Holiday Arts 2017

Believe it or not, the holiday season is upon us. And that means nearly two months of holiday fun and cheer are coming your way. To help you navigate the season, and keep your spirits bright, we present our select guide to holiday fun from Thanksgiving to Christmas.

EVENTS

Wine Country Turkey Crawl Taste and pick a wine to pair with your Thanksgiving dinner with the fundraising winery tour. All of the ticket sales will be donated to the Redwood Credit Union North Bay Fire relief fund, and each of the neighboring wineries will show off their best vintages to complement turkey and cranberry sauce. Nov. 12. Dutton Estate, 8757 Green Valley Road; Furthermore Wines,
3541 Gravenstein Hwy. N.;
Marimar Estate, 11400 Graton Road, Sebastopol. 11am. $15; tickets include a tasting at all three wineries. duttonestate.com.

Napa on Ice Napa’s outdoor skating rink, located on the grounds of the Napa Expo, is back for another year of holiday fun. Recreational ice skating on 6,300 square feet of real ice is open daily with lessons, parties, private ice time and special events offered. Nov. 17–Jan. 7. $13 general admission; $15 VIP admission. napaonice.com.

Winterblast Annual holiday art party turns 13 and takes over the South of A arts district in Santa Rosa. Open studios showcase dozens of artists in their element, an electric sofa parade lights up the streets and live music kick the holiday spirit into gear. Magic, belly dancing, food trucks, beer and wine and merriment abound. Nov. 18.
312 South A St., Santa Rosa. 5–9:30pm. Free entry. sofasantarosa.com.

Santa Train & Wine Train Thanksgiving The Napa Valley Wine Train welcomes Santa aboard for a season of magical fun in a nostalgic railroad setting. Sip cocoa, enjoy musical entertainment, tour the Napa Valley and get a photo with Santa. Nov. 18–Dec. 29. $49. On Thanksgiving, guests are invited to dine in style and enjoy a traditional feast with all the fixings while riding the train. Nov. 23. $171 and up. 800.427.4124.

Holidays Along the Farm Trails Celebrate the season with the local agricultural community, as farmers and producers offer a view of life on the farm. Find farm-stand gifts, cut a Christmas tree to take home and enjoy DIY workshops. Hosted by Sonoma County Farm Trails. Nov. 18–Jan. 1. Various Locations in Sonoma County. Registration required to save the date. farmtrails.org.

Holidays in Yountville Skip the big-box stores this Christmas and join the people of Yountville for six weeks of food, wine and holiday cheer. As the town transforms into a magical winter wonderland with thousands of sparkling lights, visitors can enjoy a full schedule of live entertainment, art shows, workshops and classes, along with unique shopping choices, food and wine tours, carriage rides and more. Nov. 20–Dec. 31. Downtown Yountville, Washington St., Yountville. Full schedule and info
at yountville.com.

Napa’s Christmas Tree Lighting The mayor of Napa flips the switch and welcomes the Christmas season to Napa in this traditional community event. Sip on hot chocolate, nibble on cookies and enjoy local entertainment. Nov. 22. Veterans Park, Third and Main streets, Napa. 6pm. Free. donapa.com.

Winter Lights Santa Rosa’s downtown Courthouse Square shines with the annual Christmas Tree lighting ceremony that includes activities for all ages. Enjoy local eats, see Santa arrive on a fire truck and partake in the Remembrance Candle Lighting. This year’s Winter Lights theme is “I Believe in Santa Rosa,” to highlight the town’s resilience and strength in the wake of October’s fires. Nov. 24. Third Street and Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa. 4pm. Free admission. 707.545.1414.

Santa’s Riverboat Arrival Santa and Mrs. Claus give the season its start when they arrive by tugboat at the Petaluma River Turning Basin and disembark to hand out candy and take holiday photos with kids while live entertainment from the likes of the Pacific Empire Chorus and Petaluma School of Ballet entertains the crowd. Nov. 25.
River Plaza Shopping Center,
72 E. Washington St., Petaluma. 11:30am–1pm. Free. 707.769.0429.

Heart of Sonoma Valley Holiday Open House Toast the holiday season on a tour of 20 wineries throughout the heart of Sonoma Valley. Weekend includes access
to wineries and winemakers,
wine cave tours, holiday gifts and wine country holiday cheer.
Nov. 25–26. 11am–4pm. $45–$55
per person; designated driver,
$10–$15. heartofsonomavalley.com.

Holiday Tea Service Hotel Healdsburg hosts weekend tea services to provide a relaxing atmosphere in the midst of all the holiday madness. Enjoy custom teas, pastries, petite sandwiches, even classic cocktails. Festive piano music and décor add to the ambiance. Nov. 25–Dec. 24. 25 Matheson St., Healdsburg. Saturdays and Sundays, noon–2pm. 707.431.2800.

Napa’s Christmas Parade This long-running, family-friendly evening parade features creative floats built by Napans themselves, focusing on the theme “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Nov. 25. Second and Third streets in downtown Napa. 5–7pm. Free. donapa.com.

Lighting of the Snowmen Annual tradition lights up Cornerstone Sonoma with decorative snowmen coming to life amid live music and entertainment. Get a photo with Santa and enjoy the seasonal spirit in the picturesque setting.
Dec. 2. Cornerstone Sonoma, 23667 Hwy. 121, Sonoma. 4pm. Free admission. 707.939.3010.

The Reindeer Run Seventh annual run or walk covers Thompson Trail on Wetlands Edge Trailhead and encourages participants to dress in festive holiday gear. Dec. 2. Eucalyptus Drive, American Canyon. 8am. $37–$45. khopeinternational.org.

Napa B&B Holiday Tour & Taste Event The B&Bs of Napa invite you inside their historical inns, decked out in festive decorations, to savor select wines and tasty holiday treats. Transportation and entertainment included. Proceeds benefit local charities. Dec. 2. 3–7pm. $75. napaholidaytour.com.

Calistoga Lighted Tractor Parade Twenty-second annual small-town celebration of the holiday season and Calistoga’s agricultural heritage boasts vintage tractors, antique trucks and other rustic autos lit up in dazzling displays. Dec. 2. Lincoln Avenue between Stevenson and Cedar, downtown Calistoga. 7pm. Free. visitcalistoga.com.

Luther Burbank Holiday Open House A popular holiday tradition in its 38th year, this open house features Victorian-era finery and a charming tour of Burbank’s historic home and gardens, with free parking at First and D streets and free rides on Rosie the Trolley to and from the Handmade Holiday Crafts Fair held at the Finley Community Center. Dec. 2–3. Luther Burbank Home & Gardens, 204 Santa Rosa Ave., Santa Rosa. 10am to 4pm. $3; kids 12 and under are free. lutherburbank.org.

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Calistoga Winter in the Wineries Winter-long getaway event lets you purchase a passport to visit up to 17 wineries and meet the winemakers in and around the Calistoga area in relaxed tasting tours that you schedule at your convenience.
Dec. 2–Feb. 4. Twenty-one and over only. $60. visitcalistoga.com.

