Constructivism Collection
From January 13 through March 11, Tasende Gallery in La Jolla will showcase Fletcher Benton in Southern California. The exhibition features 36 maquettes and working steel models, and 18 drawings all relating to the large-scale sculpture installations located in public and private collections throughout Southern California — many in Rancho Santa Fe. The exhibit aims to provide insight into Benton’s creative process as he works through his ideas on paper. A fully-illustrated color catalogue and essay by Collette Chattopoadhyay, titled Constructivism’s Legacy, will accompany the exhibition to illustrate the roots of the art movement from its beginning in 1913 Russia to present-day California.

A reception for the artist will take place on Friday, January 13 from 6-8pm. (858/454-3691, www.tasendegallery.com) — Mia Stefanko, photos by Aitor Tasende

A Natural Progression
Already an institution on Cedros, the Ordover Gallery will open its second location inside the Natural History Museum on January 28. This Ordover Gallery will be housed on the museum’s fourth floor, overlooking the atrium. It’s first exhibition will be a year-long project entitled Visions of the Natural World, which will consist of eight shows featuring nature-based photography. The first show, Within the Elements, will highlight works by Bill Atkinson, Christopher Burkett, Brent McCullough, and gallery owner Abe Ordover.

“This is an opportunity for photographers to show their artwork to people who might not otherwise get to see it,” says Ordover. “We’re very excited about it.” (www.ordovergallery.com) — Ryan Thomas

Join the Cirque
When French-Canadian street performer Guy Laliberté took his stilt-walking, fire-breathing show on the road 20 years ago, he wasn’t trying to reinvent the idea of the circus. But so popular has Cirque du Soleil’s legacy become, that it now ranks as one of the top performance events in the entire world. Need proof? Just look at Vegas. Cirque now has four shows on the strip, including O, Zumanity, Mystère and it’s newest addition, KÀ, in which both the performers and the stage fly.

But there’s no need to rush out to Sin City to catch Cirque’s dazzling shows when you can catch their latest traveling production, Quidam, at the Del Mar Fairgrounds starting January 19. Quidam, which is a Latin term describing a solitary person living lost amongst a crowd, features some 50 performers from 14 countries.

For the uninitiated — and there are probably few at this point — Cirque not only tests the limits of acrobatics and theatrics, but does so with such phenomenal production value that it’s easy to forget that the men and women leaping through the air are actually humans and not mystical creatures. It’s not to be missed.

By the way, Beatle’s fans will most certainly want to head out to Vegas for Cirque’s fifth show, which opens at the Mirage later this year. Both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have signed on with Cirque to produce a show that revolves around the band’s songs. (800/678-5440, www.cirquedusoleil.com) — Alicia Garcia

Tune In To The Symphony
The San Diego Symphony will soon be hitting the airwaves thanks to a generous gift from Copley press, publisher of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The gift will provide funding for the Symphony to air six Jacobs’ Masterworks concerts on National Public Radio, and the broadcast of its entire 13-work Masterworks series on KPBS, 89.5 FM. On top of that, the Symphony will use the gift to produce a recording of the entire 2005-2006 season for a future CD release. (619/235-0804) — Ryan Thomas

60 Years Young
San Diego Youth Symphony (SDYS) celebrates its 60th anniversary season this year. The new season promises spirited music by the most talented youth musicians of San Diego County. Music lovers may select from three enticing series: Ovation Series, Showcase Series, and Free Chamber Music Series. On January 29 at 1pm in Symphony Hall, Showcase will feature music of Grieg, Bizet, Holst, Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky. Stick around until 4pm for the Ovation concert and hear the work of Dvorak, Ravel, Glinka, and Mozart. SDYS is the sixth largest continuously operating youth orchestra in the United States. The symphony and its conservatory train more than 400 students annually, and have seven different training ensembles that range from beginner to semi-professional. (619/233-3232, www.sdys.org) — Darlene G. Davies

Music Worth Seeing
The five operas scheduled by San Diego Opera (SDO) during its 2006 season are definitely cause for elation. They are The Barber of Seville, Lucia Di Lammermoor, Carmen, Julius Caesar in Egypt, and The Magic Flute. The season opens on January 28 with Gioachino’s comic masterpiece The Barber of Seville. This immensely popular romantic comedy features England’s acclaimed baritone Christopher Maltman as Figaro. Joining him, as Count Almaviva, is American tenor Lawrence Brownlee. Both of these outstanding opera performers have extensive experience in the opera world. Maltman previously appeared with SDO, Covent Garden, the Glyndebourne Festival Opera, and has several recordings on the Hyperion label. Brownlee has sung at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala and has recorded for Sony Music. In 2007, he will make his Metropolitan debut as Almaviva, reprising the role he sings here with SDO. So, San Diego audiences will see and hear this singer's performance first.

