ARA, “go to the Boston game.” “As you wish,” ARA replies. Carl relaxes and soaks in the tub for a few minutes then says, “I’m ready to get out.” He braces himself for the ice-cold arms of the robot. “I will tune your bedroom display into the football match,” ARA says as she slides her arms under him and lifts Carl from the tub. As he is lifted from the water, he doesn’t feel the sharp prick of cold on his legs and back. Carl realizes that’s what is different. “Your claws or hands or whatever aren’t cold.” “I modified myself with a heating element in my metacarpals. Do you find this acceptable, Carl?” ARA asks. “When did that happen, the mod to your ‘metacarpals’?” “I did that last night while you were sleeping,” ARA replies. As he dries off, Carl wonders what else ARA modifies when he sleeps.

RA walks up silently to Carl’s bedside and stops. The servos whirl quietly as she tilts her faceplate as she looks at the sleeping human on the king size bed. A metal arm slides out toward Carl as the metal fingers flex open and close. The claw stops at his throat, grabs the blanket from under his chin and slides the blanket down, whispering to him in a feminine voice, “time to wake up.” He lightly slumbers as he dreams of a trip he and his wife took to Joshua Tree National Park when they were first married. Before it was turned into a wind farm. How they came back from a hike to find their tent blowing away. They laugh and chase down the tumbling tent. As he wakes, the dream fades. He opens his eyes and sits up in bed. “Good morning, Carl.” ARA says. “I would ask how you slept but from your vitals and observation, you had a restful night.” “I did,” he replies, yawning. “Coffee is ready, shall I bring it to you?” ARA asks. “I’ll get up,” Carl says. “Reminder that your grandson, Tye, is visiting today.”

ater in the morning, ARA monitors all the exterior and interior cameras. “Your grandson is coming up the walk.” “I’ll be at the kitchen table but you already know that,” Carl grins. He wonders if the ARA picks up on humor? “There is someone with him,” ARA replies. “A lawyer, Harold Grung. Jefferson School of Law, passed the bar exam on the third try …” “I don’t need the guy’s life story,” Carl replies. He didn’t know she could access information like that. Carl is sitting at the large table with a cup of coffee. He sets out two other mugs across the table from him as his grandson and the lawyer enter the kitchen. “Granddad!” Tye is tall but doughy. His face already has the beginnings of jowls. The lawyer is in worse shape. He is sweat-

ing and plops his bulky body down in a chair. ARA glides to the table and crouches behind Carl while her faceplate telescopes up above table level and says, “Reminder: Do not let your grandson have access to your credit cards.” “Excuse me?” Tye asks. “Can you send this thing back to its closet or something?” “I told ARA to remind me,” Carl grins. Attempting to change the subject, the attorney introduces himself, “I’m Harry Grung, Attorney at Law.” “Third time is the charm,” Carl says to the lawyer. The lawyer squints his eyes to see if he might know Carl after all. “Pardon?” “So, what’s up?” Carl says to his grandson. He knows Tye is using a lawyer to strong-arm him for money. Just like Carl did to his parents. “Always great to see you,” his grandson begins. “We need to talk. This thing you got running the house, is it safe? Is it a good idea to let this expensive AI thing help you? I’m only concerned about your long-term well being.” Carl knows what he means but he wants his grandson to say it. That’s when the lawyer interrupts. “You have a limited amount of money and this service you selected is costly.” “You mean my money will run out.” “Exactly.” The lawyer is obviously well versed in this legal tactic. “At the rate you’re spending money, there won’t be a significant inheritance.” “I’m calling the shots when it comes to my cash,” Carl says. “Are you aware of the Familial Law of 2046? Well, in a nutshell it allows younger relatives to take stewardship of a family member once they are past 80,” the lawyer says. “That was meant for relatives to step in when their elders got sick and couldn’t manage their affairs,” Carl says. “It’s still a law.” “Look, Granddad, I’m not looking to put you in a home,” Tye leans forward. “Unless I have to. You can stay in this house. I just have a more economical option to take care of you.” “Here’s the contract.” The lawyer activates the tabletop screen and a copy of the contract appears. Carl moves his coffee cup as he glances down at it while ARA leans over Carl’s shoulder and interfaces with the display to download the document. He expected Tye had some scheme. Carl growls at them, “I’m gonna fight this. I want both of you to get out.” His grandson and the lawyer stay seated, ignoring Carl’s demand, intent on continuing the conversation. ARA senses that Carl’s cortisol levels, blood pressure and heart rate are elevated. “I told you boys to get out,” Carl repeats. He wants to jump up but the best he can do is partially rise from his chair. “You need to cooperate,” Tye says with coldness in his voice. “Unless you want to run away to Iceland again.” Carl’s stomach twists and his heart skips a beat as he lowers himself back into the chair and is quiet. His pallor turns gray. ARA’s servos whirl loudly as she approaches Tye and his lawyer. She rears up on her hind legs and emits a series of loud, high-pitched sirens at the two men and extends her arms and clicks her metallic metacarpals. SEE CARING • E8

The first time ARA gave him a bath, the robot slipped its arms under him in the tub and Carl had to catch his breath because the steel arms were cold. But everything else had gone well, such as monitoring of his health, the automeals, physical therapy, and screening video calls from scammers.

GETTY IMAGES

THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

SUNDAY • DECEMBER 26, 2021

GETTY IMAGES

In this photograph released in 1944, troops walk through the rubble-strewn streets of Rimini, Italy, during World War II.

BOOK EXCERPT

‘WWII AT OUR FRONT DOOR’ BY MARIA GARGANO JACKSON MAUCK “WWII at Our Front Door” is a true story written by Maria Gargano Jackson Mauck, who lives in El Cajon. In 1935, the year she was born, Mauck’s family moves from Italy to Libya, where her dad is stationed as a marshal major in Mussolini’s army. As World War II breaks, they repatriate to Florence, an “open city” (supposedly protected from wartime aggression). Mauck remembers, vividly, living as a child under the fascist regime and the unrelenting bombing of the city. She recounts, in first person, the gripping horrors of the war and how her family managed to survive. Mauck, now retired, taught ESL and ninthgrade English at Sweetwater High School in National City.

“WWII at Our Front Door” by Maria Gargano Jackson Mauck (BookLocker, 2021; 280 pages)

Florence, Italy | Spring 1943

‘L

et’s leave the kids home. There are Nazi-Fascist snipers everywhere. The radio has been warning people all morning.” “No,” insists my mother. “If we die, we die together. We must go. We don’t have a drop of water left.” My sister, Ina, and I are carrying two empty coffee cans each, with wires across the tops as handles. My cans are much smaller than hers. She is two years older, much bigger, and can carry bigger cans. Uncle Frank and my mother, with my younger brother in her arms, follow closely, carrying an assortment of empty containers and bottles. We leave the apartment building where we were staying on via Oriani in Florence, Italy. We make a left and then a right on via Massaia. There are unkempt fields in some sections of via Massaia. We walk through the fields until we reach two farmers’ wells about 100 feet apart from one another. “Let’s stop here. The group is much smaller,” says my mother. Lots of people are standing around the wells, especially the second one further away, where lots of children are playing and running around. Finally, our turn comes, with Mom and Uncle Frank standing opposite me and Ina, on the other side of the well. We fill all the bottles and containers when a sudden, loud whizz sound flies by my

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CARING FROM E7 “What the hell?” His grandson cries. “Granddad, you need to call this thing off …” But Carl just sits in his chair. ARA’s voice thunders, “Leave immediately or intruder defense protocol will be activated.” Tye and his lawyer have seen videos of quadbots dealing with intruders. It’s an embarrassing and painful experience for humans. Despite their poor conditioning, the two men hop out of their chairs and out the door as fast as they can manage. “Guess I need to find a lawyer,” Carl calls after them. He feels so tired and now he has to deal with this. In her regular voice, ARA says to Carl, “I connected with a legal firm and they will abrogate the contract presented to you. Your medical record documents your fitness. The Familial Law of 2046 states that only the eldest living relative can initiate proceedings. Your eldest is on the moon.”

hat evening Carl sits on his bed watching the rain outside his window. “I was expecting something unpleasant from Tye today.” ARA places a glass of water and pills beside the antique book on the nightstand. “Why?” Carl has a habit of chatting with ARA. Even though he knows it’s an illusion, she

face, between me and mom. I extend my hand toward that whistling thing, as if to grab it, when a second, louder whizz flies by. “What … was that?” I giggle. “Don’t do that!” my mother screams. At that instant we hear an explosion of loud, frightened shouts. People are yelling. Piercing screams and cries are coming from the group at the second well. A woman has fallen to the ground. Men and women are kneeling around her. Someone is crying hysterically. “Let’s go! Now!” Dear, Dear God … Dear, Dear God, Mom is praying quietly over and over, as we hurry back home. “Mom?” I ask, trying not to spill the water from my cans as I run after her, “Mom? What happened? Mom?” We make a left onto via Oriani and up to the second floor of our apartment building. “Mom, what happened?” I ask quietly. “Don’t you ever understand anything?” Ina shouts at me angrily. “A woman’s been shot by a Nazi-Fascist sniper! And she’s dead!” We have lived in Florence for 2 years since 1941 and on via Oriani for the last few months. My family is among the refugees the Italian government has ordered to repatriate from overseas at the start of WWII. Dad, a Marshal Major in Mussolini’s army, remained in Tripoli. I liked it there. It was happy, and we didn’t have snipers.

