Susan's City Scene

STAGE DIRECTIONS. The War Memorial Opera House is located at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco, within walking distance of the Civic Center BART Station. San Francisco Opera offers complimentary shuttle service to and from the Civic Center BART station for all Fall 2018 mainstage performances, 90 minutes before and 45 minutes following every performance.

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ATTENTION! GET OUT YOUR CAPES! SUPERHEROES AND VILLAINS VISIT SAN FRANCISCO SYMPHONY. The San Francisco Symphony’s 2018-19 Music for Families series kicks off Dec 1 at Davies Symphony Hall with Superheroes and Villains. Conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser leads an exploration of history’s most heroic music — from classics of operatic and orchestral repertoire to contemporary Hollywood hits, with excerpts from Black Panther, Superman, The Avengers, The Magic Flute and Die Walküre. Guests are invited to wear costumes and enjoy lobby activities before, during and after the performances, including coloring stations, instrument petting zoos, photo stations and piano mats. Part performance and part family outing, the Music for Families series consists of matinee concerts designed to spark the imagination of the whole family through an exploration of different aspects of the orchestra and its repertoire. Music for Families concerts are geared to ages 5 and up. Tickets for children age 17 and under are half-price. Ticket-buyers receive an online activity guide and music links that help prepare for the concerts and provide opportunities for continued music engagement at home. Davies Symphony Hall is located at 210 Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. For tickets or more information visit www.sfsymphony.org, call (415) 864-6000 or email patronservices@sfsymphony.org.

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RETRACE NASA’S JOURNEYS TO THE MOON, AT THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES IN GOLDEN GATE PARK. As NASA, the nation and the world prepare to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first human landing on the moon, the California Academy of Sciences hosts a talk that examines the six individual Apollo missions and the missions that came after Apollo, and looks ahead to what’s in store for future lunar exploration. Speaker Brian Day is the Lead for Lunar and Planetary Mapping and Modeling, as well as Lead for Citizen Science and Outreach at NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI). As a member of NASA’s Speakers Bureau, Day gives talks on a wide range of NASA missions and research topics. Dec. 3, 7:30 p.m. General Admission: $15 Members: $12 Seniors: $12. Seating is limited and advance reservations required. Order by phone at (877) 227-1831 or visit www.calacademy.org. The California Academy of Sciences is located in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

Susan Cohn is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle and the American Theatre Critics Association. She may be reached at susan@smdailyjournal.com.