Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, "Sweat" is the scorching new play from Lynn Nottage ("Ruined") that "The New York Times" called "keenly observed and surprisingly funny ... throbs with hea... [more+]

Winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, "Sweat" is the scorching new play from Lynn Nottage ("Ruined") that "The New York Times" called "keenly observed and surprisingly funny ... throbs with heartfelt life. " In the industrial town of Reading, Pennsylvania, a group of friends spend their days on the factory floor and their nights sharing drinks, secrets and laughs. But then layoffs and picket lines begin to erode their trust, and they find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight for self-preservation. Based on Nottage's extensive research and interviews with residents of Reading and arriving at A.C.T. in San Francisco after a heralded Broadway run, "Sweat" is a searing reflection of America's economic decline. [less-]

A holiday mash-up for the entire family, "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" is an internationally touring contemporary work set to Tchaikovsky's timeless music. "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" will feature MC Kurtis B... [more+]

A holiday mash-up for the entire family, "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" is an internationally touring contemporary work set to Tchaikovsky's timeless music. "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" will feature MC Kurtis Blow, one of hip hop's founding fathers, opening the show with a short set before rapping the introduction. Directed and choreographed by Jennifer Weber, "The Hip Hop Nutcracker" is a full-length production performed by a supercharged cast of a dozen all-star dancers, DJ and an electric violinist. Through the spells cast by the mysterious Drosselmeyer, Maria-Clara and her prince, Myron, travel back in time to the moment when her parents first meet in a nightclub. Digital scenery transforms E.T.A. Hoffmann's story of a palace of sugarplums into a romance set in 1980s Brooklyn. The dance work celebrates love, community and the magic of New Year's Eve, and is coming to Oakland's Paramount Theatre. [less-]

"Beach Blanket Babylon", San Francisco's hilarious pop culture musical revue, is the perfect night out with friends. Celebrating more than 16,000 performances and seen by more than six million people ... [more+]

"Beach Blanket Babylon", San Francisco's hilarious pop culture musical revue, is the perfect night out with friends. Celebrating more than 16,000 performances and seen by more than six million people from around the world, this internationally acclaimed production continues to delight audiences at Club Fugazi in San Francisco's North Beach district with its spectacular costumes and outrageously gigantic hats. Entering their 45th year, "Beach Blanket Babylon" follows Snow White as she takes a fast-paced journey around the world in search of her "Prince Charming." Along the way she encounters a star-studded, ever-changing lineup of hilarious political and pop culture characters, including Donald and Melania Trump, Kim Jong-un, Taylor Swift, Colin Kaepernick, Wonder Woman, Sarah Huckabee, Vladimir Putin, Ivanka Trump and Jared, Lady Gaga, Prince, Barack and Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Harvey Weinstein, Bernie Sanders, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Oprah, Prince Harry and Meghan, and the Golden State Warriors. [less-]

"Time Out New York" raved, it's "a thrilling, gender-flipped slice of Manifest Destiny." This subversive tale of 10 men, four boats and two rivers contains none of the above. Pack your gear for this 2... [more+]

"Time Out New York" raved, it's "a thrilling, gender-flipped slice of Manifest Destiny." This subversive tale of 10 men, four boats and two rivers contains none of the above. Pack your gear for this 21st-century telling of 19th-century American explorer and one-armed Civil War veteran John Wesley Powell, who assembles a brawny band of soldiers, trappers and adventurers to explore the waterways of the American West. Inspired by Powell's actual travel log from 1869, Jaclyn Backhaus's nimble and ingenious script is provocative, laugh-out-loud theater, performed by a cast of women who infuse America's historic myths of male conquest with a sly blast of subtext. Catch "Men on Boats" at A.C.T.'s Strand Theater in San Francisco. [less-]

A favorite across the country, "The Dinner Detective" serves up a tasty whodunit along with a seated four-course dinner. And since this popular comic murder mystery is set in the present day, you'll n... [more+]

A favorite across the country, "The Dinner Detective" serves up a tasty whodunit along with a seated four-course dinner. And since this popular comic murder mystery is set in the present day, you'll never know whether someone at your table is one of the talented cast of improvisers. In fact, everyone's a suspect -- including you! The event starts out with a reception featuring tray-passed hors d'oeuvres followed by the meal, which includes salad, an entrée and dessert. Between courses you can expect plenty of murder, mayhem and hidden clues coming to light as you puzzle through the crime. Everyone gets a commemorative mug, and the top sleuth wins a prize package -- and some serious bragging rights -- at the end of the evening. [less-]

"Family-friendly improv comedy" is almost an oxymoron, but Made Up Theatre captures wholesome lightning in a bottle. The show features a series of improvised games based on audience suggestions, like ... [more+]