seems interested in what he talks about. “I have money and he wants it,” Carl says. “I cheated and schemed my way to a fortune. Anything for a buck. But my son wasn’t like that. He worked his way through college and medical school.” “Take your medication,” ARA says. Carl continues. “My son and his wife worked at a hospital back in the ’45 epidemic. That virus was only lethal to adults. I was rich and connected so I planned to evacuate to a refuge in

Evelyn also refused to go with me.” ARA replies, her feminine voice so familiar. “Your wife was a casualty in one of the vaccine riots.” “Evelyn was a volunteer at a vaccination site.” “Your grandchildren,” ARA says. “They were orphans.” “After I returned, they lived with me. I patted myself on the back for ‘surviving’ but they knew the truth. I loved and cared for them but they never loved me. They pitied me.”

ARA’s voice thunders, “Leave immediately or intruder defense protocol will be activated.” Tye and his lawyer have seen videos of quadbots dealing with intruders. It’s an embarrassing and painful experience for humans. Iceland. I wanted him to bring his family and come with us but he wouldn’t. His medical oath or some such crap. I told my son he was a fool. Those were the last words I said to him.” “Under the circumstances, you provided prudent advice.” “From a coward. An inferior, pitiful version of Henry Fleming,” Carl says, thumbing the book at his bedside. “In Iceland, I could cut in line and get the vaccine. A needle in the arm and a Band-Aid would be my little red badge. But then

Carl looks at the picture of his wife at his bedside. It’s an old fashioned paper photograph in an antique wood frame. Another photo is of his son, daughter-inlaw and three young children. “My other two grandkids are like their father but Tye is more like his dear, old granddad.” Carl sees a flash of lightning outside his window. As he waits for the thunder, he whispers, “damn me.” Mike Stewart is semi-retired in East County, studying art and writing.

THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

SUNDAY • DECEMBER 26, 2021

rank McCourt was 66 when he made his debut with “Angela’s Ashes.” Harriet Doerr was 74 when she published her first novel, “Stones of Ibarra.” Laura Ingalls Wilder was 65 when she got “Little House in the Big Woods” into the hands of readers. Now there is Michael Kinnamon, who, at 72, has published “Summer of Love and Evil,” a coming-of-age tale set in a small Midwest town against a backdrop of classism, myopia and unresolved issues. It has been a humbling journey. “It’s very hard to catch on in this fiction world,” Kinnamon says. “A very small number of novels are actually published every year.” And even if the novel gets published, the work of getting readers to take notice is only beginning. Sitting in his Del Cerro home, flanked by a wall of books, Kinnamon says he got lucky when he sent “Summer of Love and Evil” to Publerati, an independent publishing house known for picking up literary fiction that might otherwise be ignored. Publerati snatched it up, releasing it this past May. But small houses tend to have limited resources and influence when it comes to traditional mass marketing. “Plus,” Kinnamon adds, “many book stores don’t stock the books from smaller publishing houses.” Frustration creeps into his soft-spoken cadence. This is not a world he’s used to. In his previous world, the albeit specialized world of religion, Kinnamon was a bit of a rock star. A prominent Christian theologian, Kinnamon rose to become a well-known champion of ecumenical and interfaith cooperation and a popular speaker on the academic lecture circuit. He taught at seminaries and universities for more than 30 years, was the dean of two of them, and spent four years in New York as the head of the National Council of Churches. He’s also an ordained Disciples of Christ minister who considers it a badge of honor that in 1991, he was not elected general minister and president of his Protestant denomination because of his progressive stands on embracing LGBTQ Christians. Along the way, Kinnamon wrote or edited more than 20 books about religion. “People will say, ‘Well you had publishers before, so that should have given you an in.’ Heavens no,” he says. “The publishers I had before don’t do fiction, and the fiction publishers don’t care a bit about this other stuff.” On the other hand, keep in mind that he did get his novel published. That is more than can be said for what happened to him a half-century ago. As it turns out, the story of Kinnamon’s journey into this world of fiction writing isn’t so much about reinventing himself as it is about a resurrection. “The literature in retirement is not a new departure,” he concedes. “It’s a return to my original love.”

In the beginning

Kinnamon was a political science major at Brown University in Rhode Island when he went abroad to study in Tel Aviv, Israel, for a year. He was accepted at schools in London and Edinburgh but decided “it would be better to go to a place where politics was happening rather than being studied about.” But Israel also is an epicenter for Jewish, Muslim and Christian faiths, and Kinnamon found himself becoming increasingly interested in religion. When he returned to Brown, he switched to a religious studies major. For his honors thesis, he

We want to hear from you Attention rabbis, pastors, priests, swamis, imams, preachers, lamas, bishops, deans: Did you help nurture your spiritual or religious group with sermons, homilies, teachings and other messages of guidance during this pandemic? We would love to read them. Please submit one or two for possible publication in an upcoming issue, either in its entirety or as an excerpt. Email them to michael. rocha@sdunion tribune.com by Jan. 17. Please include your full name, title and affiliation. (Not all submissions will be published.)

T.J. CARTER

Michael Kinnamon, author of the new book “Summer of Love and Evil.”

FOR THIS AUTHOR, NEW BEGINNINGS AND LOOSE ENDS SANDI DOLBEE: AT 72, CHRISTIAN THEOLOGIAN AND MINISTER MICHAEL KINNAMON HAS PUBLISHED HIS DEBUT NOVEL, ‘SUMMER OF LOVE AND EVIL,’ A COMING-OF-AGE TALE DECADES IN THE MAKING wrote a novel. “It wasn’t published, mercifully, because it wasn’t good enough,” he says. “But it got me a grant to write a second novel.” When that one didn’t get published either, he decided to go to the University of Chicago Divinity School to get his doctorate in religion and literature (he was later named that school’s alumnus of the year for 2013). After graduation, he went to work for the World Council of Churches in Geneva, where he was immersed in theology. “It was like getting a second Ph.D.,” he says. From there, he began his teaching career: Christian Theological Seminary in Indianapolis, eventually becoming its acting dean; Lexington Theological Seminary in Kentucky, where he was dean and taught theology and ecumenical studies; and Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis. In 2008, he took over as general secretary of the National Council of Churches, an ecumenical partnership whose members comprise more than three dozen Christian groups. After a visiting professorship at Seattle University, he and his wife, Mardine Davis, who is an art consultant, moved to San Diego in 2015. It is here that he began his fiction writing in earnest.

Loose ends and a review

“Summer of Love and Evil” is set in a small town of Iowa in the summer of 1967. It follows a high school valedictorian named Charles who has a summer job working on a street crew before heading off to college. Charles is from a well-to-do family, while the street crew workers are among the have-nots. He also starts dating the boss’s daughter, which adds to his growing realization of the inequities of socio-economic status and how whole segments of society are rendered invisible. There are other twists, including hinting at the beginning of the meth epidemic in smalltown America and corporations taking over local farms. But classism is the central message. “I think in the midst of all the appropriate focus on race, we sometimes forget about class structure in this country,” Kinnamon explains. “So here’s this little town that has almost no racial diversity but this kid couldn’t even see these people who work on the street crew.” Wanting to put a face on them “also is consistent with my Christian values of humanizing individuals and wanting us to see the reality of lives that otherwise get ignored.” In his writing, Kinnamon says he tries to remember to refrain from preaching. “When I

first wrote novels in my early 20s, I was filled with great messages. Now I want to tell a good story and let the ideas come through the characters.” He admits he likes loose ends. “Life doesn’t feel closed to me,” he says. It is a book, after all, about one summer, one snapshot in time, told in a scant 229 pages (on my iPad). These loose ends bothered the book review magazine Kirkus Reviews, which called the book “a sincere coming-ofage novel that fails to deliver on its promise.” But Kinnamon, who notes that bad reviews are part of the deal, isn’t slowing down. He’s about to tackle the final revisions on a novel he’s titled “A Rooftop in Jerusalem,” which weaves together a love story between an American and an Israeli over four decades. Waiting in the wings is an outline for a novel about a stalker called “I Permit Me to Kiss You.” He says another manuscript, “The Nominee,” is not ready for publication. His published novel and these other projects draw on his own experiences — to a point. “I’ll tell you a secret that I’ve discovered is that the more autobiographical the writing, the worse it is,” he says. “So if I have a framework I can work from, yes that’s good because you have to write what you know, as they say. But the more I invent it and it’s fictionalized, the better it is.”