Windsor Holiday Celebration on the Green Bring the kids to send letters to Santa, make crafts, decorate gingerbread, have a look at the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree Grove on display through New Year’s Eve and take a carriage ride before the annual tree-lighting ceremony. Dec. 7. Windsor Town Green, 701 McClelland Drive, Windsor. 5–8pm. Free admission; $1–$10 for various activities. townofwindsor.com.

Light Up a Life Heartland Hospice honors lives lost with annual candle- and tree-lighting ceremonies. Celebrate the holidays with community, enjoy live music from Michael Brandeurg’s Jazz Trio and create an ornament in honor of your loved one. Dec. 7. Montgomery Village Terrace, 911 Village Court, Santa Rosa. 5–6:30pm. Free. mvshops.com.

Sebastopol Holiday Home Tour & Artisan Boutique Enjoy the holiday lights and décor of several different stylish homes, with cheerful music and festive bites on hand. Then, browse a variety of holiday crafts and decorations for sale at a boutique at Pleasant Hill Christian School, all benefiting the Jacob’s Scholarship Fund. Home Tours, Dec. 8–9; Artisan Boutique, Dec. 8–10. 1782 Pleasant Hill Road, Sebastopol. Friday, 5–9pm; Saturday, 10am–5pm.; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Tours, $10–$35 and up; Boutique, free admission. sebastopolholidayhometour.com.

Petaluma Holiday Lighted Boat Parade A floating parade of sparkling boats shines on the Petaluma River to ring in the season, while downtown shops stay open late for holiday strolling. Dec. 9. Petaluma River Turning Basin, Petaluma. 6pm. Free. visitpetaluma.com.

Napa Lighted Art Festival This festival creates a stunning walking path of artwork as light displays are projected onto a variety of buildings throughout the town every evening from Dec. 9 to Dec. 17. Downtown Napa and the Oxbow district. 5–10pm. naparec.com.

Hanukkah Hootenanny Enjoy Judd’s Hill Winery’s 11th annual Hanukkah bash featuring lively entertainment, wine, brisket sliders, latke bar and traditional jelly doughnuts. Guests are encouraged to bring unwrapped new toys and canned (nonperishable) food items for donation to local Napa charities. Dec. 10, Judd’s Hill Winery,
2332 Silverado Trail, Napa. Noon–2:30pm. $55; $25 for Wine Club members. juddshill.com.

SHOPPING

Holiday Crafterino Ninth annual art-and-craft extravaganza
features a curated collection of
64 vendors, food trucks and
loads of cheer. Proceeds from
sales and a raffle supports the Committee on the Shelterless.
Nov. 12. Petaluma Veteran’s Memorial Building, 1094 Petaluma Blvd. S., Petaluma. 11am–4pm. $1 admission. www.holidaycrafterino.com.

Gifts ‘n’ Tyme Holiday Faire This fair, going 45 years and counting, highlights more than 85 local and regional artists and makers of fine crafts selling everything from stocking stuffers to fine works. Holiday music and aromas like cinnamon-roasted almonds fill the air. Nov. 17–19. Napa Valley Expo, Chardonnay Hall, 575 Third St., Napa. Friday–Saturday, 10am–6pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Free. 925.372.8691.

American Folk Art Holiday Festival Inaugural fest features unusual and one-of-a-kind folk-art creations and antiques. Wine and chocolate pairings, treats and other beverages available for purchase, and a positive communal spirit await on Nov. 18, Lucky Penny Community Arts Center, 1758 Industrial Way, Napa. 10am–3pm. $10 at the door. luckypennynapa.com.

West County Craft Faire Ramp up to the holidays with this 16th annual celebration of all things local and handmade. West County vendors will sell crafts, jewelry, clothing, quilts, bodycare products, art and much more, with live music, food and refreshments and a raffle to benefit Sebastopol based Interfaith Sustainable Food Collaborative. Nov. 18–19. Sebastopol Grange Hall, 6000 Hwy. 12, Sebastopol. 11am–4pm. Free admission. sebastopolgrange.org.

Holiday Marketplace at CIA Copia Start your holiday shopping with seasonal and local offerings from Napa and Bay Area vendors, featuring handmade items and culinary delights. Nov. 24–26. 500 First St., Napa. 11am–4pm. ciaatcopia.com.

Rohnert Park Holiday Arts & Crafts Faire Thirty-eighth annual fair features holiday decorations, live music and jolly entertainment, festive treats and cheerful holiday crafts and jewelry. Nov. 24–25. Rohnert Park Community Center, 5401 Snyder Lane, Rohnert Park. 10am–4pm. Free. 707.588.3456.

Calistoga Holiday Village & Christmas Faire First, stroll through downtown Calistoga
and indulge in a holiday shopping spree on Friday, Dec. 1. Then enjoy a fair with artisan vendors, food and activities on Saturday, Dec. 2. Napa County Fairgrounds, 1435 N. Oak St., Calistoga. 9am–4pm. Free admission. visitcalistoga.com.

St. John’s Christmas Boutique
A tradition in the town of Ross, the boutique offers homemade jams, jellies and baked goods, as well as holiday gifts and items such as wrapping paper and holiday cards. Proceeds benefit charitable causes, and helps support community needs at St. John’s sister parish in Malawi, Africa. Dec. 1–3. St. John’s Episcopal Church, 14 Lagunitas Road, Ross. Friday, noon–6:30pm; Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Free admission. 415.456.1102.

Handmade Holiday Crafts Fair Festive annual event features 80 local artists selling their quality crafts and gifts, holiday goodies, entertainment, a prize drawing and trolley rides to the Luther Burbank Home & Gardens Holiday Open House. Dec. 2–3, Finley Community Center, 2060 West College Ave., Santa Rosa. Saturday, 9am–5pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. $3; 12 and under are free. 707.543.3737.

Freya Lodge Holiday Arts & Craft Fair The Norwegian cultural center hosts this classic fair. Enjoy a variety of high-quality handmade items made by Sonoma County artists. There will also be Scandinavian baked goods, Norwegian waffles, coffee and
light lunch available to purchase, and a cozy holiday atmosphere. Proceeds from food sales go to children’s charities. Dec. 9, Freya Lodge Sons of Norway Hall,
617 W. Ninth St., Santa Rosa.
9am–3pm. 707.579.1080.

Petaluma Arts Association Holiday Arts & Crafts Show Local artists and artisans show off their handmade wares at an art-and-craft show perfect for gift giving, benefiting Mentor Me. Dec. 9–10. Petaluma Community Center, 320 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma. 10am–4pm. petalumaarts.org.

Sonoma Ceramics Fiber & Print Holiday Sale Give the gift of art and find affordable and unique holiday items from several artists who work in Sonoma. Pieces range from decorative ornaments to sculptural works of art. The Ceramics Studio is also open for tours and artist demonstrations. Dec. 9–10. Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma. Saturday, 10am–5pm; Sunday, 10am–4pm. Free admission. 707.938.462.

