Instagram story viewer> @tonybravosf> Posts

Tony Bravo

@tonybravosf

7.4K

followers

3699

following

Arts & Culture Columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, farmers’ market patron, small dog person. He/Him.

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

One of the weirdest stories in pop culture news this week has been singer and television personality Kelly Clarkson’s feud with a Brooklyn magic shop over a mechanical bird.

I know this sounds like a b-story from a Wes Anderson film, but it’s entirely true.

The Chronicle decided to reach out to the one party who has so far remained silent: Molly the mechanical bird. She had a lot to say about Clarkson, her life in Brooklyn and what her career plans are going forward.

Column on @sfchronicle_datebook by @tonybravosf

47

4

2 days ago

Next year blaue Engel instead. by @tonybravosf

13

0

5 days ago

Lava Thomas’ “Portrait of a Phenomenal Woman: A Monument to Honor Dr. Angelou” has rightly become known as one of the best new pieces of public art in the Bay Area since its installation in 2024 outside the Main Branch of the San Francisco Public Library.

Now, in her first show with Jessica Silverman, “Lineage,” the Berkeley artist focuses on people from her own ancestry in post-Emancipation Texas, giving family the monumental treatment in this moving new work.

Full Datebook Pick online now at @sfchronicle_datebook by @tonybravosf

39

1

6 days ago

Last night’s tribute to @mtilsonthomas at @sfsymphony was beautiful, exactly what he and his husband Joshua Robison together deserved. Conductors Teddy Abrams and Edwin Outwater shared the podium and spoke of Michael’s mentorship in moving ways. Performers Audra McDonald, Sasha Cooke, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Yuja Wang, Jeremy Denk, the San Francisco Symphony and Symphony Chorus were top form as was surprise guest Renée Fleming. Author Jamie Bernstein spoke about Michael’s relationship with her father and the decades of friendship they shared. I thought I was all cried out until Michael and Joshua‘s beloved poodle Maydela came on stage during bows. Their memory and their legacies are a blessing here in San Francisco and around the world. by @tonybravosf

644

15

13 days ago

103

8

15 days ago

Victorian ballgowns, Italian soldiers’ uniforms and fantasy creations are all on the racks as one of San Francisco Opera’s most beloved traditions returns in time for Halloween.

The Opera plans to host its first in-person costume sale in more than a decade on Oct. 16-18, at its Burlingame Scene Shop. The three-day event is highly anticipated among the costume community, giving fans, performers and lovers of historic dress a chance to bring home pieces that graced the War Memorial Opera House stage.

Tickets for the event, which will allow for two hours of shopping, become available starting at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 1. Admission is $5 to $25, depending on the day and time of entry.

Pix 1 and 2 from the last opera sale a decade ago- I still regret not buying both of these BTW so get your tickets now. by @tonybravosf

304

21

16 days ago

One of my favorite history shows in recent memory is on view at @cantorarts “Jane!” (celebrating Gilded Age university patron Jane Stanford) earns its exclamation-pointed title with an exuberant, winking, campy presentation. Curated by Associate Curator of European Art Patrick R. Crowley, “Jane!” celebrates its namesake’s indomitable spirit by displaying precious keepsakes, souvenirs, archaeological detritus and even (alleged) messages from beyond the grave.

At the center of the show is Stanford’s very mother-boy relationship with her son Leland Stanford Jr., who tragically died at age 15. Objects important to their story — such as a beaded Italian purse he gave her on their fatal trip to Florence — take on near religious symbolism in the presentation. One of her elegant Worth gowns is also laid down with her death mask, a kind of Snow White picture in its glass case offering an opportunity for speculation on her maybe-murder.

Full write-up at @sfchronicle_datebook by @tonybravosf

70

3

18 days ago

Opening a boutique on Maiden Lane has been a dream for Sherri McMullen since moving to the Bay Area at the turn of the millennium as a young fashion buyer.

“I remember the first time I walked down this street, looking at the architecture, the beautiful storefronts imagining what it would be like to be here,” McMullen told the Chronicle from the sweeping staircase of her new location on one of the city’s toniest retail destinations. “When I found this space, it stopped me in my tracks. I knew it was my store.

“Maiden Lane has always had a sense of discovery and intimacy,” she continued, as her 10-year-old son Frederick looked down at her from the stairs above. “I wanted to create a place people would come to for more than shopping.”

That vision comes to life throughout her two-floor, 6,342-square-foot space, the largest in her nearly 20-year history.

Story online at @sfchronicle_datebook by @tonybravosf

363

21

20 days ago

Had the time of my life talking to @kennyortegablog for @sfdancefilmfest on Thursday at their screening of “Dirty Dancing.” What a truly generous artist who frequently mentioned how @genekellylegacy encouraged and inspired his work in film (and taught him the term raisin d’être.) Favorite story was his memory of Bette Midler telling executives at Disney she would walk from “Hocus Pocus” if they didn’t let her have buck teeth and her extreme wig. Come back home to the Bay Area soon and we’ll talk “Newsies!” by @tonybravosf

59

3

a month ago

BREAKING-San Francisco Opera management and its orchestra musicians have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract, ending a strike that began nearly a week ago and forced the cancellation of multiple performances at the start of the company’s 2026-27 season.

Gabe Young, associate principal oboist and chair of the orchestra negotiating committee, confirmed the agreement to the Chronicle Thursday evening.

“We are heartened to have reached a tentative deal that provides a fair contract and stability for the members of the orchestra,” Young said in a statement. “We are grateful to Mayor Lurie and his team, who put in long hours over the past several days to help broker this agreement, and we want to thank the public and Opera patrons for their patience and support through what has been a challenging process for our musicians.”

This is a developing story read more @sfchronicle_datebook by @tonybravosf

122

1

a month ago

The picket line continues. For more on the ongoing strike by the San Francisco Opera Orchestra visit @sfchronicle_datebook for my coverage with my colleague Aidin Vaziri. by @tonybravosf

582

17

a month ago

An inquest by the London Metropolitan Police has ruled that the 2023 death of San Francisco drag performer Heklina was caused by acute mixed drug toxicity.

While it had previously been confirmed three men were at the London flat where Heklina was found, police reiterated Tuesday that investigators “found no evidence to suggest third party involvement or that his death was suspicious.”

The ruling brings an official close to the three-and-a-half year investigation into the performer’s death, during which friends of the Oasis nightclub cofounder accused police of negligence and homophobic bias.

Full story online at @sfchronicle_datebook by @tonybravosf

81

3

a month ago