It’s been almost four decades since Metro first started publishing in Silicon Valley. Back when the publication debuted, the knock on the valley was that it focused more on commerce than culture. But quietly, over the years, existing arts organizations have flourished and new ones have put down roots.
In our Winter Arts issue we focus on two cultural institutions that are well past the half-century mark—Triton Museum and de Saisset Museum. And many others have survived two, three and even four decades, despite economic downturns.
These months that separate the busy holiday season from the rush of activity that summer brings can be a time to slow down and savor art, music and theater that requires more contemplation. Wander through an art gallery on a rainy day. Leave the screens behind and see a live theatrical production. Listen to music performed in real time, with programs that mix centuries-old favorites with newly commissioned works.
There’s plenty to choose from in the listings below, broken down by type of event and listed chronologically.
Special Events
Lunar New Year Celebrations
Various locations | Various dates
There are several places to watch lion dances, ribbon dances and other entertainment at various lunar new year celebrations taking place around Santa Clara Valley. Specific events include the following:
Lunar New Year Fair, Mitchell Park, Palo Alto; Jan 26, 11:30am–3:30pm
Lunar New Year at Gamble Garden, Palo Alto; Feb 2, 10am–noon
Lunar New Year Celebration, Westfield Valley Fair, San Jose; Feb 2, noon-4pm
Vietnamese Lunar New Year Tet Festival, Eastridge Center, San Jose; Feb 7, 3–11pm; Feb 8–9, 11am-11pm
Celebration with Creekside Socials, 20 Barack Obama Blvd, San Jose; Feb 8, noon–3pm
Dream Garden
Tech Interactive, San Jose | Opening Feb 15
TheTech.org
The Tech’s Polar Play Days ended earlier this month, but fear not: More fun is coming soon with the opening of an AI-powered immersive exhibit, created by Design I/O. Museum staffers promise the installation “sets a new standard for interactive exhibits by blending cutting-edge technology with artistic expression.”
Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival
3Below Theaters, San Jose | Feb 21–22
Tickets
Produced and presented by Fishnets & Film, this festival celebrates queer cinema “with a fabulous twist” by including live performances so that guests are entertained by queer art on stage and screen.
Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival
Multiple locations, Mar 11–23
Cinequest.org
On Feb 1, Cinequest will post the full lineup of the 2025 festival on its website, and film buffs can begin planning their strategy for absorbing as many movies as possible. Following the in-person festival, the virtual Cinejoy Festival takes place Mar 24-31.
Holi Festival 2025
Discovery Meadow, San Jose | Mar 15, 11am–5pm
Tickets
The Association of Indo Americans hosts a large, colorful gathering to mark the Hindu festival of Holi, where celebrants welcome spring by dancing to Bollywood tunes and throwing brightly colored clouds of powder into the air.
#WeCreate408
City of San Jose | Apr 1-30
WeCreate408.org
As part of Arts, Culture, and Creativity Month, the San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs is challenging San Joseans to find creative ways to express themselves for 30 days straight. Sign up on the website to get daily suggestions on individual acts of artistry or information on how to participate in events taking place in the city that day. Those who share on social media are eligible to win giveaway items and discounts.
Pacific Coast Dream Machines
Half Moon Bay Airport | Apr 27, 2025
pacificcoastdreammachines.com
A celebration of engineering, creativity and nostalgia, the Pacific Coast Dream Machines Show showcases an eclectic array of machines, including vintage automobiles, hot rods, rare collector’s vehicles, motorcycles, classic warbirds and planes, flying cars, boats, antique tractors, and more. Beyond the machines, the event offers live music, food trucks, vendor booths, and kid-friendly activities.
Make Music San Jose
City of San Jose | Jun 21, all day
MakeMusicDay.org/SanJose
Though it may seem a little early to be thinking about what to do on a sunny afternoon in June, it’s not too early to start rehearsing songs to play during this annual citywide celebration of music.
Art Galleries and Museums
Artist Talk
Institute of Contemporary Art San José | Jan 23, 6pm
Tickets
Artists Trina Michelle Robinson and Tricia Rainwater—whose work is on view through Feb 23 in the exhibit Allegedly the Worst is Behind Us, curated by Zoë Latzer—participate in a panel discussion with political scientist Hakeem Jefferson and curator Matthew Villar Miranda that will explore themes of colonial trauma, migration and self-determination.
Back to Square One
Works/San Jose | Jan 25–Feb 16
WorksSanJose.org
Co-curators and artists Pantea Karimi and Irene Carvajal explore the beauty of decorative tilework and investigate its importance as a carrier of historic and cultural narratives. An opening reception takes place Jan 25 from 5–7pm, with an artist talk at 6pm. A tilemaking workshop will be offered Feb 7.
Mesmerica
Tech Interactive, San Jose | Jan 25, 6, 7:30 and 9pm
Tickets.Mesmerica.com
Can’t make it to the Sphere in Vegas? Check out Mesmerica, playing in the Tech’s IMAX theater, which combines music by Grammy-nominated composer and percussionist James Hood with 3D animated art by international artists.
