San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Datebook Stories


		Sunday, April 12, 2009

Records 1 - 30 of 31 1 2 Next HOROSCOPE MINERVA ARIES (March 20-April 18): Celebrity guests rally round your birthday table. The sun totes a basket filled with luck and charisma, while Mars's bunny bag holds secret weapons from the past. Assuming that Mr. Aggressive... HOROSCOPE Q+A/MAILBAG MINERVA STARCAST The sun continues to loom large in fiery Aries this week while Jupiter cracks eggs in innovative Aquarius. Expect a whole new spin on a historic tale (tail?) of crime and punishment. Hip hop has it that Pete... Artists of Russian Jewish Theater Sue Adolphson, Sunday Datebook Editor Today's cover story is devoted to "Chagall and the Artists of the Russian Jewish Theater," an exhibition coming to the Contemporary Jewish Museum. Kenneth Baker looks at the life and work of the artist, and Robert... Letters to Pink Editor - No one expects "the Spinach Inquisition" except devoted fans of Merl Reagle's weekly puzzles ("Eating Your Vegetables," March 15). Thanks to Reagle for lifting my spirits every Sunday. You can't possibly work... Line up here for individual freedom, guaranteed Arthur Hoppe Once upon a time in the country called Wonderfuland, everybody believed in individual freedom. But no one believed in it more than young Horatio Alger. "The one thing I want in life," he said stoutly, "is individual... Fresh Comedy Queer on Their Feet: An Evening of Stand-Up Comedy and Improv , with Jennie McNulty, Daniel Leary and Diana Yanez, Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto (Fri.) Dance Signs and Wonders , Alonzo King's Lines... THIS WEEK David Rubien S MUSIC Ari Hest There's nothing cutting-edge about this New York troubadour. He just has an easy way with songwriting, a solid signing voice, a nice acoustic-guitar style, a dark-eyed brooding look and plenty of... Chagall's career inspired by set designer Kenneth Baker, Chronicle Art Critic It takes effort to imagine from today's perspective the idealism that gripped progressive artists in Russia in the years around the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution. But it will help visitors to bring a sense of the artistic... 'Chagall and the Russian Jewish Theater' Robert Hurwitt, Chronicle Theater Critic "Tevye is not going to save us," the title character in Charlie Varon's "Rabbi Sam" proclaims to his new congregation. Small wonder the statement shocks his listeners. The new rabbi has just dissed not only one of the... Partners on stage and at home Rachel Howard, Special to The Chronicle Making dances with your sweetheart might not be the most advisable endeavor if, say, you're both established, respected choreographers with reputations and expenses on the line. So Janice Garrett and Charles Moulton... Zac Efron stars in '17 Again' Michael Ordo�a, Special to The Chronicle Zac Efron is graduating. But he has always been ahead of his grade. "I've always enjoyed talking with adults. I wasn't that kid hiding behind my dad's leg. If I got a question, I would answer it. I had questions for... Late actor John Cazale lionized in documentary Ruthe Stein, Chronicle Movie Correspondent Every movie John Cazale appeared in was nominated for an Oscar for best picture, and three of them - "The Godfather," "The Godfather: Part II" and "The Deer Hunter" - won the top prize. Collectively, his five films... Movies / A wealth of pre-Code Wellman Walter Addiego, Chronicle Staff Writer With the arrival of the Production Code in the 1930s, a chill descended on Hollywood that lasted for decades. The Code was an attempt to protect audiences from racy topics such as adultery, drug use and prostitution. In... Ask Mick LaSalle Mick LaSalle Dear Mick LaSalle: It must make you feel good that so many people react to your critiques as if they came from on high, carved in stone. Does it occur to anyone that you're giving an opinion? I know people who won't go... An unlikely friendship in 'Goodbye Solo' Hugh Hart An unlikely friendship on the road in 'Goodbye Solo' Filmmaker Ramin Bahrani has turned out edgy immigrant tales about a Pakistani street vendor ("Man Push Cart") and Latino street kids working in Queens ("Chop Shop.")