The List: From (early) merry Christmas to cello awesomeness, some promising picks for the weekend
Welcome to The List, a curated offering of promising events for the weekend. Why stay home with Hulu when there’s a whole world of local stuff to enjoy and support?
1. Start your reindeer games
I don’t usually get my yuletide going in early November, but plenty of people do — and Good Company Players is ready for you. “Good Company for Christmas,” now in its opening weekend, features lots of music, laughs, good cheer and local theater veterans (plus lots of youngsters) eager to get all cold-and-snuggly on you even though it’s still 80 degrees outside.
Pictured above: Mary Piona gets in the holiday spirit. Photo: Good Company Players.
Usually GCP plops a holiday classic into its November-December slot at the 2nd Space Theatre, but this is an original production. Sounds like fun. Just don’t make me eat anything peppermint this early.
If you go: Runs through Dec. 23 at the 2nd Space Theatre, 928 E. Olive Ave. 1400 Fulton St. Tickets are $20 general, $18 students and seniors.
Fresno Art Museum Don’t miss the Rollin Pickford exhibition.
2. Celebrate Free Museum Day
What’s better than going to your local museum? Going to your local museum for free.
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The Fresno Art Museum celebrates this second annual event — a program of the Greater Fresno Alliance of Museums & Educational Sites — with a special performance:
This year, the Museum will have a free performance of The 13 Clocks by James Thurber, presented by The Experiment, a performance group that describes itself as “exploring theatre of the written word.” The free performance will be in FAM’s Bonner Auditorium
at 1:00 pm. Seating is limited.
You can also check out the new Rollin Pickford exhibition titled “California Light.”
If you go: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, Fresno Art Museum, 2233 N. 1st St., Fresno.
3. Cherish a cello
Who doesn’t love the sound of the cello? Fresno State’s 2018 International Cello Festival will conclude with a big gala concert. It will include a performance of Popper’s virtuosic Suite for Two Cellos. A variety of cello ensembles will perform throughout the evening and will include works by Kreisler, Rossini, Tansman, Villa-Lobos, and Tchaikovsky’s powerful”Pezzo Capriccioso,” featuring Thomas Loewenheim as soloist.
The 2019 season also will be announced.
If you go: 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 3, Fresno State Concert Hall. Tickets are $15 general, $10 seniors, $5 students.
4. And don’t forget …
I’ve already filled you in Fresno City College’s “The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity” and the Lively Arts Foundation’s “Best of the West,” which is one of the major dance events of the year. (And here’s a reminder about my “Best of the West” ticket giveaway. Deadline is noon Saturday.)
And the Fresno Film Festival is a must-see event this weekend. (I was only able to catch one of the films in advance: a Danish film titled “The Guilty,” which I found simply riveting. It screens 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 4, at the Tower Theatre.)
Plus: It’s closing weekend for Fresno State’s “Just Like Us.” So much to do!
Jackie Ryle
Thank you, Donald. Saw The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety last night. What a riveting powerful collection of performances by fine young actors. I loved it. Your reviews help me make decisions. So much going on and it’s all so good!