Top Tickets: October 7-13

Diablo’s can’t-miss events of the coming week: Saving the Bay, Jazz at the San Ramon Library, Contra Costa Musical Theatre’s Oliver, ArtWalk Livermore, Livermore Valley Opera’s “Cav and Pag,” and Out of This World at Hearst Art Gallery.

This week, you can travel far and wide without actually leaving the East Bay—from Dickens’ London to Italian opera to outer space. Here are your Top Tickets…

October 8 and 15: Saving the Bay
Robert Redford narrates this new public television series about the San Francisco Bay filmed in sparkling high-definition. The four one-hour episodes cover the geological, cultural, and developmental history of the Bay, as well as the efforts to preserve its beauty for future generations. KQED Channel 9, 8–10 p.m., a DVD set is also available online, savingthebay.org.

October 9: Jazz at the San Ramon Library
Libraries are typically quiet places—but not during the Jazz at the San Ramon Library series, which kicks off with Oakland-based jazz saxophonist Anton Schwartz. While you’re there, check out the library’s growing jazz collection, with more than 1,200 CDs, 125 videos, and 220 books. Front Row Theatre, 17011 Bollinger Canyon Rd., San Ramon, 8 p.m., $21, (925) 973-2787, sanramonjazz.org.

October 9–November 7: Oliver!
Contra Costa Musical Theatre presents one of the best-loved family musicals of all time, based on Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist, about an orphaned boy who is recruited by a band of young pickpockets. Diablo is giving away four free tickets to the show. For more information, click here. Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Dr., Walnut Creek, $40–$45, (925) 943-7469, ccmt.org.

October 10: ArtWalk
More than 150 local artists come to Livermore for the annual ArtWalk. Downtown boutiques, wine bars, and restaurants host the exhibits, which spill out onto the sidewalks and parks. The day concludes with a party at the Plaza, with live music and a silent auction to support Bothwell Arts Center. Downtown Livermore, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., (925) 447-2787, artwalklivermore.org.

October 10–18: Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci
In Opera jargon, they’re called “Cav and Pag,” and these two operas are usually performed together, as Livermore Valley Opera will present them. “Cav” is about a soldier caught up in love, passion, and vengeance, while “Pag” is about a heartbroken clown. Performed in Italian with English supertitles. Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Livermore, $39–$59, (925) 373-6800, livermorevalleyopera.org.

October 11–December 13: Out of This World
Art and science lovers alike with enjoy Hearst Art Gallery’s new exhibit featuring the beautiful landscapes of our solar system. Out-of-this-world special events include a lecture by author and astronomer Andrew Fraknoi (October 11) and a stargazing and meteor shower watch (November 17). Hearst Art Gallery, 1928 Saint Mary’s Rd., Moraga, $3, (925) 631-4363, www.stmarys-ca.edu/arts/hearst-art-gallery.

For even more events happening this week, browse the complete listings on Diablo’s Community Calendar. Follow Diablo on Twitter or Facebook (links below), and you'll be notified as soon as Top Tickets posts each Wednesday afternoon.
 

Posted at 11:50 AM in Best Of Editor Picks | Permalink