Pirates and Pinafores: The San Jose Wind Symphony, joined by soloists from Lyric Theatre of San Jose, presents an afternoon of Gilbert & Sullivan classics, including highlights from The Pirates of Penzance, The Mikado and HMS Pinafore. The concert celebrates the season with an audience sing-along. Also featured will be a silent auction that offers opportunities for holiday gift shopping. Dec. 5, 2 p.m. $20 regular admission/$15 seniors/$5 students. McAfee Center, 20300 Herriman Ave., Saratoga. 408.927.SJWS or www.sjws.org.
The Bay Area is home to some sensational gourmet burger spots, where those Angus patties are nestled in brioche buns, topped with applewood-smoked bacon and housemade pickles, and accompanied by craft beers, Here are seven of our favorites, from the one-third pound, grass-fed beauty slathered in soy-spiked shiitake mushrooms at San Jose’s Konjoe Burger Bar to a stellar veggie burger at Oakland’s Drake’s Dealership, If weekends are supposed to be for time off, Oakland Ballet didn’t get the memo, The venerable company will be busy presenting its spring ballet dancer, the red shoes. fabric panel | | sewing | craft | printed fabric panels program, featuring five new story-driven dances, plus hosting a mini-festival offering short works from scads of Bay Area companies, Details are here..
San Mateo County History Museum. “Scenes of San Mateo County,” through Dec. 31, eight original paintings of historic sites on the Peninsula. San Mateo County History Museum, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City. www.historysmc.org or 650-299-0104. FAMILY HOLIDAY EVENTS. San Mateo County History Museum. “Holiday Traditions from Around the World.” 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 6. Children’s craft activities such as making old-fashion Christmas tree ornaments. San Francisco State University Handbell Choir will perform at 1 p.m. San Mateo County History Museum, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City. 650-299-0104 or visit www.historysmc.org.
Dead Man’s Cell Phone: Los Altos Stage Company presents a surrealistic comedy that confronts our assumptions about morality, redemption and the need to connect in a technologically obsessed world, Through Sept, 27, Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos Hills, $18-$36, losaltosstage.org, 650-941-0551, Chicago: ballet dancer, the red shoes. fabric panel | | sewing | craft | printed fabric panels It’s the roaring ’20s, and everybody is talking about a string of femme fatales on trial for murder, including Velma Kelly and Roxie Hart, in Palo Alto Players’ production of this popular musical, Through Sept, 27, times vary, Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto, $32-$46, paplayers.org, 650-329-0891..
When the auditions shifted to Chicago, there was Caleb, who said, “You can’t call yourself a dancer if you give up.” He didn’t, was sent to choreography and (hold on to your tissues) was given a ticket to Los Angeles. For the Chicago auditions, Jenna Elfman was the judge. And Nick Garcia, doing Latin ballroom, brought out the first, but definitely not the last, ear-splitting scream from Mary. Both Nick and his best friend, Rudy Abreu, won over the judges with their auditions and both were given the treasured tickets. As the program has done most of time, the focus is on the positive and the dancers who make it to the next round.
