Phantom Phenomenon
The Phantom of the Opera returns to San Diego Civic Theatre for the third time, where it plays from July 16 through August 10. Everything about it is over the top, from musical score to story, costumes, staging, and performances. The melodies are permanently etched in the memories of millions of people across the globe. After all, the renowned show has played to standing room audiences in more than a hundred cities throughout the world. One thing is for sure: plenty of fans of the Andrew Lloyd Webber award-winning musical will be in the audience, just as a new generation will discover it. Whether visiting Phantom for the first time, or revisiting it, audiences will be predictably drawn to the story of a masked figure who lurks beneath the catacombs of the Paris Opera House, as his obsessive passionate love for an innocent young singer eventually undoes him. In January 2006, The Phantom of the Opera became the longest running show in Broadway history, and recently began its 20th anniversary season in New York. This grand musical, with its soaring music, is a phenomenon, and, after all these years, it shows no signs of wearing out its welcome. (619/570-1100, www.thephantomoftheopera.com)
— Darlene G. Davies, photo by Joan Marcus

Museums On Us
In its 11th year, Bank of America’s Museums On Us program has expanded to provide free access to more than 70 leading cultural institutions across the United States, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. All Bank of America and MBNA cardholders have the exclusive opportunity to visit participating institutions free of charge during the first weekend of every month through the end of May 2009. Local participants include California Center for the Arts Escondido, Mingei International Museum, Scripps Birch Aquarium, Discovery Science Center in Orange County, Laguna Beach Museum of Art, and the Palm Springs Art Museum. (www.bankofamerica.com/museums) — Jane Shiomi

Bovine Beauties
The puns were inevitable. Udderly exciting. Mooooving. Let’s milk it for all it’s worth. Mayor Jerry Sanders and representatives from Rady Children’s Hospital, the Zoological Society of San Diego, and the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership hadn’t gathered at Liberty Station to talk dairy, however. They were there to announce the San Diego debut of CowParade, one of the world’s largest public art events (CowParades have been seen by 100 million people in 50 cities spanning six continents). Beginning in January 2009, 200 life-sized fiberglass cows — transformed by artists from Tijuana to Oceanside — will be displayed around the county. The city expects more than a million people to moon over the bovines during the three months they’re out to public pasture. At the end of the exhibition, 50 of the cows will be auctioned off to benefit the three aforementioned charities. Artists will be paid a $1,000 honorarium and are encouraged to submit an application online. (www.cowparadesandiego.com) — AnnaMaria Stephens

The Track Is Back
The 2008 Del Mar Racetrack Summer Concert Series lineup has been finalized, and a new Web site has been launched to allow music aficionados to stay on top of the latest news, with blogs, vlogs, photo galleries, user-generated content, social networking sites, and Summer Concert Series performer music pages. (www.delmarscene.com) — Jane Shiomi

• Friday, July 18: Gavin Rossdale
• Friday, July 25: Super Diamond
• Saturday, July 26 (Infield show): Gnarls Barkley
• Friday, August 1: Pinback
• Friday, August 8:The Bravery
• Saturday, August 9 (Infield show): Bob Marley
• Roots Rock Reggae Fest with Ziggy Marley
• Friday, August 15: Special Guest TBD
• Friday, August 22: Black Francis (of The Pixies)
• Friday, August 29: Steel Pulse
• Saturday, August 30: (Infield show) — Devo