... A critical consensus An assessment of current motion pictures by major American film critics. Film criticism is rated on a scale of 10 (excellent) to 1 (poor). Criticism not available at press time will be reflected in future columns. The... CD: Diana Krall, 'Quiet Nights' RATING: (POLITE APPLAUSE) The most beautiful pieces on this orchestral disc - bossa-swaying standards and Brazilian classics pairing Diana Krall's sensuous voice and Claus Ogerman's artful arrangements - are the ballads:... CD: UGK, 'UGK 4 Life' Brett Johnson, Associated Press RATING: (POLITE APPLAUSE) The sixth studio album from Texas rappers UGK is a sometimes eerie, explicitly funky final installment from the Southern hip-hop duo. The late Pimp C died of an overdose in 2007, but his heavy... Stephen Hartke Joshua Kosman RATING: (POLITE APPLAUSE) For sheer comic verve, it would be hard to top "The Horse With the Lavender Eye," the ebullient headliner in this compilation of chamber works by American composer Stephen Hartke. This trio for... CD: Easy Star All-Stars Aidin Vaziri RATING: (ALERT VIEWER) Remember when Rolling Stone said "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" was the best album of all time, so you ordered it for a penny from the Columbia House Music Club and listened to it 1,328... CD: PJ Harvey and John Parish Solvej Schou, Associated Press RATING: (POLITE APPLAUSE) She's a mysterious banshee, he's a lo-fi genius, and together they make beautiful, if frightening, music. "A Woman a Man Walked By" is PJ Harvey and John Parish's second collaboration as a duo (... 10 best Leonard Cohen covers Aidin Vaziri, Chronicle Pop Music Critic Leonard Cohen is such an amazing songwriter that, at last count, more than 1,500 covers of his tunes were floating in the universe. The only problem is that 99.333 percent of the reinterpretations are awful, as... Pop Quiz: James Allan of Glasvegas Aidin Vaziri Glasvegas knows what it takes to make great rock 'n' roll music: leather jackets, loud guitars, black Wayfarers, distortion pedals and Phil Spector's sadistic production style. After releasing its self-titled debut... Don't miss: 'Distracted' Robert Hurwitt, Chronicle theater critic To drug or not to drug? That's the question that makes a battleground of the mind and heart of Rebecca Dines' smart, funny and increasingly affecting Mama when her 9-year-old son is diagnosed with attention deficit... New onstage IN PREVIEWS The Lieutenant of Inishmore Les Waters, who scored another big hit staging Martin McDonagh's "The Pillowman" a year ago at the Berkeley Rep, directs McDonagh's earlier and even grislier-funny farce about... Don't miss: Jonathan Biss Joshua Kosman, Chronicle music critic Jonathan Biss: This brainy and eloquent young pianist returns with a recital program mixing excerpts from Gy�rgy Kurt�g's "J�t�kok" with standard rep by Mozart, Schubert and Chopin. 8 p.m. Saturday, Herbst Theatre, 401... Cheap thrill: Side Gallery Kenneth Baker, Chronicle art critic Side Gallery: Seldom do backroom selections representing a gallery's artists upstage the main show, but it happens here, thanks to tantalizing works by Jennifer Bain, David Collins (whose "Submariners" is pictured above)... Fleet Foxes Aidin Vaziri, Chronicle pop music critic Fleet Foxes: Beards remain in high style this season, especially when attached to supernaturally talented mountain men from Seattle who happen to knock out the prettiest billowing folk melodies this side of CSNY. 8 p.m.... London cuts his cruise short Johnny Miller, Special to The Chronicle Here's a look at the past. Items have been culled from The Chronicle's archives of 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago. 1984 April 17: Nearly 200 people were arrested in a violent clash between police and about 1,000... Carmel's courtyards - hidden highlights Christine Delsol, Special to The Chronicle If one thing distinguishes Carmel from any other well-to-do, impeccably groomed and picturesquely perched seaside enclave - well, there are more than 40, actually - it's the leafy hidden passages and courtyard bowers of... Records 1 - 30 of 31 1 2 Next