Out & About :: Brain Matters

You'll notice a slightly more political edge to some events this week, from lectures to film screenings. With historical oppression often matching contemporary problems, start of your new year with more than a bit of thought-provoking controversy.

Events Jan. 2-9, 2014

Thursday, Jan. 2

The Book of Mormon @ Orpheum Theatre
The mega-hit multi-award-winning musical comedy parody about the wacky religion returns. Ticket lottery $29. Other $80-$210. Tue-Sat 8pm. Sat 2pm. Sun 1pm & 6:30pm. 1192 Market St. (888) 746-1799. www.shnsf.com

New and Classic Films @ Castro Theatre
Jan. 2, Blue Jasmine (2:30, 4:45, 7pm, 9:15). $8.50-$11. 429 Castro St. 621-6120. www.castrotheatre.com

Road Show @ Eureka Theatre
Theatre Rhinoceros presents the Bay Area premiere of Stephen Sondheim's rarely-produced musical (with a book by John Weidman). Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 3pm. Thru Jan. 19. 215 Jackson St. at Battery. (800) 838-3006. www.therhino.org

Friday, Jan. 3

Avenue Q @ New Conservatory Theatre Center
Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx and Jeff Whitty's Tony Award-winning puppet/human musical parody of Sesame Street gets a local production. Warning: not for kids, and includes puppet nudity! $25-$45. Wed-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru Jan. 12. 25 Van Ness Ave., lower level. 861-8972. www.nctcsf.org

Beach Blanket Babylon @ Club Fugazi
The musical comedy revue celebrates its 40th year with an ever-changing lineup of political and pop culture icons, all in gigantic wigs. $25-$160. Wed & Thu, 5pm* (* = under 21 allowed) & 8pm (also Dec 26). Fri & Sat 6:30* & 9:30pm. Sun 2pm* & 5pm*. Beer/wine served; cash only; 21+, except where noted. 678 Beach Blanket Babylon Blvd (Green St.). 421-4222. www.beachblanketbabylon.com

Foodies, the Musical @ Shelton Theater
Morris Bobrow's musical comedy revue of songs and sketches about food. $32-$34. Fri & Sat 8pm. Open run. 533 Sutter St. (800) 838-3006. www.foodiesthemusical.com

Josh Klipp and The Klipptones @ Palace Hotel
The local jazz crooner and his band perform weekly shows at the hotel's lounge, which draws a growing swing-dance audience. 7pm-11pm. 2 New Montgomery. www.joshklipp.com

The Oy of Sex @ The Marsh
Alicia Dattner's solo show explores her life with ex-boyfriends, family, love addiction, and how they all sometimes clash. Thu & Fri 8pm. Sat 8:30pm. $20-$100. Thru Jan. 18. 1062 Valencia St. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Sea of Reeds @ Jewish Community Center
Shotgun Players presents Josh Kornbluth's latest show explores his personal conflicts with Judaism, and his decision to get bar-mitzvahed in Israel as an adult, despite being an atheist; performers also include Amy Resnick and a four-musician band, with an original score by Marco D'Ambrosio. $25-$35. Thru Jan. 13. Kanbar Hall, 3200 California St. (510) 841-6500. www.jccsf.org/arts-ideas/performances/theater/sea-of-reeds/

Tristan & Yseult @ Berkeley Repertory
West Coast premiere of Emma Rice's innovative acrobatic and music-filled adaptation of the classic mythical love story. $20-$72. Tue, Thu-Sat 8pm. Wed 7pm. Sat & Sun 2pm. Extended thru Jan. 18. Roda Theatre, 2015 Addison St., Berkeley. (510) 647-2949. www.berkeleyrep.org

Saturday, Jan. 4

Can You Dig It? @ The Marsh Berkeley
Don Reed's autobiographical solo show explores the 1960s: Beatles, Black Panthers, MLK, JFK and the KKK. $20-$50. Sat 8:30pm and Sun 7pm thru Feb. 2. 2120 Allston Way. 282-3055. www.themarsh.org