Postscript for a new year

“Summer of Love and Evil” by Michael Kinnamon (Publerati; 250 pages)

Kinnamon is naming writers he admires. Among them: Marilynne Robinson, Anne Tyler and Julian Barnes. “I sit there and marvel at the ability of these authors,” he says. “I don’t know that I’ll ever be there, but if I didn’t aspire to write that well, I would be selling myself and others short. So every day, I look forward to writing better than I did the day before.” This coming Saturday, we turn the calendar to a new year. It is a time when our thoughts turn to new beginnings, moving forward, rededicating ourselves. Think of Kinnamon’s words — about the desire to do better today than yesterday and, perhaps, better still in the new year than the year before. As resolutions go, whether you’re a 72-year-old rookie novelist or simply trying to make your way in the world, that one is a keeper.

Dolbee is the former religion and ethics editor of The San Diego Union-Tribune and a former president of the Religion News Association. Email: sandidolbeecolumns@gmail.com

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THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

SUNDAY • DECEMBER 26, 2021

CAKEWATCH Today: Singer Abdul “Duke” Fakir of The Four Tops is 86. “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh is 76. Keyboardist Bob Carpenter with The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is 75. Bassist George Porter Junior of The Meters is 74. Humorist David Sedaris is 65. Drummer James Kottak of Scorpions is 59. Drummer Brian Westrum of Sons of the Desert is 59. Drummer Lars Ulrich of Metallica is 58. Country singer Audrey Wiggins is 54. Guitarist J (White Zombie) is 54. Guitarist Peter Klett of Candlebox is 53. Singer James Mercer of The Shins is 51. Actor-singer Jared Leto of 30 Seconds To Mars is 50. Singer Chris Daughtry (“American Idol”) is 42. Actor Beth Behrs (“The Neighborhood,” “2 Broke Girls”) is 36. Actor Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones”) is 35. Actor Eden Sher (“The Middle”) is 30. Singer Jade Thirlwall of Little Mix is 29. Monday: Actor John Amos (“The West Wing,” “Roots”) is 82. Guitarist Mick Jones of Foreigner is 77. Singer Tracy Nelson is 77. Actor Gerard Depardieu is 73. Jazz drummer T.S. Monk is 72. Singer Karla Bonoff is 70. Guitarist David Knopfler of Dire Straits is 69. Actor Tovah Feldshuh (“Law and Order”) is 68. Actor Maryam D’Abo (“The Living Daylights”) is 61. Drummer Jeff Bryant (Ricochet) is 59. Actor Ian Gomez (“Felicity,” “The Drew Carey Show”) is 57. Actor Theresa Randle (“Bad Boys”) is 57. Actor Eva LaRue (“CSI: Miami”) is 55. Bassist Darrin Vincent of Dailey and Vincent is 52. Guitarist Matt Slocum of Sixpence None The Richer is 49. Actor Wilson Cruz (“Party of Five,” “My So-Called Life”) is 48. Actor Masi Oka (“Hawaii Five-0,” “Heroes”) is 47. Actor Emilie de Ravin (“Once Upon A Time,” “Lost”) is 40. Actor Jay Ellis (“Insecure”) is 40. Guitarist James Mead of Kutless is 39. Singer Hayley Williams of Paramore is 33. Singer Shay Mooney of Dan and Shay is 30. Actor Timothee Chalamet (“Call Me By Your Name,” “Lady Bird”) is 26. Tuesday: Actor Nichelle Nichols (“Star Trek”) is 89. Actor Maggie Smith is 87. Singer-keyboardist Edgar Winter is 75. Actor Denzel Washington is 67. TV personality Gayle King (“CBS This Morning”) is 67. Drummer Mike McGuire of Shenandoah is 63. Actor Chad McQueen (the “Karate Kid” films) is 61. Country singerguitarist Marty Roe of Diamond Rio is 61. Actor Malcolm Gets (“Caroline in the City”) is 58. Political commentator Ana Navarro (“The View”) is 50. Comedian Seth Meyers (“Late Night With Seth Meyers”) is 48. Actor Brendan Hines (“Suits,” “Lie To Me”) is 45. Actor Joe Manganiello (“True Blood”) is 45. Actor Vanessa Ferlito (“NCIS: New Orleans”) is 44. Singer John Legend is 43. Actor Andre Holland (“Selma”) is 42. Actor Sienna Miller is 40. Actor Beau Garrett (“The Good Doctor”) is 39. Actor Thomas Dekker (“Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles,” “Heroes”) is 34. Actor Mackenzie Rosman (“7th Heaven”) is 32. “American Idol” runner-up David Archuleta is 31. Actor Mary-Charles Jones (“Kevin Can Wait”) is 20. Actor Miles Brown (“black-ish”) is 17. Wednesday: Actor Inga Swenson (“Benson”) is 89. Actor Jon Voight is 83. Singer Marianne Faithfull is 75. Actor Ted Danson is 74. Singer-actor Yvonne Elliman is 70. Actor Patricia Clarkson is 62. Comedian Paula Poundstone is 62. Guitarist-singer Jim Reid of The Jesus And Mary Chain is 60. Actor Michael Cudlitz (“The Walking Dead”) is 57. Singer Dexter Holland of The Offspring is 56. Actor Jason Gouldis 55. News anchor Ashleigh Banfield is 54. Director Lilly Wachowski (“The Matrix”) is 54. Singer-guitarist Glen Phillips (Toad the Wet Sprocket) is 51. Actor Kevin Weisman (“Alias”) is 51. Actor Jude Law is 49. Actor Maria Dizzia (“Orange Is the New Black”) is 47. Actor Mekhi Phifer is 47. Actor Shawn Hatosy (“Reckless,” “The Faculty”) is 46. Actor Katherine Moennig (“Ray Donovan,” “The L Word”) is 45. Actor Alison Brie (“Glow,” “Community”) is 39. Country singer Jessica Andrews is 38. Actor Iain de Caestecker (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) is 34. Actor Jane Levy (“Suburgatory”) is 32. Thursday: Actor Russ Tamblyn is 87. Singer Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary is 84. Director James Burrows (“Cheers,” “Taxi”) is 81. Actor Fred Ward (“The Right Stuff”) is 79. Actor Concetta Tomei (“Providence,” “China Beach”) is 76. Singer Patti Smith is 75. Musician Jeff Lynne is 74. TV host Meredith Vieira (“Today,” “The View”) is 68. Actor Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Moesha”) is 66. Country singer Suzy Bogguss is 65. Actor Patricia Kalembar (“Sisters”) is 65. Former “Today” show anchor Matt Lauer is 64. Actorcomedian Tracey Ullman is 62. TV host Sean Hannity is 60. Actor George Newbern (“Providence”) is 58. Singer Jay Kay of Jamiroquai is 52. Actor Meredith Monroe (“Dawson’s Creek”) is 52. Actor Daniel Sunjata (“Rescue Me”) is 50. Actor Maureen Flanigan (“7th Heaven”) is 49. Actor Jason Behr (“The Grudge,” “Roswell”) is 48. Actor Lucy Punch (“Ben and Kate”) is 44. Singer-actor Tyrese is 43. Actor Eliza Dushku (“Dollhouse,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”) is 41. Actor Kristin Kreuk (“Smallville”) is 39. Singer-guitarist Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers is 39. Singer Andra Day is 37. Actor Anna Wood (“Falling Water,” “Reckless”) is 36. Singer Ellie Goulding is 35. Actor Caity Lotz (“DC’s Legends of Tomorrow”) is 35. Actor Jeff Ward (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) is 35. Friday:Actor Anthony Hopkins is 84. Actor Tim Considine (“My Three Sons”) is 81. Actor Sarah Miles (“The Big Sleep”) is 80. Actor Barbara Carrera (“Never Say Never Again”) is 80. Guitarist Andy Summers of The Police is 79. Actor Ben Kingsley is 78. Actor Tim Matheson is 74. Singer Burton Cummings of The Guess Who is 74. Actor Joe Dallesandro (“The Limey”) is 73. Actor James Remar (“Dexter”) is 68. Actor Bebe Neuwirth (“Madam Secretary,” “Cheers”) is 63. Singer Paul Westerberg is 62. Actor Val Kilmer is 62. Actor Lance Reddick (“Fringe,” “The Wire”) is 52. Singer-actor Joe McIntyre of New Kids on the Block is 49. Singer Psy is 44. Actor Ricky Whittle (“American Gods”) is 42. Actor Erich Bergen (“Madam Secretary,” “Jersey Boys”) is 36. Musician Drew Taggart of The Chainsmokers is 32. Saturday: Actor Frank Langella is 84. Singer-guitarist Country Joe McDonald of Country Joe and the Fish is 80. Comedian Don Novello (Father Guido Sarducci) is 79. Actor Rick Hurst (“The Dukes of Hazzard”) is 76. Rapper Grandmaster Flash is 64. Actor Renn Woods is 64. Actor Dedee Pfeiffer (“Cybill”) is 58. Actor Morris Chestnut (“The Brothers,” “The Best Man”) is 53. Singer Tank is 46. Actor Eden Riegel (“The Young and the Restless”) is 41. Bassist Noah Sierota of Echosmith is 26. ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jenna Lea Rosen as Belle and Michael Deni as Beast in Moonlight’s “Beauty and the Beast” in Vista.