Wonderful Women
Tucked snugly into a building in Golden Hill is the Women’s History Museum (WHM) and Educational Center. Don’t be fooled by the tiny space, because WHM is a powerhouse. Now 25 years old, it has continually evolved, developing multi-faceted programs and specific areas of expertise. WHM co-sponsors the Women’s Hall of Fame with the County of San Diego Commission on the Status of Women, the Women’s Studies Department of San Diego State University, and the Women’s Center at the University of California San Diego. Its archives contain significant papers and collections, as well as important oral histories spanning the 1980s to the present. There is an antique clothing collection as well as a memorial library, and the changing art exhibitions are vibrant. Intern study opportunities are provided. WHM is a rich meeting place for women of diverse backgrounds who engage in discussion of wide ranging topics. Frequent fundraisers are fun and successful too, as evidenced by the recent Wine, Cheese and Chocolate Festival in Balboa Park, which was sold out well before the event. Look for a repeat of last year’s Women Suffrage Day march across Cabrillo Bridge on August 23, followed by the Suffrage Ball that evening. Historic dress is recommended. The day, which commemorates the time when women gained the right to vote, is a happy one, but also carries with it a serious theme. (619/233-7963, www.whmec.org) — Darlene G. Davies

Culture Calendar

July

Ongoing: Juried Fine Art Show
The Carlsbad-Oceanside Art League (COAL) presents a juried fine art show by COAL members every Saturday and Sunday (weather permitting) on the lawn in front of the Carlsbad Inn. The show runs from 9am-4pm. In addition to presenting their work, the artists will also be demonstrating in various media. Admission is free. (www.carlsbadinnart.blogspot.com)

Thru 7/5: Art Expressions
An exhibition by the Rancho Santa Fe Art Guild at Rancho Santa Fe Art Gallery. (858/759-3545, www.ranchosantafeartguild.org)

Thru 7/5: Lael Corbin: Renovation
Winner of the 2007-2008 San Diego Art Prize (selected by Roman DeSalvo), this will be Lael Corbin’s first full-scale solo exhibition in a commercial gallery. Corbin will produce a new site-specific installation that will take over the entire gallery (all three exhibition spaces) and spill out onto the sidewalk and exterior front façade. Luis De Jesus Seminal Projects. (619/696-9699, www.seminalprojects.com)

Thru 7/9: Todd Carpenter: Black-And-White Paintings And Color Photographs
Four Walls presents its third solo exhibition of Todd Carpenter’s work, featuring new black-and-white oil paintings and color photographs selected from his recent Los Angeles "scenery" series, which reveal the artist’s facility with capturing the subtly evocative properties of light. (619/501-0879, www.4wallsgallery.com)

Thru 7/12: Earth Songs
Dutch-American artist Luc Leestemaker returns to Madison Gallery with an exhibition of work that evokes a surreal sense of familiarity and comfort. The exhibition will feature a selection of new landscapes as well as a number of abstract works from the recent Voyager and Dreams series. Leestemaker’s paintings are exhibited throughout the world, increasingly becoming a part of major corporate and private collections. In addition, his collaboration with Hollywood’s film industry has led to a number of film and television projects including Spiderman, Bringing Down the House, Erin Brockovich, Simone, Shopgirl, American Dreamz, and more. (858/459-0836, www.madisongalleries.com)

Thru 7/12: Surroundings
Susan Street Fine Art Gallery presents an exciting new exhibition featuring the work of David Ruddell, Nicole Strasburg and Jenny Wunderly, each interpreting their surroundings through unique techniques and different mediums. Their works create refined statements about time, place, and environment. (858/793-4442, www.susanstreetfineart.com)

Thru 7/13: The Hit
Lamb’s Players Theatre presents the world premiere of a delightful comedy about love, antiques, and attempted assassination. (619/437-0600, www.lambsplayers.org)

Thru 7/15: Multimedia Art Exhibit
The City Hall Gallery of Solana Beach presents a multimedia art exhibit featuring 16 artists from the Del Mar Art Gallery. (858/720-2454)

Thru 7/26: Summer Solstice
Tasende Gallery in La Jolla presents new acquisitions by Fernando Botero, Lynn Chadwick, Henry Moore, Armando Romero, Jose Maria Sicilia, and Wayne Thiebaud. (858/454-3691)