"Family-friendly improv comedy" is almost an oxymoron, but Made Up Theatre captures wholesome lightning in a bottle. The show features a series of improvised games based on audience suggestions, like the hit TV show "Whose Line Is It, Anyway?" The entire show is made up on the spot, so you never know what might happen. The fun, funny and interactive show offers a great outing for the whole family at Made Up Theatre in Fremont. [less-]

A cautionary dark satire about the fragility of democracy and how fascism can take hold even in the land of liberty, the play follows the ascent of a demagogue who becomes president of the United Stat... [more+]

A cautionary dark satire about the fragility of democracy and how fascism can take hold even in the land of liberty, the play follows the ascent of a demagogue who becomes president of the United States by promising to return the country to greatness. Witnessing the new president's tyranny from the sidelines is a liberal, middle-class newspaper editor from Vermont who trusts the system will fix itself-until he ends up in a prison camp. Sinclair Lewis' eerily prescient 1935 novel "It Can't Happen Here" gets a fresh update in this adaptation that examines what brings a citizenry to the point of sacrificing its own freedom and how a courageous few can prevail to overcome the fall. See this timely show at Pacifica Spindrift Players Theatre, [less-]

Inspired by real stories gathered from the community, "Departera" is a witty, modern take on Día de los Muertos. Inspiring music, touching stories and diverse characters make this a world premiere yo... [more+]

Inspired by real stories gathered from the community, "Departera" is a witty, modern take on Día de los Muertos. Inspiring music, touching stories and diverse characters make this a world premiere you won't want to miss. "Departera" centers on Doña Juana. She is like a midwife (a partera), but instead of bringing babies into this world, she helps the dying move on to the next world. Now, she is training her young protégé Connie - if Connie will take her ear buds out long enough to learn! It's a story full of music and humor and informed by indigenous beliefs. Departera is performed bilingually in English and Spanish at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose. [less-]

Similar to "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", this fast-paced short-form improv show plays a series of improvised games and scenes based on audience suggestions. Laugh Track City is a great opportunity for t... [more+]

Similar to "Whose Line Is It Anyway?", this fast-paced short-form improv show plays a series of improvised games and scenes based on audience suggestions. Laugh Track City is a great opportunity for the cast and audience alike to have a fun and hilarious time at Made Up Theatre. [less-]

Based on Charles Dickens' final, unfinished novel, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" puts a musical twist on the murder-mystery genre. Since the author died before his work was completed, readers never lea... [more+]

Based on Charles Dickens' final, unfinished novel, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" puts a musical twist on the murder-mystery genre. Since the author died before his work was completed, readers never learned the true fate that Dickens had intended for his beloved title character ... until now! Rupert Holmes' award-winning musical takes audience participation to new heights and solves this predicament by asking you and the rest of the audience to choose which character is the killer. The play's a madcap comedy filled with colorful characters and musical numbers styled in the vein of traditional British pantos. It's a hilarious, interactive whodunit musical that allows you to become the ultimate detective. During the show, you're encouraged to sing, clap and interact with the actors, culminating in an audience vote for the show's ending. There's a different finale every night as mysteries unfold onstage at 3Below Theaters in San Jose. [less-]

A holiday concert featuring Sandra Wright Shen is the perfect outing for the entire family, as the highly-regarded international concert pianist plays classical compositions with a Christmas theme alo... [more+]

A holiday concert featuring Sandra Wright Shen is the perfect outing for the entire family, as the highly-regarded international concert pianist plays classical compositions with a Christmas theme along with beloved works that bring joy all year. A Bay Area treasure and Steinway Artist, Shen has thrilled audiences at Kennedy Center, Frankfurt Cultural Center and the Forbidden City Concert Hall and won first prize at the International Piano Competition of France and the Taiwan National Piano Competition. She'll appear at the Trianon Theatre in San Jose, courtesy of the Steinway Society Bay Area. [less-]

The nonprofit live theater company Dragon Theatre produces shows that are uncommon, intimate and accessible to its audiences, artists and community. With an emphasis on empathy and boldness, their wor... [more+]

The nonprofit live theater company Dragon Theatre produces shows that are uncommon, intimate and accessible to its audiences, artists and community. With an emphasis on empathy and boldness, their works illuminate deeper facets of the human condition. Dragon Late Nights stays open on select Friday nights in Redwood City to showcase up-and-coming local talents with unique performances, from song and dance to storytelling, that you won't see anywhere else. [less-]

Improv is comedy without a net, where daredevil performers depend not only on the audience for suggestions, but also on their fellow performers for support and Lady Luck for inspiration. Done right, i... [more+]