Crosscurrents @ MoAD
Africa and Black Diasporas in Dialogue, 1960-1980, an exhibit of contemporary art. Thru April 13. $5-$10. Wed-Sat 11am-6pm. Museum of the African Diaspora, 685 Mission St. 358-7200. www.moadsf.org

David Hockney: A Bigger Exhibition @ de Young Museum
New exhibit of 300 portraits, still lifes, and landscape paintings by the gay British painter. Free-$25. Thru Jan. 20. Also, The Art of Bulgari: La Dolce Vita & Beyond, an exhibit of 150 pieces of exquisite Italian jewelry made between 1950 and 1990, including gems from Elizabeth Taylor's personal collection. Thru Feb 17. $10-$25. Tue-Sun 9:30am-5:15pm. (til 8:45pm Fridays) Thru Dec. 30. Golden Gate Park, 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive. 750-3600. www.famsf.org

Disney's Beauty and the Beast @ Curran Theatre
Touring production of the Broadway musical based on the Disney animated film. $45-$180. Mon-Fri 2pm. Sat 2pm & 7:30pm. Sun 12pm & 5:30pm. Thru Jan. 5. 445 Geary St. (888) 746-1799. www.beautyandthebeastontour.com www.shnsf.com

Edward Gant's Amazing Feats of Loneliness @ Ashby Stage, Berkeley
Shotgun Player's production of Anthony Neilson's darkly comic play is set in an Edwardian traveling theatre troupe, where the performers' backstage lives sometimes overshadow their characters. $20-$35. Previews thru Dec. 12. Opens Dec 13. Wed & Thu 7pm. Fri & Sat 8pm. Sun 5pm. Thru Jan. 11. (510) 841-6500. www.shotgunplayers.org

Fiddler at 50 @ Jewish Community Center
Celebrating a Half-Century of Fiddler on the Roof, drama critic and Jewsish historian Alisa Solomon's lecture based on her book, Wonder of Wonders: A Cultural History of Fiddler on the Roof, the groundbreaking hit Broadway musical. $15. 7pm. 3200 California St. at Presidio. 292-1233. www.jccsf.org/arts

In Grand Style @ Asian Art Museum
In Grand Style, Celebrations in Korean Art During the Joseon Dynasty, a new exhibit of works from 1392-1910. Thru Jan. 12. Also, Proximities 3: Import/Export, an exhibit that explores Asian uses of commodities and ideas; thru Feb. 23. Free (members)-$12. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. 200 Larkin St. 581-3500. www.asianart.org

Our Vast Queer Past @ GLBT History Museum
See the new exhibit, Vicki Marlane: I'm Your Lady, which displays video, images and ephemera documenting the pioneering local drag, cabaret and carnival perfomer, known for decades of performances. Thru Feb 28, 2014. Also, The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus: Celebrating 35 Years of Activism Through Song, includes archival materials from the historic chorus, lead-curated by Tom Burtch, with a touch-screen display by multimedia producer John Raines. Other permanent exhibits as well. Reg. hours Mon-Sat 11am-7pm (closed Tue.) Sun 12pm-5pm. 4127 18th St. 621-1107. www.glbthistory.org

Peter Stackpole: Bridging the Bay @ Oakland Museum
Exhibit of 1935-36 photos showcasing the original construction of the Golden Gate Bridge. Thru Jan 12, 2014. Also, Above and Below: Stories From Our Changing Bay, about our landscape and its people. Thru Feb 23, 2014, in the renovated Gallery of California Natural Sciences. Wed-Sun 11am-5pm (Fri til 9pm). Thru June 30. 1000 Oak St. ( 510) 318-8400. www.museumca.org

Storefront Church @ SF Playhouse
Local production of Pulitzer and Tony Award-winning playwright John Patrick Shanley's uplifting holiday-themed drama. $20-$100. Tue-Thu 7pm, Fri & Sat 8pm. Sat 3pm and Sun 2pm. Thru Jan. 11. 450 Post St. 677-9596. www.sfplayhouse.org

