March 30, 2006

Calendar of local events

Unless otherwise noted all phone numbers are in the 408 area code.

ART
March 24 – May 20
The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) will showcase “Driving by Braille,” a video by Kerry Loewen in the gallery’s First Street window.  “Driving by Braille” is part of the ICA’s installation series “Night Moves,” providing after-dark programming in the gallery’s front and rear windows, giving the ICA a nighttime presence while  animating the downtown cultural landscape. The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art hours: Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.; Saturday, 12 – 5 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday. Admission to exhibitions is free.

MUSIC
March 25 – April 2
The Lyric Theatre Group presents “Die Fledermans” at the Montgomery Theater: Johann Stranss, Jr.’s “Die Fledermans” gives us the memorable Champagne Song, The Watch Duet, Sing to Love, Czardas, The Laughing Song and many waltzes. A husband with a wandering eye, a maid who longs to be on stage, a virtuous wife trying to get rid of an old flame, and a friend who seeks retribution. Join us for the revenge of the Bat; fully staged with orchestra. Admission is $20.50 - $27 per person. For more information, call 408-986-1455 or www.Lyrictheatre.org

April 1 - 2
Symphony Silicon Valley presents “Nakamatsu Plays Grieg”at the California Theatre: Conductor William Boughton with Soloist Jon Nakamatsu featuring Beethoven “Egmont Overture”, Grieg “Piano Concerto”, Sibelius “Symphony #5.” Performance times are Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Call 286-2600 or visit www.symphonysanjose.org for more information.

April 8 – Saturday
The 2nd Annual Leland High School Benefit Concert will be held in the campus cafeteria beginning at 5:30 p.m. All proceeds will be used to fund supplies for classroom materials and textbooks. This concert is 100% student organized. Tickets are $12 each and are available at the door. Leland students and faculty will be performing.

April 9 – Sunday
The choirs of Almaden Hills United Methodist Church and Grace Lutheran Church of Palo Alto, with members of the Russian Chamber Orchestra will be in concert at Almaden Hills UMC, 1200 Blossom Hill Road, San Jose.  Tickets are $10 and up.  Featured music includes Schubert’s Mass in G, an organ concerto and the haunting adagio from Beethoven’s fifth Piano Concerto.  The 60 voices will be accompanied by a twelve-piece orchestra and a portative pipe organ.  All proceeds of the concert will benefit the music program of the church.

April 9 – Sunday
San Jose Chamber Orchestra presents Henry Mollicone Birthday Concert with Barbara Day Turner conducting. Vocal and orchestral works by Henry Mollicone with sopranos Erie Mills and Maria Spacagna, tenor Brian Staufenbiel saxophonist William Trimble and Anthony Quartuccio on accordion Henry Mollicone at the piano. Performance begins at 7 p.m. with a pre-concert chat at 6:30 p.m. at Le Petit Trianon, 72 North 5th Street in San Jose. Tickets are $20 - $40. Call 295-4416 or visit www.sjco.org for more information.

THEATER
March 18 – April 16
San Jose Repertory Theatre is pleased to present the Bay Area premiere of Rolin Jones’ comedy “The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow: An Instant Message with Excitable Music”, playing March 18 – April 16. Directed by Kim Rubenstein, This quirky techno-comedy centers on 22-year-old Jennifer Marcus, (Sue Jean Kim) a brilliant, yet obsessive-compulsive, agoraphobic woman and her quest to find her Chinese birth mother with the help of a robotic version of herself, dubbed Jenny Chow. This show is presented as a co-production with Portland Center Stage. Tickets are available at the San Jose Rep Box Office,101 Paseo de San Antonio or can be purchased online at www.SJRep.com or by calling 367-7255.

March 28 – April 9
American Musical Theatre of San Jose presents “Gypsy,” at The Center for the Performing Arts in downtown, showing from March 28 – April 9. One of the most beloved musicals of all time, “Gypsy” is loosely based on the autobiography of world-renowned striptease star Gypsy Rose Lee. The story centers on the fascinating character of “Mama Rose,” the ultimate stage mother living vicariously through her daughters, as she drives them from behind the scenes to be a success in the fading world of vaudeville. This locally-mounted production is directed by Tim Bair and choreographed by Broadway veteran Troy Rintala. Tickets are $46 - $73. For tickets and additional information, call 453-7108, or visit www.amtsj.org.

CHILDREN/FAMILY
March 11 – April 8
West Valley Light Opera Association will open its second production of its 41st Season, “Once Upon A Mattress” at the Saratoga Civic Theater, 13777 Fruitvale in Saratoga with an 8 p.m., champagne gala performance. Weekend performances will continue through the second Saturday in April. Directed by Jeff M. Hicks, this musical is based Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Princess and the Pea.” For reservations and information, call 268-3777 or visit www.wvlo.org.

March 18 – April 2
The Tabard Theatre presents “The Magicians Nephew” the prequel to “The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe” in C.S. Lewis’ beloved series “The Chronicles Of Narnia.” Follow young Digory and his friend Polly as magical rings transport them to enchanted Narnia and wicked Charn where they meet Aslan the great lion and Jadis the evil queen. Join them in this imaginative and highly theatrical dramatization of a literary classic. For ticket and performance information, visit www.tabardtheatre.org. All performances are staged at the Hoover Theater, 1635 Park Avenue in San Jose.

March 30 – April 2
Presentation High School presents Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” a play centered on rumors, witchcraft and mystery. The Crucible plays at the Valenzuela Theatre on the Presentation High School campus, 2281 Plummer Avenue in San Jose. Ticket prices are $15 adults and $10 students. For tickets and show times please go to www.pres-net.com or call 264-1664 ext. 2425.

