'From hardship to spotlight': Local journalist shares journey in new memoir

S1: It's time for KPBS Midday Edition. On today's show , a local journalist and filmmaker adds the title of author under her belt. Then hear about a new spin on an old fairy tale classic. I'm Jade Hinzman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. Elsa Sevilla writes about her personal story of determination and rise.

S2: There were some really key points in my life that allowed me to overcome the hardship and just keep being determined to achieve what I wanted to achieve.

S1: Plus , Riot Productions tells a creative story of Greta on stage and hear about a local home cook competing in PBS , The Great American Recipe. Plus , your weekend preview. That's ahead on Midday Edition. You may know her as host of the award winning documentary series Historic Places that airs on KPBS. But Elsa Sevilla's talent and tenacity stretch far beyond that series. She's also a film maker , journalist , speaker , business owner and now an author. Her new book is called Camera Ready From Hardship to the spotlight A Story of Determination and Rise. Elsa Sevilla joins us now. Elsa , it's great and always great to have you on the show.

S2: Yes , it's great to be here. Thank you for having me.

S1: Glad you're here. So your book title says it all in part , a story of determination and rise. And I would imagine the first chapter really dives into why you wrote this book.

S2: Yeah , definitely. I wanted to write this book because it's a love letter to my five year old self. Right. Coming from Mexico , sort of overnight because of a family emergency. My father had a horrible accident here in San Diego , where he had a head fracture , where he had to be hospitalized in intensive care for several months. And so that brought us to San Diego and having to move overnight and be here in San Diego and start a new life while trying to , you know , live through the process of my father healing. And it was really hard for a five year old obviously learning English for the first time , learning a new community , a new school , and we had to move multiple times because we moved in with family to help care for my father. And then we finally established a home in southeast San Diego. And so it was a real adjustment that would be hard for a five year old.

S1: For a child. Yeah. And , you know , one of your dreams , childhood dreams , though , because we all , even through tragedy , have have big dreams for ourselves. Yours was to be a reporter. And just before you get to the chapter in your book where you break down and you break into TV news as a journalist. That chapter is titled The Call to History.

S2: Right. So it takes a process to , you know , establish your career and know what you want to do. But in first grade , during circle time reading , when my teacher was reading a story , I fell in love with the way that she told the story , the obviously the the pictures in the book. But I think that for a young six year old who didn't understand English yet was an English second language , it was just a way to communicate , to understand. And so that's when I fell in love with storytelling. And then in fifth grade , I had my first epiphany that one day you'll be a writer. And I thought , oh , wow , that that would be great. And then by seventh grade , my mom suggested. You know , I'm wondering if you should be a radio announcer. You have a really good voice. And your teachers , your teachers say you're kind of social in class. And so I thought about it , and within a second I said , oh , I love that idea , but I want to be on TV. I want people to see me. And so that was the beginning of starting to fall in love with storytelling. And and in seventh grade , I knew that I wanted to be a journalist and , you know , a television journalist. And that's where the career started. The idea of the career started.

S1: Yeah , but where did this where did the history come in ? Right. Like.

S2: I had a Chicano studies professor , Doctor Isidro Ortiz , and it was the first time I was taking Chicano studies , really learning about Mexican history. And so that really caught my attention. And when I started to learn about how the first Californians came to San Diego , I was really intrigued because I think we all want to know where we come from , where our families come from , our ancestors. And so a class in San Diego State is what sparked it. And so I fell in love with that. But I was still pursuing journalism. And I did , you know , about 20 years at channel ten here in San Diego. But I always love history and I always wanted to do history. Unfortunately , that opportunity didn't come until a few years later. And I came to KPBS and pitched the idea of starting a documentary series , and that's when we came up with Historic Places. You know , I'm really intrigued with locations , people in history that have been , you know , that have contributed greatly to San Diego. And now I'm really interested in the fact that there's so many people that , you know , in San Diego , 100 , 200 , 300 years ago that a lot of us don't know. And they helped establish San Diego. So I'm really intrigued in that , mostly because I'm kind of playing a history detective , finding incredible , unique stories of resilience. And , um , it shows me , uh , what they've done and what I can do. So not only do I just love history , but it also empowers me through these incredible stories that I've learned. For example , Margaret Robinson and her husband started a bakery , a restaurant , and the Robinson Hotel , which is the historic Julian Hotel today. There's so many incredible stories like American Newton. A black woman , a former slave , also came to Julian. She had a business , she bought property. And her name is still , you know , it's called America Great , where her property is. There's also Maria Amparo , Teresa Burton , who was the first Mexican Mexican-American to write a book in the U.S. and she's from San Diego , and she actually came from Baja California , then came to San Diego and wrote the first book. And that book is still used in colleges today here at San Diego State as well. So these stories are just so empowering , and it just gives me so much strength to know that they accomplish so much. And so , you know , for me , it just it gives me purpose. Yeah.

