Banner image above: "Gondolier III" by Keiko Tanabe

Every Little Act
The Canadian painter Philip Buller, whose collection Every Little Act is showing at Susan Street Fine Art Gallery in Solana Beach through May 11, draws his inspiration from the masters. His mythological and Biblical subject matter has roots in the Renaissance, his brushstroke style borrows from dappled impressionism, and his sharp eye for composition demonstrates his deep interest in modern photography. "In order to paint representationally," he explains in his artist’s statement, "it is necessary to look closely at every formal relationship, from the overall form to the tiniest of details. In doing so one becomes aware of other relationships. Each subject becomes more apparent. It is a bit like seeing into a tide pool. The longer and closer that one looks the more life becomes visible." (858/793-4442, www.susanstreetfineart.com)
— AnnaMaria Stephens

Beethoven’s Waltz
This month, La Jolla Playhouse mounts a play that explores Beethoven’s obsession with a waltz written by music publisher Anton Diabelli. Beethoven’s fixation with that waltz led him to write 33 variations on it, after initially rejecting a commission to write a single variation in 1819. The question is why would this musical genius create so many compositions around what was regarded as a rather common work? It has remained a talked about mystery for centuries, particularly since the resulting Diabelli Variations, not the original waltz itself, is regarded as very important. Now, playwright Moises Kaufman explores this tantalizing subject in his play 33 Variations, which runs from April 8 through May 4 at La Jolla Playhouse. He also directs the production, which is illuminated with Beethoven’s sheet music and accompanied by concert pianist Diane Walsh. Kaufman has a terrific theatrical track record, having directed the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning play I Am My Own Wife, The Laramie Project, and others. (858/550-1010, www.lajollaplayhouse.org) — Darlene G. Davies

San Diego Masterpieces
The grand opening of the Oceanside Museum of Art’s new 16,000-square-foot Central Pavilion will commence with Masterpieces of San Diego Painting: Fifty Works from Fifty Years, 1900-1950. The exhibit features paintings from private collections and museums that reveal the most accomplished artists during this fifty year period, including celebrated plein air painters such as Maurice Braun, Charles Fries, and Charles Reiffel, as well as the highly accomplished group of early modernists including Belle Baranceanu and Ethel Greene. Modernist architect Frederick Fisher designed the Central Pavilion that includes exhibition galleries, an elegant lobby, administrative offices, and exhibit preparation workshops. Fisher is a recent recipient of the Rome Prize in Architecture which has been awarded for more than 100 years by the American Academy in Rome to exceptional artists and scholars. (760/721-2787, www.oma-online.org) — Alicia Garcia

What A Shock
What fun! We refer to an upcoming rematch of the famous 1976 legendary wine tasting that took place in Paris, when California wines outrated the top wines of Burgandy and Bordeaux. On April 12, the Museum of Photographic Arts (MoPA) in Balboa Park will restage that famous tasting with updated vintages. Special guests will include the director of the acclaimed film Bottle Shock, a movie that visually captures the legendary Paris event. The film stars Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman and recently made waves at Sundance. Pamplemousse Grille will cater and MoPA will host formally attired guests in its beautiful museum setting. Save April 26 for MoPA’s popular Vintage Auction & Wine Tasting, now ten years old. Savor fine wines and bid on rare ones, as well as luxury lifestyle packages and a gallery of photography by local and internationally known artists. (619/238-7559, www.mopa.org) — Darlene G. Davies

Peter Lik Comes To La Jolla
"When I shoot, I physically slow down, stop, and listen to nature, absorbing my surroundings," explains Peter Lik of his photography. Lik, of Czech descent and born in Melbourne, just opened his newest gallery in La Jolla and is self taught when it comes to his art. Over 400 people showed up to the opening reception at the gallery, where Lik revealed some never-before-seen photos. His galleries in Vegas, Australia, and Hawaii have attracted myriad collectors over the years who marvel at his emotional and vibrant images. They are the types of inspiring photos that novices probably think they could shoot, but close analysis shows extreme care in every aspect of the pictures. "I do quite a bit of research," says Lik, "depending on seasonal and climate changes. Commonly I will revisit locations several times until an inner emotion lets me know that I have captured the [location’s] true essence." Visit the new gallery on 1205 Prospect Street and see for yourself. (858/200-0990, www.peterlik.com) — Ryan Thomas

Culture Calendar

April

Thru 4/13: Robert Irwin: Primaries And Secondaries
MCASD’s 1001 Kettner location presents an exhibition featuring five new installation pieces by the Robert Irwin, four of which premiere in San Diego. (858/454-3541, www.mcasd.org)

