“Evita” should captivate. “Evita” should mesmerize. With its grand dance numbers, its famous songs, and the legendary woman behind the title role, “Evita” should be larger than life.

Bay Area American Filipino writers may not be all that well known in American Canyon, a fact some want to change.

With an earthquake in one theatre and a ship tossed by stormy seas in the other, Berkeley Repertory Theatre is beset by disasters – but the community loves them. The Tony Award-winning theatre is riding a tidal wave of rave reviews, standing ovations and sold-out houses with its celebrated productions of “after the quake” and “Argonautika.” Amidst record sales at the box office, Berkeley Rep is adding performances of both shows to meet the earth-shattering demand for tickets.

Bay Area sculptor Gay Outlaw has created artworks with puff pastry and caramel, and built a 30-foot-long wall of fruitcakes that she baked herself.

The song of the angels -  “Gloria in Excelsis Deo - Glory to God in the highest,” will resound from the rafters of Napa’s First United Methodist Church Sunday when the Napa Valley Chorale presents its annual holiday concerts at 3:30 and 7 p.m.

Tickets for Lincoln Theater’s winter/spring 2008 season go on sale today. In the fourth season since its $20 million restoration, the theater hits its stride with a schedule that includes Broadway shows, classical, country, rock, pop and gospel music, dance and family entertainment.

According to director Susan Davis, an unexpected medical emergency sent one of her cast to the Emergency Room at the Queen just before the Friday night performance of “Stage  Door” at Vintage High School, but in the true trouper spirit Chelsea Page stepped in to play the role of Linda Shaw, and the show went on.

On Sunday afternoon, Jungle Jack Hanna led his safari of trained animal handlers and a collection of animals and reptiles onto the stage of the Napa Valley Opera House for a one-day, two-performance treat for Napans young and old.

Charles Dickens’ original short story, “A Christmas Carol – Being a Ghost Story of Christmas,” is divided into four “staves,” one for each ghost.

Unlike the intimate sketches of fellow Frenchman Claude Debussy, the piano music of Maurice Ravel is cold, glittering and virtuosic, like fine, hard jade.

When he’s not entertaining music lovers with his angelic voice, Michael Caldwell can be found helping teammates win big on a local baseball diamond.

Education

Matching wines with foods that make culinary magic remains something of a mystery to most of us. There are the standard rules, and beyond this someone is usually available to make a recommendation, which usually works just fine. But then you encounter someone who can make a match that is out of the realm of the ordinary, and you have to wonder, how did he do it?

4 3-oz. portions of ahi tuna, sushi quality

Beef tenderloin

1 pound baby greens

Credited with earning The Restaurant at Meadowood a two-star rating from the esteemed Michelin Guide, restaurant chef Joseph Humphrey announced today he will be leaving Meadowood to accept the position of executive chef at Cavallo Point — The Lodge at Golden Gate, scheduled to open in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge next summer.

This week's recipes come from the kitchens at Hess Collection Winery, including Hesse Salad, Ahi Tuna with Quinoa, and Beef Tenderloin with Celery Root Puree.

Solage Resorts, the new earth-friendly retreat nestled in a hollow of crisp air and breathtaking views outside of Calistoga, takes lowering your stress level to a high tech, highly pampered peak.

With City Editor Jill Decker exploring the new Solange spa in Calistoga, it seemed a good time to investigate what other spas in the valley are up to in the holiday season.

It was Pajama Day at Mt. George Elementary School, which was why even Principal Janine Burt was decked out in pink flannel jammies.

Leave it to Mario to give the Wii its best game -- maybe even one of the best games of the year on any system.

BIER-WILKINSON — Ethan Aaron Bier, 33, Sulphur Springs, St. Helena to Rachel Louise Wilkinson, 29, Sulphur Springs, St. Helena.

CRITTENDEN — Michael vs. Catherine, Nov. 16, 2007

4.0 GPA - Sixth Grade

Outside the Goodman Library, kids dressed as princesses and spooks were gearing up for downtown Napa’s Halloween parade.

Norman deLeuze left a lucrative engineering career to follow his lifelong dream of becoming a winemaker and found ZD Wines in Napa Valley. When he found out he had cancer, he focused that same determination on finding new ways to treat it.

When we were first learning about wine at our grand pappy’s knee, it was revealed that Pierre “Dom” Perignon (1638-1715), the blind French winemaker, “invented” Champagne. And he announced the discovery with a shout, “Come quickly, I am drinking stars!” It was a lovely tale, and we bought it hype, line and bubbles.      

Fine wine, of course. Fine cognac, naturally. Fine beer? Are you kidding?

Raymond Vineyard and Cellar had its first crush in 1974 making it a venerable winery amidst a plethora of newcomers, but the roots of the winemaking Raymond family go back much further — five generations — to plant them literally with the first of those who came to the Napa Valley more than a century ago and decided this might be a great place to make wine.