We hope your new year is off to a good start. Maybe you’re still in recovery mode from the holidays, So, for some lower-key out and about-ing, go listen to some music, catch some exhibitions and stage productions that are closing soon, some opening, and more. Read on.
Thursday, Jan. 8
Whether you’re a seasoned birder or just bird curious, NightLife: For the Birds is for you. Enjoy roaming dance performances, hands-on workshops (like the Chirp Lab and a drawing workshop), expert-led talks, and discover how migration, communication, and adaptation shape avian life. Adults 21-plus only. 6 p.m. at California Academy of Sciences. Tickets: $25.
Manny’s is hosting a lecture by Dr. Juanita Darling on Understanding the History of United States Intervention in Latin America. The dialogue will help explain the historical context of recent events in Venezuela and the U.S. military’s long history of involvement in the political affairs of Latin American nations. 6 to 7 p.m. Tickets from $5 and change.
Friday, Jan. 9
Join the adventure of pirate Jack Sparrow and blacksmith Will Turner as they rescue Elizabeth Swann and encounter Captain Barbossa and the cursed Black Pearl crew in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. The San Francisco Symphony will perform live musical accompaniment. 7:30 p.m. (2 p.m. Saturday) at Davies Symphony Hall. Tickets from $120.
Saturday, Jan. 10
This exclusive performance of Venezuelan pianist and composer Edward Simon Trio, featuring bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Adam Cruz, will be augmented by the Del Sol Quartet and special guest saxophonist Chris Potter. Simon and Potter are longtime members of the S.F. Jazz Collective, and Simon, a Guggenheim Fellow, is on the faculty of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. 7:30 p.m. at the Presidio Theatre. Tickets from $49.
Sunday, Jan. 11
Got kids? They’re sure to enjoy the Festa della Bufana to wrap up the holiday season with sweet treats, hot chocolate (bubbly for the big people), arts and crafts, and the enchanting tale of La Bufana (Italy’s version of Santa, who presents as a broom-riding witch-like nonna) — and she may even make a special appearance. 3 to 5:30 p.m. at the Museo Italo Americano. Tickets from $25.
Monday, Jan. 12
The beautiful exhibition by award-winning photographers Rob Badger and Nita Winter, Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change, is nearing the end of its run. Don’t miss these stunning superbloom landscapes and delicate floral portraits. Not only is the duo’s signed coffee table book of their work available, but all exhibition photographs are also available for (discounted) purchase with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the library. Through Jan. 30 at Helen Crocker Russell Library of Horticulture at the San Francisco Botanical Garden (located just inside the main gate). Free admission.
Tuesday, Jan. 13
The nine-time Tony Award-winning, widely acclaimed Book of Mormon opens today. The “outrageous” musical comedy follows two missionaries sent halfway around the world to spread the “good word.” Multiple productions have been standing room only, so let’s all go get some much-needed laughs. Orpheum Theatre through Feb. 1. Tickets from $59.
Wednesday, Jan. 14
The Grand Kyiv Ballet will perform Swan Lake, a mystical story set to Tchaikovsky’s score, which tells the story of Princess Odette, transformed into a swan by a sorcerer, and her relationship with Prince Siegfried. The ballet has themes of transformation, love, redemption, and the struggles between light and darkness. 7 p.m. at the Great Star Theater. Tickets from $29.
The Tony Award-winning Into the Woods is nearing the end of its run. The play follows a childless couple’s quest to break a witch’s curse, and along the way, they encounter Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and Jack in the Beanstalk. Combining humor, heartache, and Sondheim’s melodies, the play’s message is that even familiar stories “hold unexpected twists and profound lessons.” 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. through Jan. 17 (varying times) at the San Francisco Playhouse. Tickets from $52.
Enjoy your week, be safe, and be nice.