Arts & Events

A Riveting CARMEN at San Francisco Opera

Reviewed by James Roy MacBean

Saturday December 21, 2024 - 08:54:00 PM

Georges Bizet’s Carmen was last seen here in 2019 in Francesca Zambello’s production, which is now revved. I attended the Saturday evening performance on November 16 at the War Memorial Opera House. Thankfully, unlike so many recent productions here of the standard opera reportory, this Carmen is not arbitrarily quirky or gimicky. While lively and full of movement, it is a largely traditional production. However, it offered one very arbitrary and gratuitous touch at the very beginning. Once the overture was over, very briskly led by conductor Benjamin Manis, ,a brief orchestral opening to Act I was accompanied by a dumbshow pantomime on a dark stage. A man dressed in white squats and seems to be in anguish. Then a man in uniform appears and grabs the man in white, rushing him offstage. Who these two men were supposed to be is anyone’s guess. This is no way to begin an opera when we have no idea who these dumbshow individuals are supposed to represent! It simply brings an unnecessary confusion to the opera as a whole. Seeing this, I shuddered, suspecting we were in for yet another quirky staging under Mathew Shilvock’s reign here as General Director. -more-


Splendidly Sung TRISTAN UND ISOLDE Adrift in A Quirky Staging

Reviewed by James Roy MacBen

Saturday December 21, 2024 - 08:50:00 PM

Under General Director Mathew Shilvock, San Francisco Opera now offers yet another arbitrarily quirky staging, this time of Richard Wagner’s Tristan und IsoIde, which I attended on Sunday, Oc-tober 27. Such examples of director overreach have, alas, become alarmingly frequent during Mathew Shilvock’s reign at San Francisco Opera. Indeed, so systematic are these quirky stagings that responsibility must be laid at Mathew Shilvock’s feet. It seems that in his effort to offer modern takes on the standard operatic reportory, Shilvock tells the directors and set designers he hires that as long as they “make it new” they are free to do whatever they want with little or no regard for tra-dition. -more-


THE BERKELEY ACTIVIST'S CALENDAR, Dec. 1-8

Kelly Hammargren
Monday December 02, 2024 - 11:07:00 AM

Worth Noting:

The first two weeks in December will be the mad dash of meetings to finish up before the winter council recess from December 11 through January 20, 2025.

The December 10, 2024 City Council meeting agenda is available for comment.

December 10, 2024 the new Mayor and Council will be sworn in.

Check City website for meetings posted on short notice https://berkeleyca.gov



If you are unable to attend a meeting in person and/or it is not offered in the hybrid or an accessible format, TO REQUEST A DISABILITY RELATED ACCOMMODATION(S) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING, including auxiliary aids or services, please contact the Disability Services specialist at 510-981-6418 (V) or 510-981-6347 at least 3 days before the meeting (the sooner the better). Thomas Gregory is the ADA Program Coordinator.



  • Monday, December 2, 2024: A
    • t 10 am the Land Use Committee meets in the hybrid format.
    • At 7 pm the Housing Advisory Committee meets in person.
    • At 7 pm the Personnel Board meets in person.
  • Tuesday, December 3, 2024: These the last City Council meeting for the current council. The new mayor and council are sworn in on December 10, 2024
    • At 4 pm the City Council meets in closed session.
    • At 5:30 pm City Council meets in the hybrid format.
    • At 6 pm is the City Council Regular meeting in the hybrid format.
  • Wednesday, December 4, 2024:
    • At 6 pm the Civic Arts Commission meets in person.
    • At 6 pm the Environment and Comate Commission meets in person.
    • At 6 pm the Planning Commission meets in person with 2 public hearings and presentation on San Pablo Avenue Plan.
    • From 6 - 7:30 pm is Registration for Recreation Scholarships. At 6:30 pm the board of Library Trustees meets in person.
    • At 7 pm the Disaster and Fire Safety Commission meets in person.
  • Thursday, December 5, 2024:
    • At 6:30 pm the Landmarks Preservation Commission meets in person.
  • Friday, December 6, 2024:
    • At 6 pm is a Teen Holiday Dance, pre-registration required.
  • Saturday, December 6, 2024:
    • From 10 am – 1 pm is the Winter-Themed Carnival and Camp for children aged five and under $10 resident/ $12 non-resident per child, registration required.
    • From 12 – 4 pm is Winter Carnival at Aquatic Park.


Commissions that do not meet in December: Commission on Aging, Commission on Disability, Commission on the Status of Women, Human Welfare and Community Action Commission, Parks, Recreation and Waterfront Commission,



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BERKELEY PUBLIC MEETINGS AND CIVIC EVENTS -more-