Diana Pumpelly Bates: Unity Revolution
Natalie and James Thompson Art Gallery, SJSU campus | Jan 28–Apr 18
SJSU.edu/thompsongallery
Known for her bronze sculptures and metal public art visible throughout Northern California, Diana Pumpelly Bates began her career as a painter and printmaker. As a student at SJSU in the 1980s, she developed her love for sculpture. This exhibit, curated by Bridget R. Cooks, brings together the artist’s painting, prints, and sculptural works for the first time—with some works that have not been exhibited for over 50 years.
Maya Gurantz: The Plague Archives
de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara | Jan 28–Jun 14
scu.edu/desaisset
This site-specific installation examines the shifting attitudes and definitions of disease throughout multiple centuries. According to artist Maya Gurantz, the work “began as a quarantine sanity project” when she started making one Instagram post a day from the history of epidemics and outbreaks. “Diving into the past as our present was unfolding anchored me in how our so-called ‘unprecedented’ COVID moment was profoundly precedented.” Visually connected by Gurantz’s massive wall drawings, the exhibition installation is organized into thematic sections and features three videos, archival material and an interactive Tracing Board, which by dissolving visitors’ markings underscores a historical tendency for collective amnesia.
Perspectives: Artwork by San José State University Alumni
Hammer2 Gallery, San Jose | Feb 7 & Mar 9, 5–9pm
HammerTheatre.com/h2-gallery
A rotating exhibit inside the Hammer Theatre highlights artwork by San José State University alumni—but it’s only open on South First Friday ArtWalks. That leaves just two more chances to see pieces by Carlo Ricafort, Dani Torvik, Peter Moen, Josie Lepe, Tovah Cheng and Ian Fabre.
Joseph Fuchs: Villa de’Este, Tivoli
Gallery 9, Los Altos | Feb 4–Mar 2
Gallery9LosAltos.com
Drawings and oil paintings. Opening reception: Feb 8, 1:30–3:30pm.
New Perspectives and the Diaspora
Institute of Contemporary Art San Jose | Feb 6, 6pm
Eventbrite.com
Artists Shirin Towfiq and Pantea Karimi talk about contemporary Iranian Art at a discussion moderated by Zoe Latzer exploring how cultural backgrounds and environmental factors have influenced the lives and work.
Second Nature: Photography in the Age of the Anthropocene
Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University | Feb 26–Aug 3
Museum.Stanford.edu
The center’s Freidenrich Family Gallery offers a survey of photographs that examine our current era of the Anthropocene—a period defined by human impact on the global climate. A traveling exhibit from Duke University, the exhibition brings together the photographic work of forty-five artists working around the world.
Group Exhibit
Gallery 9, Los Altos | Mar 4–30
Gallery9LosAltos.com
Member artists share their best work in a group show that encompasses paintings, photographs, ceramics, jewelry and other media. Opening reception: Mar 7, 5-8pm.
Community Art Auction
Works/San Jose | Mar 7–Apr 5
WorksSanJose.org
Start your collection by bidding on a piece created by one of the 100 artists participating in the show, which opens on First Friday. The final auction party will be held Apr 5 starting at 6pm.
Tending and Dreaming: Stories from the Collection
San Jose Museum of Art | Mar 7–ongoing
SJMusArt.org
SJMA launches the first dedicated collection galleries, providing access to core works in San José’s only publicly held art collection. Organized into thematic groupings, the exhibit explores ideas woven through the works of almost 50 artists. An exhibition celebration takes place 6-9pm on Mar 7.
Handle with Care
Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University | Mar 19–Sep 14
Museum.Stanford.edu
On view in Ruth Levison Halperin Gallery is a collections-based exhibition focusing on a functional aspect of everyday objects—the handle—and how it is treated as a design element in such items as vessels, cutlery, weapons, hand mirrors, and more.
Blood Be Water
Institute of Contemporary Art San José | Mar 22–Aug 24
icasanjose.org
Oakland-based artist Esteban Raheem Abdul Raheem Samayoa’s lengthy name offers clues to his identity: the native of Sacramento grew up in a Mexican and Guatemalan household, and is a convert to Islam. He explored all these identities in his solo debut in Oakland, and his ICA debut should be well worth checking out.
Steve Curtiss: Paintings
Gallery 9, Los Altos | Apr 1–27
Gallery9LosAltos.com
Playful oil paintings with layers of meaning interwoven. Opening reception: Apr 4, 5-8pm.
Cecilia Mases: Paintings
Gallery 9, Los Altos | Apr 29–Jun 1
Gallery9LosAltos.com
Oil and acrylic landscape and seascape paintings, with cloudy skies and crashing waves. Opening reception: May 2, 5–8pm.
Classical & Opera
Firebird Suite
California Theatre, San Jose | Jan 25, 7:30pm; Jan 26, 2:30pm
SymphonySanJose.org
Conductor Carlos Vieu leads Symphony San Jose through a program that traverses many countries and eras, from Germany in the Romantic era to 21st century Argentina. The finale will be the Firebird Suite, from the 1910 ballet that made Stravinsky an international sensation. Also on the program: Brahms’ Variations on a Theme by Haydn, Sibelius’ Finlandia and Bullanguera, a 2006 composition from the conductor’s homeland, written by Sonia Possetti in 2006.
