Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Symphony San Jose presents SYMPHONIC SPOOKTACULAR “Haunting Harmonies” October 26 and 27, 2024

Even Symphony San Jose is getting into the Halloween spirit this year. The program includes everything from J.S. Bach to John Williams. The shows are at the beautiful California Theatre and tickets are $35-$115. The full press release is below and you can buy tickets here.


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

Just in time for Halloween, Symphony San Jose and Symphony San Jose Chorale conjure up some of classical music’s scariest hits.


Symphonic Spooktacular features “Haunting Harmonies” with music including J.S. Bach’s Toccata & Fugue, Saint-Saëns Danse Macabre, Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain, Bernard Herrmann’s Psycho Suite, and John Williams’ Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

 

It’s the perfect Halloween concert for the entire family. A Costume Contest with Spooktacular prizes will be held for those who feel like dressing up. Don’t feel like dressing up? Come as you are and enjoy the costume parade.

 

Who: Symphony San Jose presents

 

What: SYMPHONIC SPOOKTACULAR “Haunting Harmonies”

 

When: Saturday, October 26, 2024 at 7:30pm and Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 2:30pm

Where: The California Theatre, 345 South First Street, downtown San Jose, 95113. Convenient, inexpensive parking is available at a city-owned garage one-and-a-half blocks from the theater at San Carlos Street with entrances on Second and Third streets. 


SINGLE TICKET PRICES: $35 - $115   (Additional $6.50 fee per ticket.)

TICKETS: Phone: 408.286.2600 

Website: www.symphonysanjose.org 

Email: jmeyers@symphonysanjose.org

Walk-Up Box Office: 325 South First Street, San Jose, 95113. Located between San Carlos and San Salvador Street next to the California Theatre. Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday, 10am to 5pm.


THE PROGRAM:

J.S. Bach: Toccata and Fugue, BWV 565 in D minor

Camille Saint-Saëns: Danse Macabre

Modest Mussorgsky: Night on Bald Mountain

John Williams: Devil’s Dance (from (The Witches of Eastwick”)

Andrew Lloyd Weber: Phantom of the Opera

Edvard Grieg: In the Hall of the Mountain King

Franz Schubert: Die Erlkönig

Bernard Herrman: Suite from Psycho

John Williams: Double Trouble (from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

John Williams: Duel of the Fates (from Star Wars The Phantom Menace)

 

ARTISTS

Conductor: Peter Jaffe

Symphony San Jose

Symphony San Jose Chorale

 

FUN FACTS:

The violin solo in Danse Macabre represents Death playing the fiddle, while the xylophone imitates the sound of rattling bones.

The screeching violins and eerie melodies of the Psycho score have become synonymous with suspense and terror in cinema, influencing countless horror film composers in the years since its release.

 

ArtWork: Courtesy of Symphony San Jose.

Photos courtesy of Symphony San Jose.


Tuesday, September 17, 2024

Sharks first annual Neighborhood Game

The San Jose Sharks are hosting a special pre-season game on Sep 24th with unique programming and activation to encourage new attendees and fans. The game (against the Anaheim Ducks) will only cost $25. Community organizations, non-profits, and schools might even be able to score free tickets.

The game starts at 7pm, but the pregame activities go between 5:15 and 6:15pm. These include participation from current Sharks players as well as alumni. There will also be unique in-game content highlighting the greater Bay Areas communities.

For more info head over here.



Monday, September 16, 2024

Couchbase takes the ground-floor at Santana West

Santana West has just leased another tenant across from Santana Row. Couchbase has leased 23,680 SQFT on the ground floor and plans to move in Q1 2025. There will also be a fitness center, golf simulator, and cafe on that floor.

Couchbase will join PWC and Acrisure as major tenants of the building, which is an easy walk to Silicon Valley's top shopping and dining destinations.

Source: SVBJ



Sunday, September 15, 2024

Cultura in the Park 2024

Today the celebration for Mexican Independence Day takes place in Downtown San Jose at Plaza de Cesar Chavez from noon to 4pm. The party includes live music, food, low riders, vendors, art, and cultural performances. 

Saturday, September 14, 2024

San Jose Downtown Association TownHall at the SAP Center

The SJDA hosted a TownHall meeting focused on professional sports and arts in Downtown San Jose last month. It's worth watching the whole 60min session below, but there were three tidbits that were news to me:
  • There is interest in doing another "fiberglass shark" artist collaboration. This was a very successful program years ago where 100 shark statues were decorated by local artists and then auctioned for charity. Many you can still find throughout San Jose today.
  • There was a push to have a restaurant week coincide with the Super Bowl. Thousands of people will be staying in the South Bay, not SF during that week. We need to make sure they patronize local restaurants and this would be great timing for a foodie event.
  • Postgame concerts after the World Cup. There will be six World Cup games at Levi's and plans are forming to have a major concert/party after each one in Downtown San Jose.
You can watch the full recording below.




Friday, September 13, 2024

Unhinged Hotel at the Winchester Mystery House

The Winchester Mystery House always puts out an impressive show every year around Halloween. Their season officially starts today on Friday the 13th, and it appears to be their most immersive Halloween event yet. 

Their Unhinged Hotel event has a 45 minute long maze that goes through all four floors of the mansion, an outdoor scare zone, Halloween museum, interactive activities, themed food and drinks, and plenty of photo ops.

Ticket prices vary by day but start at $69 per person. You can learn more and buy tickets here.


Thursday, September 12, 2024

11 murals around Downtown San Jose

It's great to see some occasional new posts from SJ Today. Their latest features 11 murals from around Downtown San Jose. Most are within easy walking of biking distance from one another. I highly recommend checking them out.