Goddess Crafts Faire Women’s art, music, dance and handmade gifts by local and regional women are all part of this 23rd annual community holiday fair. Dec. 9–10, Sebastopol Community Center, 390 Morris St., Sebastopol. 11am–7pm. $5–$13 suggested donation; kids free. goddesscraftsfaire.com.

Occidental Holiday Crafts Faire Find unique works by more than 35 local and regional artists, grab gift certificates for local restaurants and hotels, enter into raffles for local goodies, hear live music from West County musicians, taste food from a gourmet chef and enjoy baked goods by Salmon Creek School students this season. Dec. 9–10, Occidental Community Center, 3920 Bohemian Hwy., Occidental. 10am–5pm. Free admission. occidental ca.org.

PERFORMANCE

Sonoma County Philharmonic Music director Norman Gamboa and the local philharmonic present a program titled “Fanfare,” featuring violinist Pam Otsuka and viola player Robby Moales. Pre-concert talks will illuminate the various selections presented in concert and proceeds will support fire relief efforts. Nov. 18–19. SRHS Performing Arts Auditorium, 1235 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. Saturday, 7:30pm; Sunday, 2pm. $15; students are free. socophil.org.

Napa Valley Performing Arts Center at Lincoln Theater Yountville Holiday Movie Series, with Polar Express on Nov. 19, How the Grinch Stole Christmas on Dec. 1 and Elf on Dec. 8. 7pm. $5–$40 (Nov. 19 is free). VOENA: Voices of the Season presents “Wonderland” Dec. 9. 7pm. $25. Holidays in Buenos Aires with Michael Guttman and JP Jofre,
Dec. 10. 3pm. $30–$55. Napa Regional Dance Company’s 17th annual production of The Nutcracker, Dec. 16–17. Saturday, 2pm and 7pm; Sunday, 2pm. $35–$45. 100 California Drive, Yountville. 707.944.9900.

Le Cirque de Bohème Annual winter circus wonderland is based on the wondrous French tradition. This year, a brand-new original production, Freedom, tells enchanting tales with an amazing cast of performers who achieve world-class heights. Nov. 24–Dec. 17. Cornerstone Sonoma, 23570 Arnold Drive, Sonoma. Days and times vary. $30–$55; kids under 15 are $22. cirquedeboheme.com.

Sonoma Arts Live A Christmas Carol meets Noises Off in the hilarious holiday affair, Inspecting Carol, coming to Sonoma this season. Set in the ’90s, the story follows a small theater company struggling to survive and facing inspection while trying to get through a production of the Dickens’ classic. Nov. 29–Dec. 10,
at Andrews Hall in Sonoma Community Center, 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma. Wednesdays through Fridays, 7:30pm; Sundays, 2pm. $22–$26; $37 VIP (includes dessert and wine). sonomaartslive.org.

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Luther Burbank Center for the Arts Mannheim Steamroller Christmas by Chip Davis, Nov. 29. 7:30pm. $59–$75. Transcendence Theatre’s Broadway Holiday Spectacular, Dec. 1–3. Friday, 7:30pm; Saturday–Sunday, 2pm and 7:30pm. $39–
$139. Left Edge Theatre presents The Santaland Diaries, Dec. 1–17. Friday–Saturday, 8pm; Sunday, 5pm. $25–$40. Tony Bennett, Dec. 5. 7:30pm. $89–$149. Posada Navideña. Dec. 8. 7pm. $5 $10. Kids 2 and under are $2. Symphony Pops: A Holly Jolly Pops. Dec. 10. 3pm. $37–$80. Under the Streetlamp: Hip to the Holidays, Dec. 14. 7:30pm. $39–$59. Roustabout’s Apprentice Program: White Christmas.
Dec. 15–17. Friday, 7:30pm; Saturday, 3pm and 7:30pm; Sunday, 3pm. $16–$26. Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker. Dec. 18. 7pm. $34–$74. 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 707.546.3600.

An Irish Christmas An exciting celebration of holiday joy, laughter and life returns to the North Bay with the talented dancers of the internationally acclaimed Kerry Dance Troupe performing traditional Irish dances that incorporate theatrical arts and music from Christmas classics like “Silent Night” and “Little Drummer Boy.” Nov. 30. Uptown Theatre, 1350 Third St., Napa. 8pm. $35–$55. 707.259.0123.

Blue Note Napa Willie K: A Special Holiday Performance, Dec. 1–2. 7:30pm and 9:30pm. $25 $35. Royal Jelly Jive’s Christmas Special, Dec. 9. 7:30pm and 9:30pm. $15–$30. Kellie Fuller, Sandy Riccardi and Mike Greensill’s Cool Yule Christmas Show, Dec. 14. 7:30pm and 9:30pm. $10–$35. Jessy J: A Special Christmas Performance, Dec. 15–16. 7:30pm and 9:30pm. $15–$35. VOENA: Voices of the Season presents “Wonderland” in the
JaM Cellars Ballroom, Dec. 16. 7pm. $30. 1030 Main St., Napa. 707.880.2300.

Nutcracker: The Musical The classic tale of toys comes to life, and a girl transported to the land of sugarplum fairies marks the Cloverdale Performing Arts Center’s annual Christmas show. Dec. 1–10. 209 N. Cloverdale Blvd., Cloverdale. Friday–Saturday, 7:30pm; Sunday, 2pm. $12–$22. 707.829.2214.

A Vintage Christmas Healdsburg’s Raven Players go on the road to Geyserville and perform the world premiere of playwright Tony Sciullo’s A Vintage Christmas. The original play mixes elements of old-school holiday stories A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life, and sets the action in wine country on Christmas eve, when spirits show a wine owner what could happen to his family if he sells the business. Opening night includes a bubbly reception and post-show discussion. Dec. 1–10, at Trione Vineyards & Winery, 19550 Geyserville Ave., Geyserville. Times vary. Space is limited. $10–$25. raventheater.org.

6th Street Playhouse A pair of classic holiday tales make their way to the stages at the Railroad Square theater house. In the main GK Hardt Theatre, Irving Berlin’s White Christmas dazzles with a beloved songbook score and toe-tapping dance routines. In the smaller Studio Theatre, Mrs. Bob Cratchit’s Wild Christmas Binge puts a new spin on the classic Christmas Carol with Bob Cratchit’s wife taking center stage. Dec. 1–23. 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W. Sixth St., Santa Rosa. $10–$38. 707.523.3544.

Alleluia Anyway Occidental Community Choir ushers in the season with a program that stretches genres and traditions and reminds us to shine a light in dark months and dark days . Come early for pre concert sing alongs. Dec. 2–3, 8–9 at Occidental Center for the Arts, 3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental; Dec. 10 at Glaser Center, 547 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. Times vary. $15; kids 12 and under are free. occidentalchoir.org.

Healdsburg Chorus The long-running community choir shares
the joy of the holidays in their annual winter concert, with new arrangements of spirited standards and a slew of seasonal surprises
set to fill your stockings with
cheer. Dec. 3, Glaser Center,
547 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. 3pm; Dec. 7–9, Healdsburg Community Church, 1100 University St., Healdsburg. Thursday–Friday, 7pm; Saturday, 3pm. healdsburgchorus.com.

