thursday, aug. 8
Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey: Built to Amaze
The 143rd edition of the Greatest Show On Earth will delight audiences with over the top feats of strength, agility and courage. As the momentum builds so does the anticipation, anything can happen when Ringling Bros. presents Built to Amaze! Circus performers from across the globe create the perfect blend of athleticism and bravery, where power meets fearlessness and amazement has no bounds.Magnificent elephants, ferocious tigers, astonishing acrobats and awe-inspiring aerialists are engineered into one spectacular performance.
Valley View Casino Center, 3500 Sports Arena Blvd. in San Diego, 7 p.m., tickets from $20,
800-745-3000, ringling.com
friday, aug. 9
Ashley
New Films Cinema’s dramatic new release, Ashley, hits on the extremely important topic of anti-bullying and homosexuality. Written by Domenic Migliore, Ashley introduces troubled Ashley Collins (Nicole Fox, 2009 Winner of America’s Next Top Model ), a lesbian teenager who resorts to cutting herself in order to escape a life dominated by her emotionally abusive mother (Jennifer Taylor, Two and a Half Men ), her predatory step-father (Michael Madsen , Sin City, Kill Bill ) and the bullies at school who ridicule her sexuality.With the guidance of her therapist Vincent (Tom Malloy, The Alphabet Killer ), Ashley gains the courage to push beyond the boundaries of her suburban prison, eventually finding romance with Candice (Nicole Buehrer, Cougar Town ) who allows her to experience true intimacy for the first time and to confidently embrace her emerging sexual identity.
Media Arts Center, 2921 El Cajon Blvd. in San Diego, 6 p.m., tickets $10.50, 619-230-1938, digitalgym.org
saturday, aug. 10
Thoroughly Modern Millie Junior
A high-spirited musical romp which takes place in New York City in the roaring twenties! Young Millie Dillmount has just moved to the city in search of a new life for herself. It’s a New York full of intrigue and jazz – a time when women were entering the workforce and the rules of love and social behavior were changing forever.
C3 Performing Arts Center, 4579 Mission Gorge Place in San Diego, 2 and 7;30 p.m., tickets $20, 619-448-5673, pickwickplayers.net
sunday, aug. 11
CityFest
For the second year in a row, stay past sundown and dance with Hillcrest’s best DJs under the Hillcrest sign with CityFest Night! CityFest takes place in the heart of Hillcrest and is a huge celebration of community spirit through music, arts, crafts and food. With a rich history of community and spirit, Hillcrest has much to celebrate. Games, activities, more than 250 vendors, live headliner music, a beer garden (where this year you can buy discounted drink tickets in advance) and much more.
CityFest, Fifth and University Avenues in San Diego, free, 12-11 p.m., 619-299 3330, fabuloushillcrest.com
monday, aug. 12
Robin Henkel Band with Horns
San Diego blues and jazz musician returns to Humphreys Backstage for a night of live, handmade swing, blues and jazz.
Humphreys Backstage Live, 2303 Shelter Island Drive in San Diego, 7 p.m., no cover charge, 619-224-3411, humphreysbackstagelive.com
tuesday, aug. 13
Tony DeLap: Selections From 50 Years
Interested in ambiguities of perception, Southern California minimalist Tony DeLap has sought to challenge conceptions of abstraction and illusion for more than five decades. Featuring a selection of sculptures, drawings, hybrids, paintings and photographs of seminal site specific sculptures, this exhibition provides a comprehensive look at this distinguished artists long career.
The Bob and Estelle Gleason Gallery, Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way in
Oceanside, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., general admission $8, 760-435-3720, oma-online.org
wednesday. aug. 14
Lyle Lovett
A singer, composer and actor, Lyle Lovett has broadened the definition of American music in a career that spans 14 albums. Coupled with his gift for storytelling, the Texas-based musician fuses elements of country, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a convention-defying manner that breaks down barriers. Lovett has appeared in 13 feature films, and on stage and television. Among his many accolades, besides the four Grammy Awards, he was given the Americana Music Association’s inaugural Trailblazer Award. Humphreys Concerts by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Drive in San Diego, 8 p.m., tickets $65, 800-745-3000, humphreysconcerts.com