S1: Yeah. Well , and history is such like a it creates so much momentum. I mean , for me , history was also kind of the foundation of why I wanted to become a journalist , because in school I'm learning history one way and then I'm learning history another way. When I come home and my parents are teaching me this , and then same is true when I went off to college. And so I wanted to be a journalist , to sort of fix the discrepancies there. But also history puts into context current events and what's happening around us today.

S2: It really does. And that's why I'm really passionate about history and I'm doing speaking engagements. My book is going to launch on Tuesday at the San Diego History Center at 11:30 a.m. for a luncheon if people want to go. But really , it is. And the talk I'm going to give is about how history , if we know our history , we know who we are , we know where we come from , we know where we're going. But also it allows us to see current events today because they've happened before , maybe a little bit differently. And I use history , you know , to talk to my kids , adult kids about like this has happened before , you know , because they're scary times , right ? And for young people who've never seen what we're living through today , it is scary. And so I've used history to help them understand , like , you know , this is what has happened and what can happen , what good things can come out of it , because history has shown us that good things do happen.

S1: Yeah , history shows us we're resilient.

S2: Right , exactly.

S1: So you've had this long and storied career and you founded Severe Productions with your husband , Graham , and we also know him here at KPBS. Memo. That's right.

S2: It was a lot of hard work. It was not easy. And but the wonderful part about it was historic places came out of that. But also we were able to do these wonderful stories about nonprofits. A lot of the time I'm talking about the great work that nonprofits do. I love nonprofits because they fill a void , and they are so supportive and they elevate people , especially in marginalized communities. I am part of the San Diego. I've been part of the organization for the last 30 years or so , and they're a nonprofit that elevate Latinas in San Diego , and they've been in San Diego for several decades. It's a national organization of women who elevate each other or support each other. You know , to to succeed. And so Severe Productions has allowed us to produce like 85 historical documentaries , which is huge. It has allowed us to do wonderful stories about San Diego and the nonprofits I mentioned , but also marginalized communities who often , you know , get overlooked. And that's one of my passions , because as a young kid , I had an uncomfortable experience with a neighbor who told me , you know , when are you moving out of our neighborhood ? We had just moved in about a year before. And as a seven year old , that really marked me and left an impact. But at the same time , I was quite spunky. And I turned around and said , we're not moving. Not only that , in my mind , it was the moment that I said to myself , one day I will grow up and do something meaningful , and I get a little emotional because it was about how somebody saw me and I didn't understand their reasoning. Now I do , obviously. But not only that , I wanted to do something meaningful with my life , but also to elevate my community. And through journalism , I always wanted to tell positive stories about marginalized communities , especially Mexican Americans. And through historic places. I've been able to tell , again , you know , stories about the first people of the Kumeyaay that I didn't really know. And when I did the episode , it was so there was so much information. I didn't know. It was so intriguing. And then we've done , you know , stories on the Chinese community Chinese , American , Japanese , American , Black Americans. A lot of them came to Julian , which is , you know , incredible stories. So for me , to help elevate marginalized communities , because I came from one of them is just so powerful.

S1: And you've given back to to the community in so many ways. Yeah. I imagine the process of looking back to on your life and writing about it can be a cathartic experience. Tell me a bit about the emotional journey you went through as you were writing.