April 1,8 & 15
California Theatre Center presents Cinderella: Cinderella plays on Saturday mornings at 11:00am and Saturday evening April 1 at 7:30pm at the Sunnyvale Theatre, Sunnyvale Community Center, 550 East Remington Drive (just off El Camino Real). Tickets are $11 in advance. $12 at the door. For more information, visit www.ctcinc.org or call the Box Office at 245-2978.

April 8 – Saturday
Alpha Zeta Events presents its Almaden Oaks Plaza Show featuring live entertainment by “Mostly Celtic”. Located at 6109 Meridian Avenue, event hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This one-stop shopping opportunity brings together vendors of fine arts and crafts, clothing, toys, unique pet merchandise, home decor, gardening, seasonal crafts, personal care products, photography, and more. Admission is free.

April 8 – Saturday
Natural Egg-stravaganza: Bring your own boiled, white-shelled eggs (in a cooler or other container to keep them from spoiling) and The Friends of Guadalupe River Park and Gardens will supply the dye to make red, blue, yellow and orange eggs. All the dyes will be prepared from natural materials – can you guess what different types of plants would make these colors? Bring your curiosity and find out! The session runs from 9:30 a.m. to noon, so drop-in between 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. to make your eggs. Fees are $5 per child. This workshop will be held at the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens Visitor & Education Center, located at 438 Coleman Avenue in San Jose. All children must be accompanied by an adult. For more information please visit www.grpg.org

CLASSES
April 1 – Saturday
Monart Drawing School Open House, Art Show, and Two Free Drawing Lessons: 1375 Blossom Hill Rd., #25, San Jose, CA-95118. Local Student Art Work on Display. Free drawing lessons with Mona Brookes: 4-7 year olds, 10am – 11am; 8 – adult, 11am – 12noon (1st come, 1st served).

Ongoing
Starting in April, beginner Italian Classes will be offered on Monday mornings at Holy Cross Parish, 580 East Jackson Street in San Jose, CA 95112-2736. For more information or to register please call 646-0232.

FIFTY PLUS
Ongoing
AARP Information Center needs volunteers to staff their office. Duties include helping seniors find various services and programs, and providing information on senior needs. The office is located at 840 Willow Street, Suite 300, at the corner of Bird and Willow Streets on bus route #25. The hours are Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, call 278-1855.

VOLUNTEERS
March 28, April 8 & 11
Vision Literacy needs tutor volunteers to help adults build their literacy skills. Tutor volunteer opportunities exist in community literacy, family literacy, substance abuse treatment programs and correctional facilities. Call 262-1349 or email info@visionliteracy.org to register for one of these tutor volunteer orientation dates or get more information on this program.

Ongoing
Humane Society Needs Foster Care Homes For rescued animals: Dog and cat lovers who would like to help save kittens, puppies, and adult animals are needed to foster animals to prepare them for adoption. Foster parents are trained to care for the animals in their homes, providing them with social and medical attention so that they can eventually be adopted into permanent, loving homes. The Humane Society provides food, cat litter, fostering advice and veterinary care. For more information, visit the Humane Society’s website at: http://www.hssv.org/you_can_help/volunteer/positions/foster.htm, or call 408.727.3383 ext. 819.
Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley, www.wcsv.org, seeks center volunteers and home care volunteers to care for injured and orphaned wildlife for release back to the wild. We also need volunteers to help with educational outreach, database/office management, landscaping, facilities planning, event planning, graphic design, board work, and fundraising. The Wildlife Center, located in San Jose, has an active and enthusiastic corps of volunteers committed to welcoming and training new supporters.  Join us in helping local wildlife, one animal at a time. Email Patricia Abreu at volunteer@wcsv.org or call (408) 929-WILD (9453) for orientation dates.

MISCELLANEOUS
April 1 – Saturday
1,000 dahlia plants and tubers will be for sale by the John E. Stowell Dahlia Society.  Members will be sharing their love of dahlias with the community at two locations. The dahlias will be for sale at the De Anza College Flea Market and the Master Gardeners Spring Garden Market at the Mercury News parking lot. For more information call 736-1975.

April 3 – Monday
Guadalupe River Park and Gardens presents “San Jose Trail Connections” by Yves Zsutty, Program Manager – City Wide Trail System: Whether you want to take your bike to work everyday or go for a leisurely stroll, the trail you use and its connections to other trails really makes the difference to your experience. Come find out about the current trail system in San Jose, the challenges being faced in expanding trail connections, and what the future holds. This presentation will be held from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at the Guadalupe River Park & Gardens Visitor & Education Center, located at 438 Coleman Avenue. The fee is $3 for Friends’ members, $6 for non-members. Space is limited, so reserve your spot early by contacting Kary Wilson at education@grpg.org or 298-7657. Refunds for events will only be made if the event is cancelled or if there is a waiting list. For more information please visit www.grpg.org or call 408-298-7657.

HAVE AN ITEM FOR OUR CALENDAR?
We are seeking calendar items pertaining to the south bay communities we cover in our seven monthly community newspapers: Blossom Valley, Cambrian, Campbell, Evergreen, Santa Teresa, Willow Glen, Fifty Plus, and our weekly publication, Almaden Times Weekly. Items must be submitted by email or fax several weeks before the event. Send an email to candy@timesmediainc.com or fax to Candy Richter at 494-7078. Photos should be sent digitally as jpegs or mailed to Calendar, Times Newspapers, 1310 Tully Road, Ste. 107, San Jose, CA 95122. Due to the large volume of items received calendar requests left on voice mail cannot be used. Space is limited.