Improv is comedy without a net, where daredevil performers depend not only on the audience for suggestions, but also on their fellow performers for support and Lady Luck for inspiration. Done right, it's not just hilarious -- it's astonishing. The American Improv Theatre (AIT) Players do it right. Come laugh and marvel as the Players spin entire scenes from suggestions. The show begins with some silly, quick-moving improv games (Think "Whose Line Is It Anyway?"). Then the Players raise the stakes with longer, more connected scenes so good they seem scripted. But they're not: Everything that happens at Black Cat Licorice Theater is discovered in the moment. [less-]

Laureate of the 2017 American Pianists Association Awards and lauded as "triumphant" and "thrilling" by "The New York Times", Henry Kramer is well-known in the Bay Area through his participation as an... [more+]

Laureate of the 2017 American Pianists Association Awards and lauded as "triumphant" and "thrilling" by "The New York Times", Henry Kramer is well-known in the Bay Area through his participation as an artist with Music@Menlo's International Program. His program of Liszt, Schubert, Scriabin and Debussy is a delight that highlights his skill and artistry. A native of Maine, Kramer earned top prizes in the 2016 Queen Elisabeth Competition in Belgium, 2015 Honens International Piano Competition, the 2011 Montreal International Music Competition, and the Sixth China Shanghai International Piano Competition. Now he performs live at Trianon Theatre in San Jose. [less-]

With over 30 million YouTube fans worldwide, San Francisco's Voices of Music is the most popular early music ensemble in the United States by a wide margin, and one of the most popular ensembles in an... [more+]

With over 30 million YouTube fans worldwide, San Francisco's Voices of Music is the most popular early music ensemble in the United States by a wide margin, and one of the most popular ensembles in any genre of classical music, in the world. Performed in beautiful cathedrals around the Bay Area, their authentic interpretations of virtuoso baroque concertos are an especially vibrant treat for the ears, as the small, tight-knit group present beguiling and even playful arrangements for violins, cellos, organ and other instruments. Interpreting works by masters ranging from Vivaldi to Bach, this spectacularly talented group of musicians will transport you to another time. [less-]

American Improv Theatre's all-female improv group, "Brick House", will make you laugh until you lips fall off. The San Jose troupe will entertain you with feats of improv never attempted by mere morta... [more+]

American Improv Theatre's all-female improv group, "Brick House", will make you laugh until you lips fall off. The San Jose troupe will entertain you with feats of improv never attempted by mere mortals. [less-]

With over 30 million YouTube fans worldwide, San Francisco's Voices of Music is the most popular early music ensemble in the United States by a wide margin, and one of the most popular ensembles in an... [more+]

With over 30 million YouTube fans worldwide, San Francisco's Voices of Music is the most popular early music ensemble in the United States by a wide margin, and one of the most popular ensembles in any genre of classical music, in the world. Performed in beautiful cathedrals around the Bay Area, their authentic interpretations of virtuoso baroque concertos are an especially vibrant treat for the ears, as the small, tight-knit group present beguiling and even playful arrangements for violins, cellos, organ and other instruments. Interpreting works by masters ranging from Vivaldi to Bach, this spectacularly talented group of musicians will transport you to another time. [less-]

"Cool Yule" is a jazzy start to the holiday season featuring San Jose State University's jazz orchestra and award-winning saxophonist Anton Schwartz mixing a mainstream jazz repertoire with holiday cl... [more+]

"Cool Yule" is a jazzy start to the holiday season featuring San Jose State University's jazz orchestra and award-winning saxophonist Anton Schwartz mixing a mainstream jazz repertoire with holiday classics at the Hammer Theatre Center. [less-]

You've seen plays, movies and TV shows, and the one thing they all have in common is ... the script. In "Closing Night", Fremont's Made Up Theatre throws the script out the window and makes up a play ... [more+]

You've seen plays, movies and TV shows, and the one thing they all have in common is ... the script. In "Closing Night", Fremont's Made Up Theatre throws the script out the window and makes up a play on the spot, based on a title from the audience. That's right. It's an actor's nightmare, but it's an improvisor's delight! Plus, you'll witness a unique and hilarious format to kick off the show. [less-]

Celebrate the spookiest time of the year with an amazing underground comedy show live in Fremont. Catch the top comedians in California. This intimate Halloween comedy show at Kirby's Sports Bar featu... [more+]

Celebrate the spookiest time of the year with an amazing underground comedy show live in Fremont. Catch the top comedians in California. This intimate Halloween comedy show at Kirby's Sports Bar features comedian Kabir "Kabeezy" Signh and other comedians who have performed at San Jose Improv, Cobbs' Comedy Club, SF Punchline and Tommy T's. [less-]