Alameda's Paul Manousos to perform a trio of local shows

Oakland Tribune, Apr 13, 2006

AFUNNY thing happened to Paul Manousos in Amsterdam. Yeah, I know, funny things happen to folks in Amsterdam all the time. It's that kind of a city. But this was funny even by bizarre Amsterdam standards.

The Alameda-based singer-songwriter was performing a show and the crowd was really digging it. That's not the unusual thing -- Manousos regularly wows his audiences, whether he's playing in San Francisco or anywhere else. The strange part is that when Manousos was finishing his set, somewhere around 4 a.m., the crowd broke into an impromptu chant of "Elvis! Elvis! Elvis!" I know that we Americans all look alike, but -- come on! -- that's ridiculous. Maybe, "Manousos" was too hard for the Amsterdam music lovers to pronounce.

While it's way too early to start referring to him as "The King," Manousos' reputation as a songwriter to watch is growing steadily. His song "It's Going to be Alright" took a first-place prize during a recent international songwriting competition while two other Manousos compositions, "Blind" and "The Last Time," placed in the highly competitive Billboard Songwriting Contest.

If you are the mood to hear a great local talent -- or just start a chorus of "Elvis! Elvis!" -- check out Manousos at 8 p.m. today at the Uptown Nightclub, 1928 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. Tickets are a real bargain at $6. Call (510) 451-8100 or visit http:// www.uptownnightclub.com.

Manousos also performs a free show from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Tower Records, 1280 East Willow Road, Concord. On April 21, he'll be at the Little Fox, 2215 Broadway, Redwood City. Show time is 9 p.m. Tickets are $14 to $16. Call (650) FOX-4119 or visit http:// www.foxdream.com.

-- Jim Harrington

Back to future

The young gymnasts in Acrosports are flipping for the future -- or maybe flipping and tumbling and spinning through the future is more accurate.

This year's Acrosports show is called "2106" and takes its inspiration from the 1926 silent movie "Metropolis," which depicted a gleaming city, workers enslaved in the city's dingy underground and robots primed to take over the whole shebang.

Like all Acrosports shows, "2016" involves student performers from around the Bay Area in a pageant of acrobatics, aerial gymnastics, juggling and clowning.

East Bay performers include Shannon Finnegan of Berkeley, Zina Goodall of Oakland, Gabe Vieira of Oakland, David Reynolds of Richmond and Abby Pistoni of Oakland.

The show opens Friday and continues through April 30 at the Project Artaud Theatre, 450 Florida St., San Francisco. Shows are at 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. Tickets are $12 to $15. Call (415) 665-2276, ext. 103 or visit http:// www.acrosports.org for information.

-- Chad Jones

Celeb chefs fire up

Every April for 13 years, Berkeley Repertory Theatre patrons have raised their glasses for the Narsai Toast, a fundraising dinner hosted by local gourmand Narsai David.

For the 14th event, scheduled for April 28 at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco, David has invited some of his chef friends to cook up a four-course dinner.

This year's serving of chefs includes Bridget Batson and David Gingrass of Hawthorne Lane, Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski of Rubicon, Jean-Pierre Dubray of the Ritz-Carlton, Laurent Manrique and Peter Armellino of Aqua and Sean O'Brien of Myth.

In its 13-year history, the Narsai Toast has raised $2.5 million for Berkeley Rep's artistic work, educational programs and community outreach. Tickets are $400. The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Ritz- Carlton, 600 Stockton St., San Francisco. Call (510) 647-2906 or visit http://www.berkeleyrep.org for information.

-- Chad Jones