S2: I did not anticipate , you know , feeling all these emotions coming back. And it was like I was on a road trip through memory lane in a sense , you know , thinking back when I was five years old and writing about my father's experience because my siblings and I were in the car with him , and when he had that horrible accident and we were left in the car for hours. And so it was emotional , you know , and it was emotional to leave our home in Tijuana and come to a place where you didn't know anything , you know , didn't know the language , didn't know the food , didn't know the community , the people. And so it was it was tough , but it was , um , it was really interesting as well because I , you know , talked to my siblings about what happened , you know , to make sure that I remembered it correctly. I also look through photos and , you know , looking back , there was a hardship. But at the same time , there were some really key points in my life that allowed me to overcome the hardship and just keep being determined to achieve what I wanted to achieve , which was my dream of becoming a storyteller. And 35 years later , after starting at channel ten , I'm still storytelling and I love it , I love it , so it was a it was a tough experience , but at the same time , it has allowed me to talk more about it and heal at the same time. And think of writing this book to my younger self and it allows me to heal.

S1: Right ? Well , you know , what are your hopes for camera ready now that it's out in the world ? Yeah.

S2: You know , camera ready is out in the world. And my hope is that I will be doing a lot more Speaking at schools , universities , at events to talk about the power of resilience , instinct and determination and community and history , which is what I have used in a sense to , you know , achieve my dreams. And so I want to pass on what I have learned and in hopes that it may be easier for somebody else , that it won't be as difficult as it was for me. I'm thankful for the journey because I have achieved my dreams , and I knew what I wanted to do at a very young age in seventh grade. And so for me to have achieved , you know , being a journalist , that was my goal to become a journalist. But I have achieved so much more. And so my goal is to talk about my story in the hopes that people will , um , see the story , my story and say that , you know , I can do that. I can follow my instinct , I can be determined , I can have a community , and I can learn from others so that my life is a little bit easier and I can achieve my dreams as well.

S1: You say history is healing.

S2: It is because it allowed me to connect to my roots. I , you know , in through elementary , high school , junior high and college. Until I got to my Chicano studies , I had not really learned about Chicano history or Mexican history. And so when I sat in that classroom , you know , at San Diego State 30 plus years ago , it was just so rewarding to know , to learn about my history because it connected me to my roots , and it allowed me to see these incredible role models that have been there 100 , 200 , 300 years ago. Their role models in a different way , right ? They're not living , but their stories are so empowering. And so it allows me to see that they did it with so little and they accomplished so much. And so I'm able to do , you know , things that I want to achieve as well. So for me , yeah , it's healing and it's empowering. And that's really the message that a history is , uh , for me. And that's what I want to share with people during my keynote speeches and our book , my my book launch next week on Tuesday , July 15th at 1130 at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park. You know , it's it's about talking about history and about historic places. So it's full circle. Everything's connected. And it's been really healing for me.

S1: I've been speaking with Elsa Sevilla , media extraordinaire and author of the new book Camera Ready From Hardship to the Spotlight A Story of Determination and Rise. She'll be having a book launch event at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park Tuesday , July 15th. You can expect to see her at other book signing events throughout San Diego County , too. Elsa , thank you so much and congratulations on the book.

S2: Thank you so much for having me.

S1: Still to come. Get ready for a new take on an old fairy tale.

S3: There once was a witch. I know , I know. She waits in a ditch. I know this is a witch I know.

S1: Hear more about Gretel. When KPBS Midday Edition returns. Welcome back to KPBS midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. This month , local theatre company Riot Production is putting on Gretel the Musical. It's a reimagining of the famous Brothers Grimm fairy tale that spotlights the women and girls at the heart of the story. KPBS Arts reporter Beth Accomando spoke with Riot Productions artistic director Sarah LeClair and William B.J. Robinson about putting on a musical that takes its own spin on a classic fairy tale. Take a listen.

S4: Sarah , you are the artistic director for Riot Productions. Explain a little bit about what this company is and how you started.

S5: Yeah , so we're an intersectional feminist company , and we're very interested in not only doing works that are by women , but we're looking for female characters that have arc and agency of their own. We're looking for storytelling that shows women as more than just how they function in men's lives and making men better , which is what the subject of a lot of musicals , especially Golden Age musicals. So we're more interested in female centric stories where there's growth and agency of her own so that she doesn't have to exist only as a wife , mother , sister or daughter.

S4: And you are currently in production for Gretel , and this is Gretel without Hansel. So explain what this is.