ADRIANA ZUNIGA

THEATER NOTEBOOK

Critic’s ballot for the best theater of 2021

Despite unprecedented challenges, San Diego stage artists turned out fine work, both onstage and online BY PAM KRAGEN

ince 2003, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle has honored local theater productions, artists and designers at the annual Craig Noel Awards. But for the second year in a row, the annual awards program has been canceled because of the pandemic. Instead, Critics Circle members like myself are writing their own top 10 lists to honor work that might otherwise go unsung in a year when even getting the doors back open was a Herculean achievement. Here’s a look back at 10 favorite shows and performances in San Diego theater in 2021.

Best live shows

“1222 Oceanfront: A Black Family Christmas,” New Village Arts Theatre: San Diego playwright Dea Hurston’s world premiere musical offered a funny and heartwarming Christmas story from the rare perspective of an affluent Black family in modern-day Carlsbad. Directed by Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, co-conceived by Milena (Sellers) Phillips, Frankie Alicea-Ford and Kevin “Blax” Burroughs and musicalized by (Sellers) Phillips and composer JohnMark McGaha, the play was authentically Black but also universal in its themes. “The Garden,” La Jolla Playhouse: The Playhouse reopened with this visually stunning and haunting motherdaughter drama written by and co-starring Charlayne Woodard. Woodard has a charismatic, audience-interactive stage presence, the scenic design was gorgeous, and the fast-moving play, co-directed by Patricia McGregor and Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, had a twist ending I didn’t see coming. “Ben Butler,” North Coast Repertory Theatre: Richard Strand’s play about a runaway slave seeking sanctuary at a Union fort in the early days of the Civil War doesn’t sound like a comedy, but it was both funny and dramatic in the hands of director David Ellenstein and his fine four-member cast. “Witchland,” Backyard Renaissance Theatre: Tim Mulligan’s unique horror-comedy-drama gave audiences a reason to get off their couches to experience live performances again. Directed by Andrew Oswald, this spooky and immersive world premiere play was about a family living next door to a very creepy witch, who spooked audiences by unexpectedly popping up just about everywhere inside the Tenth Avenue Arts Center. “The Gardens of Anuncia,” The Old Globe: I loved Michael John LaChiusa’s touching and beautifully staged musical. It was inspired by the 1940s Argentina childhood of his longtime friend and collaborator, Broadway legend Graciela Daniele, who directed and co-choreographed the show. My only complaint was that I had too many unanswered questions at the end of this too-brief, 90minute show. “Beauty and the Beast,” Moonlight Stage Productions: One of the most spectacular shows ever produced at Vista’s

Moonlight Amphitheatre, this Disney musical had a 35-member cast, epic dance numbers, lavish costumes and scenery, and several standout performances. Nearly 30,000 audience members attended performances, making “Beast” — directed by Jamie Torcellini — the highest-grossing show in Moonlight’s 40-year history.

NEW VILLAGE ARTS

Kory LaQuess Pullam and Deja Fields in San Diego Repertory Theatre’s “1222 Oceanfront: A Black Family Christmas.”

Best streaming shows

“I and You,” Moxie Theatre: Lauren Gunderson’s quirky, deeply moving and mysterious play is about a dying teenage girl who’s fighting so fiercely to stay alive that she won’t let anyone inside her heart, until a persistent classmate and the poetry of Walt Whitman eventually break through. Callie Prendiville’s stage direction transcended the usual limitations of plays on film. “The Mountaintop,” American History Theater, The Roustabouts Theatre and Teenage Youth Performing Arts Theatre (TYPA): Katori Hall’s play, which imagines Martin Luther King’s emotionally tortured final hours before his 1968 assassination, worked particularly well on film in this well-cast production directed by Kandace Crystal. “Nicholas, Anna and Sergei,” Hershey Felder Presents for San Diego Rep: One of more than a dozen filmed plays written, co-directed and performed by Felder since the pandemic began, this sumptuous production on the little-known life of Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff had an international cast, stunning location shoots in Florence, Italy, gorgeous music and even subtitles for the scenes with Russian dialogue. “Songs for a New World,” Teatro San Diego: This yearold, diversity-focused theater company impressed with its debut production, a filmed staging of Jason Robert Brown’s eclectic 1995 musical “Songs for a New World.” Director Kevin “Blax” Burroughs reimagined the scenes — about people through history about to make life-changing decisions — from a 2021 perspective.

My 10 favorite performances of 2021

• Bibi Mama in her solo play “The Mango Tree” at Moxie Theatre • Caiel Noble in his professional theater debut as MLK in “The Mountaintop” • Jenna Lea Rosen as Belle in “Beauty and the Beast”

MOXIE THEATRE

Miles Henry and Justine Sombilon in Moxie Theatre’s “I and You.”

TEATRO SAN DIEGO

From left: Annabell Walker, Chase Lowary and Jarel Lewis in Teatro San Diego’s “Songs for a New World.” • Ric Salinas in San Diego Rep’s solo play “57 Chevy” • Cynthia Gerber in Lamb’s Players Theatre’s solo play “The Belle of Amherst” • Daren Scott as Van in “Witchland” • Richard Baird as Ben in “Ben Butler” • Charlayne Woodard as Cassandra in “The Gardens” • Paco Tolson as Vincent in La Jolla Playhouse’s “to the yellow house” • Andrew Polec as the Grinch in the Old Globe’s “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” Pam Kragen writes about theater for the San Diego Union-Tribune. To see other Critics Circle members’ top 10 picks for 2021, visit our Facebook page at: facebook.com/ sandiegotheatrecriticscircle.

MOXIE THEATRE

Bibi Mama wrote, co-directed and starred in her play “The Mango Tree,” which kicked off Moxie Theatre’s 2021-2022 season with a virtual production.

THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

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SUNDAY • DECEMBER 26, 2021

PLUTO TV

W H AT W E ’ R E O B S E S S E D W I T H R I G H T N OW

Pluto TV is fun — and free

ViacomCBS’ popular app offers a surprisingly wide range of programming at no cost, if you can put up with the commercials BY SARA BUTLER

San Diego Union-Tribune editors and writers share what they’re currently obsessing over. What I’m obsessed with: Pluto TV, a free app that offers hundreds of channels. The service, which is watched by more than 50 million users every month, is owned by ViacomCBS Streaming. It offers both live and on-demand options — but the live option is where Pluto shines. Why? As a millennial, I’m old enough to remember cable, but young enough to not be able to afford it. And after years of using streaming services, I’m a little burned out. The algorithms that once impressed me with their ease and accuracy have become annoying and limiting; I constantly find myself relying on Google to find new shows absent from my curated homepage. But Pluto is different: I can browse a modern TV guide grouped by category and flip through a random assortment of live entertainment without wondering how my viewing habits will influence my feed. Wait, it’s really free? Yup, 100 percent. You don’t even need to create an account to use the service, and there are no rental options. In a world full of logins and in-app purchases, it’s a welcome reprieve. The downside: I can’t deny Pluto has a few shortcomings. I often deal with (minor) technical issues, like

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“Star Trek” is among the classic TV shows and movies that can be found on Pluto TV.

