San Diego Performing Arts Lineup Boasts Chinese Influence

March is one of my favorite months of the year. Just a couple of weeks ago in Gobbler’s Knob, Punxsutawney Phil, the world’s most beloved and furry seasonal prognosticator, saw his shadow and forecast six more weeks of winter. Twenty more inches of snow dropped overnight in the Northeast and ten thousand flights were canceled. But what that meant for us in Southern California was merely a drop of the thermometer closer to 70°. These warmer spring nights we are enjoying arrived with perfect timing as all of our arts across the county are offering up a sprint run to the closing of the 2014-15 season.

China has had a major influence on the offerings across the county this month. "Shun Yun" just closed at the Center for the Performing Arts and before you could say ‘chopsticks’ The San Diego Opera presents John Adams "Nixon In China" over in the Civic Center on March 14th, 17th, 20th and 22nd. The story of President Richard Nixon’s historic trip to Beijing in 1972 for his goodwill meetings with China’s Chairman Mao Tse-Tung and Premier Chou En–Lai are set to music and dance in this show.

The gateway to China stays open as The Old Globe welcomes Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman, who makes her long–awaited San Diego directing debut with "The White Snake" (also written and directed by Zimmerman), playing on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage in the Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. Preview performances run March 21st through 25th. "The White Snake" runs through April 26th and is sure to be one of most talked about productions of the year.

It’s not all about China as the City Ballet of San Diego presents "The Balanchine Spectacular" on March 6th, 7th & 8th at The Spreckles Theatre. The City Ballet of San Diego is honored to be recognized by The George Balanchine Trust as having the technical skills and artistic quality to present these three full–length masterworks choreographed by the 20th century genius George Balanchine with live music performed by The City Ballet Orchestra under the direction of Conductor John Nettles. 

Up the street at Symphony Hall, The San Diego Symphony has another very special engagement for us as master violinist and conductor Pinchas Zukerman opens a two week San Diego residency. Opening on March 21st with a night of Ludwig Van Beethoven with special guest pianist Angela Cheng that includes Beethoven’s revolutionary Symphony No. 3 "Eroica." On the following weekend (March 27th -29th), Maestro Zukerman concludes his stay with an evening of Strauss and Bach for the first half of the evening, where he will be joined by the Met Opera’s Concertmaster and former SDSO Young Artist Competition winner David Chan for Bach’s "Double Concerto" for violins. The second half of the program takes a decidedly darker turn as the Russian composer Shostakovich finally has his say about the trauma of totalitarianism after the death of Stalin in his "Symphony No. 10."