Chris Isaak Holiday Tour Known as one of the best live performers of our time, the contemporary crooner brings the spectacle of the holidays to his rock show and performs both his best hits and seasonal classics including “Blue Christmas” and “Hey Santa!” Dec. 7. Uptown Theatre, 1350 Third St., Napa. 8pm. $75–$115. 707.259.0123.

Holiday Choral Concert Join the Silver Singers for a festive concert that includes performances by choral groups from Rohnert Park and Windsor senior centers. Dec. 7. Bennett Valley Senior Center,
704 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa. 11am. Free. 707.545.8608.

ArtQuest Dance Company Winter Performance The talented students of Santa Rosa High School’s award winning ArtQuest program communicate the spirit of the holidays through movement. Dec. 8–9. SRHS Performing Arts Auditorium, 1235 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa. 7pm. $5–$15. Srhsdance.org.

A Frozen Ballet Teresa Lubarsky’s Healdsburg Ballet premieres a brand-new show based on the beloved fairy tale “The Snow Queen” by Hans Christian Andersen. Dancers of all ages create a ballet that is sure to delight audiences of all ages. Dec. 9–10. Raven Performing Arts Theater,
115 North St., Healdsburg. Saturday, 7pm; Sunday, 2pm. $15–$20. healdsburgballet.com.

Healdsburg Community Band’s Christmas Concert The 30-plus member band plays their annual holiday-themed concert with classics and big band arrangements of Christmas hits. Dec. 9. Cloverdale Veterans Memorial Building, 205 W. First St., Cloverdale. 7:30pm. Free; donations accepted. Dec. 16. Raven Performing Arts Theater,
15 North St., Healdsburg. 7pm. $25. healdsburgcommunityband.org.

The Joys of Christmas Napa’s community-based chorus Sing Napa Valley hosts featured soloists and Napa Valley Children’s Chorus for a new holiday show that includes performances of Christmas Oratorio by Camille Saint-Saëns and “The Seven Joys of Christmas” by Kirke Mechem.
Dec. 10. First United Methodist Church, 625 Randolph St., Napa. 1pm. $25. singnapavalley.org.

Green Music Center Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale presents Handel’s Messiah, Dec. 10. 3pm. $50 and up. 30th Anniversary of Windham Hill’s Winter Solstice, Dec. 15. 7:30pm. $25 and up. Cherish the Ladies’ Celtic Christmas, Dec. 16. 7:30pm. $25 and up. Sonoma Bach Presents Early Music Christmas: Windows to the Soul, Dec. 16. 8pm. $25. Dave Koz 20th Anniversary Christmas Concert with David Benoit, Rick Braun and Peter
White, Dec. 17. 7pm. $50 and up. 1801 East Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park. 866.955.6040.

A Chanticleer Christmas Holiday favorite from the vocal orchestra tells the Christmas story in Gregorian chant, Renaissance polyphony, traditional carols and a medley of spirituals. Dec. 11, St. Vincent’s Church, 35 Liberty St., Petaluma. 6pm and 8:30pm. $35–$75. chanticleer.org.

Reader’s Theatre’s ‘A Christmas Carol’ The classic story will be told with an emphasis on the dramatic art of storytelling. Dec. 14. Person Senior Wing at Finley Center, 2060 W. College Ave., Santa Rosa. 3pm. Free. Space is limited; RSVP recommended. 707.543.3745.

The Noose Tightens

0

‘I am not a crook.” So spoke Richard Nixon, almost 45 years ago, which preceded his downfall, the result of charges involving the Watergate break-in and subsequent investigation. And now you, Mr. Trump, issue your own arrogant statement regarding the current investigation of Russian influence into the presidential campaign and your current administration, calling it a “witch hunt.”

Robert Mueller’s current investigation will be far-reaching and take time, which is appropriate, given the potential ramifications of what may have occurred. With these indictments, he has just dropped his first payload of bombs . . . right on target . . . right into your bunker!

Of course, Mr. Trump, you have the authority to pardon all members of your inner circle at any time. You could also terminate Mr. Mueller’s inquiry, should the heat and smoke of those investigative fires draw near and begin to drop blackened ashes on your residence and singe the curtains and carpets of the Oval Office you now occupy. But be judicious with that authority; a bridge too far could be crossed should you choose such actions. This is a no-win situation. And midterm elections are coming up quickly, one year away. You may have the unpleasant spectacle of observing your “loyal supporters” as rats jumping off a sinking ship, to save their own political asses, as it becomes clear to them your vessel is no longer seaworthy. A few of the more courageous have already repudiated you and your policies.

As with Nixon’s accomplices, Mr. Trump, your cohorts will now face the ongoing scrutiny of both legal and public accountability for their actions, and if found guilty will be punished for their deeds. At this point we don’t know where this inquiry will lead, but as with Mr. Nixon, the past strategy to “follow the money” could once again be important territory to explore. And you, Mr. Trump (to echo your affinity for repetitive adverbs) should very, very, very concerned and fearful. Time is not on your side.

E. G. Singer lives in Santa Rosa

Open Mic is a weekly feature in the ‘Bohemian.’ We welcome your contribution. To have your topical essay of 350 words considered for publication, write op*****@******an.com.

Letters to the Editor: November 8, 2017

Urban Growth

There’s a huge amount of undeveloped and underdeveloped land in Santa Rosa (“Blazing Speed,” Nov. 1). We should look there before even considering expanding urban growth boundaries.

Via Bohemian.com

Our Pathological President

I’ll give him one thing: Trump is a great teacher. In this crazy culture, where we are taught that material success is everything and that success equals money, we can see by his example a man whose life is corrupted with the idea that money equates to a happy, satisfying life. But look closer. Are these the actions of a man who experiences joy, contentment, peace? Is that the face of a happy man? I think not.

He clearly demonstrates that money can’t buy wisdom, character, morals, understanding or maturity. His life is an example of a person so insulated by money from the normal experiences of living that he acts as if he doesn’t need other people. He needn’t answer to anyone and is without regard for his impact on other humans. Psychologically speaking, what is evident to most other people is his pathological need to be admired, tended to and provided for, and to have no hint of disagreement about his point of view. In effect, he can’t tolerate the existence of other people.

He presents, and represents, the worst of masculinity: compensating with a blustery, fake strong persona while hiding a scared, little boy inside. He hides this boy from us, and from himself, preferring to believe his own myth of being a man, an adult. He actually seems to believe that bullying is a strength.

My hunch is that one reason he devalues women is because, somewhere inside, he knows they are stronger than he is; they are more resilient, they know the value of collaboration and demonstrate daily the survival value of working together. We are, after all, pack animals. Our evolutionary history has taught us that staying together and working together is the thing that ensures our survival as a species. But like a kid in kindergarten who never got to learn how to share with others, Trump not only doesn’t play well with others, he doesn’t know how to play well with others. So he retreats to the fantasy and insulation of the monied life, believing in the world where everyone agrees with him, smiles at him, tells him how great he is. This allows him to live in a dissociated, auto-erotic state. Nobody turns him on quite like he does. He literally lives in a non-relational world.