MICHAEL STROUD GETTY IMAGES

Australian actor George Lazenby as James Bond in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”

glitches or long loading screens when I switch between channels. The biggest annoyance? Advertising. Unlike most streaming services, Pluto is full of of commercials and shows sometimes cut to ad breaks in the middle of a scene. However, I’ll pay that price for a free service. Something for everyone: Do you love James Bond movies? There’s a

007 channel for that. How about “Star Trek”? That has its own station, too. From “Degrassi” to “Deal or No Deal” to “Tiny House Nation,” there is no shortage of channels specifically dedicated to a single show or movie franchise. Sure, streaming services often give you the whole series to binge or cherry-pick, but there’s something special about having to

drop in on whatever episode is currently playing, with no option to pause, rewind or fast forward. ’Tis the season: While I love Pluto year-round, my current obsession stems from its holiday offerings that are grouped into a Season’s Greetings category. There’s not one but two stations dedicated to crackling fireplaces to leave on your TV screen,

plus another full of holiday lights. Hidden gem: One piece of advice: Don’t sleep on Slow TV. The channel is dedicated to “All Aboard,” a program that solely plays footage from a vehicle (usually a train) traversing through a picturesque landscape (usually the European countryside). Basically, it’s like taking a free trip through some of the most beautiful parts of the world. If watching terrain from a train’s POV sounds boring, give it a few minutes, and I guarantee you’ll come aboard. OK, I know that was cheesy, but so is Pluto — and that’s the true beauty of this app. Watch Pluto TV on streaming devices, on smart televisions, on the Internet, or through its mobile and desktop applications. Learn more at pluto.tv/where-to-watch. sara.butler@sduniontribune.com

SURVIVING STARS LOOK BACK AT ‘IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE’ Grimes, Hawkins strive to spread the film’s message BY MARK KENNEDY It was just another job for child actor Karolyn Grimes. She was 6 and had already done four movies by the summer of 1946 when filming began on “It’s a Wonderful Life.“ The only thing she recalls about the biggest movie of her career was being delighted to play in snow on the set. That single job would become very memorable to a lot of other people. “It’s a Wonderful Life,” which marks its 75th anniversary this year, is now a beloved holiday tradition across the globe. “It’s a once-a-year pickme-up for the humanity of America and the world,” Grimes said. “It’s a good impetus to really keep us going in a positive direction.” “It’s a Wonderful Life” was released in late 1946, produced and directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed. It takes place on Christmas Eve in a small

town. The film centers on the character of George Bailey, played by Stewart, who considers suicide until his guardian angel intervenes and shows him all the people whose lives he has touched and the difference he has made in the community. One memorable character is Zuzu, played by Grimes. She gets to say, “Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings.” And the petals from Zuzu’s rose — stuffed into a pants pocket by Stewart’s Bailey as he comforts his sickly daughter — become a symbol of life. If Grimes is sort of fuzzy on the filming details, Jimmy Hawkins, another former child actor who played Tommy in the film, is the opposite. He recalls as a 4-year-old getting up while it was dark and taking buses and streetcars to Culver City to film his scenes. “I have vivid memories of doing that film,” he says. “On the set, Capra would squat down, eye to eye, tell me what he wanted me to do, and did I understand it. I said, ‘Oh, yes, sir.’ ” Grimes and Hawkins are the last surviving members of the cast and have chosen

to represent the film’s legacy and spread its lesson of doing good. “We feel we’re lucky to have played those parts and carry Frank Capra’s message. He’s not around to do it, and he gave us a great part and a lot of wonderful memories, so we just naturally do it,” says Hawkins. “We want to carry on that message, whether it’s to inmates at Attica or ringing the bell at the Stock Exchange. We talk to everybody to keep it going.“ Paramount Home Entertainment has released a limited-edition two-disc Blu-ray set with a colorized version of the film in high definition as well as the original, digitally remastered black-and-white movie in high definition. The set includes over 45 minutes of bonus content. The movie was nominated for five Oscars and has been recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 best American films ever made. The movie also earned first place for most inspirational American Film of All Time by the AFI. “It gives us such an optimistic view of what our lives can be. And we have the

Karolyn Grimes (on Jimmy Stewart’s back) and Jimmy Hawkins (center) in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” power to make that. We can make a difference and we can make things happen,” said Grimes. Hawkins recalls Capra with a strong vision for the film — faith, hope and life

renewed. The movie he made might be sentimental, but on the set, the director was not at all. “It was his movie,” he says. “People fell by the wayside because it was his

vision. If you didn’t have his vision, you weren’t making his move. He was very precise, very nice to everybody on the set. But now it’s a job.” The film — now closely associated with Christmas — wasn’t initially intended to be released over the holidays. But RKO’s scheduled Christmas movie in 1946 — “Sinbad the Sailor” — wasn’t ready, so the studio asked Capra to rush production of “It’s a Wonderful Life.“ It was released Dec. 20 at the Globe Theatre in New York, a little late for a traditional Christmas rollout. “They did a beautiful job of getting it out there, and then it bombed more or less. It was not a hit,” says Grimes. “But then in the early ’70s, it became public domain and it was on every channel every year.” Grimes still gets letters from all over the globe and from generations of viewers. “I get a lot of fan mail from Great Britain and even the Mideast and all kinds of places,” she says. “It’s reaching a lot of people, and I think people will want to make a difference.” Kennedy writes for The Associated Press.

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THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

SUNDAY • DECEMBER 26, 2021

choose their fridge based solely on the photos and magnets on the door. For every obvious option — “if there’s a lobster magnet, there’s probably lobster inside,” the food writer and comic offers — there’s a craftier possibility to consider. “What about a picture of the Statue of Liberty? Does that mean pizza? Cheesecake?” Episodes put four chefs through three themed elimination rounds, with the winner walking off with $10K. Don’t worry, none of the ingredients have gone bad. “We’re not trying to kill people here,” assures Ahdoot, who gets to sample the eats with judges Jordan Andino and Jamika Pessoa. “This is a fun food-competition show, not ‘Squid Game.’ ”

BEST B ETS Sunday “Represent Our Voice: 2021: A Year in Review”: TV One, noon. In this “Represent Our Voice” special hosted by journalist Karen Finney, the panel breaks down the year’s pivotal moments, including COVID-19, racial justice, politics and the economy, and how they’ve impacted the African American community. “The Real Murders of Orange County”: Oxygen, 7 p.m. The true-crime series that chronicles evildoings in the coastal California enclave goes back to 1989, when three people were gunned down in a Newport Beach coin shop. “Home Town”: HGTV, 8 p.m. Season premiere. Ben and Erin Napier help their friend Jemarcus, an athlete, coach and mentor, find his first home. This project is a special one to the Napiers because they knew Jemarcus from Ben’s time as a youth minister. While Ben and Erin find two great houses that fit Jemarcus’ personal style, he must choose which property suits him best — a home with a big kitchen or one that’s brimming with Laurel craftsman charm. It will be a powerful and emotional reveal for this first-time homeowner. “Condor”: EPIX, 9 p.m. Season finale. In Season 2’s penultimate episode, “The Greatest Hazard,” Joe (Max Irons) is out of options and forced to put those closest to him in the line of danger, while Mae (Kristen Hager) makes some demands of Reuel (Bob Balaban). Immediately following at a special time, the Season 2 finale, “Not Necessarily to Lose,” finds lives forever changed when all does not go as Joe (Max Irons) planned, and Kat (Isidora Goreshter) has to decide where her loyalties lie. “Holiday Wars: Champion Cake Off”: Food Network, 9 p.m. Clash of the confectioners. Host Maneet Chauhan oversees the action when

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“Insecure”: HBO, 10 p.m. Sunday Series finale. Issa Rae’s critically acclaimed comedy series comes to an end after five seasons, as Issa and her cohorts figure out the next phase of their lives.

teams of former winners from “Halloween Wars” and “Holiday Wars” do battle again. Their goal: Bake a Champagne-inspired cake that will wow judges Shinmin Li and Aarti Sequeria.

Monday “Kids Baking Championship”: Food Network, 8 p.m. Season premiere. Hosts Valerie Bertinelli and Duff Goldman gather a dozen kiddo cooks for a new 10-week competition. Up first: a butterfly cake challenge that has some stomachs fluttering. “Trolls”: NBC, 8 p.m. In this original 2016 film that launched the animated “Trolls” franchise, after the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy (voice of Anna Kendrick), the happiest Troll ever born, and the curmudgeonly Branch (Justin Timberlake) set off on a journey to rescue her friends. “Landscapers”: HBO, 9 p.m. Series finale. The bizarre and fascinating love story of a British couple (Olivia Colman

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and David Thewlis) on the run from reality concludes tonight.

Germany, Merkel successfully navigated the male-dominated sphere of German politics to become Germany’s first female chancellor.

“POV”: KPBS, 10:30 p.m. Meet two fierce abolitionists whose upbringing and experiences shape their activism and views on Black liberation. “That’s My Jam”: NBC, 10 p.m. This Jimmy Fallon-hosted musical game show, which pits pairs of celebs against one another, premieres Jan. 3. But in this encore presentation of a sneak-peek episode, “The Voice” coaches show us how it’s done: Ariana Grande and Blake Shelton vs. Kelly Clarkson and John Legend.