Thru 4/13: Dancing In The Dark
This Old Globe musical evolves around Tony Hunter, a Hollywood star with a career on the wane, and Jeffrey Cordova, a Shakespearean actor-manager with a taste for high art. (619/23-GLOBE, www.theoldglobe.org)

Thru 4/20: The Photographer’s Eye: A Way Of Seeing
Drawn from MoPA’s permanent collection, this exhibition interprets the groundbreaking book, The Photographer’s Eye (1966) by John Szarkowski, now in reprint and available at MoPA’s bookstore. (619/238-7559, www.mopa.org)

Thru 4/20: Measured Time: MoPA At 25
This exhibition will be viewed as a literal timeline, horizontally oriented with photographs from MoPA’s permanent collection that illustrate important original exhibitions and significant artists whose first museum solo exhibitions were held at MoPA. (619/238-7559, www.mopa.org)

Thru 4/27: Kindred Spirits: Asher B. Durand And The American Landscape And Plein Air Past and Present: A Collaboration Between SDMA And The Lux Art Institute
SDMA is the final and only West Coast venue for a major exhibition of works by the great 19th-century American landscape painter Asher B. Durand, one of the foremost artists of his era and a founder of the Hudson River School. (619/232-7931, www.sdmart.org)

Thru 5/4: Matrix II
Austrian-born artist Erwin Redl’s room-size installation, Matrix II, is on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s La Jolla location. The work uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to create a complete sensory experience. (858/454-3541, www.mcasd.org)

Thru 5/5: Photography At The Poles
Intriguing images of the Arctic and Antarctic by leading National Geographic photographers at The Ordover Gallery at the San Diego Natural History Museum. (858/720-1121, www.ordovergallery.com)

Thru 5/18: Rhythms Of India: The Art Of Nandalal Bose (1882-1966)
The San Diego Museum of Art has organized the first comprehensive traveling exhibition to survey the expansive repertoire of Nandalal Bose, the father of modern art in India. (619/232-7931, www.sdmart.org)

Thru 5/31: The Beauty Of Use — Mingei International Museum At 30
In commemoration of the museum’s 30th anniversary, the exhibition features objects from many cultures shown in relationships that highlight similarities and differences. (619/239-0003, www.mingei.org)

Thru 5/31: Dressing A City: Selected Styles From Marston’s Department Store, 1878-1961
San Diego Historical Society’s Museum of San Diego History will honor Marston’s by showcasing numerous costume pieces from its costume and textile collection. (619/232-6203, www.sandiegohistory.org)

Thru 6/8: Kara Walker: My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love
UCLA’s Hammer Museum offers the first comprehensive presentation on the West Coast of this remarkable African American artist’s career. The show originated at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis and has traveled to the Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. (310/443-7000, www.hammer.ucla.edu)

Thru 6/15: A Day In Pompeii
The San Diego Natural History Museum transports visitors back 2,000 years in time to experience life and death in the ancient Roman Empire. (619/232-3821, www.sdnhm.org)

Thru 6/30: Maya Lin: Systematic Landscapes
Maya Lin presents a trip of large-scale sculptural installations that offer a different means for viewers to encounter and comprehend the landscape. Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego downtown. (858/454-3541, www.mcasd.org)

Thru 9/30: Grand Canyon Adventure: River At Risk
Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’s IMAX Dome Theater’s newest offering presents an exhilarating river-rafting adventure down the Colorado River with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and anthropologist Wade Davis on a criticial mission of water conservation and river restoration. Narrated by Robert Redford and featuring music by the Dave Matthews Band. (619/238-1233, www.rhfleet.org)

4/3-19: Julie Heffernan At Lux Art lnstitute
Heffernan will move into Lux’s Artist Residence and create a large-scale oil painting on canvas from start to finish. Visitors can "see art happen" while she is in studio and view her completed work through May 31. (760/436-6611, www.luxartinstitute.org)

4/4-13: Stay The Hand
Malashock Dance presents dazzling choreography by four-time Emmy winner John Malashock with his amazing company of dancers, electronic Persian music, and poetry by internationally renowned composer and UCSD professor Shahrokh Yadegari. Stephen and Mary Birch North Park Theatre. (619/260-1622, www.malashockdance.org)

4/5: Tchaikovsky Perm Ballet And Orchestra
Since its inaugural performance of Giselle in 1926, the Perm Ballet has evolved into one of Russia’s internationally lauded ballet companies. The group will perform highlights from some of Tchaikovsky’s most spectacular ballets including Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker. California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)

4/6: Shidara
With roots shrouded in the fog of supposition and myth, taiko, often called rolling thunder, is Japanese folk drumming. Today, Shidara, a troupe of men and women from deep within the mountains of Japan, present the art of taiko as it’s never been seen before. California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)