Alexander Malofeev
Montgomery Theater, San Jose | Jan 26, 2:30pm
SteinwaySociety.com
Russian concert pianist Alexander Malofeev gives a solo concert for Steinway Society patrons. An award-winning virtuoso since age 13, the Berlin-based pianist performs internationally, showcasing not only impeccable technique but also what’s been described as “an ability to infuse each note with a profound sense of expression.” The program includes works by Schubert, Kabalevsky, Janáček, Liszt and Scriabin. There is also a recorded option to enjoy the concert on-demand for 48 hours.
before and after nature
Bing Concert Hall, Stanford | Feb 1, 7:30pm
Live.Stanford.edu
Stanford alumnus David Lang—a Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer—presents the world premiere of before and after nature, performed with the Los Angeles Master Chorale and Bang on a Can (BOAC) All-Stars. Commissioned by Stanford Live, the piece is a meditation on the natural world, before human existence and after humans are gone.
Stories Through Music
Hammer Theater | Feb 1, 7:30pm
Eventbrite.com
Dr. Catalina Barraza-Gerardino leads the Cambrian Symphony through Florence Price’s The Oak, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with soloist Katelyn Deng and Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique.
Sounds of the Motherland: Music from Italy
Italian American Heritage Foundation, San Jose | Feb 2, 3:30pm
MissionChamber.org
Juan Cristóbal Palacios, new conductor for the Mission Chamber Orchestra of San Jose, leads the orchestra and oboe soloist Robert Scott through works by some of the greats from the Italian music tradition—Rossini, Respighi, Marcello, Donizetti, Cimarosa—plus work by 20th-century jazz master Vince Guaraldi and a work commissioned by MCOSJ: Italian American composer Jeremy Cavaterra musical representation of California’s Lost Coast. Che fico!
Bluebeard’s Castle
California Theatre, San Jose | Feb 15–Mar 2
OperaSJ.org
Opera San José presents a new production of Béla Bartók’s one-act opera, directed by General Director Shawna Lucey and conducted by Music Director Joseph Marcheso. This psychological thriller follows a woman who uncovers terrifying corners of her new husband’s dark past while unlocking rooms in his eerie home. This powerful production will feature OSJ veteran Maria Natale as the bride who must learn about the darkness at the heart of the haunted realm ruled by her husband, Duke Bluebeard, played by baritone Zachary Nelson, making his OSJ debut as Duke Bluebeard. Performed in English, with English and Spanish supertitles.
Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony
San Mateo Performing Arts Center, Feb 16, 2pm
RedwoodSymphony.org
The Redwood Symphony is thinking big for its big winter concert: Mahler’s 90-minute Resurrection Symphony, with a “mammoth” orchestra, two vocal soloists and and more than 170 singers from Schola Cantorum Silicon Valley and the Cal State East Bay Singers—as well as the San Francisco Bay Area Chamber Choir, which will also open the program with an a cappella work by Aaron Copland.
Polish Inspirations
MainStage, Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | Feb 16, 3pm
NovaVista.org
Nova Vista Symphony explores the work of Polish composers, including Glazunov’s Chopiniana Suite, Lutoslawski’s Little Suite for Orchestra, Szymanowski’s Violin Concerto No. 2 and the world premiere of Schadenfreude Fanfare by local composer Durwynne Hsieh.
The Marriage of Figaro
SecondStage, Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | Feb 21, 7:30pm
PocketOpera.org
Pocket Opera presents Mozart’s opera about Susanna and Figaro, servants to the lecherous Count Almaviva, filled with some of Mozart’s most recognizable melodies.
From Laughter to Fire
Hammer Theatre Center, San Jose | Mar 1, 7:30pm
MissionChamber.org
Violinist Alex Eisenberg and mezzo-soprano Stephanie Sanchez join the Mission Chamber Orchestra of San Jose, under the baton of Juan Cristóbal Palacios, for a program of work by Stravinsky, Grieg, Saint-Saëns and de Falla.
Fiesta!
McAfee Performing Arts Center, Saratoga | Mar 2, 3pm
SJWS.org
A celebration of Mexico’s musical heritage, presented by the San Jose Wind Symphony under the baton of Dr. David Vickerman, features works by Mexican composers Silvestre Revueltas, Nubia Jaime-Donjuan, Genaro Codina and Juan Pablo Contreras. Expect a festive afternoon filled with the sounds and stories of Mexico.
Beethoven’s Eroica
California Theater | Mar 8, 7:30pm; Mar 9, 2:30pm
SymphonySanJose.org
Conductor Nathan Aspinall leads Symphony San Jose through one of Beethoven’s most celebrated works, as well Arvo Pärt’s Cantus in Memory of Benjamin Britten and Richard Strauss’s Death and Transfiguration.
Beethoven, Brahms & Beauty
First United Methodist Church, Palo Alto | Mar 15, 7:30pm
United Methodist Church, Campbell | Mar 16, 4:30pm
BayChoralGuild.org
The Bay Choral Guild and the Jubilate Baroque Orchestra join forces for Ludwig van Beethoven’s Mass in C, Johannes Brahms’ Schicksalslied (Song of Destiny) and the premiere of Sanford Dole’s All is Beauty, composed to mark his 25th anniversary as BCG artistic director.