U.S. Department of Illegal Superheroes @ Galer'a de la Raza
Neil Rivas' multimedia exhibit, a mix of dark parody and journalistic critique of government agencies, immigration policies, and race-based politics. Free. Reg hours Wed-Sun 12pm-6pm. Thru Jan. 18. 2857 24th St. at Bryant. 826-8009. www.galeriadelaraza.org

Vintage Paper Fair @ County Fair Building
The West Coast's largest selection of antique paper items includes postcards, photography, prints, art deco, movie memorabilia, local history and pin up art. Free. 10am-6pm. Also Jan. 5 11am-5pm. Hall of Flowers, County Fair Bldg., Golden Gate Park, 9th Avenue at Lincoln. www.vintagepaperfair.com

Sunday, Jan. 5

Andres Zorn @ Legion of Honor
Exhibit of the Swedish master painter's works; also, paintings by Matisse from the SF MOMA holdings. and permanent exhibits (ongoing). $10-$25. Lincoln Park, 100 34th Ave. 750-3600. www.legionofhonor.famsf.org

New Exhibits @ Museum of Craft and Design
Dogpatch warehouse is now a museum store, gallery and program space. Inaugural exhibitions are Michael Cooper: A Sculptural Odyssey, 1968-2001 and Arline Fisch, Creatures from the Deep. Mon-Fri 9:30am-5:30pm. 2569 Third St. 773-0303. www.sfmcd.org

Science Exhibits @ The Exploratorium
Visit the fascinating science museum in its new Embarcadero location. Free-$25. Pier 15 at Embarcadero. Tue-Sun 10am-5pm (Thu night 6pm-10pm, 18+). 528-4893. www.exploratorium.edu

SF Hiking Club @ Garin/Dry Creek Regional Parks
Join GLBT hikers for an eight-mile hike in these two contiguous East Bay parks near Union City. Hike several trails, stroll along the ridge with stunning views of the entire bay, and finish the day at the charming, relaxing Dry Creek Garden. Well-behaved dogs are welcome. Bring water, lunch, hat, layers, sturdy boots. Carpool meets 8:30 at Safeway sign, Market & Dolores. (510) 684-6506. www.sfhiking.com

Sing-Along The Little Mermaid @ Castro Theatre
Participatory screenings of the Disney animated film based (very loosely) on the Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale. $10-$16. 7pm nightly, (also 2:30pm Jan 5). Thru Jan. 10. 429 Castro St. 621-6120. www.castrotheatre.com

Various Exhibits @ California Academy of Sciences
New exhibits and planetarium shows with various live, interactive and installed exhibits about animals, plants and the earth. Special events each week, with adult nightlife parties most Thursday nights. $20-$30. Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm. Sun 11am-5pm. 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park. 379-8000. www.calacademy.org

Monday, Jan. 6

All About Image @ Robert Tat Gallery
New exhibit of exceptional images from a variety of 20th and 21st-century photographers. Thru Feb 22. 49 Geary St. #410. 781-1122. www.roberttat.com

California Native Plant Bloom @ SF Botanical Gardens
Seasonal flowering of hundreds of species of native wildflowers in a century-old grove of towering Coast Redwoods. Free-$15. Daily. Golden Gate Park. 6612-1316. www.SFBotanicalGarden.org

