Petaluma Perspective by Houston Porter - April 2018
Musical Mondays at the
Part Two, The Great Keyboard Works, will include Bach, the Italian: The Concertos (April 2), Bach, the Francophile: French Suites and French Overture (April 9), The Encyclopedic Mind and The Well-Tempered Clavier (April 16), Opus 1: The Partita in Bb Major (April 23), and The Goldberg Variations (April 30.)
This series is presented by Kayleen Asbo, Ph.D., who is “a passionate scholar: a cultural historian, musician, writer and teacher who weaves myth, music, psychology, history and art with experiential learning.” She has an incredible pedigree, but is more than just extremely knowledgeable; she is an absolute pleasure to listen to, as we learned while attending the museum’s recent New Year’s Eve Concert.
Cinnabar Theater presentsAmadeus from April 6 – 15. “This provocative work weaves a confrontation between mediocrity and genius into a tale of breathtaking dramatic power. In the court of the Austrian Emperor Josef, Antonio Salieri is the established composer. Enter the greatest musical genius of all time: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salieri has given himself to God so that he might realize his sole ambition: to be a great composer. Mozart is a foul-mouthed, graceless oaf who has that which is beyond Salieri’s envious grasp: Genius.”
Cinnabar’s Young Rep program will hold their annual fundraiser at the Petaluma campus of the SRJC on Sat, April 14, starting at 6 p.m. “All proceeds will be put back into the program, through scholarships, classes and camps, and perhaps even new equipment and resources to make our productions more entertaining and professional than ever. Young Rep actors and instructors will perform favorite Broadway hits from timeless classics to new favorites. Our directors are perfecting a lively program to showcase the Cinnabar talent in fresh performances and heart-felt personal stories.” Included in the ticket price are libations and a variety of food and sweets. There will also be exciting Broadway-themed auction items.
You know that spring is in full swing, with summer just around the corner, when we starting talking about the Butter & Egg Days Parade festivities. This year’s theme, “A Parade is Hatched,” celebrates the 100th anniversary of National Egg Day and the 1st Egg Day Parade, held back in 1918. “Petaluma’s National Egg Day Parade was featured in newsreels, where floats with giant chickens boasted that Petaluma, home to six million hens laying 600 million eggs and Petaluma was proclaimed as the ‘Egg Basket of the World!’.”
Festivities kick off on Sat, April 28, at 8 a.m. with the Petaluma Lion’s Club breakfast, held in the parking lot across from Putnam Plaza. At 10 a.m. join local celebs for the Cow Chip Throwing Contest, which is held in front ofMcNear’s Saloon. Yes, you too can sign up to compete. There is even a kids’ competition. The Petaluma Egg Farm’s Cutest Chick Contest will begin at 10:30 a.m. in front ofCopperfields’ Books. (Call 763-0921 to enter.) I am honored to announce the parade again this year, atop one of Rivertown Feed’s flatbed trucks, across the street from the iconic Petaluma Historic Library & Museum the pre-parade usually starts with theSonoma County Vietnamese Association Lion Dance Team at around 11:15 a.m., followed by the Clover Kids’ Parade at 11:30 a.m. Beer gardens and other food and festival booths are open from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Visit PetalumaDowntown.com for more info on visiting, entering into, or volunteering to help organize the parade.
If you want to enjoy downtown in a calmer mode, you won’t want to miss the Spring Antique Faire, which is also sponsored by the Petaluma Downtown Association and held the day after B&E Day, on Sun, April 29, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Even when we don’t purchase anything, we always enjoy walking along the closed downtown streets, perusing through various sundries, while enjoying food and drink from a plethora of vendors. However, if you are looking to add something new (to you) to your kitchen décor, backyard garden, or maybe a nice Persian rug to your hallway, this is definitely the event for you.