Drizzle, Downpour, Desperation, and Other Stories
St Francis Episcopal Church, San Jose | Mar 23, 7pm | sjco.org
The evening will feature a world premiere triple concerto composed for the Fong-Costanza Family Trio, commissioned by SJCO from composer Durwynne Hsieh. San Jose Chamber Orchestra conductor Barbara Day Turner leads the orchestra plus the three soloists: Debra Fong, violin; Ezra Costanza, viola; and Christopher Costanza, cello.
Hollywood Spectacular
California Theater | Mar 29, 7:30pm; Mar 30, 2:30pm
SymphonySanJose.org
Conductor Peter Jaffee takes Symphony San Jose musicians through 15 different compositions that helped create cinematic magic. No, they’re not all by John Williams; also featured are a dozen other composers.
In Time of War & Peace
First United Methodist Church, Palo Alto | Mar 29, 7:30pm
PeninsulaCantare.org
Peninsula Cantare will sing Franz Joseph Haydn’s stunning Mass in Time of War, which evokes both the pain of war and our innate desire for peace. Plus, the choir and orchestra will present music from around the globe, including songs by Joni Mitchell and Moses Hogan.
Shoreline to Skyline
Spangenberg Theater, Gunn High School, Palo Alto | Mar 30, 2pm
TACOsv.org
The Terrible Adult Chamber Orchestra (TACO), a community orchestra based in Los Altos, commemorates its 15th anniversary with a concert exploring the work of Nancy Bloomer Deussen, including the world premiere of the late composer’s final orchestral work, Shoreline to Skyline, commissioned by TACO.
Tchaikovsky’s Pathetique
Cañada College Main Theater, Redwood City | Apr 5, 8pm
RedwoodSymphony.org
The Redwood Symphony closes the program with Tchaikovsky’s sixth symphony but opens in an entirely different vein, with Mason Bates’ modernist Sound Check in C Major. In between is Messiaen’s final work, Concert à quatre, featuring four soloists creating “a veritable menagerie of carefully transcribed bird calls.”
European Elegance
De Anza College, Cupertino | Apr 5, 7:30pm
NovaVista.org
Nova Vista Symphony performs European music from the late Romantic to early 20th century with works by Respighi, Dvorak and Suk, plus a world premiere of a work by Nilakash Roy-Faderman.
Zorro
California Theatre, San Jose | Apr 19–May 4
OperaSJ.org
Opera San José presents the Northern California premiere of Héctor Armienta’s Zorro, a vibrant new opera filled with romance, humor and swordplay. With a score influenced by mariachi, flamenco and corrido music, the play’s masked avenger battles tyranny and defends the disenfranchised and powerless.
An Adventure Through Video Game Music
SecondStage, Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | Apr 19, 7:30pm
mvcpa.com
Classical and video game music pianist Ryan McGaughey returns to MVCPA to play music from popular games with accompanying visuals.
SJCO and Tangent Winds
St Francis Episcopal Church, San Jose | Apr 27, 7pm
sjco.org
San Jose Chamber Orchestra presents an all-American program featuring works by Samuel Barber, George Gershwin, Amy Beach, Valerie Coleman, and John Harbison. The orchestra will be joined by the five members of Tangent Winds: James Dion Blanchard, flute; Tamara Winston, oboe; Alec Manasse, clarinet; Steven Palacio, bassoon; and Cort Roberts, horn.
Dancing in the Scores
De Anza College Visual and Performing Arts Center, Cupertino, | May 3, 7:30pm | MissionChamber.org
Mission Chamber Orchestra of San Jose shares the stage with Dan Levitan, a virtuoso solo harpist who plays with four Bay Area orchestras, including Symphony San Jose. The program includes Smetana’s Three Dances from The Bartered Bride, Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 and other works by David Avshalomov, Henriette Renié and Moises Moleiro.
Concerto Night
St Francis Episcopal Church, San Jose | May 18, 7pm
sjco.org
The San José Chamber Orchestra, conductor Anthony Quartuccio, solo cellist Amelia Zitoun and winners of the International Klein String Competition perform a program that includes a new work by an honoree in the Allen Strange Memorial Composition Contest.
Dance
Images 2025
Louis B. Mayer Theatre | Feb 6–9
SCUPresents.org
A showcase of choreography by students and faculty members at Santa Clara University covers a wide range of genres and styles.
The Great Gatsby
Heritage Theatre, Campbell | Feb 8, 7pm
WorldBalletCompany.com
The World Ballet Company brings its national tour to Campbell for one night, presenting the premiere of a new ballet based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel. A multinational cast of 40 professional ballet dancers don the finery of the Roaring 1920s and dance through elaborate sets to an original score that evokes the Jazz Age.
Velocity Irish Dance
Heritage Theatre, Campbell | Mar 14, 8pm
CampbellCA.gov
Velocity Irish Dance kicks up the pace on traditional Celtic footwork, featuring world champion Irish dancer David Geaney and Guinness World Record holder James Devine, known as “the fastest feet in the world.”