Lectures & Discussions @ Commonwealth Club
Jan. 6: author Patricio Pron ("My Father's Ghost Climbing in the Rain"), about Argentina's dark political past $5-free. 5:30pm. Jan. 6: Who Will Own the Future? Privatization and the Threat to the Urban Environment, with George Wooding, Aaron Peskin, Tim Redmond and Dennis Antenore. $7-$20. 6pm. Jan. 7: Nob Hill Walking Tour, $35-$45. 1:45-4:30pm. Preregistration required. Jan. 7: The New Rules of Getting and Keeping a Job You'll Love, with Ryan Coonerty and Anna Binder, and a post-panel job fair. Jan. 8: Marty Brounstein discusses his book, "Two Among the Righteous Few: A Story of Courage in the Holocaust." $7-$20. 6pm. Jan. 8: Reducing the Nuclear Nightmare, with Joseph Cirincione ("Nuclear Nightmares: Securing the World Before It's Too Late") and Eric Schlosser ("Fast Food Nation"). $7-$20. 6pm. Jan. 9: The NFL, Concussions and the Battle for the Truth, with ESPN reporters Steve Fainaru and Mark Fainaru-Wada. $7-$5 (includes a book). 6pm. 595 Market St., 2nd floor. 597-6712. www.commonwealthclub.org

San Francisco Symphony @ Davies Hall
Michael Tilson Thomas conducts a concert with tenor Placido Domingo, soprano Lisa Delan, mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade and pianist Robin Sutherland in a concert of works by Rossini, Tallis, Gordon Getty, J. Strauss, Verdi, Lehar and Beethoven. $75-$350. 8pm. 201 Van Ness Ave. 864-6000. www.sfsymphony.org

Tuesday, Jan. 7

Butterflies & Blooms @ Conservatory of Flowers
Popular exhibit transforms the floral gallery into a fluttering garden with 20 species of butterflies and moths. Reg. hours, 10am-4pm. Free-$7. Tue-Sun 10am-4:30pm. Extended thru March 16, 2014. 100 JFK Drive, Golden Gate Park. 831-2090. www.conservatoryofflowers.org

Foodies, the Musical @ Eureka Theatre
Theatre Rhino's New Year's Eve production of the wacky comedy about food, and eating food. $20-$25. 8pm. 215 Jackson St. at Battery. (800) 838-3006. www.therhino.org

The News @ SOMArts Cultural Center
The monthly queer experimental works program this time presents The Ages, a group work by the OutLook Ensemble, a diverse ensemble of young and old LGBT performers: Derik Cowan, Rebecca Schultz, Anthony Julius Williams, and Jason Wyman, as well as Shirley Acuna, Star Amerasu, Donald Curry, Dazie Grego, Lynn Johnson, Allison Kenny, Anne Carol Mitchell, and Ida VSW Red. $5. 7:30pm. 934 Brannan St. at 8th. www.somarts.org

Noontime Concerts @ Old First Church
Farley Pearce, John Domenburg (viola da gamba) and Yuko Tanaka (harpsichord) performs music of the French Baroque by Marin Marais and Charles Dolle. $5. 12:30pm. 660 California St. at Grant. www.NoontimeConcerts.org

Russia Solidarity Meeting @ SF Public Library
All are welcome to attend a community organizing meeting to develop plans for a public rally demanding queer and civil rights in Russia and to show solidarity with targets of escalating fascism on the eve of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Free. 6pm. Mary Louise Stong Room (1st floor), 100 Larkin St. at Grove. Sponsored by SF's Socialist Party. www.socialism.com

Wednesday, Jan. 8

Jason Lazarus: Live Archive @ Contemporary Jewish Museum
Exhibit of unusual work by the Chicago artist who explores collective public archives, personal memory, and the role of photography and collecting in contemporary art and identity. Also, two exhibits about Jewish life: To Build & Be Built: Kibbutz History (thru July 1) and Work in Progress: Considering Utopia (thru Jan 20). 2pm-5pm. Free (members)-$12. Thu-Tue 11am-5pm (Thu 1pm-8pm) 736 Mission St. 655-7800. www.thecjm.org

Major Barbara @ Geary Theatre
American Conservatory Theatre presents a co-production with Theatre Calgary of George Bernard Shaw's classic satirical play of morality and religion, centered around a Salvation Army official who must confront her organization when it takes donations from a weapons manufacturer. (Special nights incldue LGBT Out with A.C.T. Jan. 22). $20-$140. Thru Feb. 2. 415 Geary St. 749-2228. www.act-sf.org

