WALNUT CREEK

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will host clarinetist Gregory Dufford and pianist Fernanda Nieto in a concert series performance of classical and modern music — including pieces from Albinoni, Bizet, Barber and others — at 7 p.m. Oct. 7.

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• Local News |
  On Tap: Walnut Creek’s Bedford Gallery to present ‘Bits + Pieces’
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  On Tap: Pittsburg Theatre Company to present ‘Young Frankenstein’
• Local News |
  On Tap: Improvised ‘Zombie’ show will be performed at Lesher Center

Located in downtown Walnut Creek at 1924 Trinity Ave, the St. Paul’s Concert Series offers monthly world-class performances to the local community for an affordable, donation-based cost. Free parking is provided, or BART riders can walk an easy three blocks from the Walnut Creek station.

Donations will be graciously accepted at the door ($20 is suggested for adults, $10 for students) and when registering online. All are welcome regardless of what they can donate. St. Paul’s Concert Series invites its audience in-person for this event and will also broadcast this performance simultaneously online.

To obtain the online link, review the full concert program or to donate or reserve tickets, visit stpaulswc.org/concert-series online.

— St. Paul’s Concert Series

CONCORD

Peace, Love & Hope concert for church food pantry Oct. 15

Enjoy a Sunday afternoon of joyful and uplifting songs from movies, Broadway, classical and popular standards presented Oct. 15 by the choirs of St. Bonaventure Catholic Church at the Peace, Love & Hope Benefit Concert for the church’s food pantry.

Free will donations will be accepted. The concert starts at 3 p.m. in the church at 5562 Clayton Road in Concord. For details, visit bit.ly/462V6YV online.

— St. Bonaventure’s Catholic Church

ORINDA

See Bulgarian Oscar submission, ‘Heart of the Machine’

In its U.S. premiere, Bulgaria’s 2023 Oscar submission, “In the Heart of the Machine,” will be shown Oct. 20 at the Orinda Theatre (after showing Oct. 14 at Napa’s Jarvis Conservatory).

Freedom is in the right to be human, but being human is never easy as we see in this film set in August 1978 at the Kremikovtsy Steel Plant, which is rife with heat, iron, dust and the pervasive smell of oil.

A typical workday of a crew of maximum-security inmates will prove to be fateful for all of them. They find something extraordinary inside one of the machines and an unexpected wave of compassion makes the prisoners take hostages and block the workshop’s entrance.

The men risk their lives willingly because sometimes the desire to be human is stronger than the survival instinct and sometimes the dream of salvation blurs common sense. Visit internationalshowcase.org/?p=557 online for more information.

— International Showcase  

Mixologist contest to fundraise for Lamorinda Arts Council

What do shiitake mushroom-infused vermouth, blueberry syrup, graham cracker-infused whiskey and sugar snap peas all have in common? They’re all just some of the ingredients that will be in this year’s craft cocktails at Art of Mixology, the Lamorinda Arts Council’s 10th annual fundraiser in Orinda.

With an anticipated crowd of 300 attendees, the festivities will happen from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Oct. 14 in the Orinda Theatre Square. The event includes professional and amateur East Bay bartenders creating original and luscious craft cocktails. Mixologists will compete to receive trophies and cash prizes.

Winners of first, second and third place will earn $500, $300 and $150 respectively. The Audience Favorite will win $200, and the top amateur bartender’s home-crafted cocktail will win $100.

The audience and judges will sample the cocktails and vote live on-site to help determine who will be named Mixologist of the Year and Audience Favorite. Judges will award prizes to the top three bartenders, and the Audience Favorite will be determined by popular vote.

There will also be an Art of Staging Award — another audience favorite part of the event. Bartenders’ tables will be awarded trophies based on decorating skills and overall display. Criteria include matching the theme and mood of the drink, aesthetics and overall creativity. Tickets are available for $75 or $125 at lamorindaarts.org/product/ticket-mixology-2023.

— Lamorinda Arts Council

WALNUT CREEK

‘Bits + Pieces’ exhibit open at the Lesher’s Bedford Gallery

The ‘Bits + Pieces’ art exhibit has opened at the Bedford Gallery in Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts at 1601 Civic Drive.

From teacup dogs and ships in a bottle to tiny dinner tables set with a feast, fascination with pint-sized items has endured the test of time. The featured artists work in micro and small scales, creating intricate paintings, sculpture, ceramics and installations in direct opposition to their standard-sized counterparts.

The popularity of miniatures has grown exponentially, with hundreds of groups and societies dedicated solely to creating tiny works of art. The 16 participating artists are dedicated to pulling the viewer in, offering an opportunity to be up close and personal with the work, an uncommon experience since viewing art in its entirety is often done from a distance.

Each artist has painstakingly rendered special objects and ideas with exquisite detail that requires close inspection to fully understand and appreciate the deft skill applied. With a focus on minute, precise details, “Bits + Pieces” celebrates the quirky anomaly that permeates our world.

