“Sights and Sounds” is our weekly guide to the Bay Area arts scene through the eyes and ears of local artists. On this episode, host Jenee Darden speaks with ballet dancer Roberto Vega Ortiz. He’s the cofounder of Ballet22, a dance company centering male and nongender artists.
“Philip Glass: ‘La Belle et La Bête'"
San Francisco Jazz Center
July 14th-17th
The Bay Area’s Opera Parallele will be performing music from Glass’ 1994 chamber opera. Listen to this live ensemble of world-class musicians while watching the 1946 film version of Beauty and the Beast. Philip Glass is a renowned composer. His work has been associated with minimalism. His style revolves around using repetitive structures that create elegant layers of sound.
Ben Platt Live from Radio City Music Hall
Netflix
The concert film documents the last stop on the actor’s “Sing to Me Instead” tour from his debut album. Ben gets personal at his concert talking about dealing with anxiety and coming out. If you look closely you can see his costars from Pitch Perfect and Dear Evan Hansen in the audience.
Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus
Freight & Salvage
July 9th and 10th
The show is called “Sondheim & Company: Broadway Our Way.” It’s a tribute concert to composer Stephen Sondheim who died in 2021. Sondheim contributed his music talents to productions such as “West Side Story” and “Sweeny Todd.” The 50-member gay men choir will perform tunes from these shows and more recent musicals.
Roberto Vega Ortiz will be performing with his dance company, Ballet22, on July 29th and 30th at the Cowell Theater in San Francisco.
