The Eugene And Elinor Friend Center For The Arts At JCCSF Announces Performance Details For 2009/10

The Eugene and Elinor Friend Center for the Arts at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF) today announced details of its Performing Arts programming for 2009/10. With an eclectic mix of dance, music, comedy, and innovative artistic expression, the program is designed to transcend social, political and religious differences, and connect to the vital multicultural fabric of the Bay Area community.

THEATRE
Word for Word in association with the Friend Center for the Arts presents The Tumblers: A Short Story from Nathan Englander on Wed., Oct. 14 at 8 pm. San Francisco's acclaimed short story theater company will present a special staged reading of The Tumblers, from Englander's acclaimed collection For the Relief of Unbearable Urges. A group of World War II-era Hasids, mistakenly put on a circus train instead of a transport to a death camp, are assumed to be acrobats. To make their escape, they attempt a circus act before an audience of Nazis sympathizers. Suggested donation: Public $15/Members $10

The Jewish Theatre, San Francisco (formerly Traveling Jewish Theatre) in association with the Friend Center for the Arts present The Sisters Rosensweig by Wendy Wasserstein, directed by Aaron Davidman on Jan 9, 10, 14, 15, 16 & 17. Winner of the 1993 Outer Critics Circle award for Best Broadway Play, Wasserstein's hit comedy is the story of the reunion of three Jewish-American sisters and their transformative joys and struggles over how they define themselves through romances, careers and family. Tkts: $24 - 34

Theodore Bikel stars in Sholom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears -- A Life of Stories with Music and Song on Sat., Feb. 6 at 8 pm and Sun, Feb. 7 at 1 pm. Sholom Aleichem and his colorful characters come to life as Bikel delivers rare insight into the life and literary works of this fascinating storyteller. Directed by Derek Goldman, Music by Tamara Brooks and Merima Kljuco. A Theater J Production Tkts: $60 & $65

COMEDY
An Evening With Paula Poundstone is presented on Sat., Dec. 5 at 8 pm. Armed with nothing but a stool, a microphone and a can of Diet Pepsi, Paula Poundstone's ability to create humor on the spot has become the stuff of legend. Her spontaneity and razor-sharp wit have made her one of the most popular panelists on NPR's hilarious weekly news quiz show, Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me, and her commentaries can be heard on NPR's Morning Edition and read on the Huffington Post and comedy site: 23/6. Tkts: $45 & $50

The Capitol Steps return to the JCCSF on Sun, March 14 at 4 & 7 pm, with a new administration to poke fun at! This musical political satire troupe, made up of former Congressional staffers, equal-opportunity spoofers all, have been at it for twenty eight years and remain timely and right on target. Tkts: $46 & $50

DANCE
The Trey McIntyre Project presents the West Coast premiere of The Sun Road and other works on Friday, October 30 at 8 pm Trey McIntyre has taken the national dance scene by storm with his fresh choreography and innovative use of technology. For its San Francisco premiere, the company presents a multimedia performance intertwining ballet onstage with magnificent footage of dancing in Glacier National Park. Tkts: $25 & $28
Supported in part with funds provided by California Presenters

World Arts West and First Voice present Return of the Sun - a dance story drama on Sat., Dec, 5 at 11 am and 2 pm. Master storyteller Brenda Wong Aoki, weaves together Indian, Afro-Peruvian, Mayan and Korean dance companies with her own Japanese Noh and Kyogen training, telling the Japanese legend of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. Accompanied by musicians led by composer Mark Izu, this story highlights how dance and music can bring light in times of darkness. This multi-cultural performance premiered at last year's Ethnic Dance Festival with Shreelata Suresh, De Rompe y Raja Cultural Association, Northern California Korean Dance Association and Ensambles Ballet Folklorico. Tkts: $15 - $25

The Grand Performance:
Martha Graham Dance Company presents Essential Graham: Classics from the Martha Graham Dance Company - Sat., May 1 at 8 pm. The oldest and most celebrated contemporary dance company in the world mounts a performance in honor of Martha Graham, the American genius and founder of modern dance. Her legacy lives anew as Prelude and Revolt and other early masterpieces of American Modern Dance grace the Kanbar stage in a rare local appearance. Tkts: $28 - $36
Presented through the generosity of Stephen and Nancy Grand. Made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts' American Masterpieces: Dance Initiative, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts.

JEWISH AND WORLD MUSIC
Klezmer en Buenos Aires - The Lerner Moguilevsky Duo appear on Sat. Nov. 14 at 8 pm. Two decades ago Lerner and Moguilevsky formed a prolific duo and opened new trends in popular instrumental music. Born of Russian and Polish grandparents who immigrated to Argentina at the turn of the century, they have contributed to the recreation of Klezmer style since 1996, developing their own language based on improvisation. Combining musical elements from Argentine folk music, jazz, contemporary music, and tango, they've been thrilling audiences around the world for over a decade. Tkts: $32 & $35

Door Dog Music Productions presents the Tenth Annual San Francisco World Music Festival on Sun., Nov. 22 at 7 pm. The Festival brings musicians from many backgrounds and traditions together in the debut of one of the most ambitious and inspiring projects thus far: the "International Youth Music Initiative," combining some of the Bay Area's finest traditional master artists, accomplished multi cultural youth with young performers from Turkey, Taiwan, and Kyrgyzstan via satellite. This exciting collaboration features new music in a multimedia installation. Tkts: $12 - $15

ROOTS
Special Shabbat Evening Concert: The Harlem Gospel Choir - Fri, March 19 at 8 pm
From the heart of New York, these ambassadors of African-American culture bring their foot-stomping, hand-clapping blues, jazz and joyous gospel to the Friend Center. The Harlem Gospel Choir will share its message of love and inspiration with songs that touch the soul at this special Shabbat Evening Concert. Tkts: $40 & $45