Fast Forward
Hammer Theatre Center. San Jose | Mar 21-22, 7:30pm
NewBallet.com
Two nights and seven choreographers, each presenting a world premiere at this evening of modern dance presented by New Ballet. Artistic director Dalia Rawson and colleagues Laura Burton, Deborah Le and Niamh Rollins all present new works along with pieces by guest choreographers Mariana Sobral, James Kopecky and Julio Hong, a Montreal-based choreographer who trained at the National Ballet of Cuba and has created a new work to the music of Tito Puente, underwritten by Snowflake Properties, LLC. To get a sneak peek at rehearsals, check out New Ballet’s live stream at twitch.tv.newballet.
Wizard of Oz
Hammer Theatre Center, San Jose | Mar 29–30
SJDT.org
San Jose Dance Theater presents a ballet adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s The Wizard of Oz, following Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion as they dance down the Yellow Brick Road.
Swan Lake
Hammer Theatre Center, San Jose | May 17-18
NewBallet.com
New Ballet tackles one of the most romantic ballets in the repertory, and also one of the most challenging. It’s got everything one could want in a fairy tale: a handsome prince, a beautiful princess, a magician and an evil spell.
Dance Series 2
Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | May 29–Jun 1
SmuinBallet.org
Smuin Contemporary Ballet’s 2024/25 season finale will include Artistic Director Amy Seiwert’s 13th world premiere—her first at the helm of the company—and choreographer Trey McIntyre’s Bay Area premiere of Wild Sweet Love. Also on the program is Michael Smuin’s sensual The Eternal Idol, and Rex Wheeler’s Sinfonietta.
Jazz, Rock, Folk and More
Carl Schultze
Music Recital Hall, Santa Clara University | Jan 24, 7:30pm
SCUPresents.scu.edu
A saxophonist who has performed with jazz legends Art Lande, Dave Brubeck, and Billy Taylor, Carl Schultz soars through a program of revitalized jazz.
Bon Bon Vivant
Art Boutiki, San Jose, Feb 5, 8pm
ArtBoutiki.com
This New Orleans four-piece has graced Art Boutiki’s walls before, so rest assured that its mix of brass horns with pop, Americana and up-tempo indie dance music was a big hit. The sounds are cooked up by songwriter/front-woman Abigail Cosio, saxophonist/vocalist Jeremy Kelley, sousaphonist/bassist Jason Jurzak and drummer/percussionist Deacon Marrquin.
Becoming Led Zeppelin
Tech Interactive, San Jose | Feb 7-8, 6pm
TheTech.org
A new documentary on classic rock band Led Zeppelin features previously unseen footage, remastered sound and video, and never-released audio interviews with bassist John Bonham, who passed away in 1980. The project, which got underway in 2019, is billed as the only documentary ever made with the band members’ full participation. Also that night is Lased & Confused, the first in a series of laser music shows featuring music by a dozen other artists, from Pink Floyd and Queen to current acts like Billie Eilish, Beyoncé and Daft Punk.
Kris Fuchigami
Wesley United Methodist Church, San Jose | Feb 8, 7:30pm
CatsAsianTheaterScene.org
Contemporary Asian Theater Scene presents a concert by award-winning ukulele master Kris Fuchigami, who is touring as he launches his latest album, Resurgence. A pre-concert workshop led by Fuchigami begins at 4pm and is open to all levels.
Woven Stories 2025
Center for the Performing Arts, San Jose | Feb 22, 7pm
SF.cpaasv.org
Chinese Performing Arts of America presents an evening of music, dance, and immersive art highlighting the Bay Area’s diverse communities. Artists include bamboo flute virtuoso Yu Xiaoqing, guqin master Wang Man, dancer Sun Wenlong, pipa player Zhang Shenshen, pianists Dr. Ilya Blinov and Wu Hao, and conductor Zhang Zhizhen with the Jingjing Chorus. The evening will be hosted by broadcaster Luo Zezhong and artist Wu Diandian for the Chinese-language segments; Kimberly Tom will host the English-language portions of the gala.
Dream Theater
San Jose Civic | Feb 24, 7:30pm
SanJoseTheaters.org
Dream Theater celebrates its 40th anniversary with a reunion of bandmates James LaBrie, John Myung, John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy and Jordan Rudess reuniting after a 14-year hiatus.
An Evening with Branford Marsalis
Bing Concert Hall, Stanford | Mar 12, 7:30pm
Live.stanford.edu
Accolades follow New Orleans–born Branford Marsalis wherever he goes, and this week the award‐winning saxophonist, band leader, classical soloist and composer will be at Stanford. He has received three Grammys and a citation by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master.
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
Bing Concert Hall, Stanford | Mar 23, 2:30pm
Live.Stanford.edu
The eight-piece orchestra adds punk rock sensibilities and restrained British humor to their repertoire on tiny, trendy ukes.
Strings of Hope: A Song for Tomorrow
Bing Concert Hall, Stanford | Apr 3, 7:30pm
Live.stanford.edu
Gambian harpist Sona Jobarteh and American harpist Brandee Younger, will perform Strings of Hope: A Song for Tomorrow, a new work co-commissioned by Stanford Live.
