This Weekend in SD: Broadway, Basketball, and Éirinn go Brách

February may be the shortest month of the year, but that’s not stopping it from being just as busy. There are a ton of exciting events going on this weekend here in San Diego County. From a highly-anticipated rematch between rivals on the court to a multitude of entertaining shows on stage, the choices are seemingly endless. Even Mayor Sanders is getting involved in the excitement!

Concerts

It is a full weekend of music at the  House of Blues.  On Saturday, head down to the legendary venue for Rock vs. Cancer,  a benefit for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The event will feature live performances by a great group of musicians as well as a secret headliner, as well as an art exhibit, formal wear fashion show and silent auction. Hitting up the HOB stage the rest of the weekend are Maz Jobrani on Thursday, The Aquabats on Friday, and Amanda Miguel & Diego Verdaguer on Sunday.

Also having a busy weekend is The Loft at UCSD with visits from Young the Giants on Friday and Twenty7 on Saturday, closing out the weekend with Luminance presents: Michael Carreon, Jennifer Chung, Jane Lui, and Casey Nishizu. Meanwhile Dilated Peoples with Spit Klub All Stars take over 4th & B on Saturday night.

Theatre

Support local theatre by checking out some of the shows closing up this weekend. At the Mandell Wiess FORUM Theatre until February 26th is UCSD’s production of Hedda Gabler, a drama written by famed playwright Henrik Ibsen surrounding a newlywed bride’s discomfort with her new life. Also closing this weekend is SDSU’s run of Symphony of Clouds (Musical Adventures of the Boy Mozart), a joyful musical adventure incorporating much of Mozart’s early life and work, which shows at the Don Powell Theatre through February 27th.

In San Diego until March 6th is the fresh-off Broadway comedy Superior Donuts, presented by the San Diego Repertory Theatre. Follow Arthur Przybyszewski, an ex-radical in his 60s, as he tries to revive Superior Donuts, a little shop in Chicago opened by his father, with the help of a young, optimistic African American man, Franco Wicks.

Shows/Showcases

Get the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations started early by attending The Museum of Man’s Tower After Hours on Thursday, February 24th from 6-8pm, as they celebrate Irish culture. Experience this wonderful heritage with samples of regional food and drink while enjoying lively music and dance. The cultural awareness continues on Friday, February 25th with SDHS’s 6th Annual Mariachi Conference Showcase at the Balboa Theatre, presenting a night of mariachi music and performance.

Feel like a good laugh? Comedian Steve Byrne hits up the Dreamcatcher at Viejas on Saturday. Then Sunday head over to A Royal Affair, a wedding and event showcase at The Grant Grill in the US Grant Hotel to check out the latest nuptial styles and trends.

Also this Sunday is the 83rd Annual Academy Awards Show hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway. Grab some friends, tune into ABC and grab a bowl of popcorn to see who will win some of the most acclaimed titles in cinema. Feel like mingling while watching? Head over to Prospect Bar & Grill in La Jolla for their Oscar Night Viewing from 4-9pm and meet-up with fellow cinephiles where they will even have a contest for “best dressed”!

Sports

The Harlem Globetrotters are in San Diego. See them in action on both Friday the 25th and Sunday the 27th at the Valley View Casino.  Bring the family for a night of awesome athleticism, theater and comedy.

The basketball fun does not end there. As you read this, I am still waiting in line with about 1200+ other SDSU students to purchase basketball tickets for the SDSU Aztecs vs. BYU Cougars Men’s Basketball game that will go on sale Friday, February 25th at 4pm.

Am I clinically insane?

Possibly, but at least slightly less crazy than the 1000 people in front of me who started lining up Wednesday. The epic showdown will occur Saturday, February 26th at 11am, so unless you’re one of the lucky-yet-hardcore campers setting up their beds in front of Viejas right now, be sure to tune in to the game because its sure to be quite the show. Even Mayor Sanders tweeted in support of our dear Aztecs, currently #4 in the nation, as they go head-to-head against their rivals for the Mountain West Conference title.

Take a Peek into Next Week:

March 1^st is National Pancake Day! Stop by any of the participating IHOP locations this upcoming Tuesday and receive a short stack of buttermilk pancakes free of charge to benefit the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ programs at Rady Children’s Hospital.

Superior Donuts photo by Daren Scott courtesy of the San Diego Repertory Theatre. Other photos courtesy of noiz cultura urbana, david_shankbone, and SD Dirk via Flickr.