YE OLDE OVER-THE-TOPPERY: Some Californians continue to stoke San Francisco-LA rivalries, but both cities have bestowed upon each other a host of whimsical and pop culture-oriented treats. (Even if the moviemakers of Los Angeles are intent on sending aliens and giant lizards to stomp all over Coit Tower at least once a summer.) One of San Francisco's most well-received treats of recent years, down around SoCal-way, has been The Edwardian Ball, an annual steampuky masquerade that features acrobats, costumes, music, and a strong streak of the theatrical. Now the co-creators of The Edwardian Ball are tapping back into their metropolis's Victorian past, for a look at the notorious Barbary Coast district. "The Soiled Dove," which runs in San Francisco from Dec. 4 through 13, is a "circus-infused dinner theater" that includes danger, decadence, world-renowned performance, and an innovative culinary spread worthy of royalty by San Francisco-based Work of Art." Some 40-plus musicians and actors will return to the San Francisco of the 1890s, when gaslight ruled as did some rough-and-tumble, post-Gold Rush-era times. The over-21 event costs $120 and includes a four-course meal. And the beneficiary? Zaccho Dance Theatre's Youth Performing Arts Program.
AS FOR THE EDWARDIAN BALL? That's right around the proverbial corner, mavens of ye olde revelries and hoop skirts and top hats and cravat squares and aerial artists and fun-making that comes with a streak of naughtiness. The date is Saturday, Feb. 14, 2015, and the on-sale is coming "soon!" promises the site. That just gives you more time to sew that fabulous bustle and gossamer wings you're planning on sporting that oh-so-theatrical night. Thank you, San Francisco, for sending something so creative down our LA way. We'll be sending up more blockbuster monsters, soon, to stomp around The Presidio.
