end of an era

till next time

Last night I was one of a few hundred standees in attendance for a very special performance of Swan Lake at the War Memorial Opera House. The evening was a farewell to the real-life married couple of Vanessa Zahorian and Davit Karapetyan, two of SF Ballet's most beloved principals. This season marked Vanessa's 20th with the company, a staggering number when you consider the effortless way she still tears up the stage. While I've seen her in countless pieces, I immediately associate her with the great Balanchine parts; in particular I look back fondly on her Swanhilda in Coppélia as well as her Diamonds, a role that almost had me in tears just this past season. Davit hasn't been in SF quite as long, but he has undoubtedly made his presence felt as an amazing interpreter of the classics. When I think of his dancing I think of a virile blend of strength and beauty, (incidentally captured quite well on the company's Nutcracker DVD) particularly on display in his absolutely insane landings. As a duo they were my first Kitri and Basilio, and of course many will recall the Romeo and Juliet in which he proposed to her at curtain call. Last night's Swan Lake was a joyful affair, a clear exposition of the impact they've had on their audiences. I hope our hooting and hollering conveyed how thankful we are for all they've given us.

april reading

“Quiet. My body melted heavily into the chair; I heard a cart go up the street. The room grew suddenly big with meaning. Something was about to happen, was happening: each object in the room seemed perfect of its kind, its kind being just its one self. The moment split into Eternity and I went with it: I had neither skin nor bones, but flowed into the world, sacred along with everything else, and was lost.”

Maria McCann, As Meat Loves Salt (Flamingo, 2001)

glitter part deux

Davies Symphony Hall - 4/4/17

glitter and be gay

If you're not already busy on Tuesday night I highly recommend buying a very reasonable $25 ticket to this special event happening at Davies. In light of the pathetic "repealing" of HB2 and it's replacement with yet more transphobic legislation, the symphony's original boycott of North Carolina seems all the more resonant as a moment of real political engagement. This replacement concert they have programed is shaping up to be quite a first for the organization. From the symphony website:

Join Music Director Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony for Symphony Pride, a special concert celebrating the Bay Area’s spirit of inclusion and diversity with a focus on the voices of the LGBTQ community.

This festive occasion will feature works by LGBTQ musical mavericks that MTT has championed throughout his career, including Lou Harrison, Henry Cowell, Meredith Monk, and John Cage.

Six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald (Porgy and Bess, Ragtime, Carousel) joins MTT as co-host and performs selections by Bernstein, Sondheim, Kander and Ebb and more. McDonald also narrates Aaron Copland’s iconic Lincoln Portrait, a hopeful work he wrote to capture “the magnificent spirit of our country.” This is sure to be an exciting, one-time event that you will not want to miss!

Join us in reaffirming San Francisco’s commitment to equality for all.

The majority of ticket proceeds from Symphony Pride will support social service organizations that provide services to the LGBTQ community in the Bay Area, including Larkin Street Youth Services, Transgender Law Center, National Center for Lesbian Rights, The SF LGBT Center, and The Trevor Project.

Sounds like a time! See you there!