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Garcia Lorca's 'Maniqui del Traje de Novia' played by Denise Fraga. Urban Guide Listings to plan your week by 'Así Que Pasen Cinco Años' With a state of the art sound system, full theatrical lighting, and a beer and wine bar all housed in a 3,000 square foot warehouse, the renovations are over for Oakland's Metro Theatre, and a new era for opera begins. Oakland Opera Theatre's production of Federico García Lorca's libretto, Así Que Pasen Cinco Años (And So Five Years Pass), makes opera accessible and expands its reach beyond what's hoity and haute. Sung in both Spanish and English, the tale twists the idea of time as a line, blurring what's internal and external for its characters. The psychological mystery is fully staged against a backdrop that conjures the surrealist paintings of Dalí and Buñuel with video imagery, imaginative set design, live performance of an original score, puppets, and a cast of dynamic Bay Area singers. All together, these make Oakland Opera Theater the best at what it does: making the most out of opera's potential as a medium by pushing new works and highlighting artists of color. Check out the new space (just finished in December 2001) and enjoy not really knowing what's going on. May 3-May 26. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway, Oakl. $15-$20. 763.1146. www.oaklandopera.org. (EP) We've come a long way, baby! Oakland Turns 150 For history buffs and East Bay aficionados alike, Oakland will celebrate its sesquicentennial beginning this Saturday at the Frank H. Ogawa Plaza. The celebration will continue for 16 weeks during the summer, with community-oriented events and activities. Numerous Oakland locals and natives will act as host, including comedian Mark Curry and the Pete Escovedo Orchestra (including his daughter, Sheila E as the special guest!). Free birthday cake, donated by Neldam's, Just Desserts, and the Lake Merritt Bakery, will be available at the party on Saturday. On the other side of town, the Oakland Museum will exhibit "Scene in Oakland: Artworks Cele-brating the City's 150th Anniversary," which runs through August 25. The exhibit will include paintings, drawings, watercolors, and photographs that date from 1852 to the present, fea-turing views of Oakland by 48 California artists. The admission to the museum on Saturday will be free. In addition, Abby Wasserman, author of The Spirit of Oakland, will be speaking at 3pm to discuss her book and other interesting Oakland facts that have intrigued writers. Sat/4, 11am. Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 14th St. and Broadway; Oakland Museum, 10th St. and Oak, Oakl. (HE) Cinco de Mayo Parade & Festival The fifth of May isn't Mexico's Independence Day. For Mexico, it's the day David beat Goliath. Napoleon's France was the colonial giant in 1862 when the unequipped peasants of the town of Pueblo overthrew an onslaught of seasoned French veterans, immortalizing the day Mexico said no to foreign rule (foreign persuasion would be another thing). It's a big day for Mexicans and Mexican-Americans living in the Southwest and California, and for anyone who appreciates a good-hearted kick-the-colonists'-ass kind of celebration. And Fruitvale always throws a good party. Watch the Gala Parade go down International from 47th to 33rd avenues in the morning. Then see live music and entertainment on your choice of two stages. On the corner of Fruitvale and International, check out Olga Palmer, Los Machatlines, and more all day. On Inter-national and 40th, you can catch Eduardo Trujillo y su Banda and Los Morones de Durango among others. It will be a musical, colorful, over-the-top celebration (last year the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce was granted almost twenty-thousand for the showdown) for all people of all ages. Great food, too. Sun/5, 10am-6pm. 47th to 33rd on International, Fruitvale District, Oakl. Free. 869.3933. (EP) Picks by Heather Ehmke (HE) and Erica Pedersen (EP). [ East Bay | Metroactive | Archives ]