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KPBS Midday Edition Segments

San Diego’s Top Weekend Arts Events: Shifting Perspectives

 June 28, 2019 at 10:40 AM PDT

Speaker 1: 00:00 This is KPBS midday edition. I'm jade Hindman. This week is all about shifting your perspective, whether it's a new look at Harry Potter baseball songs interpreted by the symphony or a modern way of looking at 18th century art. KPBS arts editor, Nina Garren is here to tell us about it. All. Nina, welcome. Hello. So there's a play that debuted in San Diego earlier this month called puffs. Tell us about it. It's called puffs or seven increasingly eventful years at a certain school of magic and magic. It's a play that imagines the world of Harry Potter told through the perspective of the Hufflepuffs. So there's three friends, but instead of Ron Harry in her Miami, it's Wayne Oliver and Megan. Interesting. So a, do you know about the healthful puffs? What does it mean to actually tell a story from their perspective? So of the four houses in the Harry Potter world, the Hufflepuffs are inclusive. Speaker 1: 00:59 They value hard work, patience, loyalty. Um, their motto is those patient Hufflepuffs are true and unafraid of toil. I was trying to compare it to like if a neighborhood, and I really couldn't think of a neighborhood that was like the helpful puffs. I think it's just kind of a utopian idea. Interesting. So this was actually pretty popular in New York, wasn't it? Yeah, it debuted off Broadway in 2015 and it was just meant to go on for a few nights, but it's still playing now. Um, it closes in August. It was also recorded and screened at movie theaters as part of like a fathom event, special screaming. And do you have to know a lot about Harry Potter to see the show? It is a standalone play, but it definitely helps if you know Harry Potter because there are just so many references, including in the beginning when they introduce Cedric degree, who is basically the Rockstar of the Hufflepuffs. Alright, so you've got to be fluent in Harry Potter. It's helpful. All right, so let's listen to a clip from the off-broadway version of puffs. Here's an introduction to the house of Puff [inaudible]. Speaker 2: 02:06 Whoa, that pops, spoiler alert. Lots. Everyone's favorite. It's when our hat speaks, you listen. And the new recruits will quickly whisked away to a quaint little basement somewhere near the kitchens. Welcome dude. I like to call year warm. The puffs in the saucer is attempt at earning points and making friends. Speaker 1: 02:29 I am so entertained just from that clip, isn't it? So really fun. Play pumps runs through July 21st at pow pack theater in Poway. Uh, next onto the star spangled pops, the San Diego symphonies Bayside summer nights returned to this weekend with star-spangled pops. What is this concert? This is always the opening concert. The San Diego symphony plays patriotic favorite and they also do some classics from movies and Broadway and this year it features Broadway performer Ross Lake Heights. He is in frozen on Broadway and it also has the San Diego master chorale. And what we love about the base like summer nights is that they end in fireworks. Here's a clip of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra performing and armed forces medley from the album star-spangled songs. Speaker 3: 03:35 [inaudible] Speaker 1: 03:35 there is something new for this opening weekend. Tell us what's happening on Sunday. On Sunday, they're doing a show called play ball, some phonic celebration of Padres at 50. And so you're gonna hear classical music versions of baseball songs and stadium favorite. And you'll also get visuals of Padres. Greatest moments star-spangled pop happens tonight and Saturday. And the Padres celebration is Sunday at Embarcadero, marina park south. The Tim can museum is a museum known for its old European works, but something new will be on display. Yeah, they have an artist in residence program and this one features modern sculpture, Roman DeSalvo. He's working on a piece called electric picnic, which is kind of a combination of nature mixed with an engineering set. And Electric Picnic is inspired by a painting. So tell us about the inspiration. It's an 18th century frog Menard painting called blind man's buff. Um, specifically he was inspired by these gnarled branches that frame the piece. Speaker 1: 04:38 Um, the painting is otherwise very peaceful, but it does have these menacing branches on the sides. And who is Roman DeSalvo? He is a local sculptor who was based in San Diego and he's known for doing these large installations and he mixes, found objects with natural elements. He has a mural in la Jolla. He also did a piece with suspended tree branches at a park near Seaport village. Electric Picnic is on view through the end of August. Stat that Tim can, you can find more arts events@kpbs.org slash. Arts I've been speaking with KPBS arts editor, Nina Garren. Nina, thank you. Thanks. Have a great weekend. You too. And you're listening to KPBS midday edition.

This weekend is all about shifting your perspective, whether it’s a new look at the world of Harry Potter, baseball songs interpreted by the symphony, or a modern way of looking at grand European art.
KPBS Midday Edition Segments