S5: So this musical is sort of inspired by Hadestown in terms of the the folk rock feel of it. Jen Hartman , Luke and Susan Zetter , who wrote the music , were very much inspired by Anais Mitchell's Hadestown. And they they wanted to take this fairy tale and make it about this little girl who does this incredibly brave thing. She saves her entire family. But in the original story , we don't find out why. Like , where does that strength come from ? So in this story , we actually look at something that's a focus of many fairy tales , which is the mother was dead to begin with. And instead of that , we actually go through the journey of Gretel losing her mom. And as Gretel mother leaves her , she leaves her with this lullaby , my child , that'll come back several times throughout the show , this beautiful sort of duet between Gretel and her mother and the cello and the guitar and cajon coming in and all five of us in a rare moment , sort of having this tender moment we do together.

S6: We have weathered every storm. Your.

S3: Your. Mother. You're fading.

S6: Don't be scared. Don't be afraid. Have no fear , my child. Don't be scared. Don't be afraid. Have no fear. My child.

S4: And BJ , you are directing this.

S7: First and foremost , Sarah is amazing and I love collaborating with her. We've successfully collaborated together on various events things for for schools , for community , as well as our own shows , getting to just showcase some of our own work and music. That means a lot to us. This is our first time getting to work together as actors and as producer and director. And so it was really excited to to get to continue just building our collaboration. It's also a chance for me to try on a different hat as a director of a musical. I've been on and off stage in many other aspects , but this also just lets me kind of explore the director experience a bit more. And I'm a huge fan of fantasy that can teach us something different. I don't want to say something new because a lot of the lessons are familiar lessons , but it gives us a new perspective in seeing those ideas , and I think that in itself can broaden our understanding. I love it when there are musicals that can challenge those tropes and those themes , and make us re-examine and question a little bit more how we look at others in the world.

S4: This is a fairy tale , and not surprisingly , there are witches. So explain what this song about witches is.

S5: So the witch in our story is Baba Yaga. She's the witch from the Russian traditional fairy tale. She has a little hut that is on chicken feet. And one of the songs that we sing is named for her , Baba Yaga.

S3: She lives in your dream and hides in the stream.

S8: She took her mother's.

S3: Name in a ditch and she is in very nice , very nice. With a hard cold as ice. And the. Handkerchief.

S6: Handkerchief.

S3: Rolled his eyes and her soul black as crow.

S8: Patted him twice for good luck.

S3: This is a witch , I know.

S4:

S5: And once we started looking for musicals written by women , we realized exactly why it's so few and far between that any of the theaters focus on musicals written by women. Because there are very few published , we have very little representation at any of the major publishing houses. So I looked at , oh my goodness , dozens and dozens of works. And some were like brilliant musically , but didn't fit the more women than men on the stage , more female representation and the storytelling focus that we had. And some had great stories , but the music was crazy or too simple or whatever. And then I discovered Gretel , ostensibly a children's theater piece , but I thought the themes were so feminist , and it just spoke to me as such a reimagining of this story. And , and I realized I had never thought about , like , this little child who sort of like on the journey , sort of behind her big brother who seems like he's going to be the hero the whole time in the regular fairy tale. How did she get the courage to do this , like , drastic thing ? And I loved that these two female composers did it in such a way that they're showing all these layers that I think only women would be interested in. You have this like tragedy , you have this trauma. You have this growth. She's becoming someone so different from who she was. She finds her strength to stand up against her father. She finds her strength to stand up against the expectations of her. And in every way , she's fighting against what the storybook world is expecting of her. That she has to be this fairy tale girl. She's subverting all of these expectations. And that felt very of this moment. So we're not just doing the same shows that everybody has memorized and has been doing since they were 14. It's something totally new that nobody's ever heard of. In a style that I don't think we've seen a lot of like. All of the instruments are wood and it takes place in the woods. So that's something that Jen Hartman said was very important to her , that everything. Be very acoustic , be very like players coming out of a trunk , just pulling , you know , very minimal little props so that we can tell this simple story in the most beautiful way. Yeah , it feels good in a time that I think we need more things to feel good.

S9: We need a lot of things.