He may be the best living example of how not to live. He exemplifies how to flaunt the trappings of success as a way to appear happy while remaining an isolated, insecure, psychologically weak person.

Via Bohemian.com

Write to us at le*****@******an.com.

To Witt

1

James Lee Witt, the Bill Clinton–era Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, was tapped in October to lead the fire-recovery nonprofit Rebuild North Bay.

He headed FEMA in the 1990s, but more recently founded a corporation called EB5 Global Management, LLC, which seeks to capitalize on a controversial U.S. law that grants fast-track permanent residence status to foreign nationals in exchange for large investments in American development projects. The company has offices in Washington, D.C., and Little Rock, Ark., and was registered in Delaware in August 2015.

According to its website, EB5 Global Management sets out to “form, fund and manage special purpose limited partnerships to loan money to companies creating jobs in the United States. We align the capital requirements of domestic developers and entrepreneurs with the immigration goals of our EB5 investors.”

Witt’s firm accomplishes this goal by “coordinating the investment of foreign capital into development projects that are located within the United States in conformity with the requirements of the EB-5 Visa Green Card Program.”

EB-5 visas are granted to foreigners who make investments of at least $500,000 in areas with high unemployment or at least $1 million everywhere else, in exchange for a guarantee of 10 full-time jobs for every million dollars invested. Since its inception, the EB-5 program has been used to finance hotels, retail space, housing projects and numerous Las Vegas casinos. Regionally, the $6 billion Treasure Island development project now underway in San Francisco was undertaken with EB-5 loans provided to the Lennar Corporation, the nation’s second-largest homebuilder.

Rebuild North Bay is a 501(4)(c) nonprofit initiative launched by Darius Anderson, a prominent Sacramento lobbyist and real estate investor based in Sonoma who is also the managing partner of Sonoma Media Investments, the newspaper group which owns the Press Democrat. Anderson’s lobbying clients on record with the state of California include Station Casinos, a Las Vegas corporation that manages the Graton Rancheria Casino in Rohnert Park. He also lobbies for Tesla General Motors and CannaCraft and Robertson’s Ready Mix, one of the nation’s largest concrete firms, which is owned by the Mitsubishi Materials Corporation.

And Anderson’s Kenwood Investments is a key development partner behind the eco-friendly Treasure Island project now underway. According to an August 2017 EB-5 project database compiled by the Center for Real Estate Finance Research at New York University, the Treasure Island development is funded, in part via $155 million in foreign loans provided to the Lennar Corporation to build a new community of 8,000 homes and hundreds of thousands of feet of new retail space.

Will a Treasure Island–style project find purchase in the fire-scarred North Bay as it begins to rebuild?

According to its website, “Rebuild North Bay will be led by an integrative team of community and business leaders focused on understanding what went right and what went wrong, while developing a comprehensive plan for recovery and rebuilding.” the organization says it will eventually focus on a strategy for rebuilding, but doesn’t yet offer any specifics about what shape that may take.

Witt’s office did not respond to a request for comment about his EB5 Global Management firm and what role it may play in Rebuild North Bay.

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In response to a set of questions from the Bohemian, Rebuild North Bay’s media liaison Ken Garcia says Witt’s outside business interests won’t play any role in the rebuilding—and that Rebuild North Bay won’t actually be rebuilding anything.

“The organization is currently focused on forming its structure,” Garcia says via email, “putting its executive committee together and identifying its core principles and needs so it can better serve the North Bay’s recovery efforts. So I can’t answer all your questions, but I can tell you this: RNB does not plan to build, or rebuild any structures. As such, there is no role for the EB-5 program, nor for Mr. Witt’s involvement in it. Witt will serve in an advisory capacity to cities, counties and others on how to effectively deal with FEMA and maximize the federal dollars that can be made available to the affected areas.”

According to the IRS, Rebuild North Bay’s 501(4)(c) nonprofit designation allows it “to encourage industrial development and relieve unemployment in an area by making loans to businesses so they will relocate to the area.”

Most EB-5 investment activity is undertaken by Asian nationals. In recent years wealthy Chinese have been the major beneficiaries of the expedited green cards, according to a 2015 study from Savills Studley Research, a commercial real estate firm.

According to the report, the United States issues about 10,000 of the visas annually, and as recently as 2014, 85 percent of them went to mainland Chinese nationals, who are generally less interested in a big return on their investment than on obtaining the fast-track visa—hence the emergence of low-interest, “cheap capital” loans from Chinese investors to American developers, who of late have included presidential first son Jared Kushner, who used EB-5 loans in a big New Jersey development.

A 2016 report in Forbes noted that the recent construction of the Lucky Dragon casino in Las Vegas was undertaken largely with EB-5 investments from Chinese nationals, and the result was a casino built largely with Chinese money and with the stated goal of attracting Chinese-Americans gamblers.

Critics of EB-5 visas include California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who called for the program’s elimination earlier this year when it was up for congressional reauthorization. She highlighted the unfairness of letting wealthy foreigners buy their way into the country while immigrants of lesser means have to wait years for a green card, or face deportation if they arrived illegally. California is the biggest player in the EB-5 economic space, according to the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, with around 200 so-called regional centers licensed by the United States Customs and Immigration Service. One is called New World Regional Center; it’s the center utilized in the Treasure Island project (New World is one of several regional centers operated by the Seattle-based corporation).

The pay-to-stay EB-5 arrangement is an especially sensitive issue in the North Bay and in the state’s agricultural sector where 71 percent of all field work is undertaken by immigrant labor. Around 40 percent of all hospitality workers in the state are also immigrants.

The Press Democrat and its affiliated publications have emphasized Witt’s record at FEMA, but haven’t mentioned EB5. An Oct. 24 story in the Press Democrat noted that Witt has a new company involved in attaining “bridge loans” for major U.S. infrastructure projects.That’s called the Witt Global Partners Infrastructure Fund, which is seeking between $500 and $800 million for unspecified infrastructure projects.The fund was created before the North Bay fires by WGP Capital. and, according to the company’s website, set out to “invest in a diversified portfolio of high-quality U.S. infrastructure projects… WGP will source, vet, and invest in privately held companies and special situations that are poised to take advantage of inefficiencies in areas such as solid waste, drinking water, air and surface quality management, wastewater, solar and fuel cell technologies, [and] transportation tech.”

Witt’s Wikipedia entry tails off in 2015 when it comes to detailing the for-profit LLCs under his control, most of which were incorporated recently, in Delaware. According to the Delaware Department of State business entity portal, Witt-controlled private-equity investment LLCs include Witt Global Partners, incorporated October 2015; Witt Global Partners Capital, incorporated January 2017; Witt Capital Partners, incorporated July 2016; Witt Global Partners Asset Management, incorporated February 2017; and Witt Global Partners GP-1, incorporated February 2017.

Nov. 8: This story has been updated with additional information about the WGP Global Infrastructure Fund.

