Arts & Events

BEACH BLANKET BABYLON This long-running musical follows Snow White as she sings and dances her way around the world in search of her prince. Along the way she encounters many of the personalities in today's headlines, including Nancy Pelosi, Condoleezza Rice, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Harry Potter, Tiger Woods, Oprah Winfrey, Britney Spears, Dianne Feinstein, Barbara Boxer, Hillary Clinton, George and Laura Bush, Michael Jackson, Martha Stewart, Tom Cruise, Angelina, characters from Brokeback Mountain and Paris Hilton. Persons under 21 are not admitted to evening performances, but are welcome to Sunday matinees. -more-

Verismo Opera -more-

BRAVA THEATER CENTER -more-

A GREAT GOOD PLACE FOR BOOKS -more-

BAYVIEW OPERA HOUSE -more-

Verismo Opera -more-

Three young tourists, a woman and two male friends, travel to a distant and dangerous part of the world. They cross a restricted border and find their lives changed forever. This sounds like the saga of Sarah Shourd, Jeff and Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal but this is the story of another trio — three student journalists from Europe who crossed into the killing fields of Kilinochchi at the end of Sri Lanka’s bloody rampage against the LTTE — the Liberation Tigers. -more-

At intermission, I spied this witty actress with whom I’ve worked, and asked her what she thought about the play. “Wonderfully cheesy!” she quipped. It was pithy and apropos. -more-

On our recent trip to Copenhagen, we visited the National Gallery of Denmark (Statens Museum for Kunst) for the first public showing of Bob Dylan's "The Brazil Series," 40 acrylic paintings and eight drawings he created during the period 2009-10. Yes, the Dylan of "Blowin' in the Wind," " Mr. Tambourine Man," and "Like a Rolling Stone" fame. Actually Dylan has been sketching most of his life. -more-

There is a wave of Iliad and Odyssey plays washing over the East Bay: the “Salt Plays” at Shotgun, and now PENELOPE’S ODYSSEY by Gary Graves at Central Works playing at the historic Berkeley City Club. -more-

924 GILMAN ST. All ages welcome. -more-

ARDENWOOD HISTORIC FARM Ardenwood farm is a working farm that dates back to the time of the Patterson Ranch, a 19th-century estate with a mansion and Victorian Gardens. Today, the farm still practices farming techniques from the 1870s. Unless otherwise noted, programs are free with regular admission. -more-

ASIAN ART MUSEUM OF SAN FRANCISCO The Asian Art Museum-Chon-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture recently unveiled its new building in San Francisco's Civic Center. The building, the former San Francisco Public Library, has been completely retrofitted and rebuilt to house San Francisco's significant collection of Asian treasures. The museum offers complimentary audio tours of the museum's collection galleries. "In a New Light," ongoing. There are some 2,500 works displayed in the museum's new galleries. They cover all the major cultures of Asia and include Indian stone sculptures, intricately carved Chinese jades, Korean paintings, Tibetan thanksgas, Cambodian Buddhas, Islamic manuscripts and Japanese basketry and kimonos. -more-

AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM AND LIBRARY AT OAKLAND ongoing. The Oakland Public Library's museum is designed to discover, preserve, interpret and share the cultural and historical experiences of African Americans in California and the West. In addition, a three-panel mural is on permanent display. -more-

"15TH ANNUAL CRUSH FESTIVAL," -- Nov. 7. The Berkeley Chamber's annual gourmet food and wine festival, featuring a taste of local cuisine and 25 local wineries. Also on tap: live music, auctions, and more. Event takes place at Hotel Shattuck Plaza, 2086 Allston Way, Berkeley. -more-

A GREAT GOOD PLACE FOR BOOKS -more-

"15TH ANNUAL CRUSH FESTIVAL," -- Nov. 7. The Berkeley Chamber's annual gourmet food and wine festival, featuring a taste of local cuisine and 25 local wineries. Also on tap: live music, auctions, and more. Event takes place at Hotel Shattuck Plaza, 2086 Allston Way, Berkeley. -more-

"SUN SPHERES," -- ongoing. "Sun Spheres'' is a trio of mosaic sculptures by artist Laurel True at the intersection of Ocean and Granada Avenues in the OMI District of San Francisco. -more-

BOOKS INC., ALAMEDA -more-

ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS -more-