S7: One of the things I really love about being a part of this project in this moment , is that we are getting to celebrate some of San Diego's most incredibly talented women. And this world is plagued with too much disrespect for women right now. There's also something really special about how this show provides two very different women who are the heroes of the story. Gretel being a younger woman , facing these challenges and finding her path to navigate as well as Baba Yaga. Baba Yaga is not an antagonist in this production , and that's something that's really , really important. I know to us and to riot as well , when we can break beyond the stereotypes , the tropes and the constraints that often do get associated with women , especially in folk and fairy tales , and being a part of getting to pull that apart and rewrite that story and retell it is is really special in this moment. Yeah.

S5: Yeah.

S4: And Right Productions is a company that doesn't have a brick and mortar home. and you are rehearsing in multiple spaces and performing in multiple spaces. So talk about the challenge of that and the challenge of just trying to find venues to do all of that.

S5: Yeah , we're so grateful to Piers Morgan , who let us use the cultural center that we were so privileged to be in. For fringe , she just made such a welcoming home for us there and then always to be able to use the City Heights Performance Annex. I love that the price of using the Performance Annex here at the library is that we have to provide free performances to the public , which is something that we love to do. That's part of our mission. So on Saturday we had a wonderful interactive kind of play time. So we did a staged reading of this , but we allowed people to come up. We invited them to come up afterwards. So we had lots of little kids who came in out of the park , but also lots of senior citizens. And to watch both age groups , like , interact with each other and play with the percussion instruments and like , take pictures with our set pieces. Try on the costumes , playing with the puppets and and. Yeah , I mean , what a terrible price to have to pay to get to play with a bunch of six year olds who were having a great time. Yeah , I'm very grateful that we found these , these great partners that have given us the space.

S7: And then we'll have performances happening in a few weekends over at a New Village Arts , as well as its Scripps Ranch Theater. Um , and so we're we're definitely kind of doing the , the San Diego. Tour.

S8: Tour.

S7: With this one over rehearsal and performances. And , you know , in some ways it it can just feel like the challenge when you think you've got so many places to coordinate , you've got so much more running around to do. Um , but at the same time , we live in such a commuting style society that it doesn't it doesn't feel so odd to have to necessarily be in different places and spaces. And for the approach that we have with this show , keeping in mind the minimalism , keeping in mind the the traveling troubadour aspects of it. It really kind of helps us , I think , rise to that challenge of of how are we keeping our storytelling authentic to that field by having to literally go from place to place.

S5: We have to pack it up in a truck , and it has to all fit to get to the next place. But I think it's it's fun. It's been an interesting experiment to take it to so many different places , which we haven't done before , and to think about bringing it into different communities so that we can share this story with as many people as possible and help people realize there's so many cool things. If you just keep looking in the catalog.

S4: And both of you are very committed to musical theater , what is it in particular about musical theater ? Song music that appeals to you and makes you want to focus on that.

S7: Music is the thing that always somehow makes sense in this world. I can't remember a time when it hasn't made sense , and I think that's why I'm drawn to always coming back to to everything around music. Yeah.

S5: Yeah. Lyric , a guitarist , said today , musicals help us process trauma in such a much more intense and real way , because that music is such a part of you and you go home singing it , and then you are listening to it in the car for days and weeks and months and years , and you you can still connect physically to that emotion that that evoked. And I don't know that plays can always be so visceral in the same way that musicals can.

S7: And we're we're both instrumentalists beyond just musical theater. And I think that's also a part of where you sent this to me. And , I mean , it didn't take it didn't take more than ten minutes of listening to it to know that. Oh , yeah , I , I need this. I knew I needed to be a part of it , and I knew I wanted to be a part of us sharing it. There really is something medicinal about music. And when you find the right pieces of art that pair with it in musical theater , you not only change yourself , but you really understand the measure of how much you can change others.

S4: All right. Well , I want to thank you both very much for talking about Gretel.

S5: Thank you , thank you.

S1: That was Beth Accomando , speaking with Riot Productions artistic director Sarah LeClaire and director performer William J. Robinson. Gretel the musical will be performed at New Village Arts on July 20th and 21st , and then at Scripps Ranch Theater July 25th through the 27th. Up next in your weekend arts preview , a San Diego home cook on what excites him most about being on PBS. Great American recipe.

