Arts & Events

MRS. DALLOWAY'S -more-

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-

Professional Dance Through March 13 -more-

924 GILMAN ST. All ages welcome. -more-

ALBANY ARTS GALLERY ongoing. -more-

ANDREA SCHWARTZ GALLERY ongoing. -more-

AUDIUM -more-

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, EAST BAY (HAYWARD CAMPUS) -more-

With the nation agonizing over the heart-wrenching trials and tribulations of Charlie Sheen, it's high time we turn to loftier thoughts and maybe come up with a few worthwhile programs and events to enrich our lives. A good beginning would be the University of California's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, an educational program for older adults who are learning just for the joy of it. On Tuesday, March 15, OLLI will host an Open House at Freight and Salvage Coffee House, from 9:30 - noon. For information on the courses offered, call (510) 642, or berkeley_olli@berkeley edu. -more-

“Of Gods and Men” opens at the Embarcadero in San Francisco on March 4 and at the Albany Twin on March 11.

A war film about monks may seem an odd choice for the big screen, but “Of Gods and Men” was the Grand Prize Winner at the Cannes Film Festival and went on to become France’s official selection for an Oscar as Best Foreign Language Film. Writer-director Xavier Beauvois’ challenging human drama is “loosely based” on the 1996 tragedy that befell an isolated band of Christian monks that became caught up in the war between the Algerian army and a Muslim insurgency. -more-

Music: Other Minds 16; Berkeley Western Edge Opera Carmen Fixation. Theater: Philip Kan Gotanda's new play, I Dream of Chang and Eng, premieres at UCB -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-

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-

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-

ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS -more-

ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS -more-

ALAMEDA COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS -more-

CARMEN FLORES RECREATION CENTER -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-

ASHKENAZ -more-