It’s Badu time at BG Civic

Erykah Badu got off to an amazing start in her recording career as her very first album — 1997’s “Baduizm” — turned out to be a triple-platinum-selling success story that produced four singles — “Appletree,” “Next Lifetime,” “Otherside of the Game” and the smash “On & On.” The latter ended up winning the best female R&B vocal performance category — while “Baduizm” nabbed best R&B album — at the 1998 Grammy Awards.

She’d remain on a hot streak with the release of the concert album “Live,” also from 1997, which went double platinum and featured the Grammy-nominated hit “Tyrone.”

Since then, she’s released four more full-length studio outings, the most recent of which is still “New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)” from 2010. Despite the lack of new studio material, Badu remains a huge favorite with R&B fans and will surely draw a sizable crowd when she performs Saturday at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco.

Details: 8 p.m.; tickets start at $100; ticketmaster.com.

— Jim Harrington, Staff

‘Game’ on at SFMOMA

The Bay Area might’ve lost the NFL’s Raiders and baseball’s Oakland Athletics, but it has gained an excellent new exhibit devoted to the art of sports written large.

“Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture,” now on view at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, presents more than 150 treasures from the world of art and design devoted to sports — some interactive and fun for families — from football to table tennis to skateboarding.

Maurizio Cattelan, the edgy Italian artist behind a notorious sculpture of the Pope being hit by a meteorite, here goes gentle (in a chaotic way) with a functional foosball table meant for 22 players. There’s ping-pong with a fishpond instead of a net from Mexican artist Gabriel Orozco, cultural artifacts like an original pair of Air Jordans, and paintings from Ernie Barnes, the football player turned virtuoso.

Accompanying the exhibit are companion shows that explore the role of athletics in modern life, from “ Unity through Skateboarding” to “When the World Is Watching,” which touches on the societal impacts of the Olympics and other major international games.

Details: Through Monday; Floor 7, SFMOMA, San Francisco; entry is included with $30 general admission; sfmoma.org

— John Metcalfe, Staff

Classical picks: Shaw & Kahane, Ars Minerva, Igor Levit, more

The classical music scene celebrates the new and the newly revived this week, with concerts, a rare revival, and more. Here are four events you won’t want to miss.

Dynamic duo: Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and vocalist Caroline Shaw and singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane join forces in a special concert for SF Performances; with Shaw on viola and Kahane on piano, they’ll perform their latest work, “Hexagons,” with additional music to be announced. Details: 7:30 p.m. today; Herbst Theatre, San Francisco; $50-$70; sfperformances.org.

A rare gem: The San Francisco-based opera company Ars Minerva, which specializes in revivals of rare works, is presenting the modern world premiere of “La Flora,” by composers Antonio Sartorio and Marc’Antonio Ziani, with librettist Novello Bonis. In 1681, the opera premiered in Venice and hasn’t been seen again — until now. Company founder Céline Ricci directs the production, which features soprano Aléxa Anderson in the title role. Details: 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday; ODC Theater, San Francisco; $25-$125; odc.dance.

Choral works: The always-dynamic San Francisco Opera Chorus appears in concert on Sunday, singing a wide-ranging program of works by Brahms, Gounod, Handel, Verdi and others. Details: 2 p.m. Sunday, Taube Atrium Theater at War Memorial Veterans Building, San Francisco; $42; sfopera.com.

Levit returns: Music lovers who experienced Igor Levit’s extraordinary 2023 residency with the San Francisco Symphony are still talking about his performances there. This week, the renowned pianist appears at Cal Performances with a recital matching Brahms’ Ballades with Liszt’s super-human transcription of Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony. Prepare to be amazed. Details: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday; Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley; $35-$135; calperformances.org.

— Georgia Rowe, Correspondent

A ‘Pageant’ to Christmas cheer

“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” Dallas Jenkins’ amiable faith-infused adaptation of Barbara Robinson’s true-meaning-of-Christmas chestnut, takes more than a few cues from Bob Clark’s 1983 classic “A Christmas Story,” right down to the nostalgic-dipped narration from “The Gilmore Girls” actor Lauren Graham.

The screenplay from Ryan Swanson, Platte F. Clark and Darin McDaniel could use a bit more eggnog-like spice when cataloging the rude and rowdy behavior of the six Herdman children as they insinuate themselves into a snoozer of a community church holiday pageant and then turn it inside out. That said, “Best Christmas Pageant Ever’s” earnest messages that churches need to be more inclusive so we can create healthy communities couldn’t be more worthy during these intense times.

Of the cast, Judy Greer stands out as the flustered but patient substitute pageant director and mom who learns to raise her voice in support of the kids the church wants to leave behind.

Details: Rated PG (thematic material, brief underage smoking); 1 hour, 39 minutes; now playing in Bay Area theaters.

— Randy Myers, Correspondent

A sweet anniversary tour

With a name taken from a biblical passage about a land so rich that rocks bled honey when cracked open, Sweet Honey in the Rock through the years has emerged as a powerful pillar of traditional African American vocal music.

The Washington, D.C.-based group’s repertoire touches on gospel, blues, jazz and traditional African songs, all delivered with swoon-worthy harmonies and stirring vocal percussion. It is equally known for its vibrant performances that celebrate love, empowerment and social consciousness.

Founded in 1973 by acclaimed vocalist, composer and teacher Bernice Johnson Reagon, Sweet Honey in the Rock has released 27 albums — the most recent being 2016’s “#LoveInEvolution.” The vocal group has also taken on political issues, such as its famed 2010 song “Are We a Nation?,” which protested Arizona’s controversial anti-immigration law SB-1070.

Now the group is bringing its 50th anniversary tour to the Bay Area, with a four-day run at SFJAZZ Center’s Miner Auditorium.

Details: Performances are 7:30 p.m. today through Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday (Friday’s show is available for streaming); $45-$135; www.sfjazz.org.

— Randy McMullen, Staff