NEW DIRECTIONS
Other Minds presents OTHER MINDS 15 on March 4, 5 & 6 with a 7 pm panel discussion, and 8 pm performance each night. The 15th edition of the Other Minds Festival of New Music features nine of the world's most innovative composers and performers. Well-known in their own countries, composers Howard Skempton (UK) and Lars-Gunnar Bodin (Sweden) join local favorites Gyan Riley and Carla Kihlstedt for three days of concerts and panel discussions, hosted by Other Minds Director Charles Amirkhanian. Other guests include NY's Lisa Bielawa, this year's winner of the prestigious Rome Prize, Jürg Frey (Switzerland), and composer and former Village Voice music critic, Tom Johnson.
Festival Pass: $79 general, $74 JCCSF members, $60 students $150 premium (includes best seating and admission to opening night reception)
Single concert tickets: $25 - $35

GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK
Sophie Milman - Sat., Oct. 17 at 8 pm. Fresh from sold-out appearances at the Blue Note, the Hollywood Bowl and the Kennedy Center, the Russian-born Israeli/Canadian vocalist Sophie Milman channels Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald to create her own inventive brand of jazz. The Los Angeles Times called her music "Jazz spiced with a rock music-like intensity reaching back to Janis Joplin." Tkts: $44 & $48

Irving Berlin's I Love a Piano - Friday, Nov 20 and Sat., Nov. 21 at 8 pm. This nostalgic musical journey spans seven decades of American history as seen through the eyes of Irving Berlin. With 6 singers and over 60 of Berlin's enduring and popular favorites, the show captures the spirit of America from the Ragtime rhythms of the early 20th century through the swinging sophistication of the 1920s and 30s, and from the sentimental songs that inspired a nation during two World Wars to the innocent optimism of the 1950s. Tkts: $50 & $55

The Great Broadway Sing-Along comes alive on Thurs., Dec. 10 at 8 pm. Producer Ellie Mednick and an outstanding cast return with the classics of Rodgers and Hammerstein, the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Steven Sondheim, a special homage to Irving Berlin and others, with great songs from shows like West Side Story, Mary Poppins, Hair, and many more! Tkts: $15 - $26

Cantor Roslyn Barak - Shakin' the Blues Away, The Genius of Irving Berlin - Thurs., Feb.11 at 8 pm. Following last year's triumph honoring Leonard Bernstein, Cantor Roslyn Barak returns with a new multi-media lecture and songfest celebrating Irving Berlin's influence on American music. The evening will focus on Berlin's life, on his Jewish roots, and on his particular appeal to "the melting pot" of America. Tkts: $40 & $45

MARK CANTOR'S GIANTS OF JAZZ ON FILM
Master jazz film archivist Mark Cantor returns to Kanbar Hall for three evenings to share gems from his collection. A complimentary wine and cheese buffet is served at intermission.

Jazz on the Tube - Sat., Jan 23 at 8 pm
The 1950s and 1960s were unique decades when all of the styles of jazz were being played by the musicians who helped develop them: New Orleans jazz by Louis Armstrong; Chicago jazz by the Eddie Condon gang; Swing by Count Basie; bebop by Charlie Parker; "cool Jazz" by Shorty Rogers and his Giants; experimental music by Lennie Tristano; the piano solo by Art Tatum.

The Great Jazz Singers - Sat., April 3 at 8 pm
From scat singing to the Great American Song Book; from up-tempo to ballad; from saucy to sentimental; from heartbreak to comic relief, all were expressed through vocalists like Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, Nat "King" Cole, Dinah Washington, and many more!

Benny Goodman and The Kings Of Swing - Sat., May 8 at 8 pm
"Will the Big Bands Ever Come Back?" is the title of an LP by Duke Ellington. The answer to his query is, sadly, "no!" But the big band era remains alive and well with the music of Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, Gene Krupa and others.
Three-Series price: $51 & $61 Individual events: $12 - $24

FAMILY
San Francisco Circus Center's New Pickle Circus appears on Sat., Jan 23 at 5 pm. & Sun., Jan 24 at 11 am and 2 pm, Now a perennial Friend Center favorite for the whole family, the new Pickle Circus matches clowns, acrobats and contortionists with jugglers, aerialists and more featuring Pickle veterans and talented Circus Center students. Tkts: $16 - $22

Banana Slugs String Band presents Science, Song and Celebration on Sun., April 25 at 2 pm. For over 24 years this ecological "edu-tainment" band from Santa Cruz has brought its message of conservation, reclamation and earth stewardship to kids of all ages, with songs range from rockin' boogies and sensitive ballads, to rap and reggae. Band members create a fun-filled learning experience, exuding a joyous sense of wonder and respect for the world around them. Tkts: $15 - $20

The JCCSF, located at 3200 California Street (at Presidio), has been serving the Bay Area since 1877 with programs that transform people's lives - mind, body and spirit. A home away from home for San Franciscans of all faiths and backgrounds, the JCCSF welcomes more than 5,000 guests each day, presenting them with world-class cultural events, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and hundreds of inspiring educational, recreational and social programs. Programs are made possible through generous community support, enabling the JCCSF to provide free and low-cost programs as well as generous financial assistance - ensuring that the Center is accessible, welcoming and nurturing to all. For more information about the JCCSF, visit www.jccsf.org.

Subscription series tickets for the 2009/10 Arts & Ideas Season will be available August 3, and single tickets go on sale August 31. For tickets, call the JCCSF Box Office at 415/292-1233 or visit www.jccsf.org/arts