The List: January

Les Misérables, Angela Lansbury, and Oakland Restaurant Week highlight this month’s must-do list.

By LeeAnne Jones

Published: December 29, 2014

Courtesy of Shen Yun

Cultural Arts

Shen Yun
(1/6–1/7) Journey through 5,000 years of Chinese history with music, dance, stories, and dazzling costumes, when Shen Yun Performing Arts company and orchestra visit Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall on its world tour. shenyunperformingarts.org.

Restaurant Week / Cedric Glasier

Food

Oakland Restaurant Week
(1/15–1/25) Oakland’s dining scene couldn’t be hotter, and what better way to visit the places on your list than 10 days of prix fixe lunches and dinners ranging from $20 to $40. Participants include Camino, Picán, and more. oaklandrestaurantweek.org.

Theater

Les Misérables
(1/17–1/31) Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre continues its season of Broadway favorites with this multiple Tony Award–winning musical about love, redemption, and revolution in 19th century France, at Livermore’s Bankhead Theater. trivalleyrep.org.

courtesy of In the Name of Love

Music

In the Name of Love
(1/18) This year, the Martin Luther King Jr. musical tribute at Oakland’s Scottish Rite Center focuses on local African American female artists, including Linda Tillery, Faye Carol, and Gina Breedlove. mlktribute.com.

Blithe Spirit / Johan Persson

Theater

Blithe Spirit
(1/20–2/1) Acting legend Angela Lansbury reprises her Tony Award–winning role as medium Madame Arcati in this revival of Noël Coward’s popular comedy play, at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Theatre. shnsf.com.

Fashion

Wedding Gowns Through the Ages
(1/24–3/14) If you want to know what was in vogue for brides from the 1890s to 2000s, visit this exhibit of wedding dresses at Danville’s Museum of the San Ramon Valley. museumsrv.org.

Art

Christo and Jeanne-Claude
(1/25–3/22) View more than 100 drawings, sculptures, and photographs tracing the careers of this couple known for large-scale public installations, at Saint Mary’s College Museum of Art. stmarys-ca.edu/museum.

For even more events, check out the Community Calendar and the weekly Top Tickets blog at diablomag.com.

Sign up to get our e-newsletter and receive exclusive invites to special events, parties, and happenings.

Edit Module Show Tags

Edit Module Show Tags Edit Module Show Tags Edit Module Show Tags

Faces

A Curry Girl Launch Party

Neiman Marcus hosted athlete and style maven Sydel Curry—sister of Warriors point guard Stephen Curry—to celebrate the launch of her blog, A Curry Girl. The intimate gathering at the upscale Walnut Creek store featured a fashion show, mouthwatering bites, craft cocktails, and music by DJ Criddy.

Film Premiere With Joey Travolta

To salute Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, producer Joey Travolta and the Futures Explored Film Workshop honored filmmakers with developmental disabilities during a special movie premiere in March. Held at Livermore’s Bankhead Theater, the event screened four original shorts created by Film Workshop students and gave out prizes to guests.

Faces of Wildlife

More than 400 people gathered at Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek for a night of memorable animal encounters, from touching an armadillo to getting an up close look at the inside of an alligator’s mouth. Attendees were also treated to wines and brews, food-truck fare, and a live auction at the event—which raised more than $67,000 for Lindsay’s education and rehabilitation programs.

Ziggurat

During Oakland Museum of California’s third-annual fundraiser, guests enjoyed an open bar featuring craft cocktails, delicious food by Barbara Llewellyn Catering, access to the Respect: Hip-Hop Style and Wisdom exhibition, and performances by local dance groups and the hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics. The soiree raised $600,000 for the museum’s innovative programs.

East Bay State of Mind

Rubicon Programs hosted its annual gala at the Oakland Scottish Rite Center, where nearly 300 community members came together to raise funds for programs that aim to end poverty in the East Bay. Guests heard uplifting stories from those who’ve risen out of poverty, as well as remarks from New York Times best-selling author Luvvie Ajayi and advocates who passed landmark criminal justice reforms in 2017.

No Kid Hungry - Nutrition Know-How

A longtime supporter of the national anti-hunger campaign No Kid Hungry, Ayesha Curry partnered with the organization to teach a nutrition education class to Oakland students so they could learn how to make healthy snacks after school. “As a mom, I want my kids to have everything they need to grow up healthy and strong,” says Curry. “All children should have that opportunity.”

Gift of Schooling Gala

During the second annual soiree, guests enjoyed craft cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, a gourmet dinner, auctions, live music, and dancing at the Blackhawk Museum. Proceeds from the event benefited the local and global programs of Yours Humanly, including those that focus on providing underserved school children in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties with access to quality education and computer technology.

East Bay Women's Conference

More than 500 people gathered at the San Ramon Marriott for a day of networking and inspiring speeches from such dynamic influencers as former Second Lady Dr. Jill Biden, two-time Olympic pentathlete Marilyn King, and trans youth advocate Molly Maxwell.

Children's Health Guild

The Lamorinda nonprofit hosted its annual Holiday Boutique and Luncheon at The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco, where nearly 400 guests came to shop and dine in support of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and George Mark Children’s House. The event raised $200,000 for the two East Bay organizations.

Ragin' Cajun

The Sandra J. Wing Healing Therapies Foundation’s 10th annual New Orleans–themed gala offered a fun-filled evening of delicious Cajun cuisine, jazz, dancing, games, and live and silent auctions. Held at Casa Real at Ruby Hill Winery in Pleasanton, the event benefited local cancer patients who are undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

DRAA 2018 Women's Artistic Alliance

More than 100 women gathered at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek to celebrate the launch of Diablo Regional Arts Association’s (DRAA) Women’s Artistic Alliance. The inaugural charity event featured an array of performances by local actors.

Edit Module Show Tags

Find us on Facebook

Diablo Magazine

The List: January

Les Misérables, Angela Lansbury, and Oakland Restaurant Week highlight this month’s must-do list.

Cultural Arts

Food

Theater

Music

Theater

Fashion

Art

Top Tickets

Trending

Faces

Find us on Facebook