His best-known songs, some written with the Belgian composer Jacques Brel, include “Birthday Boy,” “A Man Alone,” “If You Go Away” and “Seasons In the Sun,” a chart-topper in 1974 for Terry Jacks. He was nominated for an Oscar for “Jean” and for “A Boy Named Charlie Brown,” the title track for the Peanuts movie. Frank Sinatra, Madonna, Dolly Parton and Chet Baker were among the many artists who recorded his material, although McKuen often handled the job himself in a hushed, throaty style he honed after an early life as a rock singer cracked his natural tenor.
• • • • •, Silicon Valley Ballet, “The Nutcracker,” Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd., San Jose, Under a new name, San Jose’s ballet company brings Clara, the Sugar Plum Fairies and a small, wooden nutcracker to life, Times vary through Dec, 27, $25-$110, 408.288.2800 or siliconvalleyballet.org, • blue bridal shoes, indian ethnic juttis, embellished wedding shoes, white beaded punjabi juttis, indian footwear, blue ballet sh • • • •, Menorah Lighting, Santana Row, 377 Santana Row, San Jose, Celebrate the Jewish Festival of Lights in Park Valencia with family activities that include decorating dreidels, Jewish storytime, arts and crafts and the lighting of the Menorah, 2-4 p.m, Free..
She says she is in the process of “studying and researching” how to handle the challenges to come, including a more than $20 million budget shortfall at the district, but she wanted to make “strong evidence-based” decisions on how to handle these challenges. Yet, as a third-generation educator, “education runs in my blood,” she said. And she sees herself as a “creative problem-solver” who believes in the importance of working collaboratively. And as someone who started off as a teacher in East Oakland’s Parker Elementary, who has even has gone through the pain of being “pink-slipped” with a layoff notice, her view is that her job is to help teachers teacher and students get a quality education.
Looking for a gift to satisfy your picky teen? It can be nearly impossible, The Bay Area News Group (Calif.) recruited sophomore, junior and senior high school students to share what they would want this holiday season, Here is a gift guide to point you in the right direction, written for and by teens, Beats by Dr, Dre Solo HD Headphones, Why it’s a must-have: Everyone knows that music is essential to the teenage soul, Heck, it’s like chicken soup for the ears, Beats Solo HD Headphones stand out among other headphones with their outstanding sound quality and bold design, Great for long listening sessions, these headphones are a teen’s only choice when rocking away to Green Day, humming along to Maroon 5, or just laying back and listening to music in style, Teens prefer headphones that not only look good, but also make their lives just a little cooler, best, a few shades cooler (the headphones are blue bridal shoes, indian ethnic juttis, embellished wedding shoes, white beaded punjabi juttis, indian footwear, blue ballet sh available in at least 8 different colors!), ($199.95; www.beatsbydre.com)..
When the company hired José Manuel Carreño, a star in the dance world, as its artistic director in late 2013, hopes were high that he could save the ballet. He brought excitement and buzz, and the performances under his tenure have been well-received critically. But it was not enough. Not even last year’s successful do-or-die fundraising push, which raised $640,000 in 10 days, could turn the tide. Some say that the ballet is merely another example of the brutal financial arts climate in the Silicon Valley, that despite the billions that its very name represents, arts groups here are under extreme pressure to make ends meet because they lack the kind of old-money perennial arts patrons you find in San Francisco. In addition to the death of San Jose Rep, Santa Cruz Shakespeare closed in 2013 before coming back as a smaller operation and the American Musical Theatre went under in 2006.