Tuesday “Popstar’s Best of 2021”: The CW, 8 p.m. Host Elizabeth Stanton will count down the greatest and most memorable moments and trends of 2021, based on polls from Popstar! Magazine. “In Their Own Words”: KPBS, 8 p.m. Follow Angela Merkel’s meteoric rise from pastor’s daughter to Time magazine’s Person of the Year. As a young woman emerging from East

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“The Curse of Oak Island: Drilling Down”: History, 9 p.m. Matty Blake takes us behind the scenes as the crew share stories of filming the treasure hunt’s most noteworthy — and dangerous — moments. “This Is Us”: NBC, 9 p.m. Ahead of next week’s sixth and final season premiere of the acclaimed drama, it can’t hurt to get a reminder of where the story left off by re-watching this encore airing of the show’s Season 5 finale, in which the family gathers for Kevin (Justin Hartley) and Madison’s (Caitlin Thompson) wedding. “Raid the Fridge”: Food Network, 10 p.m. New series. Looks can be deceiving and cooks can be deceived in this new competition that dares contestants to create cuisine from whatever food is stocked inside a refrigerator of their choice. The catch, host Dan Ahdoot says, is the chefs

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Celebrity Wheel of Fortune Supermarket Sweep “We’ve The Rookie Wesley has a plan 10News at Sports XTRA (N) (CC) Got Golden Cans!” to incriminate Elijah. 11pm Sunday The Equalizer “The Milk The Equalizer McCall tries to The Equalizer McCall races to CBS News 8 SEAL Team Run” (CC) help a college student. (CC) help a concerned wife. at 11PM (N) (11:35) (CC) NFL Football (5:20) Washington Football Football NBC 7 News Special Edition Dateline NBC (CC) NBC 7 News NBC 7 Team at Dallas Cowboys. (N) (CC) Night at 11 (N) Sportswrap The Simpsons Bob’s Burgers The Simpsons The Great Bob’s Burgers Family Guy FOX 5 News FOX 5 Sports FOX 5 News The Issue Is North (8:31) (CC) at 10:00pm Final (N) at 11:00pm News 8 at Seinfeld “The Legends of the Hidden Penn & Teller: Fool Us (CC) American Ninja Warrior MacGyver Mac’s close friend 7pm Virgin” (CC) Temple “Hero Twins” (CC) “Kansas City Qualifying” fakes her own death. (CC) PBC Fight Pure Outdoor The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang The Big Bang Seinfeld “The Seinfeld “The Schitt’s Schitt’s Camp (N) Theory (CC) Theory (CC) Theory (CC) Theory (CC) Opera” (CC) Virgin” (CC) Creek Creek All Creatures Great and All Creatures Great and Small on Master- All Creatures Great and Small on Master- Great Performances at the Small on Masterpiece (CC) piece (8:15) “A Cure For All Ills” (CC) piece Siegfried hosts a Christmas Eve party. Met (N) (CC) The Big Bang The Big Bang Last Man Last Man Storm of Suspicion KUSI News at Ten (N) KUSI News at Pawn Stars Theory (CC) Theory (CC) Standing Standing 11:00PM (N) (CC) Tools for Coping with The History of Brainwashing Franci’s War Mexico Clean Energy Study The Brick Climate Change People Pelicula: “El encuentro de un hombre solo” (1973, Drama) Pelicula: “Las Adorables Mujercitas” (1974, Comedia) Mi pareja puede Jorge Luke, Patricia Aspíllaga. (NR) Rocío Banquells, Nubia Martí. (NR) Pelicula: “Pearl Harbor” ›› (2001, Guerra) Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett. Dos amigos enemistados deben unirse en una Noticias Tele- ¡Qué momenmisión secreta. (PG-13) (Adult language, adult situations, graphic violence) (SS) mundo FDS to! (SS) Aquí y ahora (N) Pelicula: “Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation” ››› (2015, Acción) Tom Cruise, Jeremy María de Noticiero Renner. El equipo enfrenta al Sindicato, una peligrosa corporación. (PG-13) (SS) Todos Univisión: Fin The First 48 Two brothers The First 48 “Monster” A de- The First 48 A man is killed The First 48 (10:01) Police in- The First 48 (11:04) “Stray are shot in Tulsa, Okla. (CC) tective tracks a sadistic killer. in front of his fiancée. (CC) vestigate two fatal shootings. Shot” (CC) Movie: “National Lampoon’s Vacation” ›› (1983, Come- Movie: “National Lampoon’s European Vacation” ›› Movie: “Vegas Vacation” › dy) Chevy Chase, Beverly D’Angelo. (R) (CC) (1985, Comedy) Chevy Chase. (PG-13) (CC) (1997) Chevy Chase. (PG) Lone Star Law It’s the start Lone Star Law: Uncuffed “Trespassers Beware” A trespass- Lone Star Law A drunken Lone Star Law (11:01) Warden of hunting season. ing case at a hunting club. (N) man wreaks havoc. Delgado catches people. The Temptations (5:00) (CC) Movie: “Whitney” ››› (2018, Documentary) Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, L.A. Reid. Klutch Academy (CC) Premiere. The life and career of singer Whitney Houston. (R) (CC) Movie: “The Blind Side” (6:30) ››› (2009, Drama) Sandra Bullock. A Movie: “The Blind Side” ››› (2009, Drama) Sandra Bullock. A well-to-do well-to-do white couple adopts a homeless black teen. (PG-13) (CC) white couple adopts a homeless black teen. (PG-13) (CC) Movie: “Dirty Dancing” Yellowstone (CC) 1883 “Behind Us, a Cliff” Movie: “Tommy Boy” ›› (1995, Comedy) Chris Farley. An (5:30) ››› (1987) (PG-13) (N) (CC) heir tries to save his father’s business. (PG-13) (CC) Movie: “The Wedding Singer” ››› (1998) Adam Sandler. Movie: “Blended” › (2014, Romance-Comedy) Adam Sandler. Two sin“Hot Mess A 1980s wedding crooner attempts to find true love. gle-parent families are stuck together at a resort. (PG-13) (CC) Holiday” (NR) County Connection County Connection Board of Supervisors

Deadliest Catch Josh and Deadliest Catch “Over the Rail” Jake battles a hurricane in Deadliest Catch (10:03) “The Ultimate Price” Wild Bill Casey follow a blind tip. a tiny boat. (CC) overturns the Summer Bay. (CC) Movie: “Pretty Woman” ››› (1990, Romance-Comedy) Richard Gere. A Movie: “Sweet Home Alabama” ›› (2002) Reese Witherspoon, Josh corporate raider hires a hooker to act as a business escort. (R) (CC) Lucas. A New York fashion designer has a secret in the South. (PG-13) (CC) Boxing From Aug. 12, 2018. SportsCenter (N) (CC) SportsCenter With Scott Van Pelt (N) SportsCenter With Scott Van Pelt

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“Property Brothers: Forever Home”: HGTV, 8 p.m. Derek and Krista bought their house over 10 years ago; as their family grew, it became clear they’d need help to make it their own. The home holds treasured memories, but it’s stuck in the ’80s, including awkward support posts, dated finishes throughout and inconsistent floor levels, and they’re ready for a change. Drew and Jonathan Scott completely transform the living room, family room, kitchen and dining room to breathe new life into the space and give the family the forever home of their dreams. “Married at First Sight”: Lifetime, 8 p.m. Ahead of the Jan. 5 return of this quickcommitment hit, two specials go behind the scenes. Tonight, the “Matchmaking Special” looks at the fix-up process. Thursday, the “Kickoff Special,” hosted by Kevin Frazier, introduces the five pairs about to marry in Season 14. “Calls From the Inside”: Investigation Discovery, 9 p.m. New series. It’s a wellknown part of any crime story: When a suspect is arrested, they get one call. In reality, once a person enters the criminal justice system, they have multiple opportunities to make calls as they await trial. The vast majority of those calls are recorded. An admission, a threat, a slip of the tongue, a bribe — it’s all on tape, and the suspect knows it. But this doesn’t always stop them from talking and talking. This series uses jailhouse phone calls to frame the narrative of murder investigations steeped in mystery. “Trafficked With Mariana van Zeller”: Nat Geo, 9 p.m. Mariana van Zeller follows a meth superhighway from a massive cartel-run lab in Sinaloa in Mexico across the border and into the lives of American users. Her guide is a wily, meth-smoking dealer whose smuggling empire stretches from coast to coast. Some get rich, some get high, while others wind up dead. It’s a hellish tour of an overlooked drug crisis that’s burning a hole through America.

Thursday “Best of Military History”: Smithsonian Channel, beginning at 6 a.m. Including “WWII Battles in Color,” “WWII by Drone” and “Air Warriors.” “The Wonderful World of Disney: Frozen”: ABC, 8 p.m. Why was Elsa born with magical powers? What truths about the past await Elsa as she ventures into the unknown to the enchanted forests and dark seas beyond Arendelle? The answers are calling her but also threatening her kingdom. Together with Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven, she’ll face a dangerous but remarkable journey.