4/7, 8, 11: The Beethoven Experience
San Diego Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of artistic director and conductor Jung-Ho Pak, performs on April 7 at Sherwood Auditorium, April 8 at Del Mar Country Club, and April 11 at St. Paul’s Cathedral downtown. (858/350-0290, ext. 5, www.sdco.org)

4/10-5/18: The Face Of Rajasthan And Hidden Death Valley
The Ordover Gallery in Solana Beach presents its first show of fine art photography by Lou Montrose, who will exhibit works from his portfolio entitled The Face of Rajasthan. Hidden Death Valley, a show of new work by John D. Clark, will also be on view. With this body of work he turns his lens toward the details and patterns found in Death Valley. An opening reception takes place on Thursday, April 17, from 6-8:30pm. (858/720-1121, www.ordoverproject.com)

4/11: Julio Iglesias
California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)

4/11-13: Art Alive 2008
San Diego Museum of Art’s annual, over-the-top celebration of art and flowers marks its 27th year with a theme of Paris in the Park. Complementing this year’s theme is featured designer Jeff Leatham, artistic director of the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris, who will lead the popular floral demonstration/lecture and master class. (619/232-7931, www.sdmart.org)

4/11-5/18: The Voysey Inheritance
Lamb’s Players Theatre presents David Mamet’s adaptation of the Granville-Barker classic, an engrossing and eloquent blend of suspenseful drama and morality. (619/437-6050, www.lambsplayers.org)

4/12: Gilbert & Sullivan’s Mikado
Set in Japan, the play shows a classic love triangle, forbidden love, and human nature when complicated by culture and politics. California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)

4/12-5/18: The Glass Menagerie
The Old Globe’s "Classics Up Close" series continues with the play that established Tennessee Williams as one of the most riveting voices in the American theatre._ Amanda Wingfield, played by two-time Emmy Award-winning actress Mare Winningham, reminisces about a tranquil Southern childhood and fights to provide a better life for her grown children. (619/23-GLOBE, www.theoldglobe.org)

4/17: Lee Ritenour, Patrice Rushen, Alex Acuna, And Brian Bromberg
Anthology supper club in Little Italy. (619/595-0300, www.anthologysd.com)

4/18: Tift Merritt With Special Guest Sara Watkins Of Nickel
Creek Anthology supper club in Little Italy. (619/595-0300, www.anthologysd.com)

4/20: Gabriela Montero And Gershwin
San Diego Chamber Orchestra performs at California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)

4/24: Richard Marx Duo Acoustic With Matt Scannell Of Vertical Horizon
Anthology supper club in Little Italy. (619/595-0300, www.anthologysd.com)

4/25-5/23: The Art Of Photography Show 2008
The Art of Photography Show 2008 is an international exhibition of photographic art taking place at the elegant Lyceum Theatre Gallery downtown. The Opening Reception Gala will take place on Friday, April 25. (858/793-0900, www.artofphotographyshow.com)

4/26: Def Leppard With REO Speedwagon
The popular rock bands will perform at Coors Amphitheatre. (619/220-TIXS, www.ticketmaster.com)

4/26: An Intimate Evening With Lynda Carter (Joined By Comedian John Byner)
Before becoming Wonder Woman Lynda Carter was a singer who performed in Las Vegas and clubs around the country. Following her landmark TV series, Carter starred in five of her own network specials, several of which were Emmy-nominated. California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)

4/26: Songs Of Celebration
The Music Men, under the direction of John Hulbert, raise their voices in perfect four-part harmony to celebrate in song many favorite holidays and key dates in America’s history, as well as a selection of songs Americans have sung and enjoyed for years. Truax Performing Arts Center at El Camino High School. (760/726-5615, www.musicmenchorus.org)

4/26-27: Mice And Beans: The Opera
Celebrating their 15th anniversary, the Encinitas-based North Coast Singers have commissioned New York composer Cary Ratcliff to write the opera based on the award-winning book Mice and Beans by acclaimed San Diego author Pam Muñoz Ryan. The opera will feature North Coast Singers’ children’s chorus. Birch North Park Theatre. (619/231-5714, www.birchnorthparktheatre.net)

4/26-27: ArtWalk
Now in its 24th year, San Diego’s ArtWalk Festival returns to downtown’s Little Italy neighborhood from 12-6pm on both days. This free event will fill 16 city blocks with art from Beech Street to Fir Street, with India Street and Kettner Boulevard as the main thoroughfares through the event. (619/615-1090, www.artwalksandiego.org)

4/27: Neil Berg’s 101 Years Of Broadway
101 Years of Broadway recreates the biggest moments from the most popular Broadway shows of the century, with starts from The Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables, and Cats. California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)