L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY A beautiful artis- t i c p e r f o r - m a n c e , s u p - p o r t e d b y t h e power of words, has been taking the stage at Club Fugazi in San Fran- cisco since late 2021. And is here to stay. Dear San Francisco: A High-Flying Love Story is the name of a show that intentionally brings acrobat- i c s , a r t s , a n d r e f l e c t i o n together and gives an expe- rience like no other. It takes place in what used to be the artistic home of Beach Blan- ket Babylon, yet the vibe seems to not have changed. Starting in 1976, Steve Sil- ver's Beach Blanket Babylon ran for a total of forty-five years, becoming the world's l o n g e s t - r u n n i n g m u s i c a l r e v u e . T h e p r o d u c t i o n played for more than 17,200 performances to over 6.5 million guests, taking its final bow in December 2019. Today, Club Fugazi puts the excitement of a live perfor- m a n c e t o g e t h e r w i t h a nightclub atmosphere. C u r a t e d t o m a t c h t h e world-class caliber of the performances, Club Fugazi features a menu of small b i t e s a n d p l a t e s s o u r c e d from local purveyors, and a w i n e a n d b e e r s e l e c t i o n designed to complement its Italian roots. Guests are seated at community coun- ters, on chairs that move to take in the full room as the performance swirls around them. With "Dear San Francis- co," Club Fugazi brings a 90-minute ride through the city in a breathtaking aerial extravaganza, perfect for an afternoon or night out. The venue is so tiny that you're close to the stage and the p e r f o r m e r s , n o m a t t e r where you are seated. "Dear San Francisco" is p r o d u c e d b y T h e 7 F i n - gers, a foundation with a mission spanning from sup- porting an iconic creative hub and boosting innova- tion, all the way to inspiring communities and propelling t h e n e x t g e n e r a t i o n o f artists. And so it does in San Francisco, thanks to nine artists and acrobats from Mexico, China, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, and both coasts of the Unit- ed States. As highlighted by their producers, Shana Car- roll and Gypsy Snider, San Francisco is "a city of accep- tance, daring, revolution and boundless beauty; the show seeks to capture its very essence within the his- t o r i c w a l l s o f t h e C l u b Fugazi." T h e s h o w h a s b e c o m e memorable thanks to the mix of acrobatics, juggling, p a r k o u r , c i r c u s t r a i n i n g , rhythmic gymnastics, and a c t i n g . N o t o n l y d o e s i t result in unexpected moves and landings, but also in n e v e r - t r i v i a l c o n t e n t : a l l these performers use their talents to tell the story of a c i t y , S a n F r a n c i s c o , t h a t they got to know and love, while it keeps reinventing and redefining itself, and i n s p i r i n g m a n y . I t o p e n s with histor ical images of San Francisco at the begin- ning of the 20th century, a city shaken by the earth- quake, where everybody and everything moves fast. That makes it easy for the per- f o r m e r s t o f o l l o w a l o n g , using athleticism, precision, and grace. Music played by a guitar kicks off a round of letters written by people in the audience and read out loud by the performers. A moment to think of the why and the how San Francisco can, and will, mark people's l i v e s : a l o n g m i n u t e t h a t brings, metaphorically, each attendee on stage for a solo letter, in which they can see t h e m s e l v e s a s b o t h t h e writer and the recipient. After an emotional start though, it becomes clear that each performer will almost run their own show while interacting with their peers, in a symphony of skills that g r a c e f u l l y b a l a n c e e a c h other. Enmeng Song, who has been part of many The 7 F i n g e r s ' p r o d u c t i o n s a n d was a member of Cirque du Soleil's IRIS and Volta, gives his best with the diabolo, a circus prop with an axle and two cups, recalling his Chi- nese roots and culture. He s h a r e s t h e s t a g e w i t h h i s w i f e , S h e n g n a n P a n , a child prodigy who started her circus training at 8. They both entertain and enchant the audience in a duet of moves and coordination. As the artists interact and pull the strings of the perfor- mance, Michael Patter- son's voice stays across with funny gags, a reminder of his past and love for acting. An intriguing way of using words to welcome each per- former on stage for their glo- r i o u s m o m e n t : C a r l o s Francós Peré keeps every- one's adrenaline high as he goes up and down the pole m u l t i p l e t i m e s . S a m e f o r S e r e n a A g u i l a r I z z o , J o ë l l e Z i ö r j e n , C h l o e Somers Walier, and Saffi Watson. The scene is enriched by a c o n v e r s a t i o n i n a n o l d phone booth, an aerial move o n a t r a p e z e , j u m p s o n a teeterboard, and foot jug- gling with one, two, three umbrellas, almost like the blooming of a magnificent human composition. From London and China to what could be the street of any city in the world, the per- formers' call for their roots engages people in a show between the past and the present. The audience gasps a n d l a u g h s , e n j o y i n g t h e uniqueness of the up-close view and the acrobats occa- s i o n a l l y w a l k i n g a m o n g them. "Dear San Francisco" ends with a round of poems, i n c l u d i n g p i e c e s b y Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Right before a big thank you, per- formers all sing "San Fran- cisco" by Scott McKenzie. For those who come to S a n F r a n c i s c o , t h e t i m e watching this show will be a love-in experience, and they w i l l s u r e l y m e e t a w h o l e generation in motion. "Dear San Francisco: A High-Flying Love Story" will be at Club Fugazi until the end of 2022, including two performances on New Year's eve, before a well- deserved break. It will come back in February, right on time for Valentine's Day to celebrate the love for both people and the city by the bay. SERENA PERFETTO Acrobats up in the air at Club Fugazi (Photo: Serena Perfetto) "Dear San Francisco," a show of acrobatics, love, and much more at Club Fugazi A moment of the umbrella juggling routine (Photo: Serena Perfetto)

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