Musical Performances

It seems that there's a new hip and cool kids' music act born every minute. This is actually a good thing, since it means that there's plenty of quality music out there that not only appeals to the little ones but to their parents as well. At the forefront of this movement is former '80s rocker Dan Zanes. Once a member of the Del Fuegos, Zanes has since turned his sights on realm of music for children and their parents. He's been successful at it, too, winning a Grammy in 2007 for his album Catch That Train! You've probably seen his videos in rotation on the Disney Channel's Playhouse Disney between shows (if not, you can check them out here).

Anyhow, Dan Zanes and Friends are currently on tour and plan on making not one, not two, but three appreances at UC Berkeley's Zellerbach Hall, as part of the Cal Performances Family Fare series. Special pricing for these shows means that children ages 16 and under are half-price for all performances; normal ticket prices are $16 or $26. Dan Zanes and Friends performs two shows on Saturday, March 6, at 11 am and 4 pm, and another show on Sunday, March 7, at 3 pm. Order tickets online at www.calperfs.berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-9988.

Bring the kids to the Dream Circle Holiday Concert at Marin Center on Tuesday, December 8, 2009, featuring an all-star local lineup including Tim Cain, Judy Nee (AKA Miss Kitty), Cindy Cohen, and Christopher Smith. This holiday family performance will feature songs from their It’s a Holiday CD that includes music for a diverse lineup of winter holidays, including Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Chinese New Year.

There will be 2 shows, at 9:30 am and 11 am, at Marin Center’s Showcase Theater in San Rafael. Advance tickets are required: (415) 457-4878. The Showcase Theater is located at 10 Avenue of the Flags (off Highway 101) at the Marin County Civic Center in San Rafael. For directions, go to the Marin Center's website. Read our 2008 review of the Dream Circle CD here.

This fall, Marin's own Golden Gate Opera presents its production of Hansel and Gretel at the Marin Veterans' Memorial Auditorium in San Rafael. This opera version of the Brothers Grimm story (by the 19th-century German composer, not the '70s singer…) is a favorite of families worldwide and tells the story of the two young title characters who stumble upon the witch's gingerbread house while lost in the woods. This production will be sung in English.

Performances are Friday, October 23 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, October 25 at 2 pm.

Hansel and Gretel (Hänsel und Gretel in the original German) has been popular with adults and children since its premiere in 1893, and is often performed around Christmas. Its music is influenced by both traditional German folksongs and the works of Humperdinck's mentor, Richard Wagner.

Golden Gate Opera's Hansel and Gretel is directed by international opera star Edna Garabedian, and features Geoffrey Gallegos conducting the Golden Gate Opera Orchestra and a professional cast including Diana Tash (Hansel), Lauren Woody (Gretel), Valentina Osinski (The Witch), and others. Children from SingersMarin's Starlights and the Shan-Yee Poon Ballet School will appear in the roles of gingerbread cookies and the guardian angels who protect Hansel and Gretel at night in the forest.

Tickets are $65, $55, $40, and $30, with premium seats going for $75. Students and children are half-price. For more information and tickets visit www.marincenter.org or www.goldengateopera.org.

The Marin League of the San Francisco Symphony presents its free "Music for Kids of All Ages" on Sunday, July 12, from 3 to 5 pm at the Mill Valley Community Center. Kid friendly snacks and refreshments will be provided, courtesy of Whole Foods. It's a great way to introduce children to the symphony and classical music. This concert features:

• Dave Kim, multi-instrumentalist, DJ and professional violinist; he has shared the stage with many notable musicians artists around the world.
• Quinteto Latino, a five-piece brass group featuring musicians from the San Francisco Symphony

Space is limited—call or email for reservations at (415) 216-3372 or sfsmarin@gmail.com. The concert is free, but donations are gratefully accepted.

The Mill Valley Community Center is located at 180 Camino Alto. For more information, go to sfsymphonymarin.blogspot.com.

The Marin Music Chest presents its free annual concert featuring student musicians honored with this year’s scholarship awards. It will take place at San Domenico School in the Hall of the Arts Music Pavilion on Sunday, May 3 at 2:30 pm. The concert will feature classical solo performances with piano, violin, cello, harp, and voice by each of the Marin Music Chest scholarship winners. A reception will follow the concert.

The Marin Music Chest was established in 1933. After more than forty years of presenting concerts, the Marin Music Chest made the annual scholarship program its primary mission, providing financial support to promising Marin County students of classical music.

San Dominico School is located at 1500 Butterfield Road in San Anselmo. For more info, go to www.marinmusicchest.org.

The beloved and classic story, The Wizard of OZ comes to life as Sharon Boucher brings Marin’s talented children and adults together to perform this lively production. Bring the entire family to watch Dorothy and Toto meet the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow on their way to the beautiful Emerald City. The North Bay Rep and San Rafael Community Services Department presents The Wizard of Oz starting on March 6. The performance times and dates are listed below:

• Fridays: March 6, 13 & 20 at 7:30 pm

• Saturdays: March 7, 14 & 21 at 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm

• Sunday: March 22 at 3:00 pm

Ticket prices are $15 General Admission for 3 years and up. Tickets available at the San Rafael Community Center or by phone at (415) 485-3333 or online. The San Rafael Community Center is located at 618 B Street in San Rafael.

Based on the popular series of children’s books by Jeff Brown, The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley is a whirlwind sixty-minute musical travelogue that will have parents and children scouring the globe with Stanley, meeting new and diverse friends from South Africa, Mexico and beyond!

Stanley Lambchop is a normal, everyday, run-of-the-mill kid. But one night while he’s sleeping, the bulletin board on the wall above his head comes loose and falls right on top of Stanley. The next morning he wakes up flat! Not just flat… but really flat! Stanley thinks it isn’t too bad at first because he can slide under doors, he’s the best at playing Hide-and-Seek, and his friends can fly him as a kite, but finally Stanley decides to do something about his unusual condition. The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley will take the audience along with Stanley as he mails himself off in an envelope to travel the world in hopes of finding a solution to his very curious problem!

Join Thomas the Tank Engine, Percy, Sir Topham Hat, and the other denizens of the Island of Sodor at the Marin Center for Thomas & Friends Live! On Stage: A Circus Comes to Town. This 90-minute musical stage show extravaganza comes to San Rafael on Monday, March 9 at 7 pm and Tuesday, March 10 at 4 and 7 pm.

Tickets are on sale now. Ticket prices range from $12.50 to $55. For more information and to order tickets go to the Marin Center's website or call (415) 499-6800. Marin Center Box Office hours are Monday through Friday, 11 am to 5 pm. You can also order tickets online via Ticketmaster.