All Good Things

Earlier this week, the Marquee Theater Journalist Association held a party at Confluence Taproom in Santa Rosa, announcing the winners of the second annual MTJA awards. I was one of the presenters, along with fellow MTJA members Harry Duke, Alexa Chipman and Barry Willis.

A total of 15 recipients were named. Santa Rosa Junior College’s production of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights took the prize for Outstanding Musical, the certificates going to director John Shillington and musical director Janis Wilson. Also awarded for SRJC’s vibrant, refreshingly multicultural musical was Peter Crompton, for his stunningly good set design.

The award for Outstanding Drama went to director David Yen for 6th Street Playhouse’s insightful, emotional staging of Jeff Baron’s Visiting Mr. Green. Actor Alan Kaplan, as the title character, picked up the award for outstanding lead performance in a drama.

And the prize for Outstanding Comedy Production went to Sonoma Arts’ Live’s energetic and hilarious production of Steven Dietz’s Becky’s New Car, directed by Carl Jordan. Melissa Claire was also awarded for her work on the play, taking Outstanding Performance in a Comedy. (The full list of nominees and winners appears on page two.)

Now, I’d like to make one additional announcement.

I have been serving as a weekly theater critic for over 16 years, beginning with my review of Poona the Fuckdog at Actors Theatre in June 2001. Reviewing (certain complications aside) has been a constant joy and challenge, an awesome responsibility and a truly life-changing privilege, one I’ve taken very seriously. I’ve loved every minute of it.

But every good show comes to an end eventually—even Poona the Fuckdog. And even this, my long and thoroughly enjoyable run as the Bohemian‘s weekly theater critic.

I have decided that, at the close of this year, I will be jotting down my final note in my ever-present notebook, and will be stepping down as this paper’s reviewer, excitedly turning my full attention to other pursuits: artistic, journalistic, theatrical and otherwise.

I am not leaving the Bohemian, however, for which I will continue to write about the arts, including an occasional piece about the amazing and quirky artists who create Sonoma County theater. I just won’t be the one adding the little stars to the ends of the reviews.

So this is not goodbye. For one thing, I’m not leaving yet. I still have two months of local theater to observe, and to comment on. Then one final Top 10 Torn Tickets to write. Between now and then, I’ll see you at the theater.

I’ll be the grateful guy with the notebook.

[page]

OUTSTANDING MUSICAL PRODUCTION

Nominees:

1776 (Larry Williams, director; Spreckels Theatre Company)

Gypsy (Michael Ross, director; Sonoma Arts Live)

In the Heights (John Shillington, director; SRJC)

In the Mood (David Lear, director; Shakespeare in the Cannery)

Titanic (Gene Abravaya, director; Spreckels Theatre Company)

Awarded: In the Heights

OUTSTANDING COMEDY PRODUCTION

Nominees:

Baskerville (David L. Yen, director; Spreckels Theatre Company)

Becky’s New Car (Carl Jordan, director; Sonoma Arts Live)

From Both Hips (John Craven, director; Main Stage West)

A Masterpiece of Comic Timing (Craig Miller, director; 6th Street Playhouse)

Zombietown (Nick Sholley, director; Left Edge Theater)

Awarded: Becky’s New Car

OUTSTANDING DRAMA PRODUCTION

Nominees:

The Birds (Beth Craven, director; Main Stage West)

Dancing at Lughnasa (Molly Noble, director; Main Stage West)

Race (Carl Jordan, director; Left Edge Theater)

Visiting Mr. Green (David L. Yen director; 6th Street Playhouse)

Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (David Lear, director; Main Stage West)

Awarded: Visiting Mr. Green

OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL

Nominees:

Jeff Coté (1776, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Shawna Eiermann (Tarzan: The Musical, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Daniella Innocenti-Beem (Gypsy, Sonoma Arts Live)

Joseph Miranda (In the Heights, SRJC)

Ellen Toscano (Evita, Sonoma Arts Live)

Awarded: Daniella Innocenti-Beem

OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY

Melissa Claire (Becky’s New Car, Sonoma Arts Live)

Mary Gannon Graham (The Sugarbean Sisters, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Chris Ginesi (From Both Hips, Main Stage West)

Chris Schloemp (A Masterpiece of Comic Timing, 6th Street Playhouse)

Chris Schloemp (Baskerville, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Awarded: Melissa Claire

OUTSTANDING LEAD PERFORMANCE IN A DRAMA

Liz Jahren (The Birds, Main Stage West)

Alan Kaplan (Visiting Mr. Green, 6th Street Playhouse)

Dorian Lockett (Race, Left Edge Theater)

Ivy Miller (Dancing at Lughnasa, Main Stage West)

Illana Niernberger (Capacity, Main Stage West)

Awarded: Alan Kaplan

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A DRAMA

Robert Bauer (The Diary of Ann Frank, Raven Players)

Kevin Kieta (Visiting Mr. Green, 6th Street Playhouse)

Rose Roberts (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Main Stage West)

Nick Sholley (The Birds, Main Stage West)

Joe Winkler (The Big Meal, Left Edge Theater)

Awarded: Rose Roberts

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A MUSICAL

Gene Abravaya (1776, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Cooper Bennett (In the Heights, SRJC)

Jacob Bronson (Titanic, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Erik Weiss (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, 6th Street Playhouse)

Amy Webber (You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, 6th Street Playhouse)

Awarded: Erik Weiss

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING PERFORMANCE IN A COMEDY

Heather Gordon (The Money Shot, Left Edge Theater)

Rose Roberts (A Masterpiece of Comic Timing, 6th Street Playhouse)

Chad Yarish (The Odd Couple, Cinnabar Theater)

Zane Walters (Baskerville, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Matt Witthaus (Becky’s New Car, Sonoma Arts Live)

Awarded: Heather Gordon

OUTSTANDING CHOREOGRAPHY

Alia Beeton (In the Mood, Shakespeare in the Cannery)

Sam Browne, Casandra Hillman, Anakarina Swanson (In the Heights, SRJC)

Sandi Lang (Anything Goes, Raven Players)

Marilyn Murray, Melinda Murray (George M!, 6th Street Playhouse)

Michella Snider (Disney’s Musical Tarzan, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Awarded: Sam Browne,

Casandra Hillman, Anakarina Swanson

OUTSTANDING POSTER/PROGRAM DESIGN

The Children’s Hour (Ty Donaldson, 6th Street Playhouse)

The Clean House (Richard Sheppard, Raven Players)

Pagliacci (Victoria Von Thal, Cinnabar Theater)

Sweeney Todd (Richard Sheppard, Raven Players)

Zombietown (Argo Thompson, Left Edge Theater)

Awarded: Pagliacci

OUTSTANDING SET DESIGN

Peter Crompton (In the Heights, SRJC)

Eddy Hansen/Elizabeth Bazzano (The Sugarbean Sisters, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Eddy Hansen/Elizabeth Bazzano (Titanic, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Bruce Lackovic (Becky’s New Car, Sonoma Arts Live)