The exhibit will be on view through Dec. 17. Tickets are $5 for nonmembers of the Bedford Gallery ages 13 or older and free for everyone. For tickets or more details, visit bit.ly/3PMY9yC online.

— Bedford Gallery

Lesher Center to present improv ‘Zombie’ horror comedy

“Z is for … ZOMBIE: An Improvised Zombie Apocalypse!” is the next show on tap for Synergy Theater at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts. In this completely improvised full-length play running Oct. 19-29, no one in town knows who is still human and who has become a zombie — not even the cast!

Which of those sweet, little townsfolk are really horrific, bloodthirsty zombies? Who can be trusted? Who will be converted? And who will be the last human-improviser standing? The answer is different at each performance in this laugh-till-you-drop improvised horror show. For more information, visit synergytheater.com online.

— Synergy Theater

LIVERMORE

Catch ‘Funny Women of a Certain Age’ Friday at Bankhead

Get ready to laugh out loud Friday with the return engagement of “Funny Women of a Certain Age”

This hilarious show features a lineup of some of the funniest female comedians over 50, including Carole Montgomery, Cathy Ladman, Leighann Lord and Barb North. From relatable anecdotes about aging and relationships to witty observations of the world, these comedians will surely have you in stitches.

The show starts at 8 p.m. in Livermore’s Bankhead Theater at 2400 First St. Tickets range from $50 to $80 and are available online at bit.ly/FunnyWomenBankhead. Student and military tickets are available at 925-373-6800.

— Livermore Valley Arts Association

PITTSBURG

Theater company opening season with ‘Young Frankenstein’

The Pittsburg Theatre Company will open its 2023-24 season Friday through Oct. 22 with the hilarious classic Broadway musical “Young Frankenstein.”

Based on the book by Thomas Meehan and Mel Brooks and featuring featuring music and lyrics by Brooks, Frederick Frankenstein (Liam Cody), the grandson of the infamous Victor Frankenstein (Kik Waller), inherits his family’s estate in Transylvania.

Leaving his fianceé Elizabeth (Stefanie Suzuki) at home, Frederick heads to Transylvania where, with help of hunchbacked sidekick Igor (Phillip Leyva), a sexy lab assistant, Inga (Atessa McAleenan-Morrell) and acerbic housekeeper Frau Blucher (Vicki Victoria), Frederick finds himself in the mad-scientist shoes of his ancestors as he brings to life a creature to rival his grandfather’s.

Eventually, of course, the monster (Keith Adair) escapes and hilarity abounds as Inspector Kemp (Kevin Burns) and the townspeople try to capture him. Director Dianna Schepers, choreographer Anjee Norgaard and musical director Kevin Dong recreate the Broadway smash hit musical with eye-popping special effects and show-stopping musical numbers, including the famous “Puttin’ on the Ritz,” complete with a tap-dancing chorus that will have audiences cheering.

The show will be performed with a live orchestra in the California Theatre at 351 Railroad Ave. Visit ptcca.org online or call 925-439-1201 for tickets, which are $26 to $30.

— Pittsburg Community Theatre

LAFAYETTE

Town Hall Theatre’s ‘Turn of the Screw’ running till Oct. 21

Town Hall Theatre is presenting “The Turn of the Screw” now through Oct. 21 in the company’s theater at 3535 School St. in Lafayette.

Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher, the Henry James’ story follows the gripping story of a young governess hired to care for two orphaned children in a remote estate. As she begins to unravel a family’s dark secrets, she becomes convinced that malevolent spirits are haunting the children. Are these apparitions real, though, or is the governess losing her grip on reality?

Presented by two powerhouse actors — Garret Michael Ryan and Megan Soledad Mateosky — with no props, one costume each and only a chair and the stage for a set, this spine-tingling play will take you on an unforgettable journey into the unknown. Dennis Markam directs. For tickets or more details, visit townhalltheatre.com/turnofthescrew online or call 925-283-1557.

— Town Hall Theatre

CONCORD

Lamorinda Arts Alliance presenting ‘Feast of Color’ exhibit

Some have said that art is food for the soul. As the fall colors emerge around us, the Lamorinda Arts Alliance invites you to come and see artists’ food-inspired and colorful works of art. The exhibit “A Feast of Color,” running now through Oct. 27, is a deliciously vivid and unforgettable exhibit nourishing everyone’s soul.

Art lovers are invited to view the exhibit in the aRt Cottage, at 2238 Mound Diablo St. in downtown Concord. Regular hours for aRt Cottage are from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

The Lamorinda Arts Alliance is an organization of local artists and friends who reside or work in in or near Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda. The group’s purpose is to provide coordination, education, and service to promote and increase knowledge, appreciation, and practice of the arts, and to enhance the area’s cultural development.

The group seeks to foster a better understanding of art within the community and encourage the exchange of ideas for the mutual benefit of all members through its programs, exhibits and other activities within the community. For more information, visit the Lamorinda Arts Alliance online at laa4art.org.

— LAA

Submit area arts-and-entertainment On Tap items to Judith Prieve at [email protected].