My top arts events from 2009

My top ten list is always a tease. I took in an array of incredible exhibitions, concerts, author talks and so forth in the Palo Alto area in the past 12 months. But now I'm reminded of everything I didn't get to see. Rewind!

Here's my list of the 10 favorites I did see in 2009 -- in no real order, as it would be like comparing apples to gooseberries.

New event: World Music Day, Palo Alto
The festivities kicked off beautifully, and WMD wasn't hard to find. We wandered through a balmy downtown from one free outdoor concert to another: klezmer, jazz, hip-hop, Latin and Balkan and Celtic music, and practically every other kind of tune you could think of. Bravos to Claude Ezran and the other organizers. Let's hope this becomes a tradition.

New song: "A Change is Overdue" from "Tinyard Hill," TheatreWorks
After I sat in on a rehearsal of this Tommy Newman-Mark Allen musical that premiered at TW in July, I kept playing this song on Newman's website. I love the open, hopeful feel of the line "I want to twist it, forge it, bend it into something new."

Exhibition: "From Their Studios," Cantor Arts Center
A remarkable diversity of voices characterized this show of work by Stanford faculty artists. John Edmark's kaleidoscope-like "Geometron," Robert Dawson's haunting photos, and Enrique Chagoya's satirical prints were highlights. This show is still open, through Jan. 3. (My list continues after this particularly eerie Dawson photo.)



Exhibition #2: "Treasures From the Mexican Museum," Palo Alto Art Center
It was hard to look away from a riveting lithograph of artist David Alfaro Siqueiros (those deep-set eyes), but this 150-work show had a wealth of other pieces to see, including spirited Day of the Dead papier-mache works and pre-Conquest vessels.

Metamorphosis: Tom Gough in Dragon Productions' "Greater Tuna"
Gough didn't actually hit a high C on stage, but I wouldn't have been surprised. The guy utterly transformed himself into the choir-singin', hip-bumpin', bubble-gum-pink-wearin' Bertha Bumiller for this goofy comedy. Amen, sister.

Metamorphosis #2: Kevin Kirby in Palo Alto Players' "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"
This mild-mannered Weekly theater critic let the zingers fly as George in the classic marital rumble. Disclaimer: Kevin is a friend, but he doesn't know I'm writing this. Hi, Kevin. (Liza Zassenhaus was another stand-out in this production as Honey, fragile yet quirky. But I've never met her, so I don't know whether this was a true metamorphosis.)

Metaphysical music: "The Metaphysics of Notation," Mark Applebaum
This brilliantly enigmatic score hangs in the Cantor Arts Center, where every Friday afternoon a different musician interprets it in a free performance. No standard staff and notes here; the Stanford composer penned a visual work of art with symbols, designs and curves that challenge musicians to climb inside its world. Performances continue through February.

Music talk: John Adams, Cantor Arts Center
His son performed "Metaphysics" in May, but John Adams may have a few musical credits as well. The Pulitzer Prize-winning composer brought a new string quartet to Stanford Lively Arts this year, and also took part in a wonderful free-flowing talk at the Cantor with violinist David Harrington. Adams seemed friendly and candid. He even cracked a musical-theater joke. The museum and Lively Arts periodically bring in musicians for these free talks; a "jazz/tech talk" is set for Jan. 21.

Author talk: Sarah Dunant, Stanford Continuing Studies
Another delightful speaker this year was the historical-fiction author Sarah Dunant, who talked about writing her trio of books about women in the Renaissance. Her November talk was inspiring to any would-be novelist, providing lively insight into her lengthy research process.

Film: "Motherland," directed by Jennifer Steinman
This documentary about six American women grieving the loss of family members, then taking a life-changing journey to South Africa, was shown on the Peninsula to benefit Palo Alto's Kara organization. The film was compelling and highly moving without being overwrought; it told the women's stories with grace.

Pictured: Top: Mark Fiebert, front, and Alex Ran of Accidental Klezmer playing at World Music Day. Photo by Veronica Weber.
Above: Robert Dawson's 2005 photo "Outermost house, Arctic Circle, Iceland." This jet print from digitally scanned film is part of the "From Their Studios" exhibition at the Cantor Arts Center.