Michael Mingola (The Diary of Ann Frank, Raven Players)

Awarded: Peter Crompton

OUTSTANDING COSTUME DESIGN

Michael R. J. Campbell (The Threepenny Opera, 6th Street Playhouse)

Pamela Enz (1776, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Pamela Enz (Titanic, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Maci Cae Hosler (Fairyworlds!, 6th Street Playhouse)

Pamela Johnson (The Sugarbean Sisters, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Awarded: Maci Cae Hosler

OUTSTANDING LIGHT DESIGN

April George (Fairyworlds! 6th Street Playhouse)

Yave Guzman (Agnes of God, Cloverdale Performing Arts Center)

Eddy Hansen (The Sugarbean Sisters, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Vincent Mothersbaugh (In the Heights, SRJC)

Missy Weaver (The Birds, Main Stage West)

Awarded: Eddy Hansen

OUTSTANDING SOUND DESIGN

Doug Faxon (The Birds, Main Stage West)

Jessica Johnson (The Sugarbean Sisters, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Jessica Johnson (Titanic, Spreckels Theatre Company)

Tom Luekens (The Diary of Ann Frank, Raven Players)

Craig Miller (Visiting Mr. Green, 6th Street Playhouse)

Awarded: Doug Faxon

Not Lost

0

I kinda knew I’d find Champagne in paradise. I just momentarily forgot it was so easy to find my way back to Paradise.

This month, “everyone who walks in the door,” says Paradise Ridge tasting-room manager Annette McDonnell, “I hand them a glass of bubbly.” Whether sampled from a flute or a bowl, the Paradise Ridge 2014 Blanc de Blancs ($44) warms the nose with aromas of brioche and toasty lemon merengue pie crust, before awakening the palate with a broad sweep of brisk, lemony acidity. McDonnell and her personable staff like to interject a little wine education even while pouring a glass of sparkling wine—partly for their own amusement, jokes a staff member, because it involves trying to sip while holding one’s nose.

But wait—why am I still talking about Paradise Ridge, the Santa Rosa winery we mourned as “lost” and “gone” after the Tubbs fire left it in a smoking (and highly televised) ruin?

Indeed, for this column, I’d originally intended to find some orphan bottle of the estate’s wine, wax sentimental and tactfully ask how grieving fans might help—or just find the wine. That’s when I remembered that back in 2008, Paradise Ridge opened a satellite tasting room in a cozy little shack on Highway 12.

“And the view is beautiful,” says McDonnell, gesturing out a front door that frames a Sugarloaf Ridge–area landscape that’s dramatic on any day—just somewhat charred at present, by yet another fire that had also threatened the little town of Kenwood in the direction of the back door. What a month!

But McDonnell says she doesn’t want the winery’s story to stick on scenes wrought by the fires: “We don’t want people to be ‘Aww.’ We want people to be ‘Yeah!'” The best way to help Paradise Ridge, she says, is to help their wine country neighbors by visiting and buying wine. Not that they don’t have plenty of their own to offer, having 11,000 cases in safe storage at a Windsor facility.

It’s been mostly locals here in recent weeks, says McDonnell, although today she’s hosting two couples who trekked up from the East Bay, having got a tip that the winery was still open in Kenwood. After tasting through wines like the luxuriously silky 2015 Nagasawa Vineyard Russian River Valley Chardonnay ($40), which defies simplistic California Chardonnay descriptors, and the 2013 Convict Rockpile Zinfandel ($48), a popular, plum-and-cassis-scented Zinfandel that evokes Cabernet, it looks like they’re very much on the “Yeah!” side.

Paradise Ridge Kenwood Tasting Room, 8860 Sonoma Hwy., Kenwood. Open daily, 11am–6pm. Tasting fees, $15–$20. Herb and chocolate pairings, $25–$40. 707.282.9020.

Still Cooking

0

The week after her house burned down in last month’s fires, Kendra Kolling came back to her regular gig at the San Francisco Ferry Building farmers market, making her signature sandwiches at the Farmer’s Wife.

“I find great comfort in the markets,” Kolling says. “To experience the familiar, the normal, has been very helpful.”

It was the second week after the fire that grief set in and Kolling decided to take a break. She and her family fled their Kenwood home on Oct. 8 and evacuated to Rohnert Park. The following day, they came back to find their home, barn, catering van and guesthouse burned to the ground. Trees around their property were still on fire.

A month later, she’s come to terms with the disaster and is doing her best to move forward. “I’m not crying when I tell the story anymore, at least.”

Fans of her sandwiches are happy she’s still in business. Last year, Kolling’s braised greens, egg and cheese sandwich was voted “Best Breakfast Sandwich in the Country” by the Time Inc. Media Group and other of her creations have been featured nationwide in online sites like Extra Crispy and on the Food Network.

Kolling has worked in the food and wine industry for most of her life, and called Sonoma County home for 30 years. Her husband, Paul Kolling, is an apple grower and the founder of Nana Mae’s Organics. She founded the Farmer’s Wife in a portable 10-by-10-foot tent seven years ago as she prepared to send her two oldest kids to college.

“I started by serving omelettes, oatmeal—you name it—but I quickly realized sandwiches were the most sought-after,” she says.

To simplify even further, Kolling got rid of most of her bread varieties, sticking to
Full Circle Baking Company’s organic sourdough, the perfect vehicle for her fresh and local ingredients, she says. The menu changes seasonally, and past standouts includes a mission fig, honey, lavender, bacon and Gravenstein apple cheese melt, and a toasted fennel sausage, kimchi and avocado grilled cheese super sandwich. The equation couldn’t be more simple: good cheese, fruits and vegetables and a meaty twist.

She came close to opening a restaurant at the Barlow in Sebastopol—twice—but the deals fell through.

“When I started my business, my vision was, ‘I really want to pay the electric bill, send my
kids to birthday parties, send them on soccer teams.’ All the money goes into the kids’ education. I don’t have the overhead to open a shop. It’s a
risk I can’t afford,” she says.

Now, with the losses suffered in the fire, this dream is even further away, but Kolling’s calendar is filling up with holiday catering opportunities, and she’s still at the Ferry Building on Saturdays and the Marin Civic Center’s farmers market on Sundays.

“If there’s anything being a farmer’s wife taught me, it’s that life is hard,” she says. “I’ve had 20 years of training to navigate through this difficult time with grace and calm.”

For more info, visit thefarmerswifesonoma.com.

Music Therapy

0

Santa Rosa–based nonprofit
SoCo Music Coalition has only been around since September, but already the music-education center has bonded with the community in the wake of the wildfires and is offering free music classes to kids through November.

Founded by longtime Sonoma County musician Robb Ringwald and recent North Bay transplant and Silicon Valley businesswoman Noelle Nicholson, the new nonprofit school of rock possesses all the equipment and instructors needed for kids between ages eight and 17.

In response to the recent wildfires, SoCo Music Coalition is hosting a new program, “Music Is Medicine,” and waiving its fees for the month of November. With no commitment required, the coalition is transforming into a refuge of creative outlet and positive focus to help kids recover emotionally from the fires.

