Travel Back to the Harlem of the West with this Soul Food & Immersive Theater Combo

When was the last time a night out felt special? Not just leaving the house to do something but, as my dad would say, “stepping out on the town.” Well, for the next three weeks, Honey Art Studio, in collaboration with Walking Cinema and Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement, is giving you the perfect reason to get sharp, smell sweet, and hit the city for a beautiful evening of food, culture, theater, and music.

So, get dressed. We’re going out for Dinner and a Show!

Dinner and a Show is a curated evening that begins with delicious soul food at Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement and continues to The Fillmore Eclipse. While they aren’t technically part of the same event, pairing the two is our suggestion on how to have a perfect and incredible night, while supporting a Black owned business. Eating soul food at Minnie’s and following it with the immersive theater experience of The Fillmore Eclipse, will transport you to another time.

Back in the Fillmore’s heyday, when the papa of a working-class family would find a couple extra dollars in his pocket, it meant it was time to celebrate life and each other, and escape the grind of a city with changing priorities. This meant going out!

In these moments of joy, families would get “dressed to the 9’s” and sit down at a favorite local restaurant for tasty, familiar food and good conversation. Then, if there was time, and somebody playing nearby (and in the Fillmore’s heyday, there was always somebody playing somewhere), lovely couples or the entire family would sit down at a local jazz club to finish the evening with vibrant music, walking home with the sounds of trumpets, drums, and upright bass still vibrating their ears. From this feeling of culture and community, Dinner and a Show was born.

For the last few decades, one of the main topics in San Francisco has been gentrification, neighborhood shifts, and the long-standing, beautiful, diverse cultures that, unfortunately, are lost along the way. One of the first moves to change the demographics in San Francisco was urban renewal. The first people targeted for this exodus from the city were the Black populations, and the first neighborhood that felt the impact was the Western Addition, the Fillmore. What’s magical about The Fillmore Eclipse is that it takes us from a conversation and brings us into a world.

As their website says,

“The Fillmore Eclipse is an immersive theater experience set in the Bebop Jazz scene of the 1950s. The show explores the uncertain fate of a club, a confluence point for San Francisco’s thriving African American community and Japanese Americans rebuilding their lives after internment, during a time when Urban Renewal was sold by city governments as a ‘cure-all’ for America’s slums.

Step into the Eclipse, (modeled after Bop City, a historical after hours jazz joint), and enjoy the Bebop tunes of the house band while sipping on a cocktail or two from our full bar. Follow characters throughout the club as regulars of the Eclipse offer their perspectives on the plans for the ‘New City’ and what really needs fixing.”

The Fillmore Eclipse is produced at Honey Art Studio, an art gallery and event space that believes in the transformative power of faith and community. Situated in the Fillmore, this space highlights the history and culture of the Black community while embracing the transcendent, unlimited innovation of our collective exchange. Hosting everything from paint nights to crafts nights, Honey Art Studio’s doors are open to everyone. Just as you’d find any and everyone at Jimbo’s Bop City, you’ll find everyone here enjoying themselves, and each other and tapping into their creativity.

The Fillmore Eclipse is a first for both Honey Art and Walking Cinema. Staying true to its name, Walking Cinema is known for its storytelling walking tours and presentations, but it is stepping out, or stepping in, to Honey Art Studio. This is the first time the event space is hosting a production of this magnitude. This immersive, all-encompassing, interactive event promises to mesmerize. Honey Art Studio is expanding and collaborating on new exciting events like this, which is much-welcomed good news for the neighborhood.

Soul food from Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement

To make a night out genuinely incredible, you need good food. Third-generation Fillmore resident Fernay McPherson doesn’t, won’t, and will never disappoint. Recently opened, Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement will start the night off right. With staples like her famous rosemary fried chicken, cornbread, and mac and cheese that many say is “the best mac and cheese in the city,” you’ll taste the love, care, and time that defines authentic soul food.

With Dinner and a Show, your night is planned out. Start at Minnie’s, eat a delicious plate of food, let it digest with a short walk or ride down to Honey Art Studio, grab a cocktail, and step into the world of The Fillmore Eclipse for an experience that will have you talking and tapping your feet the entire way home.

There has been a movement to breathe life back into the beloved neighborhood once dubbed the “Harlem of the West,” and Honey Art Studio, The Fillmore Eclipse, and Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement are not only revitalizing the business but also resurrecting the spirit of the Fillmore.

Buy your tickets today at www.eventbrite.com. The Fillmore Eclipse is a limited event—only 11 shows will be held from April 26 to May 12, 2024. To experience a vibe like no other, purchase your tickets immediately!

You’ll be supporting incredible businesses that pour into their crafts and community, but more importantly, you’ll have a fantastic evening.

So, go on and get dressed. We’re going out for Dinner and a Show!

Ticket Info:

The Fillmore Eclipse – An Immersive Story of BeBop Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite

Additional Info:

Honey Art Studio
(415) 699-6555
1981 Sutter Street San Francisco, CA 94115
www.honeyartstudio.org

Minnie Bell’s Soul Movement
1375 Fillmore Street, SF, CA 94115
Open Tuesday through Saturday, 4 pm to 10 pm.
www.minniebellssoul.com

Walking Cinema

www.walkingcinema.org