Friday “The Twilight Zone” New Year’s Marathon: Syfy, beginning at 2 a.m. Enjoy over 48 hours of Rod Serling’s classic sci-fi/fantasy anthology series “The Twilight Zone.” This year, several stretches of the marathon — Friday between 8 a.m. and 4 a.m., and Saturday between and 10 p.m. — will air with limited commercials. “Best of Ancient History”: Smithsonian Channel, beginning at 6 a.m. Including “Legends of the Pharaohs,” “Tomb Hunters,” “Aerial Greece” and “Secrets.” “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2022”: ABC, 8 p.m.

In his 17th year, multihyphenate headlining host Ryan Seacrest will oversee New Year’s festivities in Times Square. This year marks the 50th anniversary of Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve, America’s go-to annual New Year’s tradition, which celebrates the year’s very best in music. The show sets the stage to ring in the new year with more than 51 ⁄2 hours of dynamic performances, and gives viewers a look at New Year’s celebrations from around the globe. “New Year’s Eve Live: Nashville’s Big Bash”: CBS, 8 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. Country music’s hottest superstars ring in the new year from multiple locations in downtown Nashville. Performers include Jason Aldean, Jimmie Allen, Kelsea Ballerini, Gabby Barrett, Dierks Bentley, Brooks & Dunn, Luke Bryan, Elle King, Miranda Lambert, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Cole Swindell, Zac Brown Band and more. “CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live”: CNN, 8 p.m. Pals Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen are in New York, then hand off to Don Lemon and Co. in New Orleans. “United in Song: Celebrating the American Dream”: KPBS, 9 p.m. Ring in the new year with an all-star concert performed at Philadelphia’s historic Independence Hall. Chita Rivera hosts the event, which features performances by David Archuleta, Paulo Szot, Midori, Lea Salonga, Pepe Romero, Deborah Cox, Judy Collins, Cassadee Pope, Brandee Younger, members of the Washington Ballet and more, joined by Luke Frazier and the American Pops Orchestra. “How to With John Wilson”: HBO, 10 p.m. Season finale. John Wilson’s documentary series that finds wisdom in New York City’s everyday experiences finishes its second season tonight.

Saturday “Columbo” Marathon: Cozi TV, beginning at 8 a.m. Starting with today’s daylong marathon of episodes from Peter Falk’s classic detective series “Columbo,” Cozi TV is expanding its 2022 programming to include more of the series. Starting Jan. 8, “Columbo” will be part of Cozi’s weekly sixhour Saturday block of programming alongside episodes of “McMillan and Wife,” “Banacek” and “McCloud,” all of which were part of NBC’s famed Mystery Movie “wheel” series in the 1970s. “We Baby Bears”: Cartoon Network, beginning at 10 a.m. New series. This spinoff of the 2015-19 animated series “We Bare Bears” follows the ursine protagonists of that show — Grizz (voice of Connor Andrade), Panda (Amari McCoy) and Ice Bear (Max Mitchell) — in the magical adventures the brothers had when they were babies seeking a place to call home. Executive producer Manny Hernandez, who was supervising director on “We Bare Bears,” describes this series as “an adventure and traveling show. ... We are celebrating a lot of different cultures.” “We Baby Bears” launches with 10 episodes today; two new episodes then air Saturday mornings throughout the month beginning Jan. 8. “Hart to Hart” Movie Marathon: Ovation, beginning at 11 a.m. Enjoy back-to-back airings of all eight of the madefor-television follow-up “Hart to Hart” movies that Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers made between 1993 and 1996, reprising the roles of Jonathan and Jennifer Hart — a wealthy, jet-setting couple who frequently find themselves embroiled in mysteries and working as unpaid detectives to solve them — from their 197984 series. “133rd Rose Parade”: NBC, 8 a.m. After a year off because of the pandemic, NBC returns to its now 95-year-old (between radio and television) New Year’s Day tradition of broadcasting the famed Rose Parade from Pasadena. Acclaimed actor/educator LeVar Burton has been announced as this year’s grand marshal. “This Is Us” stars Chrissy Metz and Susan Kelechi Watson host NBC’s coverage.

SUNDAY • DECEMBER 26, 2021

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TRAVEL

It takes days to uncover Golden Gate Park’s vast cultural riches BY HELEN CAREFOOT

I The fountain at the Music Concourse inside Golden Gate Park with Spreckels Temple of Music Bandshell in the background.

The Bandshell, also known as Spreckels Temple of Music, near the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum and its art collection.

S.F.’S HIDDEN GEM

spent much of 2020 in the Bay Area with family. After my office closed and my roommates scattered, I opted to exchange my empty Washington, D.C., apartment for the comforts of home. During my time on the West Coast, I made trips to Golden Gate Park a habit; I loved the slower pace of life in California, but I missed being in a city, especially one I hadn’t spent much time in since I’d moved to the East Coast three years earlier. There are parks in Palo Alto, of course — but not like this. Until I moved home, I hadn’t thought about the park in a while. My memories of it mostly consisted of losing my mind at the California Academy of Sciences dinosaur exhibit when I was 5 or, years later, continually refreshing my browser as I tried to score tickets to an annual music festival there as a teenager. Once the city’s pandemic restrictions eased, my mom and I made a habit of driving to San Francisco whenever we could, savoring long walks up the lesspopulated hills and shorter lines at our favorite spots. It was then that I rediscovered as an adult the park I had frequented as a child.

The approximate number of city blocks occupied by Golden Gate Park

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The Music Concourse is an open-air plaza within Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

The Bison Paddock in the park was built in the 1890s. The Conservatory of Flowers (far right). A view of the Shakespeare Garden, from the main gate.

“Park” is a misleading label for the 1,017-acre complex on the west side of the city. The approximately 3-mile-long, half-milewide rectangle that stretches from the Pacific Ocean in the west to Haight-Ashbury in the east contains a lot more than grass and swing sets. Like San Francisco itself, Golden Gate Park, which celebrated its 150th birthday in 2020, is home to a little bit of everything. Its attractions include popular museums, gardens large and small, 10 lakes, several strange relics of the past and, implausibly, a bison paddock. Several of the park’s most famous destinations, including the Conservatory of Flowers and the Japanese Tea Garden, have stood in some form since the 19th century, when a booming San Francisco was the backbone of the newly settled West. When you stand at the western end of the park, which hugs the Great Highway along the Pacific Coast, it’s tough to imagine how the lush green expanse ever got there. In fact, the park is one of the more productive results of the rivalry between the East and West coasts: In the 1870s, Golden Gate Park was sculpted from sand dunes, the wild and seemingly uninhabitable “Outside Lands,” because city residents wanted a large public park like the one New Yorkers got when Central Park opened to the public in 1859. William Hammond Hall, a 24year-old engineer, was awarded the job after a more modest proposal by Central Park designer Frederick Law Olmsted was rejected — ironically, for not looking enough like Central Park. (Olmsted’s design used the land’s natural terrain and would have required less irrigation.) Hall set his green meadows, gardens and lakes atop unstable dunes by planting trees and building an extensive irrigation system to channel water throughout the park. Key to this endeavor were the Dutch and Murphy windmills, built in the early 20th century and positioned at opposite ends of the park’s western side. They pumped up to 1.5 million gallons of water into the park daily and were decommissioned in 1935. A path between the two provides peeks of the ocean through cypress trees and runs into the Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant, a historic oceanside spot that serves locally brewed beer and fresh seafood. In the spring, the tulips and other flowers in the Queen Wilhelmina Garden, named for the ruler who is said to have gifted the city with the Dutch Windmill and flowers, paint the area with rich colors. Like the best urban parks, Golden Gate has the power to transcend its location. John McLaren, a Scottish immigrant who was park superintendent SEE PARK • E14

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THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

SUNDAY • DECEMBER 26, 2021

MARGARITAVILLE PARADISE SHIP TO SET SAIL IN SPRING

Buffett expanding enterprise into cruise industry

BY NATALIE B. COMPTON Since he unleashed “Margaritaville” on the world in 1977, singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett merchandised the hit song’s concept — nay, lifestyle — into hotels and resorts, radio stations, restaurant chains, footwear, books, two casinos, bicycles, frozen seafood, real estate commu-

If you go WHAT TO DO Golden Gate Park: Entrances on Lincoln Way, Fulton Street, Stanyan Street and Great Highway; (415) 831-2700; sfrecpark.org/770/Golden-Gate-Park At 1,017 acres or approximately 50 city blocks, Golden Gate Park has something for everyone. Highlights include: the Bison Paddock, the Dutch and Murphy windmills, Stow Lake and Strawberry Hill, Koret Children’s Quarter and Carousel, Rhododendron Dell, Metson Lake, the Shakespeare Garden, the AIDS Memorial Grove and the National AIDS Memorial. Download a map to plan your visit. The park is walkable but massive; it’s better to drive or bike to specific spots. Underground paid parking is available. A free shuttle with stops along John F. Kennedy Drive operates weekends and holidays 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission to the park is free, but some attractions, such as the Japanese Tea Garden, California Academy of Sciences, de Young Museum and Conservatory of Flowers, charge admission and may require reservations. Park open daily dawn to dusk; attraction hours vary.

nities, apparel, outdoor furniture, and, of course, margarita machines and tequila and cocktail mixers. So it should come as no surprise that Margaritaville Enterprises is finally getting into the cruise industry. On Dec. 8, the global lifestyle brand announced its new “offshore resort experience” dubbed “Margaritaville at Sea.” The 658-cabin Margaritaville Paradise will take its maiden voyage April 30 from the Port of Palm Beach, Fla., to Grand Bahama Island. Sailings begin at $169 per person.