This weekend, SoCo Music Coalition also hosts a rock ‘n’ roll fundraiser featuring veteran Seattle alternative group Malfunkshun (pictured) headlining. Founding guitarist Kevin Wood is still at the helm of the glam-meets-grunge legend. Local bands Hot Start, E Negative and the Marshall House Project open the show, and proceeds will help the coalition continue to serve the North Bay’s next generation of rock stars.

Striking

Anyone who has dug up an old book and wondered who it was who wrote his name in it 50 years ago might fall in love with Todd Haynes’ Wonderstruck, the film version of Brian Selznick’s novel.

Nineteen seventy-seven. Young Ben (Oakes Fegley) is orphaned, and then deprived of his hearing by a freak accident. Finding a stash of money left behind by his mother, he decides to search for his father, because of a mysterious message left on a bookmark. His story is contrasted with the tale of Rose (Millicent Simmonds), an affluent shut-in of 1927.

There are all sorts of reasons why the wondrous Wonderstruck should have failed, and the principal challenge was matching a pair of wildly different eras. Haynes (Carol, Far from Heaven) deftly switches back and forth from a silent era of sharp black-and-white angles to mellow color; when a taxi drives through the spray of an uncapped fire hydrant, we think of Travis Bickle’s journeys in Taxi Driver. These ’70s streetscapes are as sterling as the recreations in the HBO series The Deuce, but with a far wider focus. It’s grimy, but nostalgic.

Simmonds, who is deaf and plays a deaf character, has tremendous charm as she pursues a silent film star (Julianne Moore); it’s touching to see brave, dark-eyed Rose take in the last performance of a silent film at a theater where the Vitaphone sound system equipment is about to be installed—were there deaf movie fans betrayed by the arrival of sound film?

Cory Michael Smith and James Urbaniak provide support as Rose’s allies. They really have faces, as Sunset Boulevard character Norma Desmond put it. Moore returns to connect the sundered history in pantomime; our finest living screen actress repairs the broken chains of time with the help of lovely toylike miniatures, in a sequence free of the tweenness of Wes Anderson. This is a film to cherish, and it’s one of the best movies about New York I’ve seen.

‘Wonderstruck’ is playing at Summerfield Cinemas, 551 Summerfield Road, Santa Rosa. 707.525.8909.

Welcome Back

0

When Luther Burbank Center for the Arts president and CEO Rick Nowlin spoke to the center’s insurance company the day after the Tubbs fire destroyed an estimated 30,000 square feet of the center’s campus, they estimated the main auditorium would be out of commission until after the new year.

Thanks to tireless efforts by the center’s staff, the performance center beat the odds and officially reopened to the public on Nov. 6, less than a month after the Oct. 9 disaster. The center has also launched a “pay what you can” program for select upcoming performances, including Australian pop duo Air Supply (pictured) on Nov. 11, Dwight Yoakam on Nov. 26 and Mannheim Steamroller on Nov. 29.

“There were rumors out there that the entire building had burned down,” Nowlin says.

When the smoke cleared, much of the east end of the campus was indeed lost, including classrooms, the east auditorium and the workshop.

“We knew that the main stage theater and the rest of the facility was safe,” Nowlin says. “But we knew that we had a long road to reopen to the public.”

In addition to the structural damage, the center lost over 200 instruments, valued at $120,000 and maintained as part of its instrument lending library. “We are looking to the community to help replace those instruments,” says director of education and community engagement Ray Gargano, who adds that groups like the Santa Rosa Symphony and Sonoma State University are already helping replace and store instruments while the center rebuilds.

One of the first things Luther Burbank Center’s director of programming Anita Wiglesworth did after the disaster was communicate to the music industry that the center was not done for.

“We are still here and viable and a part of this community,” says Wiglesworth, who reached out to artists scheduled to perform in the coming weeks about supporting the community through the “pay what you can” program, offering tickets especially to those affected by the recent fires and to first responders.

Wigleworth adds that the center is looking at long-term goals for giving back to the community beyond the first wave of benefit concerts. “We’ve been talking to artists to work up a plan that will be pretty strategic, not just in the next coming months, but also the next couple of years.”

‘Pay what you can’ tickets for select show are available at 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa. 707.546.3600 and lutherburbankcenter.org with the code sonomastrong. Subject to availability; four-ticket limit per show.

Holiday Arts 2017

Believe it or not, the holiday season is upon us. And that means nearly two months of holiday fun and cheer are coming your way. To help you navigate the season, and keep your spirits bright, we present our select guide to holiday fun from Thanksgiving to Christmas. EVENTS Wine Country Turkey Crawl Taste and pick a wine to pair with...

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To Witt

James Lee Witt, the Bill Clinton–era Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, was tapped in October to lead the fire-recovery nonprofit Rebuild North Bay. He headed FEMA in the 1990s, but more recently founded a corporation called EB5 Global Management, LLC, which seeks to capitalize on a controversial U.S. law that grants fast-track permanent residence status to foreign nationals in exchange...

All Good Things

Earlier this week, the Marquee Theater Journalist Association held a party at Confluence Taproom in Santa Rosa, announcing the winners of the second annual MTJA awards. I was one of the presenters, along with fellow MTJA members Harry Duke, Alexa Chipman and Barry Willis. A total of 15 recipients were named. Santa Rosa Junior College's production of Lin-Manuel Miranda's In...

Not Lost

I kinda knew I'd find Champagne in paradise. I just momentarily forgot it was so easy to find my way back to Paradise. This month, "everyone who walks in the door," says Paradise Ridge tasting-room manager Annette McDonnell, "I hand them a glass of bubbly." Whether sampled from a flute or a bowl, the Paradise Ridge 2014 Blanc de Blancs...

Still Cooking

The week after her house burned down in last month's fires, Kendra Kolling came back to her regular gig at the San Francisco Ferry Building farmers market, making her signature sandwiches at the Farmer's Wife. "I find great comfort in the markets," Kolling says. "To experience the familiar, the normal, has been very helpful." It was the second week after the...

Music Therapy

Santa Rosa–based nonprofit SoCo Music Coalition has only been around since September, but already the music-education center has bonded with the community in the wake of the wildfires and is offering free music classes to kids through November. Founded by longtime Sonoma County musician Robb Ringwald and recent North Bay transplant and Silicon Valley businesswoman Noelle Nicholson, the new nonprofit...

Striking

Anyone who has dug up an old book and wondered who it was who wrote his name in it 50 years ago might fall in love with Todd Haynes' Wonderstruck, the film version of Brian Selznick's novel. Nineteen seventy-seven. Young Ben (Oakes Fegley) is orphaned, and then deprived of his hearing by a freak accident. Finding a stash of money...

Welcome Back

When Luther Burbank Center for the Arts president and CEO Rick Nowlin spoke to the center's insurance company the day after the Tubbs fire destroyed an estimated 30,000 square feet of the center's campus, they estimated the main auditorium would be out of commission until after the new year. Thanks to tireless efforts by the center's staff, the performance center...
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