S10: Maybe a kid that watches cooking shows is going to see my Afghan cuisine represented and feel seen. So that's what it's all about for me.

S1: KPBS Midday Edition is back after the break. Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. The PBS show The Great American Recipe follows a group of home cooks as they share their signature recipes while exploring their own roots and traditions. With a series of cooking challenges. One of the eight contestants this season is San Diego's own Weigel Safi. He cooks Afghan dishes passed down from his mother's side of the family , and he also works for a nonprofit foster care organization and is a food content creator. Saffie recently sat down with KPBS arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans. And here's that conversation.

S11: So first of all , congratulations on being part of the upcoming season of The Great American Recipe on PBS.

S10: Um , I did not audition. I was actually , um , contacted via email and then via Instagram , and I thought it was like a joke , a big joke. I'm like , what's going on ? Like a TV show ? Are you kidding me ? And then I , I'm very , like , all about signs and numbers and the producer or the casting director that wanted to reach out to me said , please give me a call. And the last , I think , the last three digits or 3 digits in the phone number were three , three , three. And that's like my guiding number. So I was like at that point I didn't care if it was a scam or not. I was going to go along with it. So I definitely called and I entertained it. And that same day I interviewed like it was like over an hour of just questions about me , my background and my , you know , culinary point of view. And then a few months later or a month later , they followed up saying they would like me on the show and to provide more information about myself. So it just started from there.

S11: Now , can you talk about the filming process ? Were these like marathon kitchen sessions with a different assignment every day ? Sort of.

S10: Yeah , it felt like exhausting. Um , totally. I think cooking all day is difficult as is. But when you're being timed , critiqued , judged , and then you have a bunch of cameras in your face that will not leave. Like they're they're stationary and moving around you. I mean , there's nothing like it. It's so overwhelming. It's not like I could have never anticipated that feeling that it gave me. Um , but by the end of it , I was not even fazed by the surroundings. It was like , oh , this is my kitchen. But in the beginning it was very difficult.

S11:

S10: It's called lowland. Lowland. It's like a Afghan stew. It's originally made with quail or lamb , but I , the American in me , just wants to make it with chicken. So I make it with chicken. And , um , it's one of my favorite dishes. It's a , uh , originally like a royal dish. And it's it's like a , the chicken is braised in a yogurt sauce , and it's decadent. It's a little tart , um , and a little bit spicy as well.

S11: That sounds incredible. And one of the things about the show , it's called like the Great American Recipe. And not everybody who is a great chef is also able to create a recipe.

S10: I tweak it the way I would see fit , like the way I want it to taste. So I keep the method and the technique kind of the same , but then I'll add certain flavorings or extra certain things to make it the way I want. And usually that means I'm adding extra sumac or extra cilantro to every dish. Almost.

S11:

S10: I don't know if that's the right word , but we have this natural love for cilantro , so it's like my favorite herb. I put it in everything. And I know some people have like that genetic disposition where they can't have the cilantro tastes like soap to them. And I just don't I feel so bad for them. And I love to add sumac to almost everything because it adds like a tart bite , um , to all , all the dishes and it balances them.

S11: I want to go back a little bit.

S10: So I was alone all summer , and my dad was there and like my one sibling. So it was literally like no one was around that summer and I was craving the dishes my mom would make. So I took matters into my own hands and I started experimenting. And I started actually making , like , real grown up dishes at that age of 14.

S11:

S10: And when I'm creating something with like an end product that I could say I created , it felt good. And there's something now I noticed , like as an adult , there's something meditative , meditative about it where I can , like , zone everything out and only think about the flavorings and the seasonings and the temperature. And I'm not thinking about daily life or problems or struggles. I'm just thinking about the dish. And there's something so calming about that.

S11: The show is called The Great American Recipe.

S10: Hamburgers. Hot dogs , Mac and cheese. And the show. What's so special about it ? It's redefining the way we view that. And it's actually taking into consideration the amazing , multifaceted fabric of our country and naming it the Great American recipe. And then choosing to feature people from so many different backgrounds is kind of genius. It's kind of showing that the greatest American recipe and American cuisine itself is a melting pot , just like , you know , the population of America is. So it's kind of amazing to redefine that and look at it from a new lens.

