thursday, march 19
Anna in the Tropics
Be transported to Miami of 1929 to a rundown Cuban cigar factory where the workers discover the relevance of literature in their lives. In these factories, “lectors” are employed to read to the workforce while they roll. The arrival of a handsome new lector straight off the boat from Cuba is a cause for celebration – at least by the daughters of the owner.
AVO Playhouse, 303 Main Street in Vista, 7:30 p.m., adult tickets $32, 760-724-2110, moonlightstage.com
friday, march 20
Nixon in China
Nixon in China pays musical witness to President Richard Nixon’s historic trip to Beijing in 1972 and goodwill meetings with China’s Chairman Mao Tse-Tung and Premier Chou En-Lai. From serious political discussions to a toast-filled banquet scene where every toast tries to outdo another, with Chinese dancers and a fantasy scene with Kissinger, Nixon in China explores an heroic gesture by a sitting American president toward a burgeoning world power.
San Diego Opera at the San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 3rd Ave. in San Diego, 7 p.m., tickets from $45, 619-533-7000, sdopera.com
saturday, march 21
Jonathan Karrant
Recently honored in the first annual NYC Jazz/Cabaret Honors, Jonathan Karrant is rapidly making a name for himself on the club circuit. NYC Jazz described Karrant as having “… a penchant for blues ballads in the mature Sinatra style, he envelopes a room with his intelligent delivery, boyish personality and wistfully haunting readings of classics that used to fill the clubs in days of old.”
Westgate Plaza Bar, 1055 Second Ave. in San Diego, 8-11 p.m., 619-557-3650, westgatehotel.com
sunday, march 22
Japanese Brush Painting Art Show
The Year of the Ram and the 100th anniversary of San Diego’s historic Balboa Park will be celebrated at the 13th annual Friends of Taka Sumi-e Art Society Show and Sale. In addition to artworks of Japanese brush paintings, the show features a narrated tea ceremony, painting demonstrations, a fashion show and live music. Students and associates of San Diego Community College instructor Takashi Ijichi will exhibit original paintings of many subjects in both sumi (ink) and Asian watercolors.
Casa del Prado in Balboa Park, Room 101, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., free admission, 619-282-6094, takasumi-e.com / -e_Art_Show.html
monday, march 23
The Ting Tings
U.K. pop duo The Ting Tings are coming to San Diego in support of their new album Super Critical, co-produced by Andy Taylor of Duran Duran. Known for their massive hits “That’s Not My Name” and “Shut Up and Let Me Go,” The Ting Tings approached this new album differently. Feeling uninspired the two, Katie White and Jules De Martino, sought out an adventure in late 2012 which took them to Ibiza. The result is Super Critical, a hook-stuffed, introspective, modern disco record.
House of Blues San Diego, 1055 Fifth Ave. in San Diego, 8 p.m., tickets from $21, 619-299-2583, houseofblues.com
tuesday, march 24
Under the Same Sky
Noel-Baza Fine Art presents Under the Same Sky, a new pop-up art gallery at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park offering for sale the work of more than two dozen contemporary San Diego artists. The exhibition, which will change throughout the year, features primarily landscapes, both urban and rural, by recognized regional artists.
San Diego History Center, 1649 El Prado, Suite 3 in Balboa Park, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., noel-bazafineart.com
wednesday, march 25
The White Snake
Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman creates an enchanting theatrical spectacle with live music and sumptuous visuals. In this visionary staging of a classic Chinese fable, a gentle serpent transforms into a beautiful woman. She falls in love with a dashing young man and decides to stay human forever, until a wicked monk discovers her true identity and vows to destroy her. The White Snake is an unforgettable theatrical event for all ages that NPR called “strikingly beautiful.”
The Old Globe Theatre, Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage, 1363 Old Globe Way in Balboa Park, 7 p.m., tickets from $29, 619-234-5623, theoldglobe.org
