Out There :: The Anderson Variations

Gifted artist Laurie Anderson played four shows at SFJazz last week, and Out There was in the audience on Saturday night. Writer, composer, artist, musician Anderson is at heart a storyteller, and in these shows she reprised stories and songs from her decades-long career, set against improvisational collaborations with four different musicians. On Saturday, her partner was bassist Rob Wasserman.

The theme of that evening was animals, and it was dedicated to "the disappeared," the 99% of all once-existing species that are now extinct. She told a story about doing a concert outdoors. "Finally the song was winding down, but this beautiful little melody was still going on. And I realized it was coming from a tree next to the stage. It was an owl. We were singing a duet, and I thought: I can die right now because life does not get better than this."

The [UK] Guardian recently asked Anderson, "Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?" She responded, "Oscar Wilde, because he's hilarious, irreverent and from long ago." A perfect pair.

Flora & Fauna

Versailles boasts the most famous garden in the world, comparable in value to the Palace itself. But how did its renowned geometrically aligned terraces, its ponds, canals and tree-lined paths get to be that way? The new British film "A Little Chaos" offers some theories while brewing up a couple of romances. It will be screened for free on Tues., June 23, 7:30 p.m. at the Vogue Theater in SF. The multi-talented Alan Rickman directs this frothy concoction and stars in it as King Louis XIV. His leading lady is Kate Winslet, playing a revolutionary gardener in the King's court. She believes her ideas for the exteriors are superior to those of renowned landscape architect Andre Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts). There's sexual intrigue in the flora when his wife thinks Winslet's power play extends to Andre. Stanley Tucci has a comical turn as a court dandy.

For free tickets, e-mail [email protected] with Chaos and your name in the subject line, and indicate if you want one or two tickets. You will be notified via e-mail if you are chosen. If so, bring the e-mail you receive with you that evening.

BARS tab

Internationally renowned pianist Sara Davis Buechner isn't new to the transgender conversation that seems to be happening all over society these days. Nearly 20 years ago in 1996, then-David Buechner, the winner of a dozen international piano competitions, began the quest to become Sara. As part of this month's Pride celebrations, this remarkable pianist will be joining the Bay Area Rainbow Symphony [BARS] and music director Dawn Harms in a fascinating program of all women composers, Sat., June 6, 8 p.m. at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, 50 Oak St., SF. Buechner will also give a personal lecture-performance at 3 p.m. entitled "Crossing the Concourse: Sara Davis Buechner in Music and Words." She will talk about being the T in LGBTQ, share with dignity and humor what she has learned along the way about gender and gender roles, and discuss how preconceptions have both limited and enhanced her own life. This will be followed by a Q&A session.

On the evening program, Buechner will perform Kapralova's "Partita for Piano and Strings" and the Clara Schumann Piano Concerto. The concert will conclude with Ethel Smyth's "Serenade." For tickets and info, go to bars-sf.org.