Thru 8/3: Enraptured: Works By Mitch Dobrowner
The Ordover Gallery at the San Diego Natural History Museum is pleased to announce an exhibition featuring otherworldly images of the Earth’s landscape, from infrared images of luminescent foliage to rockscapes beneath furious skies. (619/232-3821, www.sdnhm.org)

Thru 8/4: 9th Annual San Diego Jewish Music Festival
This festival features professional musicians playing an eclectic mix of music from around the world. The events include concerts with soloists, ensembles, an orchestra and choir, a historic silent film with live jazz accompaniment, and lectures. Congregation Beth El. (858/362-1348, www.lfjcc.org)

Thru 8/31: Pop Art & Beyond
Noel-Baza Fine Art in Little Italy presents an exhibition and sale of iconic and rare pop art including works by Jim Dine, Robert Indiana, Robert Rauschenberg, James Rosenquist, Roy Lichtenstein, Peter Max, Andy Warhol, and more. (619/876-4160, www.noel-bazafineart.com)

Thru 9/2: Mummies: Secrets Of The Pharaohs
Ancient wonders, historic intrigue, and a modern-day forensic adventure come to life in this exciting new film at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’s IMAX Dome Theater. Narrated by actor Christopher Lee (Lord Of The Rings and the original 1959 film The Mummy), Mummies tells the story of one of the greatest archaeological finds in modern history: the late 19th century discovery of a cache of 40 royal mummies — including 12 pharaohs of Egypt — in a single tomb. Mummies takes audiences back thousands of years to the age of the great pharaohs, to explore why mummification was so vital to ancient Egyptian life. (619/238-1233, www.rhfleet.org)

Thru 9/7: Beyond Reasonable Drought: Water And Culture In A Changing Climate
This exhibition explores the long-term interaction of culture and climate, focusing on human adaptation and water from prehistoric to present times. It also accentuates the ways people manage water and politics locally and globally. The museum’s own collections will demonstrate the importance of water in the Southwest, the effects of changing ocean temperatures among the Chumash of the Channel Islands, and local water shortages and adaptive responses of indigenous San Diegans. San Diego Museum of Man. (619/239-2001, www.museumofman.org)

Thru 9/7: Artful Armadillos
Mingei is currently featuring more than 50 armor-plated, burrowing mammals — members of the native American family Dasypodidae. Primarily small figures that come from Peru, Brazil, Colombia, Suriname, Mexico, and the U.S., the armadillos are fashioned from materials that were easily available to their makers — many of whom were anonymous. (619/239-0003, www.mingei.org)

Thru 9/7: Humanitas: Images of India
Fredric Roberts photographs ordinary life in India, from daily events to ceremonies, revealing the intimacy and community of place. Through the combination of portraiture and landscape, Roberts presents a fascinating and engaging depiction of domestic and economic life. Museum of Photographic Arts. (619/238-7559, www.mopa.org)

Thru 9/14: Flesh
South African artist Gary Schneider has long been fascinated with the possibilities of photographic portraiture to explore issues of identity. This exhibition includes his John in Sixteen Parts, a set of black-and-white fragments of his partner’s face seen through time; Genetic Self-Portrait, his installation, which employs medical-imaging techniques to depict his own body from the inside out; and Heads and Nudes, where Schneider uses exposures of up to three hours to explore and transform the flesh of friends and family. (619/238-7559, www.mopa.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, this film combines science, adventure, and natural beauty to deliver an uplifting message of hope and inspiration. (619/238-1233, www.rhfleet.org)

Thru 11/2: Aerial Portraits Of The American West: Photographs By John Shelton
The San Diego Natural History Museum presents a black-and-white photography exhibition, a retrospective of Shelton’s work, that marks the first time works by the well-known geologist will be exhibited for the public. Shelton is the author of Geology Illustrated, considered by many scientists and professors one of the best geology reference books available. (619/232-3821, www.sdnhm.org)