Along with the opera, several Barber-related educational events are planned this month including artist roundtables, opera previews, and a fascinating television series OperaTalk! With Nic Reveles on UCSD-TV, as well as OperaNotes online. (619/533-7000, www.sdopera.com) — Darlene G. Davies

Where The Wild Things Are
Wild animal lovers take note: the Wildlife Art Exhibition at the San Diego Natural History Museum will be closing on New Year’s Day. The collection of wildlife artwork gathered for the exhibit, which began in August, is the largest of its kind on the West Coast. The artworks cover a range of media, from abstract sculptures to oil paintings. Featured artists include Gavini Ratnavira, Michael Gross, Gary Johnson, Sinclair Stratton, Lucy Wang, Lee Kromschoeder, Duke Windsor, and Van Moch Nyugen. Much of the artwork is still on sale on the fourth floor of the museum, with proceeds benefiting the Museum Artists Foundation. You may not be able to get up close and personal with a tiger in the wild, but this is the next best thing. (619/232.3821, www.sdnhm.org) — Alicia Garcia

The Language Of Beads
Beaded adornments are often appreciated but not necessarily understood for their elaborate symbolic language. Developed over generations as an integral part of ceremonial and daily life for the Zulu, Ndebele, and Xhosa tribes of South Africa, beadwork reflects and records the development of a woman’s entire life. Birth through childhood, puberty, adulthood and marriage, childbearing, and maturity are all expressed through various forms of beadwork. Through March 2006 at Africa and Beyond in La Jolla, selected pieces dating from the late 19th century will be on display. Each week reveals a different collection of bridal trains, head decorations, neck rings, and much more, and each is explained for its use and rich personal experience. (858/454-9983, www.africaandbeyond.com) — Mia Stefanko

The Boy Friend
In 1954, an unknown 19-year-old English girl named Julie Andrews premiered on Broadway in a show called The Boy Friend. Half a century later, Andrews returns to the very musical that launched her American career — this time as the director. With a lively score by Sandy Wilson, the musical is set on the French Riviera in 1926, at a time when hemlines were rising and the Charleston was in full swing. Andrews calls it “a tribute to those English musicals of the 1920s,” and notes that “the charm lies in its silly innocence.” The Boy Friend will be at the Orange County Performing Arts Center from December 20 to January 1, 2006. Tickets are $20-$65. (714/556-ARTS, www.ocpac.org) — Mia Stefanko

Crocodile Rocking For Christmas
We’re sure you will want to be the one. Sir Elton John will perform a private concert for you — that is, if you have $1.5 million. Knowing the money goes to a great cause, John’s AIDS Foundation which was established in 1992, may add to the appeal. For this pricey sum, the buyer and up to 500 guests will enjoy an hour-and-a-half performance by John at the piano, playing the iconic songs that made him famous. We found this item in the inimitable 2005 Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. Oh, by the way, the successful buyer — only one of these performances will be sold — gets to keep an Elton John Signature Series Red Baby Grand Piano with an actual live performance by John built into it. — Darlene G. Davies

A Christmas Favorite
What would the holiday season be without an annual visit to The Nutcracker ballet? It wouldn’t be complete, that’s for sure. Now in its 38th season, California Ballet Company (CBC) mounts this year’s Nutcracker at Copley Symphony Hall on December 23 at 2:30pm and 7pm, and on December 24 at 1pm. The production will feature accomplished guest artist, Stanko Milov, principal with the Pacific Northwest Ballet, as Cavalier. Performances will be accompanied by the San Diego Symphony. This production is filled with children, 160 in all, and that’s just fine with CBC director, Maxine Mahon, who says, “I believe children should play children’s roles.” Mahon plans to present the Kingdom of Sweets as “having many confections, putting artistic life into fanciful childish dreams. It celebrates the power of human imagination that children have in abundance. To make it sophisticated steals the charm. The Nutcracker possesses the power to make people happy at Christmas.” (858/560-5676, www.californiaballet.org) — Darlene G. Davies