Musical Pacifica @ Trinity Chapel, Berkeley
The chamber music ensemble performs Sweet Accents: In Praise of Harmony, a concert of works by Handel, Rameua, Telemann and other composers. $10-$30. 7:30pm. 2320 Dana St. at Durant, Berkeley. www.musicapacifica.org

Safeway Holiday Ice Rink @ Union Square
Rent a pair of skates and enjoy the downtown tradition. $5-$11 10am-11:30pm daily thru Jan. 20. www.unionsquareicerink.com

San Francisco Symphony @ Davies Hall
Michael Tilson Thomas conducts the Beethoven and Bates Festival, a three-concert series of works by Beethoven and contemporary composer Mason Bates, who also performs electronica, with violinist Alexander Barantschik. $15-$156. 8pm. Also Jan. 9, 2pm; Jan. 10, 8pm, and Jan. 11, 8pm. 201 Van Ness Ave. 864-6000. www.sfsymphony.org

Thursday, Jan. 9

FCC Town Hall @ Nile Hall, Preservation Park, Oakland
Oakland Voices presents a town hall panel discussion with new FCC chairman Tom Wheeler and local officials; discuss freedom of communication and censorship issues over the airwaves. 7pm. 1233 Preservation Park Way. www.eventbrite.com www.freepress.net

The Ghosts of Jeju Island @ Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists' Hall
Screening of the compelling documentary film about the U.S. military presence on the small South Korean island, and the local resistance to arrests and brutality that continue to this day. $5-$10. 7pm. 1924 Cedar St. at Bonita, Berkeley. www.bfuu.org

Hymns to Hermes: The Poetics of James Broughton @ SF Public Library
Local activist and archivist Joey Cain's exhibit of the gay poet and filmmaker includes rare personal items from his estate. Exhibit thru Jan. 16. James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center, Main Library, third floor, 100 Larkin St. www.sfpl.org

Lesbian/Gay Chorus Open Rehearsal @ MCC
Participate in the local chorus' rehearsal and consider auditioning. Free. 7pm-10pm. Metropolitan Community Church, 150 Eureka St. www.lgcsf.org

Liz Fain Dance @ Z Space
After the Light, a performance installation created in collaboration with visual designer Matthew Antaky, costume designer Mary Domenico and composer Dan Wool, is presented as part of the vibrant local company's 2014 season; the work explores boundaries, real and imagined. Audience members may choose to sit, stand, or walk about through this open-environment work. $15-$35. Thu-Sat 8pm. Sun 2pm. Thru Jan. 12. 450 Florida St. (800) 838-3006. www.zspace.org

Magic Parlor @ Chancellor Hotel
Whimsical Belle Epoque-style sketch and magic show that also includes historical San Francisco stories; hosted by Walt Anthony; optional pre-show light dinner and desserts. $40. Thu-Sat 8pm. 433 Powell St. www.SFMagicParlor.com

Tom Wopat @ Feinstein's at the Nikko
Recording artist, Tony-nominated star of numerous Broadway musical hits (Annie Get Your Gun, Chicago, 42nd Street, Catch Me If You Can, City of Angels, Guys & Dolls), films (Django Unchained) and yes, The Dukes of Hazzard, performs his new cabaret show, "I've Got Your Number." $35-$45. 8pm. Hotel Nikko, 222 Mason St. www.ticketweb.com

Twisted Sisters @ City Hall Gallery
Twisted Sisters: Reimagining Urban Portraiture, a large-scale photo exhibit and art exchange between SF and Zurich. Thru Jan. 27. SF City Hall, North Light Court, and various outdoor kiosks. www.sfartscommission.org

To submit event listings, email [email protected]. Deadline is each Thursday, a week before publication. For bar and nightlife events, go to www.bartabsf.com, and our new merged section, www.ebar.com/bartab