Gods and paroles mingle at Magic

The match between award-winning California playwright Luis Alfaro and the talented crew at San Francisco’s Magic Theatre/Campo Santo partnership is heaven-sent. And following following Alfaro’s world premiere “The Travelers” on the Magic stage in 2023 and “Oedipus El Rey,” his reimagining of the Oedipus myth, in 2010, it continues with “Aztlán,” in which he conjures up a world in which mythology and contemporary reality, with all its inherent injustices, coalesce in thrillingly larger-than-life ways.

“Aztlán” (a name referring to the homeland of the Aztecs) begins when a malevolent underworld god (Magic artistic director Sean San José), in a ritual dance, seems prepared to kill our hero, the parolee Aztlán (Daniel Duque-Estrada). Aztlán, who’s on a quest to reunite with his fractious family but must contend with his quirky parole officer (Ogie Zulueta), who tells him: “You used to be a king and now you’re just a Mexican. Think about that and then let’s figure out how you’re going to reclaim yourself.”

By the end of the short (80-minute) we know what that plan is. The action races along, but Alfaro’s mesmerizing story and Kinan Valdez’s bold, full-bodied direction keeps the main focus on the terrific cast, and that’s as it should be.

Details: Through Sunday; Magic Theatre, Building D at Fort Mason Complex, San Francisco; $35-$75; magictheatre.org.

— Jean Schiffman, Bay City News Foundation

Will Spade draw a full house?

Who’s ready to yuk it up with David Spade?

Hundreds of comedy fans will certainly heed that call and turn out to see the famed funnyman when he performs Saturday at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga.

Spade is one of the more successful comedians of the last 30-plus years, having come to fame as a cast member on “Saturday Night Live” in the ’90s and going on to star in several major films (“Tommy Boy,” “Black Sheep,” “Joe Dirt,” etc.)

The comedian — with a style that banks on self-depreciation and sarcasm — also had a long run (1997—2003) playing Dennis Finch in the NBC-TV sitcom “Just Shoot Me!”

Animation fans might know Spade for his roles as Ranger Frank in “The Rugrats Movie,” Kuzco in “Disney’s The Emperor’s New Groove” and Griffin the Invisible Man in the “Hotel Transylvania” series.

Spade also has a long history in stand-up comedy — stretching back even before his “Saturday Night Live” days — and should have the crowd rolling in laughter in Saratoga.

Details: Showtime is 8 p.m.; tickets start at $67.77; mountainwinery.com.

— Jim Harrington, Staff

Classical picks: Tchaikovsky, Merola, Carmel Bach

Here are three great events to savor as the summer classical season continues.

“Tchaikovsky Spectacular”: That’s the title of the San Francisco Symphony’s latest in its “Summer with the Symphony” series, which includes an outdoor performance this weekend presented by Stanford Live at Frost Amphitheater, followed by an indoor repeat in San Francisco. Conducted by Stephanie Childress, “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” features Blake Pouliot as soloist for the composer’s Violin Concerto, along with selections from “Sleeping Beauty” and “Romeo and Juliet.” The “1812 Overture” brings both events to a rousing close. Details: 7:30 p.m. today at Frost Amphitheater, Stanford; 7:30 p.m. Friday at Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco; $15-$150; sfsymphony.org.

Bel Canto Scenes: The Merola Opera program’s Schwabacher Summer Concert has a thrilling lineup in this weekend’s event, with bel canto scenes from Donizetti’s “Don Pasquale,” Puccini’s “Suor Angelica,” and Verdi’s “Il Trovatore.” It’s one of the highlights of the annual Merola summer calendar starring the program’s young artists. William Long conducts. Details: 7:30 p.m. today, 2 p.m. Saturday; San Francisco Conservatory of Music, San Francisco; $18-$68; merola.org.

By the sea: The Carmel Bach Festival has been performing its namesake’s music each summer since 1935, and it remains one of the state’s most respected classical music attractions. With a full roster of artists, events, works by Bach and other composers on the calendar, the festival opens Saturday with a program titled “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” featuring music by Mendelssohn, Stravinsky, and Haydn; events continue with concerts, talks, and lots of Bach through July 26. Details: Performances at Sunset Center Theater, Carmel-By-the-Sea; $46-$110; www.sunsetcenter.org.

— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent

How Spielberg invented the blockbuster

Just how influential has Steven Spielberg’s trouble-plagued adaptation of Peter Benchley’s phenomenal bestseller “Jaws” been? Consider this: It was arguably the first summer blockbuster; not to mention one of the best movies ever made, a textbook example of how a filmmaker can create almost unbearable suspense by slowly revealing the breadth and scale of the monster lurking below.

“Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story,” Laurent Bouzereau’s fond plunge into the making of “Jaws,” illustrates how the release became a pop-culture milestone and reflects, through the eyes of its visionary filmmaker, Steven Spielberg, how it filming almost broke him and left him with PTSD long after the movie finally chomped its way into theaters. Castmates, non-actors from Martha’s Vineyard where “Jaws” was shot and members of the crew are interviewed, as well as directors (Steven Soderbergh, Guillermo del Toro and others) along with actors (including Emily Blunt) who offer their views on why “Jaws” remains forever young decades later.

The making of “Jaws” is a cinematic underdog story unto itself, in which an upstart young filmmaker beat the odds, triumphed over adversity and went on to score one of the most stunning victories in cinematic history.

Details: 1 hour, 28 minutes; streams today on National Geographic and available to stream Friday on Hulu and Disney+.

— Randy Myers, Correspondent

Acclaimed author draws raves — as a singer

After spending decades becoming of the pop/rock music world’s most respected authors and journalists, Sylvie Simmons has returned to his first love — singing.

Reportedly dissuaded at a young age from performing by a nasty case of stage fright, Simmons pursued her passion from a different angle. Beginning in the 1970s, the London-born, now San Francisco-based Simmons became an acclaimed rock/pop music writer, authoring everything from essays and reviews to longer profile pieces and books, interviewing such artists as Black Sabbath, AC/DC, Rod Stewart, The Clash, Sex Pistols, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, Muddy Waters, Steely Dan, Blondie, Frank Zappa, Tom Petty, Van Halen, Leonard Cohen, and more.

It was during a 2012 tour promoting her best-selling book “I’m Your Man: The Life of Leonard Cohen,” that Simmons starting performing Cohen songs on stage and learned how to overcome her stage fright. She released her first album, “Sylvie,” in 2014, and a follow-up, “Blue on Blue,” in 2020. Both have drawn rave reviews from both musicians and fellow writers. Simmons will draw from both albums when she performs at The Freight in Berkeley on Sunday.

Details: 7 p.m.; $29-$34; thefreight.org

— Randy McMullen, Staff