Thru 11/30: People, Posters, And Politics: China 1955-1999
This special exhibition features the work of the distinguished Chinese artist and scholar Yang Xianrang from Shandong Province. Yang implements the Chinese art of woodblock printing to create compelling portraits, landscapes, depictions of cultural activities, and political posters. His versatile style and broad aesthetic will inspire Museum visitors and provide them cultural perspective on China, the host country of the 2008 Summer Olympics. Kids can create and display their own woodblock art for all museum guests to see and to enjoy. (619/239-2001, www.museumofman.org)

Thru 1/4/09: Forms In Wood And Fiber — Southern California New Work
On display at Mingei International Museum, this exhibition features the work of six distinguished San Diego wood artists and California Fibers — a group of artist craftsmen from Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties. Recognizing the rich diversity of excellent wood and fiber artist craftsmen in this region, the exhibition is conceived as a lively conversation among peers and between two artistic media. Both fresh perspectives on traditional forms and cutting-edge contemporary expressions will be included in works of superior design and craftsmanship. (619/239-0003, www.mingei.org)

7/1-27: The Night Watcher
La Jolla Playhouse is proud to welcome back Charlayne Woodard with a moving new one-woman play directed by Robert Egan. As the first Page To Stage workshop production of the 2008/2009 season, The Night Watcher continues the work of cultivating new plays through a dynamic, audience-inclusive development process. (858/550-1010, www.lajollaplayhouse.org)

7/1-31: Tradition Of Perfection: Spanish Masters
Cosmopolitan Fine Arts in La Jolla presents and exhibition that highlights an overwhelming coherence of the Spanish tradition of art, both in historical and modern contexts. (858/456-9506, www.cosmopolitanart.com)

7/1-10/5: Asia
The Ordover Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition by internationally recognized National Geographic photographer Art Wolfe. Wolfe’s ethereal imagery explores the landscape, people, and customs of remote locales. The Ordover Gallery has moved and can now be found at 410 South Cedros Avenue. An opening reception takes place on Thursday, July 17, from 6- 8:30pm during Cedros’ Third Thursday. (858/720-1121, www.ordovergallery.com)

7/2: Common Sense With The Devastators
Belly Up 34th Anniversary Show. (858/481-8140, www.bellyup.com)

7/3: ’80s Heat
Costume contest and dance party at the Belly Up. (858/481-8140, www.bellyup.com)

7/6, 13, 20, 27: Summer Festival
The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library will celebrate its tenth Summer Festival with a celebration of the composers whose work Gustavo Romero has studied in depth since the tradition began. This year’s festival will again consist of four, Sunday afternoon concerts at The Neurosciences Institute, each followed by a dinner at a private residence or at the Athenaeum. (858/454-5872, www.ljathenaeum.org)

7/9: Escalera With Stripes And Lines and The Ex-Friends
The Belly Up. (858/481-8140, www.bellyup.com)

7/10-20: Beauty And The Beast
Presented by Young Actors’ Theatre at Sherwood Auditorium and featuring a special Party with the Princess prior to matinee performances on both Saturday and Sunday. (619/670-1627, www.yatsandiego.org)

7/11: Elijah Emanuel And The Revelations WIth Delta Nove
The Belly Up. (858/481-8140, www.bellyup.com)

7/11, 18, 25, and 8/1: Four Seasons Resort Aviara 2008 Jazz Concert Series
The series showcases some of the world’s hottest jazz artists in a casually elegant setting for an intimate evening of smooth jazz. Performers include Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Mindi Abair, and Peter White. (760/603-6800, www.fourseasons.com/aviara)

7/11-10/12: Shona: Spirits In Stone — Art And Animals Of Africa
The San Diego Natural History Museum presents an exhibition featuring sculpture of internationally acclaimed Zimbabwean Shona stone sculptors, as well as masks, jewelry, and baskets. All of the stone artwork is available for purchase with the proceeds benefiting the museum as well as the African communities in which the Shona artists live. The exhibition will also feature an open enclosure with African lizards as well as exhibits with various types of African bugs, fish, frogs, snakes, and more lizards. (619/232-3821, www.sdnhm.org)