S11:

S10: And for me , I grew up watching cooking shows , so I never saw my cuisine represented in any way , shape or form. And coming from my background , it's like there's always some negative connotation I was raised. Seeing the only the negative being publicized. And it's very unfortunate because that's what suits the narrative. But I think what people are missing out on is the beauty and the royal cuisine of my culture , and how we are world renowned for our hospitality. And when we have a guests , we give them our all. And I hope I could showcase even a little bit of that. And maybe a kid that watches cooking shows is going to see my Afghan cuisine represented and feel seen. So that's what it's all about for me.

S1: That was Weigel Safi , local food content creator and contestant on The Great American Recipe. He was speaking with KPBS arts reporter and host of The Finest podcast , Julia Dixon Evans , who joins me now. Welcome , Julia.

S11: Hey , Jade. Thanks for having me.

S1: Always great to have you on.

S11: What I love about this is it's more like the Great British Baking Show , where everybody is like , collaborative and supportive. It's just like warm , fuzzy.

S1: That's nice because cooking is very competitive , like you say. Well , the upcoming season of The Great American Recipe premieres this weekend , and you can begin streaming it Friday on the PBS app or watch Mondays at 9 p.m. on KPBS TV Steve beginning July 14th. And if after listening to that interview , folks are ready for Afghan food right now. Well , I hear you have some advice.

S11: I do , because I asked that same thing to Weigel , and he told me that his favorite place to shop for ingredients to prepare Afghan food is Baba Market. And then his favorite restaurant is here in Lakeside. It's called Kunduz Kebab and I had never heard of it. And Lakeside is not some place where I would routinely think about going out to eat. So that's kind of nice to see.

S1: Yeah , well , that sounds like a great plan for the weekend , but you have a few more ideas for arts and culture around town , from Beethoven to karaoke.

S11: Right , right. Let's start with karaoke. This is actually a play written and directed by Blake McCarty , who is the founder and executive director of Blind Spot Collective. This is an independent theater company in town , and this play is a jukebox musical. The songs kind of advance the plot , and these are actually karaoke performances. The characters are all patrons in a karaoke bar. We learn about their struggles and all their little entanglements as they sing their songs. And it's an homage to all the ways that music. And being the one to actually sing the music , whether or not we're a musician , whether or not we're actually any good , how that can shape us and get us through stuff. And the play opens tonight. It's on stage through August 3rd. Performances are at The Loft at UC San Diego , and I think this venue is part of what makes this such like an immersive production. You can just sit back and watch , of course , but they have booth seating and there's a bar and it just feels like you're actually there at a karaoke bar , and the actors will very much be all around you as you're watching.

S1: Oh that's great.

S11: It's the Pastorale or the Sixth Symphony. And this is just like a beautiful , sweeping piece of music about nature , and it uses the sound of the instruments to kind of evoke the natural world. Here is specifically a good example of that. It's the bird song sequence. The flute represents the nightingale , the oboe is the quail , and the clarinet is the cuckoo. They're playing this piece alongside Beethoven's Overture to Carillon and Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor , with Clara Jimmy Kang on violin. And this is Sunday evening at 730 at The Rady Shell.

S1: And finally , let's hear about some live music. Yeah.

S11: Yeah. So first up tonight at courtyard is the 19 year old Esha Tiwari. Um , her album Wraith just came out a few months ago. We're listening to the first track on that album called You Were Mine. I'm.

S6: I'm.

S3: Glad you got to play. And I'm. Sorry.

S6: Sorry.

S3: I can't. Oh.

S6: Oh.

S11: And one more. Sao Paulo based father daughter group Ella and the Bossa Beat. This is Ella Bleu , who's the singer and the piano player alongside her percussionist father McGrew. Forays. This is their track , Amor. It's their latest single. It just came out in May. And they're playing a show Saturday night at the Jazz Lounge in Rolando , which is just this really nice , intimate venue. And you can get tickets that include a dinner service or without.

S1: Oh , that sounds lovely. Well , you can find details on these and more arts events on our website at KPBS. I've been speaking with KPBS arts reporter and host of the finest , Julia Dixon Evans. Julia , thanks.

S11: Thank you. Jade. Star.

S3: Star.

S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.