The Commodores
Heritage Theatre, Campbell | Apr 5, 8pm
CampbellCA.gov
Funk and soul greats the Commodores turn the Heritage Theatre into a “Brick House,” singing hits like “Easy,” “Three Times a Lady” and “Nightshift.” Discovered by Berry Gordy, the Commodores have sold over 60 million records for Motown since their debut in 1972.
Strings Dance Like the Wind
Community School of Music and Arts, Mountain View | Apr 12, 2:30pm
Facebook.com/Baympa
The Bay Area Chinese Musician Association presents a concert in Tateuchi Hall featuring the Idle Folks Band. Based in the Bay Area, these musicians are tech engineers who mix Chinese traditional instruments with modern music styles. They will be joined by Jiebin Chen, a virtuoso on the erhu, a Chinese two-stringed instrument.
Stroll Down Penny Lane
Heritage Theatre, Campbell | Apr 19, 7:30pm
HeritageTheatre.org
For those who haven’t gotten to see Sir Paul in the flesh, the Heritage Theatre presents a multimedia concert featuring the life and music of Paul McCartney.
More Concerts
Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift at Hammer Theatre Center, Jan 24 & Feb 28, 6:30pm
Keola Beamer & Jeff Peterson, Carriage House Theatre, Feb 6, 7:30pm
Colonel Macabre, Melinda and the Marauders, Stephanie Strange and the Familiars, Art Boutiki, San Jose, Feb 7, 8pm
Surfer Joe, Frankie and the Pool Boys, Chillingsworth Surfingham, Art Boutiki, San Jose, Feb 8, 8pm
Air Supply, San Jose Civic, Feb 14, 8pm
Los Tigres del Norte, SAP Center, Feb 15, 8pm
BoDeans, Carriage House Theater, Feb 20, 7:30pm
Dream Theater, San Jose Civic, Feb 24, 7:30pm
Il Volo, Italian pop-opera trio at San Jose Civic, Mar 3, 8pm
Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Carriage House Theater, Mar 8, 7:30pm
The Cher Show, San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, Mar 18–23
An Evening With Y&T, Fox Theatre, Redwood City, Apr 5, 8:30pm
Pasquale Esposito, Carriage House Theatre, Saratoga, Apr 5, 2025 7:30pm
The Rock Orchestra By Candlelight, San Jose Civic, Apr 12, 8pm
Literature
Betty Shamieh with Ayelet Waldman
Kepler’s Books, Menlo Park | Jan 28, 7pm
Keplers.org
Author and playwright Betty Shamieh launches her debut novel, Too Soon, about three generations of Palestinian American women.
Tiny Room Poetry Series
SJZ Break Room, San Jose | Feb 16, 6:30pm
Eventbrite.com
Beautiful Black Books presents a Black History Month event celebrating the power of poetry and music, hosted by Tshaka Campbell, Santa Clara County poet emeritus. In attendance: Mahogany L. Browne, sharing work from her latest book, Chrome Valley; Tongo Eisen-Martin, San Francisco Poet Laureate; and Destiny Muhammad, a harpist who blends jazz and storytelling.
Carvell Wallace: Reading and Conversation
Hammer Theatre, San Jose | Feb 20, 6:30pm
VBOtickets.com
Journalist Carvell Wallace reads from Another Word for Love, a memoir that tells his own story about growing up Black and queer in America, at an event sponsored by the Center for Literary Arts.
An Evening with Amy Tan
MainStage, Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | Feb 25, 7pm
OpenSpaceTrust.org
Peninsula Open Space Trust presents an evening with author Amy Tan, best known for her iconic novel The Joy Luck Club, but this talk will involve her latest work, Backyard Birding Chronicles—which focuses on the native birds on her home turf. KQED journalist Alexis Madrigal interviews Tan about the book as well as broader themes of nature, identity, and storytelling. Attend in person or virtually; POST will have books available for $35, cash only.
Serial Killers with Dr. Scott Bonn
Heritage Theatre, Campbell | Mar 1, 8pm
CampbellCA.gov
Criminologist Scott Bonn, author of Why We Love Serial Killers: The Curious Appeal of the World’s Most Savage Murderers, discusses the likes of Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer.
Story Is the Thing
Kepler’s Books, Menlo Park | Feb 12, 6pm
Keplers.org
Five Bay Area fiction authors read from their latest titles. Rita Bullwinkel reads from Headshot; Yangsze Choo from her new novel The Fox Wife; Anita Felicelli from the short story collection How We Know Our Time Travelers; Cary Groner, from his post-apocalyptic road trip novel The Way; and debut novelist Rajesh C. Oza from Double Play.
Cory Doctorow with Charlie Jane Anders
Kepler’s Books, Menlo Park | Feb 17, 7pm
Keplers.org
New York Times bestselling author Cory Doctorow returns to the techno-thriller world of Red Team Blues and tells the origin story of Martin Hench.
Lauren Groff: Reading and Conversation
Hammer Theatre, San Jose | Mar 6, 6:30pm
VBOTickets.com
The Center for Literary Arts hosts bestselling author Lauren Groff, who will read from her latest novel, The Vaster Wilds, about a servant girl who escapes from a colonial settlement and survives by her wits in an unknown land.