Theatre On Wheels
Mobile theatre is going to the schools, and for many children it will provide their first live theatre experience. This kind of theatre-on-wheels is part of La Jolla Playhouse’s ongoing Performing Outreach Program (POP), which entertains and educates children in school, library, and community center settings. Sets, costumes, and props are unloaded from a van and assembled in a mere 20 minutes. The popularity of POP is growing, as there were 63 POP Tour performances in 2005 and even more are planned for 2006. The play commissioned by the Playhouse for the upcoming tour, titled West of The 5, will have a script written by Sunil Kuruvilla, whose work has been widely performed in the United States. The play will deal with the life of a young boy whose family is moving to another city, and will explore the many feelings and adjustments associated with such change. As arts funding in the schools is dwindling, programs like POP are stepping up to provide needed arts exposure for young people. La Jolla Playhouse has established an Adopt-A-School plan to subsidize entire, or portions of, school performances. (858/550-1070, ext. 109) — Darlene G. Davies

Culture Calendar

January
Thru 1/16: Rembrandt’s Apostles 
The Timken Museum of Art shows the pensive side of master painter Rembrandt. (619/239-5548, www.timkenmuseum.org)

Thru 1/22: Domains of Wonder 
Winged elephants, six-armed gods, lovers and lush jungles make up a fascinating realm at the San Diego Museum of Art. (619/232-7931, www.sdmart.org)

1/4: Jazz In The Park, Kenny Burrell
Jazz guitar by one of the masters. 5:30pm. San Diego Museum of Art. (619/232-7931, www.sdmart.org)

1/4: Planetarium Show and Star Party
Aimed toward backyard astronomers who want to find their way around the universe. Free telescope viewing followed by the planetarium show. 7pm. Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. (619/238-1233, www.rhfleet.org)

1/6: Collectors and Collections
Presented by Steven Kern, curator of European Art. San Diego Museum of Art. (619/232-7931, www.sdmart.org)

1/6: Los Lobos Concert
House of Blues San Diego. (619/299-2583, www.hob.com)

1/6,7,13,14, 20,21,27,28: Theater Sports
Comedic improv. Fridays and Saturdays at the Funhouse, Hillcrest. (619/465-SHOW, www.improvise.net)

1/6, 8, 10: San Diego Chamber Orchestra
Mozart’s Symphony No. 35, Haffner, K. 35; Rossini’s Intro Theme & Variations; Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4 OP 60. Various venues. (858/350-0290, www.sdco.org)

1/7: Brian Regan
Family-safe comedian at the Spreckels Theatre. (619/220-TIXS)

1/7-8, 5/6-7: Romero Family Guitar Recital
Del Mar’s classical music family dynasty, the Romero family, is playing a series of recitals at the California Center For The Arts in Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)

1/11-29: Fond Illusions
The San Diego Watercolor Society (SDWS) will showcase this juried awards show of 90 paintings of varied media including watercolor, acrylic, gouache, casein, and tempera, as well as mixed media. Artwork will be available for sale along with greeting cards and other items. (619/338-0502, www.sdws.org)

1/12: Culture And Cocktails
Experience art in a whole new way in this popular sundown series. 6pm. San Diego Museum of Art. (619/232-7931, www.sdmart.org)

1/12-2/5: Beautiful Thing
By Jonathan Harvey, directed by Rosina Reynolds at the Diversionary Theatre. A heartwarming story of two London teenage boys who fall in love. (619/220-0097, www.diversionary.org)

1/13-15: San Diego Symphony
Barber’s Toccata Festiva; Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3; Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5. (619/235-0804, www.sandiegosymphony.com)

1/15: Lifehouse Concert
Platinum-selling golden boy trio hits House of Blues for an all-ages show. (619/299-2583, www.hob.com)

1/15: San Diego Early Music Society
Paolo Pandolfo, accompanied by Thomas Boysen and Marie Gelis on harpsichord, will perform the work of Antoine Forqueray, on the viola da gamba. (619/291-8246, www.sdems.org)

1/16: Arts Of The Kuna Of Panama
Make a paper mola and add a personal message to the Museum of Man’s 90th birthday card. 10am–3pm. San Diego Museum of Man. (619/239-2001, www.museumofman.org)

1/18-22: The Little Engine That Could
Balboa Puppet Guild at the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater. (619/544-9203, www.balboaparkpuppets.com)

1/18-2/19: Halpern & Johnson
By Lionel Goldstein at the North Coast Repertory Theatre. (858/481-1055, www.northcoastrep.org)

1/19-22: San Diego Dance Theater, Cabaret Dances 2006
Includes a new work created for Mozart’s 250th birthday, along with several short dances interlaced with light entr’actes. San Diego Museum of Art. (619/232-7931, www.sdmart.org)

1/19: The Valley Of The Dog Song
This irreverent and unpolished film about artists in transition is part home movie, part cinema vérité exploration of creativity. At the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego. (858/454-3541, www.mcasd.org)

