For a show about a dance prodigy, you really have to cast a kid that can dance, and Contra Costa Musical Theatre has certainly done that with its production at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center for the Arts. Virginia-based 14-year-old Braden King, who’s played the role a couple times before, has some wonderful dance sequences in director-choreographer Jennifer Perry’s high-energy staging. He also touchingly captures the character’s withdrawn aimlessness after the death of his mother (a beatific Josselyn O’Neill, who appears to Billy from time to time).
West Bay Opera, Mozart’s “Abduction from the Seraglio.” Feb, 13, 15, 21, 22, Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, Featuring Kevin Thompson as Osmin, Nikki Einfeld as Konstanze, Chelsea Hollow as Blonde, Tapan Bhat as Pedrillo and Michael Desnoyers mini dancing set machine embroidery design – ballerina pointe dancers, gymnasts, ballet shoes – girl dance gym embroidery - inst as Belmonte, Sung in German with English titles, Eugene Brancoveanu directs, West Bay Opera orchestra and chorus, Bruce Olstad chorus master, José Luis Moscovich, conductor, $40-75, www.wbopera.org or 650-424-9999..
At age 24, Mozart composed “Idomeneo” for a premier orchestra, in Mannheim, and his writing is filled with unexpected textures, colors and harmonic motion, a steady commentary on the stage action. Cleve and his players did full justice to the score, building small gestures into long dramatic arcs, capturing effects both storming and delicate, building a running dialogue between orchestra and singers. My second nomination: soprano Jasmina Halimic, in the role of Electra, princess of Argos, jealous wannabee lover of the boy prince Idamante. Singing the famous rage aria “D’Oreste, d’Ajace” in the opera’s final moments, when it becomes clear that Electra won’t get her man, Halimic was slinky as a figure on an ancient Greek urn. She writhed, unleashing her plush and powerful voice, patiently phrasing the aria’s lamentations, then venting her boundless anger. Oh madness! Oh Fury.
As a part of the gallery’s summer celebration, this exhibit will also include two outdoor artist markets on June 19 and July 16, The artist’s markets with be an extension mini dancing set machine embroidery design – ballerina pointe dancers, gymnasts, ballet shoes – girl dance gym embroidery - inst of the “Sun Kissed” exhibit, with an in depth display of art work by some of our artists, Enjoy the energy and vitality of summer sunshine, come to the Lafayette Gallery, and take home some of that sun kissed feeling, The show runs through July 23, Lafayette Gallery is a 23-member co-op of local artists exhibiting work in many mediums and styles, The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m, to 5 p.m., and the exhibit is free, For more information go to www.lafayettegallery.net or call 925-284-2788..
It wasn’t quite a strike, but it was close. His teammates cheered. A little smile played on his face as he joined his wife on the bench. “I came on strong, right?”. “Good game,” she said, and their fingers linked for a second. It was lunchtime. At Captain D’s on Centreville Road, they ordered their usual three-piece battered-fish platter and talked about their life and the ways his disease has changed it. How it was hard at first for him to tell people he had it. How now, when they tell the story of how they met, he needs her to fill in key details that he once knew by heart.