Laila Lalami
Kepler’s Books, Menlo Park | Mar 14, 7pm
Keplers.org
Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist Laila Lalami discusses The Dream Hotel, a riveting novel about one woman’s fight for freedom, set in a near future where even dreams are under surveillance.
Stage
Noises Off
Lucie Stern Theater | Now–Feb 2
PAPlayers.org
This show-within-a-show features the hapless cast of a fictitious comedy, Nothing On, attempting to get through the dress rehearsal as lines are forgotten, love triangles are unraveling and props go awry.
In Love and Warcraft
City Lights Theater, San Jose | Now–Feb 9
CLTC.org
Madhuri Shekar’s comedy is a hilarious, raunchy (adults only, please) take on intimacy and love in the digital age.
Rachmaninoff and the Tsar
MainStage, Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | Now–Feb 9
TheatreWorks.org
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents the finale in Hershey Felder’s series on great composers, playing one of Russian’s greatest composers who is visited by the ghost of Russia’s last tsar.
The Glass Menagerie
Bus Barn Theater, Los Altos | Jan 24–Feb 16
LosAltosStage.org
Guided by Executive Artistic Director Gary Landis, the Los Altos Players enter the world of Tennessee Williams, exploring the fragility of the Wingfield family in a production of The Glass Menagerie. A preview on Jan 23 is pay-what-you-can, and opening night includes a post-show reception.
Urinetown
Saratoga Civic Theater | Jan 25–Feb 15
SouthBayMT.com
South Bay Musical Theatre presents this pungent satire by Mark Hollmann and Greg Kotis, which envisions a world where wealthy oligarchs control the levels of power in government—something that sounds uncomfortably close to reality. Even more familiar, there’s a 20-year drought—which gives the plutocrats the idea to make everyone pay as they go. Predictably, people get pissed off.
Les garçons et Guillaume
SecondStage, Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | Jan 30, 7:30pm
Tickets.mvcpa.com
French Talent presents a play by Guillaume Gallienne that explores a boy’s quest for identity. Performed entirely in French.
Musicals of the New Millennium
Saratoga Civic Theater | Feb 2, 7:30pm
SouthBayMT.com
Director Brad Handshy continues his Broadway by the Decade historical series on musical theater with an evening devoted to Broadway musicals from the years 2000 through 2009, performed by South Bay Musical Theatre’s finest.
Arts Education Program
Mexican Heritage Plaza, San Jose | Feb 3–May 25
SchoolofArtsandCulture.org
The Mexican Heritage Plaza launches classes for children interested in musical theater, visual arts, music or digital production. One of the classes—Plaza Teatro Musical: Lion King Jr.—offers students in grades 3-8 the chance to perform multiple shows in a 500-seat theater.
An Enemy of the People
The Stage, San Jose | Feb 5–Mar 2
TheStage.org
The Stage presents Ibsen’s prescient play about a scientific expert who becomes “an enemy of the people” when he threatens to expose an ecological disaster. Sound familiar? Thomas Ostermeier’s adaptation turns this classic into a modern-day debate about corruption, climate emergency and inequality.
Geoff Sobelle: Food
Memorial Auditorium, Stanford | Feb 5–8
Live.stanford.edu
Performer and theater artist Geoff Sobelle presents FOOD for an intimate audience of 220 people who will gather around a gargantuan banquet table for a culinary experience that is designed to make us think about what we eat, why we eat it, and who pays the cost of growing and preparing it.
A Minister’s Wife
SecondStage, Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | Feb 8, 7:30 pm; Feb 9, 2pm
Lamplighters.org
Based on George Bernard Shaw’s play, Candida, A Minister’s Wife tells the story of an Anglican minister, his devoted wife, and a young poet who attempts to come between them. Presented by Lamplighters Music Theatre.
Crowns
Mexican Heritage Plaza, San Jose | Feb 14–16
bit.ly/TabiaCrowns
San Jose Multicultural Artists Guild and Tabia African American Theatre Ensemble present Regina Taylor’s play about a young Black woman from Brooklyn who visits her relatives in the South, directed by Viera Whye.
Furry Tails with a Twist
SecondStage, Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | Feb 15, 11:30am &
1:30pm
PYTnet.org
Peninsula Youth Theatre’s production follows the adventures of Sam and Alex, two bumbling actors whose script becomes seriously scrambled, resulting in such tales as “Goldisocks and the Three Wolves” and “The Three Little Bears.”
The Gods of Comedy
Pear Theatre, Mountain View | Feb 21–Mar 16
ThePear.org
Ken Ludwig’s play, described as “very funny, Mel-Brooksian romp through academia, Greek mythology, and personal empowerment,” follows the misadventures of two young classics professors who inadvertently summon a pair of ancient deities.
National Theatre Live: The Importance of Being Earnest
Hammer Theatre Center, Feb 23–27
HammerTheatre.com
Max Webster (Life of Pi) directs Oscar Wilde’s story of identity, impersonation and romance, filmed live from the National Theatre in London.