1/20-21: The Petite Picasso
World-renowned visual artist Alexandra Nechita will appear at the Wentworth Gallery in La Jolla. The now 20-year-old UCLA student initially gained the attention of art critics in 1994 at age eight when her first solo exhibition was held in a Los Angeles-area public library and she was named “the petite Picasso” for her style reminiscent of his free-form paintings. Nechita’s commissions have included the 39th Grammy Awards, Polaroid’s 50th anniversary, and the Andre Agassi Foundation, and she continues to donate much of her time to peace-related causes, Special Olympics, and other such worthy organizations. (858/551-7071, www.wentworthgallery.com)

1/20-2/19: Much Ado About Nothing
Aquila Theatre's production at the La Jolla Playhouse (858/550-1010, www.lajollaplayhouse.com)

1/20-22: San Diego Symphony
Mozart’s overture to The Marriage of Figaro and Symphony No. 35 (Haffner); Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto in D major; Tchaikovsky’s Suite No. 4 (Mozartiana). (619/235-0804, www.sandiegosymphony.com)

1/22: Noise At The Library
The Athenaeum’s contemporary music series continues with retrospective of Greek composer Iannis Xenakis. (858/454-5872, www.ljathenaeum.org)

1/26: Tower After Hours
Music, dance, and food celebrate the diverse communities of San Diego. 6-8pm. San Diego Museum of Man. (619/239-2001, www.museumofman.org)

1/27: San Diego Opera Ensemble
An evening of arias and ensembles from the world of opera, with featured selections from the repertoire of Mozart — celebrating his 250th birthday. 7pm. San Diego Museum of Art. (619/232-7931, www.sdmart.org)

1/27-28: Social Distortion Concert
House of Blues. (619/299-2583, www.hob.com)

1/28: Will And I
Starring Michael York at the Poway Center for the Perfoming Arts. (858/748-0505, www.powayarts.org)

1/28-2/19: Restless Spirits
By Allan Havis, directed by Sam Woodhouse. SD Repertory Theatre at the Lyceum in Horton Plaza. ( 619/544-1000, www.sandiegorep.com)

1/29: Dead Kennedys Concert
The Angry Samoans tag along for a Biafra-free Holiday in Cambodia at the House of Blues. (619/299-2583, www.hob.com)

1/29-2/10: Arte Y Pureza
Authentic flamenco music and dance come to UCSD with this exciting gypsy artist show, a dazzling spectacle rarely seen outside the bars and private parties of Andalucia. Artists include lead dancer La Gallardí, who is considered one of the best flamenco dancers in the world, as well as Maria Pena, whose singing comes straight from the town of Utera. The dissonant, melancholy notes of Antonio Moya’s guitar, joined by his disciple Ethan Margolis, set the musical background for an unforgettable evening. (858/534-TIXS, www.arteypureza.com)

1/29: La Jolla Music Society
All-Mozart program to include Trio in E-Flat Major for Piano, Clarinet and Viola, K. 498, and Quintet in A Major for Clarinet and Strings, K. 581. (858/459-3728, www.lajollamusicsociety.org)

1/30: Insights Seminar —
The Times They Are A-Changin’
Lively exchange of ideas and insights with the actors, designers, and directors. 7pm. The Old Globe Plaza. (619/239-2255, www.theoldglobe.org)

February
2/4: Enchanted Museum: Exploring The Science of Art
The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center offers a unique, behind-the-scenes look at how art is created.

1/25, 2/9-3/5: The Times They Are A-Changin’
Music by Bob Dylan; directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp. Old Globe Theatre. (619/234-5623, www.theoldglobe.org)

2/9-2/19: San Diego Jewish Film Festival
Evocative contemporary films from around the world with Jewish themes. The AMC La Jolla 12 Theatres is the SDJFF's primary venue, and the Landmark, Ultra Star, Hazard Center, and JCC theatres offer satellite locations. (858/457-3030, www.lfjcc.org)

2/10: Little Feat
Belly Up. (858/481-9022, www.bellyup.com)

2/11: A Body Of Water
The mysterious play about two people waking up on a mountain surrounded by water. (619/234-5623, www.theoldglobe.com)

2/16: Thursday Nite Lite —
Two Hearts In Three Quarter Time
A condensed night with the San Diego Symphony., Social hour from 6-7pm. (619/235-0804, www.sandiegosymphony.com)

2/26: Sinead O’Connor Concert
Sly & Robbie open for the songstress at the House of Blues. Tickets go on sale 1/20. (619/299-2583, www.hob.com)

2/28: Buddy Guy Concert
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Chicago blues master rocks the House of Blues with classic guitar renditions. (619/299-2583, www.hob.com)’