Valentine’s Day weekend falls during a busy February for the Bankhead Theater in downtown Livermore, fortunately for those of us who might still be searching for an outing to celebrate with our dearest.
The String Queens, a trio from Washington, D.C. touring on their most-recent album, “RISE”, are in concert this Friday night to show off their “authentic, soulful, and orchestral sound” to Tri-Valley audiences.
“With this album, TSQ sought to sonically address the world’s current problems by creating unique arrangements of timeless classics rooted in hope, joy, peace and love,” Livermore Valley Arts reps said. “Featuring original compositions by Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Richard Smallwood, The Beatles, Michael Jackson and more, RISE takes listeners on a musical journey that starts in a field of loss and hopelessness and ends in a fortress of faith, triumph and fortitude.”
Featuring Kendall Isadore on violin, Élise Sharp on viola and Dawn Johnson on cello, The String Queens will take the stage at 8 p.m. on Friday the 13th.
String instruments will be a centerpiece the next night, too, as two standout young cellists will join the Livermore-Amador Symphony as special soloists for its “Forbidden Love” concert on Valentine’s Day.
Dougherty Valley High student Donghu Kim and Fremont’s Cara Wang (who attends Stanford Online High School) were winners of the symphony’s Competition for Young Musicians. Both 16 years old, Wang will play Antonín Dvořák “Cello Concerto in B Minor, 1st Movement” while Kim will perform Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “Rococo Variations for Cello”.
As for the overall concert, the symphony will showcase two composers drawn to William Shakespeare’s tale of star-crossed teen lovers: Frederick Delius and his “The Walk to the Paradise Garden” and Sergei Prokofiev with “Romeo and Juliet, Suite No. 2”.
“The performance closes with Edward Elgar’s deeply sentimental and romantic ‘Salut d’amour’, sure to lift everyone’s hearts at the end of the evening,” symphony reps said.
The concert is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 14), preceded by an “Inside the Music” talk with conductor Lara Webber from 7-7:15 p.m.
Then on Sunday afternoon, a performance of “Selected Shorts” is returning to the Bankhead stage.
The matinee live theatrical readings will feature actors Geoffrey Arend (of “Deli Boys” and “Madam Secretary” fame), Emmy nominee Wendie Malick (“Just Shoot Me” and more recently, “Shrinking”) and “The West Wing” alumnus Joshua Malina.
Promising “an afternoon of funny, mysterious and poignant short stories about surprising romances, competing desires and unexpected encounters” apt for the holiday weekend, “Selected Shorts” is set for 3 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 15).
The entertainment continues into next week with a play of characters beloved by many young and old, with CYT Tri-Valley’s production of “Seussical JR” – starring Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat and other Dr. Seuss favorites.
“I am so proud of these young CYT performers. They bring their energy, enthusiasm, and a wide range of talents to their characters to help give a fresh take on these classic tales,” director Wendy Hughes said in a press release. “Get ready to see some skateboarding, rollerblading, and a circus complete with juggling and Diabolo tricks! The audience even gets to be a part of our story — you are going to have a memorable time!”
CYT Tri-Valley’s “Seussical JR” includes three school-day matinees designed for organized field trips and homeschool groups and two evening shows for general audiences between Wednesday and Thursday (Feb. 18-19).
Those devoted to giving back to their community can check out Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance’s panel discussion at the Bankhead at 10:30 a.m. next Friday (Feb. 20), featuring State Sen. Jerry McNerney, CalNonprofits CEO Geoff Green and CalNonprofits Board Chair Chet P. Hewitt.
Then that night, the popular “International Guitar Night” tour will return to Livermore for the 15th straight year – with Alexandr Misko (Russia), Lucas Imbiriba (Brazil), Thu Le (Vietnam) and Taimane Gardner (USA, Hawaii).
Rounding out February at the Bankhead will be the free Lunar New Year Celebration next Sunday (Feb. 22) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., “Wild and Scenic Film Festival On Tour” with 14 short films of environmental storytelling on Feb. 27 and Livermore Valley Opera opening its two-weekend run of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Così Fan Tutte” on Feb. 28.
Between the opera performances, the theater will host adventurer Peter Hillary (son of the late Sir Edmund Hillary) as part of the Rae Dorough Speaker Series on March 5 and the vocal stylings of Kings Return on March 6.
CYT Tri-Valley will be back on the bill starting March 12 for its production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” … oops, better slow down and save us some A&E content for the coming weeks. Gotta love how active and vibrant the Bankhead stays throughout the year.
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the associate publisher and editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What a Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.
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