Around the bay in APRIL 2008

On Saturday, April 26, Sausalito’s colorful floating homes community will present the Artists of Issaquah exhibition.

Halloween on the Pond” Photograph on canvas from Artists of Issaquah exhibition. Copyright © Ric Miller 2003.

Guests will have an opportunity to view and purchase a wide variety of outstanding art, while getting a rare chance to be inside some of the most unique homes in the world. Fifteen resident artists of Issaquah Dock and eight artists from Liberty Dock will be showing paintings, photography, sculpture and mixed media work at reasonable prices. The Sausalito floating homes community includes some 400 houseboats and boasts a rich history of creative expression. The Artists of Issaquah are maintaining this tradition with their sixth annual exhibition. The event is from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and admission is free. For more information please call Barbara Duncan at (415) 332-1768 and visit the website at www.floatinghome.com/fh/artists.

Over the last 160 years, industry and recreation have changed San Francisco’s northern waterfront. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park preserves one of the few authentic glimpses into the city’s development as an international port. Now you can learn how this scenic park was an early battleground in the fight between preservation and development. Take a stroll with a Park Ranger through the Aquatic Park Historic District and Fisherman’s Wharf to discover the vibrant history of this waterfront area. The free one-hour tour takes place on Saturdays and Sundays through August. The tour covers a distance of about one mile, with some gently sloping and uneven terrain. Meet at 10:30 a.m. in the lobby of the Argonaut Hotel, 495 Jefferson Street, near the corner of Jefferson and Hyde Streets. Dress in layers and wear good walking shoes. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is located at the west end of Fisherman’s Wharf, in San Francisco. The park includes a magnificent fleet of historic ships, a visitor center, a maritime museum (closed for renovation) and a library. For more information about the park, or its public programs, please call (415) 447-5000 or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/safr.

Point Break Live! begins a limited San Francisco engagement Friday, April 11, at Xenodrome. It is the absurdist stage adaptation of the 1992 Keanu Reeves/Patrick Swayze extreme-sports blockbuster that tells the story of former College football star, Johnny Utah, in pursuit of the surfing, bank robbing, skydiving, bare-hand-fighting adrenaline-junkie-cum-Zen-master Bodhi Sattva. Since its Seattle debut in 2003, Point Break Live! has ‘rawked’ sell-out crowds in Minneapolis, and New York City, and it continues strong after six-months in Los Angeles to rave reviews, with all shows sold out two weeks in advance. The starring role of Johnny Utah is selected from the audience each night, and reads their entire script off of cue cards. This method manages to capture the rawness of a Keanu Reeves performance, even from those who generally think themselves incapable of acting. The fun starts immediately with the screen test, wherein the volunteer Keanus go through a grueling audition process. The production features armed robbery, big-wave surfing, car chases, explosions, no less than two extended skydiving sequences and an indoor monsoon. The audience doesn’t just watch the show; they are in it. It’s a messy show and the action literally spills forth from the stage; plastic ponchos are distributed to protect the audience. It’s suggested you leave your fineries at home, but, that’s part of the fun, Brah. The production will feature Friday performances at 8:00 p.m. and two performances on Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. The Xenodrome is located at 1320 Potrero Avenue in San Francisco. Tickets are $25 and available at
www.theatermania.com or by calling (866) 811-4111. Point Break Live! will continue through June 2008, and possibly beyond. For more info, cast photos, and video visit www.pointbreaklive.com.

Take a trip back to an era of classy cocktail parties and epicurean elegance aboard Franklin D. Roosevelt’s historic USS Potomac. Sponsored by Foggy Bridge Winery, Sips and Bites on the Bay is an opportunity to enjoy fine wine and creative cuisine against the backdrop of the stunning San Francisco skyline. Sail the Bay in style on one of the country’s most historic vessels while enjoying some of the finest wine and food Northern California has to offer. The wines will be paired with gourmet passed hors d’oeuvres, creating a unique educational wine and food experience. The cruise departs from the San Francisco Ferry Building’s Pier E and sails April through November on most Saturday afternoons from 4-6 p.m. and Sunday mornings from 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Tickets are $150 per person with group rates also available. Fees include all wine and hors d’oeuvres and two hours of sailing time. Only passengers 12 years of age and older are permitted. Sips and Bites on the Bay also offers a unique opportunity for corporate retreats. For further dates and more information, please visit www.sipsandbitessf.com or call (877) 329-7377.