Top picks | Live music picks | More weekend arts events
Top picks
'Fun Home'
Theater
Alison Bechdel's 2006 graphic memoir, "Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic," was adapted into a musical in 2013 by Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori. The two works of art were nominated for — and won — many prestigious awards, including the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Eisner Award for Best Reality-Based Work. The musical was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The story follows Alison (three versions of Alison) as she reflects on her fraught relationship with her father, her upbringing and her sexuality. The name "Fun Home" is a nod to the funeral home Bechdel's family ran.
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Kym Pappas, who directs the production for New Village Arts, said that the musical is true to the book, and relatable.
"I feel like if you have parents, you're going to see yourself on the stage whether you're queer or straight. I feel like, to me, 'Fun Home' is really a lesson in grief and self-acceptance, and it's really about that moment when we finally come to see our parents as people — and how their stories inform ours, and also how we have the ability to transcend them," Pappas said.
The music in "Fun Home" is dynamic and (yes) fun. For Pappas, hearing "Ring of Keys" on stage for the first time was a watershed moment for her.
"If you are a fan of the graphic novel, it's pulled right from one of the most poignant moments of the novel to me, which is Alison was in a diner with her father, and saw a butch delivery woman come in to the diner and it was the first time that she saw someone who she saw herself in. And ‘Ring of Keys’ to me is just the most powerful moment of a young girl really starting to come home to herself. It's a moment when she really receives permission to be who she is," Pappas said.
Note that New Village Arts suggests that the themes of abuse, homophobia, suicide and references of inappropriate sexual behavior may not be appropriate for audience members under age 16.
Details: Event link. Lower cost previews through Feb. 2; Show dates Feb. 3 through Mar. 3. New Village Arts, 2787 State St., Carlsbad. $28-$55.
Alanna Airitam | 'New Histories: Where Present Meets Past'
Photography
Photographer Alanna Airitam, winner of the 2020 San Diego Art Prize, returns to town for a solo exhibition at The Photographer's Eye in Escondido. Airitam will display works from several recent series, including her "Colonized Foods," "Ghosts," "The Golden Age" and more.
Airitam's work draws on old Dutch and Renaissance works, placing Black subjects in the spotlight — a powerful challenge of representation in art. Her photography is intensely intimate, realistic and new, which builds upon the way her lighting, costumes and subjects feel timeless, even distant.
Details: Event link. On view Feb. 3 through Mar. 2. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, or by appointment. Opening reception and artist visit: 4-7 p.m. Feb. 17. The Photographer's Eye, 326 E. Grand Ave., Escondido. Free.
San Diego Opera: 'Don Giovanni'
Theater, Music
The San Diego Opera returns to the stage with a production of Mozart's "Don Giovanni." The story follows the unrepentant womanizer and all-around difficult man Don Giovanni, and explores ideas of power and morality. The score, to be performed in this production by the San Diego Symphony, is incredibly powerful and triumphant.
Details: Event link. 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4. Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown. $13-$250.
On the Steps at SDMA: 'Korea in Color'
Music, Dance, Visual art, Family
This free celebration of Korean art and culture will spotlight K-Pop performances along with their current special exhibition, "Korea in Color: A Legacy of Auspicious Images." Performances will take place outdoors in front of the museum. Guests can also check out the exhibition indoors for free during the event. Performers include LALARY, NK Dance Studio and Kasa Ignite Dance.
Details: Event link. 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. Free.
Museum Month
Visual art, Family
San Diego Museum Council's Museum Month launches on Thursday, offering 50% off admission to many of San Diego County's museums and attractions. Passes can be picked up at participating libraries, but you can also download digital passes instantly online. Find a full list of the different locations and their various offers and stipulations here.
Details: Event link. Feb. 1-29. Locations and costs vary.
Jazz at the Athenaeum Winter Series: James Francies Trio
Music, Jazz
Pianist and keyboardist James Francies will perform at the Athenaeum with his trio, featuring Mike Moreno on guitar and Damion Reid on drums. Francies is skillful, expressive, artistic and powerful. As always, these Jazz at the Athenaeum concerts are also a great opportunity to check out the existing artwork on display in the galleries.
Details: Event link. 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4. Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla. $40-$45.
Live music picks
Thursday: Digable Planets and Kassa Overall at Belly Up (hip-hop); Taylor Ashton and Jess Nolan at Casbah (indie); The Paranoyds at Soda Bar (indie/punk).
Friday: Aimee Jacobs (of Belladon) at Books and Records (acoustic/jazz) ; Portugal. The Man, and Snacktime at The Sound (rock, funk); Creature Canyon, Lead Pony and Andrew Barrack at Soda Bar (indie, rock); B Side Players 30th Anniversary Celebration at Music Box (reggae).
Saturday: Evan Honer and Mikey Ferrari at House of Blues (singer-songwriter); True Loves with Gypsy Sally at Soda Bar (R&B/soul, blues); Big Blue World, Sleeping Ritual, Disquiet and Driftwould at Che Cafe (indie).
Sunday: AJ Lee & Blue Summit and Jimbo Trout at Casbah (bluegrass); Comfort Club, Blue Hour, Dadlor and Subtle Nation at Soda Bar (indie/pop).
More weekend arts and culture events
Lion Dancers Lunar New Year Performance | Dance, Music
Crafts and artmaking opportunities for kids will accompany lion dance performances by GDPT Chanh Kien at the Mission Valley Branch Library. 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. 2123 Fenton Pkwy, Mission Valley. Free. Event link.
Culture of Low Riding | Visual art, Music, Discussion
Oceanside Theatre Company will host a discussion with Jimmy Figueroa, presented in collaboration with Madstrange and the Members Only Car Club. Photography and visual art exhibitions will be on view, and the panel will discuss the recent lift of the ban on lowriding in California as well as North County's unique community and more. 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4. Brooks Theater, 217 N. Coast Hwy, Oceanside. Free. Event link.
Le Salon de Musiques | Music, Classical
Chamber concert organization Le Salon de Musiques will perform works by Hahn, Saint-Saens and Faure, with a post-concert high tea reception. 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4. La Jolla Woman's Club, 7791 Draper Ave., La Jolla. $45-$95. Event link.
'Treasures' | Visual art
This juried exhibition features dozens of watercolor paintings (along with a few acrylic and mixed media works) by San Diego Watercolor Society members. On view through Feb. 24. Special First Friday hours are 5-8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2. Gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. San Diego Watercolor Society, 2825 Dewey Rd. Ste. 105, Bldg. 202, Liberty Station. Free. Event link.
Melissa Chandon: Artist reception | Visual art
Tasende Gallery will close their current exhibition of vivid, abstract scenes of American landscapes and architecture with a reception. 3-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. Tasende Gallery, 820 Prospect St., La Jolla. Free. Event link.
Dave Maass: "Death Strikes" | Books
Author (and former San Diego CityBeat journalist) Dave Maass will come back to San Diego to celebrate the launch of his new graphic novel, "Death Strikes: The Emperor of Atlantis," which is based on a suppressed 1943 opera composed at the Terezin concentration camp during World War II. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 1. Warwick's, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla. Free. Event link.