7/12: Kenny Loggins At The Santaluz Club
This year’s signature event for the private golf club will showcase popular singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. The evening concert with the Grammy award-winner and Hollywood RockWalk inductee is expected to be the biggest social event of the year for Santaluz Club members and their guests. (www.santaluz.com)

7/12-2/1/09: Picturing The Process: Landscape Through Time And Space
The Museum of Photographic Arts presents the second in an ongoing series of education-based exhibitions. Exploring issues related to the landscape, the exhibition includes over 40 works from the museum’s permanent collection, and will present a selection of discrete approaches to landscape photography from the landscape as a representation of beauty, as a means of artistic expressions, and as a forum for political and environmental issues.

7/18: Frank Potenza Organ Trio
The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library presents Los Angeles-based Frank Potenza Organ Trio, with Potenza on guitar, organist Joe Bagg, and drummer Steve Barnes. Frank Potenza made a memorable Athenaeum debut at the library in February 2005 in his quartet with pianist Shelly Berg. A protege of legendary guitarist Joe Pass, he brings a sophisticated, swinging touch to his classic interpretations of jazz standards. He has performed with such artists as Dizzy Gillespie, George Van Eps, Mundell Lowe, John Clayton, Bud Shank, Mose Allison, James Moody, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Brother Jack McDuff, and from 1996 to 1999, toured worldwide in the final edition of pianist Gene Harris’ quartet. (858/454-5872, wwwljathenaeum.org)

7/19-11/2: Eleanor Antin: Historical Takes
The San Diego Museum of Art has organized a solo exhibition of the celebrated artist Eleanor Antin, known for her works at the intersection of photography and performance. The exhibition is the first to focus on Antin’s recent series of large-scale tableaux photographs based on Greek and Roman history and mythology, which are presented together for the first time. (619/232-7931, www.sdmart.org)

7/31: Kevin Hays And Eli Degibri
The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library concludes its 20th year of jazz programming with the New York-based duo of pianist Kevin Hays and Israeli saxophonist Eli Degibri. Hays’ previous appearance at the library, with his trio in February 2003, belongs on many Athenaeum jazz-goers’ lists of all-time favorites. Degibri has also toured internationally with Herbie Hancock, the Mingus Big Band, and Eric Reed. (858/454-5872, wwwljathenaeum.org)

8/12-17: A Chorus Line
Broadway San Diego presents a winner of nine Tony Awards including Best Musical and the longest-running American Broadway musical ever. Mature language and themes. Civic Theatre. (619/564-3000, www.broadwaysd.com)

8/15-31: Spring Awakening
Starting as a workshop reading at La Jolla Playhouse and going on to win eight Tony Awards including Best Musical, Spring Awakening is based on the infamous 1891 Frank Wedekind play and features an original score by Grammy-nominated recording star Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater. It is a story of uncontrollable emotions and undeniable passions, of first love and lasting regrets. But most remarkably, it is a musical that answers the questions teenagers have been asking forever. Note: Brutally honest and ultimately optimistic, this show contains explicit language, brief nudity, scenes of sadism, sex, and suicide. Presented by Broadway San Diego at Civic Theatre. (619/564-3000, www.broadwaysd.com)

8/27: Radiohead With Liars
Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre. (619/220-TIXS, www.ticketmaster.com)

9/23-28: The Drowsy Chaperone
The Drowsy Chaperone is a new musical comedy swooping in to town with tons of laughs and the most 2006 Tony Awards of any musical on Broadway. San Diegan Casey Nicholaw (Tony-nominated for Drowsy and Spamalot) directed and choreographed, with costumes by San Diego’s Tony Award-winner Gregg Barnes. (619/564-3000, www.broadwaysd.com)