She Kills Monsters
Louis B. Mayer Theater, Santa Clara University | Feb 28–Mar 9
SCUPresents.scu.edu
After the sudden loss of her parents and younger sister, Agnes finds solace playing a Dungeons and Dragons game designed by her sister, finding a connection with her lost sibling as she battles dungeon masters, fierce LGBTQI+ warriors, homicidal fairies, raunchy ogres, and bloodthirsty cheerleaders.
Happy Pleasant Valley: A Senior Sex Scandal Murder Mystery Musical
Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Also | Mar 5–30
TheatreWorks.org
A Gen Z influencer and a Korean American grandmother explore life, sex and murder in a senior citizens home in this play by Min Kahng, originally produced in TheatreWorks 2023 New Works Festival. Directed by Jeffrey Lo.
Tuck Everlasting
MainStage, Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | Mar 8-9 and 15-16
PYTnet.org
Peninsula Youth Theatre presents a play about the adventures of 11-year-old Winnie Foster, who becomes involved with the Tucks, a family with the secret of eternal life.
The Mousetrap
City Lights Theater, San Jose | Mar 13–Apr 6
CLTC.org
Apparently, this Agatha Christie whodunit is the longest-running play in the world, anywhere. Join the cast in a snowed-in English country house and try to solve a murder. By popular demand, the company has added Saturday matinees and moved Thursday start times to 7:30pm.
Sonia Flew
SecondStage, Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | Mar 14–16
Tickets.mvcpa.com
Upstage Theatre presents a play set between post-revolutionary Cuba and post-9/11 America, in which Cuban immigrant Sonia learns of her son’s decision to leave college and fight in Afghanistan.
The Heart Sellers
MainStage, Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | Apr 2–27
TheatreWorks.org
TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents a new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Lloyd Suh. Set in 1973, shortly after the Hart-Celler Act abolishes immigration quotas in America, it follows the story of two immigrants, one Filipino, one Korean, seeking the American Dream. Jennifer Chang, who directed the world premiere of The Heart Sellers at Milwaukee Repertory Theater, helms this co-production with Aurora Theatre Company and Capital Stage.
The Wizard of Oz
SecondStage, Center for the Performing Arts, Mountain View | Apr 5, 11:30am & 1:30pm
PYTnet.org
Peninsula Youth Theatre presents a world-premiere adaptation of the beloved Baum classic by Caitlyn DeRouin written for PYT’s “Stories on Stage” program.
National Theatre Live: Dr. Strangelove
Hammer Theatre Center, Apr 6–16
HammerTheatre.com
Steve Coogan plays four roles in this filmed stage adaptation of Stanley Kubrick’s comedy masterpiece Dr. Strangelove—a world premiere produced by Patrick Myles and David Luff.
Cyrano
Bus Barn Theater, Los Altos | Apr 10–Mar 4
LosAltosStage.org
A new adaption by Jeffrey Lo and Max Tachis brings Edmond Rostand’s 19th-century play into the 21st century, while keeping the heart of this classic love triangle. The tale of a great swordsman whose huge nose makes him believe he is incapable of being loved by the beautiful Roxane is told with plenty of sword-play and humor.
Titanic: In Concert
Saratoga Civic Theater | Apr 12-13
SouthBayMT.com
South Bay Musical Theatre tackles this 1997 Broadway behemoth by Peter Stone and Maury Yeston. With its 14 lead roles and at least 23 supporting roles, Titanic is rarely presented by local companies.
Jersey Boys
Lucie Stern Theater | Apr 18–May 4
PAPlayers.org
The boys in question are the Four Seasons, with Frankie Valli at the center. The play—a Broadway hit that also inspired a movie version—follows their travails and triumphs, all set to the 1960s band’s chart-topping classics, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Dawn” and “My Eyes Adored You.”
Neon Groove Ball
San Jose Marriott | Apr 26, 5pm
CLTC.org
City Lights Theater Company throws a party with a purpose: fundraising. Theater lovers can pull out their ’80s garb and turquoise eye shadow, and put on their dancing shoes. Featured performers include vocalists Bart Perry and Alycia Adame from Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show and Jessica Whittemore from Fun Home.
The House on Mango Street
Mexican Heritage Plaza, San Jose | May 15-18
Teatrovision.org
Teatro Visión presents Sandra Cisneros’ coming-of-age play about 12-year-old Esperanza, whose dreams are much bigger than the one room she shares with her parents and three siblings. Adapted by Amy Ludwig, the play is brought to life by a cast of young performers.
Stand-up Comedy
Alex Moffat, Rooster T. Feathers, Jan 30–Feb 2
Sebastian Maniscalco, SAP Center, Feb 1, 7pm
Nick Swardson, San Jose Improv, Feb 6–8
Best of San Francisco Comedy Competition w/Laurie Kilmartin, Carriage House Theatre, Feb 14, 7pm
Chaunte Wayans, San Jose Improv, Feb 19
Gabriel Iglesias, SAP Center, Feb 21, 8pm
Whitney Cummings Big Baby Tour 2025, Fox Theatre, Redwood City, Mar 6, 8pm
Natasha Leggero, San Jose Improv, Mar 7–8
Hannibal Buress, San Jose Improv, Mar 14–16
Ari Shaffir: The Farewell Tour, San Jose Improv, Mar 20–22
Nikki Glaser, San Jose Civic, Apr 5, 9:30pm