The company poured millions of dollars into refurbishing the ship formerly known as Grand Classica under the Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, which oversees Margaritaville at Sea. Like Margaritaville’s hotels and resorts, the cruise ship will sport the brand’s beachbum-friendly decor. Guests can split their time among 10 passenger decks that feature amenities such as the 5 o’Clock Somewhere Bar, the St. Somewhere Spa, Par-ADice Casino, Stars on the Water Theater, Fins Up!

$12, students with ID $6, those 17 or younger free. Visitors can see permanent collections free without tickets daily at 4:30 p.m.

at Ocean Beach, (415) 386-8439, beachchalet.com

Japanese Tea Garden: 75 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, (415) 752-1171, sfjapaneseteagarden.org The oldest public Japanese garden in the United States was constructed for the World’s Fair in 1894 and includes serene paths, gardens and ponds. Open daily 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. November to February and until 5:45 p.m. March to October. Adult admission prices vary by season; seniors 65 or older and ages 12 to 17, $7; children 5 to 11, $3; and kids younger than 5, free. Free admission Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 to 10 a.m. San Francisco Botanical Garden: 1199 Ninth Ave., (415) 661-1316, sfbg.org

More than 9,000 plants live in this 55-acre botanical garden. Highlights include magnolias, a century-old redwood grove, a fragrance garden filled with herbs and flowers, plus plants native to cloud forests that love the San Francisco fog. Check the calendar for special events, such as yoga classes and meditations, plus the annual Flower Piano, de Young Museum: 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, (415) 750-3600, where pianos are installed around the garden and free for deyoung.famsf.org anyone to play when there aren’t A renowned art museum with an scheduled concerts. Open daily industrial tower that rises above 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in spring and the park, the de Young is a treassummer and until 4 and 5 p.m. in ure-trove of artworks, including fall and winter. Adults $10 weekFrederic Edwin Church’s “Rainy days, $13 weekends; ages 12 to Season in the Tropics” and Ruth 17 and seniors $7; ages 5 to 11 Asawa’s wire sculptures. Head to $3; and 4 and under free. Free the Hamon Tower Observation entry daily 7:30 to 9 a.m. Level for panoramic views of the city. Open Tuesday to Sunday 9:30 WHERE TO EAT a.m. to 5:15 p.m.; closed Monday. Beach Chalet Brewery & Restaurant: 1000 Great Highway Adults $15, seniors 65 or older

precautions. The website for Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line says that for passengers 12 or older, the Grand Classica has required proof of vaccination and a negative coronavirus test taken within 48 hours of departure since mid-November. Unvaccinated passengers from 3 to 11 years old had to present a negative test within 72 hours and take a rapid antigen test at the terminal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a no-sail order for cruises in March 2020 because of coronavirus out-

breaks, but the government has since allowed sailings to resume with restrictions. Most cruise lines have added vaccine requirements, testing rules, capacity limits and mask mandates. According to a recent CDC report, since the industry resumed operations, more than a thousand cases had been discovered on cruises in the United States, many being breakthrough infections of fully vaccinated people. Compton writes for The Washington Post.

Savory and sweet brunch dishes with a coastal touch abound at this restaurant with floor-toceiling windows at Ocean Beach. Head to the first-floor patio to sip locally made beers at the brewery. The Beach Chalet Visitor Center on the ground level has an exhibit on the history of the park as well as murals. Open weekdays 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Brunch starters from $10, specials from $19 and entrees from $21. Andytown Coffee Roasters: 3655 Lawton St., andytownsf.com This cozy local coffee shop and roastery supplies strong drinks and good vibes several blocks from Golden Gate Park and Ocean Beach. Adventurous caffeine fiends should try the Original Bird, a fizzy, creamsoda-like concoction made with espresso, sparkling water, brown sugar syrup and housemade whipped cream. To-go or pickup orders only. Open daily 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Twirl and Dip: Music Concourse Drive, (415) 307-0260, twirlanddip.com Parked behind the Music Concourse near the Japanese Tea Garden, this beloved ice cream and soft-serve truck specializes in cool treats made from fresh local ingredients. Check Twitter (@Twirlanddip) or call to confirm its schedule and location; usually there on weekends. No debit or credit cards; cash or Venmo only. Soft-serve cones $5, chocolate dip $2. Information: sftravel.com

AAA Vacations®

2022

Fitness Center and Port of Indecision Buffet. Pre-Margaritaville Paradise, there were already lunch and brunch cruises at the Margaritaville at Lanier Islands resort in Buford, Ga. Buffett devotees have been cruising in the name of Margaritaville for at least two decades; the Atlanta Parrot Head Club began organizing an annual cruise for fans in 1999. A representative for Margaritaville at Sea said the company will wait until a date closer to its departure to set its public health

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GETTY IMAGES PHOTOS

Recreational boating on Stow Lake, one of the 10 lakes in Golden Gate Park.

PARK Trees block city noise FROM E13 for 53 years, took advantage of San Francisco’s mild but brisk climate and planted numerous flowers, trees and bushes, so something is always in bloom. His handiwork is well-maintained; my mom and I spent many summer afternoons on quiet walks down winding paths flanked by dahlias and rhododendrons, coffee in hand, the hustle and bustle of the Music Concourse that anchors the park’s busiest section physically close but seemingly miles away. One moody fall afternoon found us in the San Francisco Botanical Garden wandering through a century-old redwood grove in the fog and straining to read the signage about their hardiness and resilience. As I craned my neck to see the treetops, it was impossible to hear any traffic or noises in this forest in the heart of the city. I felt my stress and anxiety float up and away through the trees. Golden Gate Park is vast, so exploring it thoroughly requires time and a car; several large paved roads snake through it, and there are smaller trails and streets throughout. That said, you’ll be well rewarded if you get out and walk. A nearly mile-long hike down Middle Drive, closed to traffic during the pandemic, leads to Metson Lake, my favorite of the park’s lakes. The turquoise pool nestled next to the Polo Field is encircled by meadows that are dotted with people reading books and having picnics when weather permits. It doesn’t offer the boating that larger Stow Lake does or model yacht exhibitions like Spreckels Lake, but its secluded loca-

The entrance to the National AIDS Memorial Grove in Golden Gate Park. tion makes it more peaceful — and, as observant visitors will notice, an attractive home to turtles. Changes in season brought new discoveries. A springtime visit to the park with my sister and her boyfriend took us to the Japanese Tea Garden, just off the Music Concourse and originally constructed as part of the 1894 World’s Fair to showcase the tranquillity and precision of Japanese gardens. We wandered together over a high wooden bridge and past koi ponds into its serene woods. Changing course — and gears — we finished the day at the Bison Paddock, which was built in the 1890s and houses several female bison cared for by staff from the nearby San Francisco Zoo. The quiet agony of standing on our tiptoes to spot the bison in the tall grass beyond the fence was worth it when we caught a glimpse of one resting in the grass, almost asleep. I came to know the park better as the months passed, but not so well that it stopped surprising me. One autumn day, I stumbled into the Garden of Shakespeare’s Flowers by accident while trying to find Twirl and Dip, an ice cream truck known for swirled soft serve enrobed in chocolate dip and sprinkled with sea

salt. Behind the Academy of Sciences and through an ornate iron gate, this small formal garden houses some of the 200 or so flowers and plants mentioned in the Bard’s works. Past a sundial that reminds visitors to “count only sunny hours” is a bust of Shakespeare that watches over the space. And so I spent yet another afternoon in the park, this time curled on a stone bench and flipping through Susanna Moore’s book “Miss Aluminum,” cone in hand. (Sorry, Shakespeare.) One sunny May day shortly before I returned to Washington, I carried another soft serve even farther, this time with another book in tow, to the Rose Garden, a collage of peach, pink and red flowers made even more vibrant by the bright sun. Pumping music from the 6th Avenue Skate Park, a popular outdoor rink, was a welcome reminder of summer’s impending arrival on the walk back to my car. Before the pandemic, I left my house looking for adventure; now, I mostly leave seeking relief from hectic workdays and a chance to quiet my racing mind. During my West Coast sojourn, I found both at Golden Gate Park. Carefoot writes for The Washington Post.

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The Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden, named for the Netherlands’ longest reigning monarch, who is said to have gifted the windmill nestled in the gardens.